Complete List Of Time Travel Storylines In Star Trek
This article is more than five years old and was last updated in December 2019.
Time travel features in over 50 episodes of Star Trek and in four of the movies, making it one of the franchise's most commonly used storytelling mechanics. This list includes all episodes the television series and the movies with time travel plots, from the original series through to 'The Next Generation', 'Deep Space Nine' and 'Voyager', as well as the movies and the latest incarnation, 'Discovery'.
Star Trek: The Original Series
'The Naked Time' [S01E04]
The crew is infected with a mysterious disease that removes people's emotional inhibitions to a dangerous degree. During the episode the crew experienced time travel when an emergency cold start of the USS Enterprise's warp drive slingshot them and their ship 71 hours into the past.
'Tomorrow Is Yesterday' [S01E19]
When the Enterprise is flung back in time while trying to escape the gravitational pull of a black star, they find themselves in orbit around a 1960's Earth. When they are seen by a US Air Force pilot.
'The City On The Edge Of Forever' [S01E28]
When a temporarily insane Dr. McCoy accidentally changes history and destroys his time, Kirk and Spock follow him to prevent the disaster, but the price to do so is high.
'Assignment: Earth' [S02E26]
The Enterprise travel back to the 1960s on a historical research mission, while observing Earth in 1968, the crew encounters the mysterious Gary Seven who has his own agenda on the planet.
'All Our Yesterdays' [S03E23]
When Kirk, Spock and McCoy investigate the disappearance of a doomed planet's population, they find themselves trapped in different periods of that world's past.
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
To save Earth from an alien probe, Admiral James T. Kirk and his senior staff took a stolen Klingon Bird-of-Prey back in time to San Francisco in 1986 to retrieve the only beings who can communicate with it, a pair of humpback whales, which are extinct in Kirk's time.
Star Trek creator, Gene Roddenberry, was pleased to hear the movie would be a time travel story, as he had been pushing for such a plot line in one of the movies. Roddenberry had long wanted a story in which the crew traveled back in time in an attempt to stop the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, but producer Harve Bennett felt such a story would be anticlimactic with the audience knowing such a historical event could not be undone.
When the time travel storyline was first proposed, a few different time periods were considered. Ultimately, the contemporary 1986 time period was selected largely to make use of the opportunity for extensive outdoor location shooting. In addition, there would be no budget constraints relating to the use of period costuming, sets and props.
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Star Trek: The Next Generation
"There is the theory of the Möbius. A twist in the fabric of space where time becomes a loop."
Lieutenant Commander Worf
'We'll Always Have Paris' [S01E23]
The crew of the Enterprise races against time itself, when a scientist experiments with time and claims to have opened a window into another dimension, which must be closed. The episode climaxes with a memorable scene in which Data must to determine which version of himself is in the correct time continuum to patch the time anomaly.
'Time Squared' [S02E13]
The Enterprise comes across a drifting Federation shuttle craft with the life signs of one human aboard. They bring the craft aboard only to find that it is one of their own craft and to their amazement find a duplicate, but unconscious, Captain Picard aboard. Data and Geordi La Forge restore the power and determine that the craft actually comes from six hours into the future. The shuttle's logs reveal that the Enterprise will be destroyed, leaving the crew to find a way to break the timeline they seem to be in.
'Yesterday's Enterprise' [S03E15]
In one of the best rated and most memorable episodes of TNG, the Enterprise crew come face-to-face with the predecessor, the Enterprise C and her crew from the past. The two ships have been thrown together in the time and space continuum.
'Captain's Holiday' [S03E19]
While on shore leave, Captain Picard is visited by an unknown alien race from the future, who are in search of a dangerous weapons in his time frame.
While on shore leave, Captain Picard is visited by an unknown alien race from the future, who are in search of a dangerous weapons in his time frame.
'A Matter Of Time' [S05E09]
The Enterprise encounters a strange unknown vessel, which appears after a temporal distortion, it's transporting Berlingoff Rasmussen. He claims to be from Earth three centuries later who has traveled back in time to experience history. He's quite convincing and while he is definitely a time traveler his story isn't quite accurate.
The Enterprise encounters a strange unknown vessel, which appears after a temporal distortion, it's transporting Berlingoff Rasmussen. He claims to be from Earth three centuries later who has traveled back in time to experience history. He's quite convincing and while he is definitely a time traveler his story isn't quite accurate.
'Cause And Effect' [S05E19]
The Enterprise gets caught in a time loop which always has one result: total destruction of the ship itself.
The Enterprise gets caught in a time loop which always has one result: total destruction of the ship itself.
'Time's Arrow' [S05E26 & 27]
In this two-part episode, Captain Picard and his archaeological curiosity are called upon by scientists from Earth when they find evidence to support beliefs that aliens had visited Earth in the late 1800s. Data is accidentally pulled back through time to this period. The crew are forced to follow him back to the late 1800s to get him back, only to find the suspected alien visitors killing people of that time.
In this two-part episode, Captain Picard and his archaeological curiosity are called upon by scientists from Earth when they find evidence to support beliefs that aliens had visited Earth in the late 1800s. Data is accidentally pulled back through time to this period. The crew are forced to follow him back to the late 1800s to get him back, only to find the suspected alien visitors killing people of that time.
'Tapestry' [S06E15]
When Captain Picard's artificial heart fails, he is offered the rare opportunity by Q to go back in time and set right the mistake that lead to his demise.
When Captain Picard's artificial heart fails, he is offered the rare opportunity by Q to go back in time and set right the mistake that lead to his demise.
'Timescape' [S06E25]
Aboard a shuttlecraft and en route back to the Enterprise, Picard, LaForge, Data, and Troi find themselves trapped in a time trap of some sort, where the Enterprise is being taken over by Romulans, and the ship, itself, on a course of destruction.
Aboard a shuttlecraft and en route back to the Enterprise, Picard, LaForge, Data, and Troi find themselves trapped in a time trap of some sort, where the Enterprise is being taken over by Romulans, and the ship, itself, on a course of destruction.
'All Good Things...' [S07E25]
In the final ever TNG episode, Captain Picard finds himself shifting continually into the past, future and present and must use that to discover a threat to humanity's existence.
In the final ever TNG episode, Captain Picard finds himself shifting continually into the past, future and present and must use that to discover a threat to humanity's existence.
Star Trek Generations
Captain Picard and the Enterprise-D crew find themselves at odds with renegade scientist, Dr. Tolian Soran, who is trying to destroy entire star systems. Only one man can help Picard stop Soran's and he has been dead for 78 years.
Picard enters an energy ribbon, where one of his predecessors, Captain James T Kirk has been leaving after he was presumed dead. The two captains return to Picard's timeline to stop Soran.
"Time is the fire in which we burn."
Dr. Tolian Soran
Star Trek: First Contact
The Borg travel back in time intent on preventing Earth's first contact with an alien species. Captain Picard and his crew pursue them to ensure that Zefram Cochrane makes his maiden flight reaching warp speed.
Once the creative team decided they were going to make a time travel movie, two of the time periods they considered having the Enterprise and her crew visit included the American Civil War and Medieval Europe.
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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
'Past Tense' [S03E11 & 12]
Sisko, Bashir and Dax are accidentally sent to San Francisco in the 21st century due to a transporter malfunction, and must figure out how to get back to return without changing the time line. Sisko is forced to take the place of a key historical figure on Earth in 2024 in order to preserve the timeline.
'Visionary' [S03E17]
While a Romulan delegation tries to get information about the Gamma Quadrant and especially the Dominion, Chief O'Brien is involved in an accident, which results in him seeing visions of the future, which start to comes true. He soon realises that he is seeing things that are about to happen in the near future and they aren't of the pleasant variety.
'The Visitor' [S04E02]
Sisko, now an old man, is living alone, when he gets an unexpected visit from an aspiring writer who is surprised that Sisko published only two works. It transpires that at the age of 40, Sisko simply stopped writing and she wants to know why. Sisko tells her the story of how his father died in an accident on the Defiant and how he went to see the wormhole undergo a subspace inversion, that only happens once in several decades. Something was wrong however and the warp core was about to breach. After repairing it, Sisko was hit by a beam and disappeared. A few months later things were returning to normal for Sisko, but suddenly he saw his father in his bedroom, only to disappear a moment later.
'Little Green Men' [S04E07]
Quark and Rom take Nog to Earth and Starfleet Academy, but a malfunction with the ship takes the crew back in time, to Roswell, New Mexico in 1947.
Quark and Rom take Nog to Earth and Starfleet Academy, but a malfunction with the ship takes the crew back in time, to Roswell, New Mexico in 1947.
'Accession' [S04E16]
The crew is surprised when the wormhole opens and an ancient Bajoran lightship comes through. Inside is the poet Akorem Laan who disappeared from Bajor over two centuries ago. Laan was rescued by the prophets and now sent back as emissary, so he claims. Sisko doesn't feel like contradicting him since the prophecies seem to suit the story of Laan better.
'Trials And Tribble-ations' [S05E06]
Sisko tells two men from Temporal Investigations how he and his crew went back in time to when Captain James Kirk of the first Starship Enterprise exposed a Klingon spy with the help of Tribbles.
Sisko tells two men from Temporal Investigations how he and his crew went back in time to when Captain James Kirk of the first Starship Enterprise exposed a Klingon spy with the help of Tribbles.
'Children Of Time' [S05E22]
The DS9 crew discovers a small colony on a remote world that was originally populated by them 200 years earlier due to a time travel accident with the Defiant. The current colonists lives depend on making sure that accident happens again, even though they've now forewarned the crew that it will happen.
The DS9 crew discovers a small colony on a remote world that was originally populated by them 200 years earlier due to a time travel accident with the Defiant. The current colonists lives depend on making sure that accident happens again, even though they've now forewarned the crew that it will happen.
'Wrongs Darker Than Death Or Night' [S06E17]
After receiving some disturbing information from Gul Dukat, Major Kira seeks Sisko's approval as Emissary to travel back in time to find out the truth about her mother.
After receiving some disturbing information from Gul Dukat, Major Kira seeks Sisko's approval as Emissary to travel back in time to find out the truth about her mother.
'Time's Orphan' [S06E24]
Chief O'Brien and Keiko's daughter gets caught in a time displacement and when they get her back, she is considerably older.
Chief O'Brien and Keiko's daughter gets caught in a time displacement and when they get her back, she is considerably older.
'The Sound Of Her Voice' [S06E25]
As the Defiant races to a shipwrecked officer who is days away, the crew keeps in contact with her, but when they finally reach her location they find that the distress call she sent had been time-shifted from the past and she was in fact already dead.
As the Defiant races to a shipwrecked officer who is days away, the crew keeps in contact with her, but when they finally reach her location they find that the distress call she sent had been time-shifted from the past and she was in fact already dead.
Star Trek: Voyager
'Parallax' [S01E02]
Tensions rise between the merged Starfleet and Maquis crews when they find another ship caught within a quantum singularity. After establishing communications with the craft they discover the ship in distress is Voyager itself.
Tensions rise between the merged Starfleet and Maquis crews when they find another ship caught within a quantum singularity. After establishing communications with the craft they discover the ship in distress is Voyager itself.
'Time And Again' [S01E03]
The Voyager crew discovers a planet which recently suffered a horrific catastrophe. Upon investigation, Janeway and Paris are sent back in time before the disaster and are faced with the decision of whether to try to stop it.
The Voyager crew discovers a planet which recently suffered a horrific catastrophe. Upon investigation, Janeway and Paris are sent back in time before the disaster and are faced with the decision of whether to try to stop it.
'Eye Of The Needle' [S01E06]
When the Voyager crew encounters a wormhole and makes contact with a Romulan ship on the other side in the Alpha Quadrant. It raises the crew's hopes of getting back to Earth, until they realise that the other ship is from 54 years in Voyager's past.
When the Voyager crew encounters a wormhole and makes contact with a Romulan ship on the other side in the Alpha Quadrant. It raises the crew's hopes of getting back to Earth, until they realise that the other ship is from 54 years in Voyager's past.
'Future's End' [S03E08 & 09]
A timeship from the future who tries to stop Voyager gets thrown with Voyager into the twentieth century. His timeship is found in the 1960's and Voyager finds a company that has benefited from its technology exists in 1996. Henry Starling, who made a fortune from his looting of 29th century technology from the crashed timeship, is planning a foray into the future to feed his greed. The Voyager crew must find a way to stop Starling before his attempted use of the timeship destroys Earth's Solar System.
'Before And After' [S03E21]
Starting near her death with no memory, Kes experiences parts of her life moving backwards through time. We see a possible future Voyager where Janeway and Torres died years ago in a great war and the survivors of Voyager were exposed to temporal radiation. When the cycle takes Kes back to an embryo, the cycle begins again in the correct order, stopping at present day, leaving Kes with all the memories of the possible future and valuable knowledge of the upcoming war that will be known as "the year of hell."
Starting near her death with no memory, Kes experiences parts of her life moving backwards through time. We see a possible future Voyager where Janeway and Torres died years ago in a great war and the survivors of Voyager were exposed to temporal radiation. When the cycle takes Kes back to an embryo, the cycle begins again in the correct order, stopping at present day, leaving Kes with all the memories of the possible future and valuable knowledge of the upcoming war that will be known as "the year of hell."
'Year Of Hell' [S04E08]
Voyager comes across a Krenim timeship that is wiping whole species from existence by changing the existing timeline.
Voyager comes across a Krenim timeship that is wiping whole species from existence by changing the existing timeline.
'Timeless' [S05E06]
A miscalculation by Ensign Kim causes a fatal crash during Voyager's first test with slipstream travel. Fifteen years in the future, survivors Chakotay, Kim and The Doctor attempt to send a message back in time to prevent the tragedy.
A miscalculation by Ensign Kim causes a fatal crash during Voyager's first test with slipstream travel. Fifteen years in the future, survivors Chakotay, Kim and The Doctor attempt to send a message back in time to prevent the tragedy.
'Relativity' [S05E23]
When Voyager is destroyed, Captain Braxton of the 29th Century Timeship Relativity contacts Seven of Nine to travel back in time and discover who planted the 'temporal disruptor.' However, she must do this without being discovered by the past Janeway.
When Voyager is destroyed, Captain Braxton of the 29th Century Timeship Relativity contacts Seven of Nine to travel back in time and discover who planted the 'temporal disruptor.' However, she must do this without being discovered by the past Janeway.
'Fury' [S06E23]
Kes returns to Voyager older, angry, and more powerful than ever. Using her abilities in combination with Voyager's warp core, Kes travels back in time to Voyager's first year in the Delta Quadrant. Her agenda is to kidnap her younger self and return her to the Ocampa, even if it means turning her former friends over to the Vidiians. The only one to suspect anything is Tuvok, who is experiencing intermittent visions and memories of the future.
Kes returns to Voyager older, angry, and more powerful than ever. Using her abilities in combination with Voyager's warp core, Kes travels back in time to Voyager's first year in the Delta Quadrant. Her agenda is to kidnap her younger self and return her to the Ocampa, even if it means turning her former friends over to the Vidiians. The only one to suspect anything is Tuvok, who is experiencing intermittent visions and memories of the future.
'Shattered' [S07E11]
After an accident, Chakotay is able to pass through the distortions that are scattered about the ship after Voyager goes through a temporal rift. In various sections of the ship, its past and future exist side by side and Chakotay must convince its crew, past and present, to work together to save Voyager.
After an accident, Chakotay is able to pass through the distortions that are scattered about the ship after Voyager goes through a temporal rift. In various sections of the ship, its past and future exist side by side and Chakotay must convince its crew, past and present, to work together to save Voyager.
'Endgame' [S07E25]
Ten years after Voyager's return from a 23 year journey across the galaxy, Admiral Janeway breaks all the temporal rules and journeys back in time to change a decision she made that prolonged their journey by 16 years. Bringing technology that will help fight the Borg, the Admiral wants her younger self to fight the Borg and use their transwarp hub to go home.
Ten years after Voyager's return from a 23 year journey across the galaxy, Admiral Janeway breaks all the temporal rules and journeys back in time to change a decision she made that prolonged their journey by 16 years. Bringing technology that will help fight the Borg, the Admiral wants her younger self to fight the Borg and use their transwarp hub to go home.
Star Trek: Enterprise
'Cold Front' [S01E11]
Enterprise has a group of aliens watching a stellar phenomenon on board. When a plasma storm hits Enterprise, the ship is miraculously saved from destruction by one of the aliens who disconnected a cable saving Enterprise. Later, the crewman Daniels tells Archer that he is a time traveler that has come from the future to chase the Sulliban soldier Silik, his opponent in a temporal cold war.
Enterprise has a group of aliens watching a stellar phenomenon on board. When a plasma storm hits Enterprise, the ship is miraculously saved from destruction by one of the aliens who disconnected a cable saving Enterprise. Later, the crewman Daniels tells Archer that he is a time traveler that has come from the future to chase the Sulliban soldier Silik, his opponent in a temporal cold war.
'Shockwave' [S01E26 & S02E01]
After an accident, the Enterprise's mission is ended and the crew are called back to Earth. When the ship has altered course, crewman Daniels, a time traveler, pays a visit to captain Archer. Daniels and Archer end up stranded in the 31st century, where they investigate the damage to the time line and try to find way a to get Archer back in his own century.
After an accident, the Enterprise's mission is ended and the crew are called back to Earth. When the ship has altered course, crewman Daniels, a time traveler, pays a visit to captain Archer. Daniels and Archer end up stranded in the 31st century, where they investigate the damage to the time line and try to find way a to get Archer back in his own century.
'Future Tense' [S02E16]
Enterprise discovers a strange pod. After towing it in, the doctor confirms the dead pilot is human. Captain Archer suspects this man may be Zefram Cochrane, who developed the warp drive on earth, and disappeared with an experimental ship. The pod discovered by Archer and Tucker shares a few similarities with a ship from another long running science-fiction franchise, namely 'Doctor Who'. The pod and the Doctor's TARDIS are both bigger on the inside than the outside, and able to travel across time.
Enterprise discovers a strange pod. After towing it in, the doctor confirms the dead pilot is human. Captain Archer suspects this man may be Zefram Cochrane, who developed the warp drive on earth, and disappeared with an experimental ship. The pod discovered by Archer and Tucker shares a few similarities with a ship from another long running science-fiction franchise, namely 'Doctor Who'. The pod and the Doctor's TARDIS are both bigger on the inside than the outside, and able to travel across time.
'Twilight' [S03E08]
Enterprise is hit with a rather intense anomaly. Refusing to leave an injured T'Pol behind, Archer is struck by the anomaly, leaving his brain infected with parasites, preventing him from making any new memories. It transpires that the parasites effecting Archer lives outside normal space-time and usual remedies don't work.
Enterprise is hit with a rather intense anomaly. Refusing to leave an injured T'Pol behind, Archer is struck by the anomaly, leaving his brain infected with parasites, preventing him from making any new memories. It transpires that the parasites effecting Archer lives outside normal space-time and usual remedies don't work.
'Carpenter Street' [S03E11]
Archer and T'Pol travel back in time to Detroit in 2004 to stop three Xindi-Reptilians from constructing a bioweapon.
Archer and T'Pol travel back in time to Detroit in 2004 to stop three Xindi-Reptilians from constructing a bioweapon.
'Azati Prime' [S03E18]
Archer decides he should pilot a kamikaze shuttle to destroy the Xindi weapon. Temporal agent Daniels urges him to reconsider.
Archer decides he should pilot a kamikaze shuttle to destroy the Xindi weapon. Temporal agent Daniels urges him to reconsider.
'E²' [S03E21]
Trying to pass through a subspace corridor, Enterprise is stopped by a version of itself from the future.
Trying to pass through a subspace corridor, Enterprise is stopped by a version of itself from the future.
'Zero Hour' [S03E24]
Archer takes Degra's ship to try to prevent Earth from being destroyed and gets some unexpected help. Enterprise tries to destroy Sphere 41, but the Sphere Builders know about the plan.
Archer takes Degra's ship to try to prevent Earth from being destroyed and gets some unexpected help. Enterprise tries to destroy Sphere 41, but the Sphere Builders know about the plan.
'Storm Front' [S04E01 & 02]
Following the destruction of the Xindi weapon, the Enterprise crew discovers that they have been sent back in time to 1944. However, history has been altered, leaving Nazi Germany in control of a large portion of the eastern United States. After Silik attacks Trip, Vosk wants to make a deal with Archer: supplies of the ship for the completion of his time machine in return for a trip to the 22nd Century.
Following the destruction of the Xindi weapon, the Enterprise crew discovers that they have been sent back in time to 1944. However, history has been altered, leaving Nazi Germany in control of a large portion of the eastern United States. After Silik attacks Trip, Vosk wants to make a deal with Archer: supplies of the ship for the completion of his time machine in return for a trip to the 22nd Century.
'In A Mirror, Darkly' [S04E18]
In the mirror universe, the crew of the ISS Enterprise is fighting rebels who oppose the Terran Empire when they discover the Tholians have captured a vessel from the future.
Star Trek
In the 2009 movie, a brash James T Kirk tries to live up to his father's legacy with Spock keeping him in check as a vengeful rogue Romulan from the future creates black holes to destroy the Federation one planet at a time.
Due to the time travel plot device, the film and its sequels, are now set in an alternate timeline that is separate from the original timeline, which is depicted in the previous five out of six television series, and ten movies, Enterprise's timeline remains unaffected.
Star Trek: Discovery
'Magic To Make The Sanest Man Go Mad' [S01E07]
As the USS Discovery crew attempts to let loose at a party, an unwelcome visitor comes aboard bringing about a problematic and twisted sequence of events.
As the USS Discovery crew attempts to let loose at a party, an unwelcome visitor comes aboard bringing about a problematic and twisted sequence of events.
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