Since his time on Star Trek: The Next Generation, William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) has served as the captain of three Star Trek ships on screen. Throughout TNG and the subsequent films, Commander Riker served as First Officer on the USS Enterprise-D and Enterprise-E under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart). He earned a reputation as one of the best first officers in Starfleet and turned down numerous offers for his own command to remain on the Enterprise. Although Riker never officially served as captain of the Enterprise, he did take over command several times on TNG.
Most notably, Commander Riker took command of the Enterprise in Star Trek: The Next Generation's classic two-part episode, "The Best of Both Worlds," when Captain Picard was assimilated by the Borg. Riker's decisive leadership proved vital in stopping the Borg and rescuing Picard. Riker could have chosen any command posting after this incident, but he still chose to remain on the Enterprise. Riker did not accept his own command until 2002's Star Trek: Nemesis, when he was finally promoted to captain and given command of the USS Titan. Still, audiences did not actually get to see Captain Riker in command of a starship until Star Trek: Picard season 1 in 2020.
Star Trek: Picard Season 1 Showed Riker As Captain Of USS Zheng He
Riker Led The Fleet That Confronted The Zhat Vash At Coppelius
After serving for several years as captain of the USS Titan, Riker took a leave of absence from Starfleet and settled with his family on Nepenthe. Riker and his wife, Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis), knew that Nepenthe had healing properties, and they both hoped it would help their son, Thaddeus. Tragically, Thad later passed away from mendaxic neurosclerosis. Riker and Troi remained on Nepenthe with their daughter, Kestra ( Lulu Wilson), and offered Admiral Picard and the android Soji Asha (Isa Briones) a place to stay.
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Star Trek Proved Riker Is A Great Captain Without The Enterprise
William T. Riker never became Captain of the Enterprise, but Star Trek has shown that Captain Riker always belonged in a starship's center seat.
Soon after, Riker returned to Starfleet, briefly taking command of the USS Zheng He. The Zheng He led the fleet that arrived at Coppelius to help the android residents resist a Zhat Vash attack. Riker told Commodore Oh (Tamlyn Tomita), who was actually a Romulan Zhat Vash agent, that Coppelius was under Federation protection. Although Riker and his fleet were prepared for a fight – signalling a combative streak to his leadership – Picard and his friends on the surface prevented the battle from breaking out. Soji helped disable the beacon meant to signal the alliance of synthetic life, prompting the Zhat Vash fleet to withdraw.
Star Trek: Lower Decks Showed Riker As Captain Of USS Titan
Captain Riker Faced The Pakleds In Lower Decks Season 2
Star Trek: Lower Decks season 2 offered a glimpse into Captain Riker's life on the USS Titan, as he swooped in to aid the USS Cerritos against three Pakled Clumpships. With Counselor Troi at his side, Riker is clearly having a blast being in command of his own starship, as he jumps from one adventure to the next. Riker offers Ensign Brad Boimler (Jack Quaid) a promotion and a position on the Titan, which Boimler gladly accepts. Despite his initial excitement about serving aboard the Titan, Boimler quickly realizes he may not be ready for such a danger-prone ship.
The Titan continues to engage with the Pakleds, as they investigate who may be helping them. Although Riker clearly loves being captain of the Titan, he also tells Boimler how much he misses his time on the USS Enterprise-D. When Boimler decides to return to the Cerritos, Riker tells him to enjoy being on a ship "that's exploring and solving science mysteries instead of nonstop fighting." There's a reason Riker remained on the Enterprise as long as he did. While he undoubtedly makes an excellent captain in times of crisis, he clearly enjoyed the exploration-focused mission of Picard's ship.
Star Trek: Picard Season 3 Showed Riker As Captain Of USS Titan-A
Captain Riker Ended Up In Command Of A Battered Titan-A
Star Trek: Picard season 3 kicks off when Admiral Picard receives a distress call from Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden). Picard then recruits Captain Riker, and the two commandeer the USS Titan-A, which is now under the command of Captain Liam Shaw (Todd Stashwick). After the Titan rescues Dr. Crusher and her son Jack (Ed Speleers), Vadic (Amanda Plummer) begins pursuing them in her warship, the Shrike. In the resulting battle, Captain Shaw is injured and transfers command of the Titan to Riker. Riker wishes to flee from the Shrike, but Admiral Picard urges him to lure the warship into a trap and fight back.
After the events of Picard season 3, the Titan-A is rechristened as the USS Enterprise-G under the command of Captain Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan).
Picard eventually convinces Riker to fire at the Shrike, but Vadic uses her ship's portal weapons to send the weapons barrage back at the Titan. The Titan sustains massive damage and begins drifting toward a gravitational anomaly in the nebula they had tried to hide in. Picard, Beverly, Riker, and Jack eventually formulate a plan to escape the nebula, after which Riker transfers command of the Titan back to Captain Shaw. Although Star Trek has only shown a few glimpses into Riker's captaincy, he has proven himself to be an incredibly skilled and accomplished leader every time.
