With Picard offering Star Trek fans further adventures of the legendary Starfleet captain, devotees of Star Trek: The Next Generation are reminded why he made such a great leader in the first place. Though he wasn't the first person to lead the U.S.S. Enterprise, Picard is often regarded as the best captain of all.
From his stoic clarity to his unwavering morals, Jean-Luc Picard set a new standard for captaincy in the United Federation of Planets. Users on Reddit took to the site to settle the age-old debate about captains and explained why they think Picard is the greatest captain in Trek history.
An Idealized Character
Consistent across the Trek franchise, certain themes appear again and again, and generally the future presented in the shows is an ideal one. User JmArtin486 thought that Picard lived up to the idealized vision of the franchise, writing "Picard is the most compelling because he's a stoic, near infallible leader who hates violence".
Though Picard isn't as much of the main character as Kirk was in Star Trek: The Original Series, his captaincy makes him the moral compass of TNG. Picard believes in the idealized future toward which Starfleet is working, and his actions often reflect that ardent belief. Picard never betrays the ideas of the franchise, instead he lives them.
Forgiving
Picard runs a tight ship, and his professional toughness is one of the most noted aspects of his character. To juxtapose this, user beached_snail pointed out his positive traits when they said "Forgiving of his crew making mistakes...I've thought about it a lot and Picard is the captain I would most like to serve under".
Picard holds his crew to a high standard, but it is nothing that he wouldn't expect of himself as well. Conversely, Picard has the capacity to forgive even the biggest blunders and he tries hard to understand the problems of his crew. As Star Trek: The Next Generation changed over time, Picard's coldness gave way to a professional warmth that inspired loyalty in his crew.
Assembles A Great Crew
Though he showed himself to be a great leader on many occasion, Picard also proved that he could delegate as well. User kemick praised Picard's crew gathering skills when they commented "One attribute of great leaders that is often overlooked is their ability to recognize and surround themselves with competent people...the Enterprise-D bridge crew was amazingly competent and they all went on to be ship captains or have other distinguished careers".
The captain wasn't the only great character on TNG, and there is a reason that the Enterprise was the flagship of the entire fleet. During the show, Picard's crew were often courted to take their own commands, and they stayed out of loyalty. The true quality of Picard's abilities is shown when another officer is thrown into the mix, and they don't gel with Picard's carefully crafted team.
Father Figure
Captains in Starfleet have to be a lot of things, and one of the biggest is a mentor to their crew. User glenlassan thought Picard excelled at that task when they wrote "Father figure. Picard has a nurturing presence that often lends itself to him playing the role of mentor for those who associate with him".
Picard is by far the most experienced member of his crew, and therefore he has the most amount of expertise to impart on his team. Even when when bad things happen to Captain Picard, he never lets his stentorian air slip, and he remains strong for his subordinates.
The Moral Leader
Picard lead by example, and his morality is the driving force for many of Star Trek: The Next Generation's best episodes. User BigMrTea pointed to Picard's morality as what made him the best, writing "He's the moral leader who will always do what's right...It makes him a really well-rounded leader".
Though he wasn't perfect, Picard's morality gave his crew something to aspire to, and by extension the audience as well. He makes incredibly difficult decisions that aren't always the easiest to understand when looked at emotionally. Captains like Kirk did what he thought was right no matter what, Picard filtered the world through his morals and made choices in a more thoughtful manner.
Teacher And Student
Jean-Luc was a wise man who lived a wealth of exciting experiences that colored his life. However, user mostNONheinous didn't see him as a stagnant person when they commented, "He always seems to me that he learns as much as he teaches and never ceases in that".
Whether it was archeology or music, Picard had a myriad of interests that he pursued outside of being a captain. That striving curiosity carried over into his leadership and he truly lived up to Trek's theme of exploration above all else. Picard taught his crew a lot, but he was never so shut off that he didn't learn something from them as well.
Real Life Inspiration
Though Trek is high-minded science fiction, its stories often boil down to accessible moral tales that apply to real life. User drallafi made things personal when they commented "Even to this day...I still find myself asking, 'what would Picard do?' in real life situations".
The Next Generation was noted for tackling deep issues, and the plots sometimes reflected reality, despite their deep space setting. Picard's morality is extremely idealized, but he is nevertheless an excellent role model to be aspired to. Kirk's cowboy diplomacy makes for exciting TV, but it wouldn't fly well in the real world.
Humble Power
Captain Picard didn't show it often, but he was anything but a pushover when he needed to be. User LordBeerus209 saw Picard's duality as a great strength, commenting "Picard is truly the most respectable, honorable, and amazing captain there is. Strong but humble".
Captain Kirk wore his weapons on his sleeve, and preferred to let the world know that he wasn't afraid to shoot first and ask questions later. Picard on the other hand was capable of being the humble diplomat, while also wielding tremendous power. Picard proved on many occasions that different problems required different solutions.
A Natural Gentleman
Even non-Trek fans know about Picard's mannerism, and his love of the finer things sets him apart from the rough frontier of space. User LordBeerus209 praised the relative ease with which Picard operated, saying "The thing with Picard is how fine, classy, and gentlemanly he is without being obnoxious and clearly appearing fake or trying hard".
The brilliant episode "Tapestry" showed fans that the Picard of TNG had to earn his lumps before he grew to be so refined. This ordered nature is a stabilizing influence for his crew, and he represents order in a universe that is seemingly so random and dangerous.
Never Betrays His Principles
It has been well-established that Picard has a strong sense of principles, but his commitment to those principles is his best asset. A deleted user summarized the captain when they wrote "Picard would rather die than betray his principles. On multiple occasions he stands in the path of certain death in defense of his principles, which to me, makes him the the great captain of Star Trek".
Having convictions is easy, but to stand up for them is an entirely different matter. Picard has several opportunities to solve a problem the easy way, but he never takes that path if it means jeopardizing his beliefs in the slightest. To some, that rigidity seems too constrictive, but in the life-and-death world of Starfleet, it is the only thing that keeps the Enterprise going.