James Tiberius Kirk was the original benchmark for all Starfleet captains. Throughout the USS Enterprise's original five-year mission, he could be relied upon to fight injustice, make tough calls under pressure, and take a torn shirt in his stride.
When we were introduced to Jean-Luc Picard two decades later, his refined, diplomatic approach contrasted with Kirk's man-of-action persona, yet they (along with fellow commanding officers Benjamin Sisko, Kathryn Janeway and Jonathan Archer) have one big thing in common – they're brilliant at their jobs.
