Understanding the Canon Status of Star Trek: The Animated Series

While Star Trek: The Animated Series quickly garnered a strong following upon its release, its place within the franchise’s official canon has been a topic of ongoing debate. However, recent clarifications have established its status clearly. As the Star Trek universe has expanded significantly since the conclusion of The Animated Series, it’s important to recognize how this foundational spinoff shaped the franchise. Although the launch of new Star Trek series now feels more routine, the debut of Star Trek: The Animated Series was a thrilling event for its early fanbase.

Star Trek: The Animated Series aired for two seasons from 1973 to 1975, consisting of 22 episodes. Among all Star Trek animated iterations, it played a crucial role in establishing the franchise’s future. Not only did it rekindle enthusiasm for Gene Roddenberry’s vision, but it also paved the way for diverse storytelling formats in the Star Trek universe. Nevertheless, fans have long struggled to determine whether The Animated Series should be viewed independently or connected to the broader Star Trek movie and television universe.

The Canonical Status of Star Trek: The Animated Series

The USS Enterprise’s Mission and Its Animated Continuity

Star Trek: The Original Series was brought to a close in 1969, after three seasons. However, its enduring popularity catalyzed the revival of Star Trek through the animated series four years later. The series, overseen by returning showrunner Gene Roddenberry, was intended as a direct continuation of The Original Series, a fact supported by the participation of the original cast in voicing their characters. This blend of animation with familiar storytelling did lead to some initial confusion, but any uncertainty was alleviated by the cast’s involvement.

Watch on YouTube

For many years, The Animated Series occupied an ambiguous space within Star Trek lore, often overlooked compared to other media in the franchise. However, it has since been affirmed that it exists in the same continuity as The Original Series and subsequent live-action entries. While the delays in recognizing its canon status may seem unwarranted, it’s understandable given the evolving focus on canonical definitions within contemporary science fiction.

Official Canonization of Star Trek: The Animated Series in 2010

Gene Roddenberry’s Evolving Perspective on Canon

Although Roddenberry initially aimed for The Animated Series to document the later stages of the USS Enterprise’s five-year mission, his eventual withdrawal of endorsement from the animated spinoff led to its exclusion from the main canon for a time. Paramount respected this decision until the series was officially recognized as canonical in 2010, resolving the longstanding ambiguity regarding its continuity.

Prior to this canonization, the fervent Star Trek fandom had already embraced The Animated Series as part of the broader universe, independent of Paramount’s official stance. Indeed, there’s no compelling narrative reason that would prohibit The Animated Series from aligning with the established Star Trek canon.

References within Star Trek: Lower Decks to events from The Animated Series further solidify its standing in the franchise continuum.

However, even after its formal integration into canon, recognition from other series took some time. Following the 2010 canon confirmation, no new Star Trek productions were underway until Star Trek: Discovery premiered in 2017. Discovery notably introduced Adrian Holmes as Captain Robert April, a character originating in The Animated Series. Similarly, The Animated Series was referenced in Star Trek: Lower Decks, demonstrating its influence on contemporary narratives.

Evolution of Star Trek Canon Since The Animated Series

Star Trek as a Multifaceted Multimedia Franchise

Since the inception of The Animated Series, discussions surrounding its canon status have intensified, especially with Star Trek’s exponential growth over the decades. The franchise has expanded well beyond its original screen-based narrative, encompassing an extensive library of books, comics, podcasts, and more that could theoretically fit within the same continuity. However, the prevailing guideline remains focused on prioritizing the films and television series.

As Star Trek: The Animated Series was formally accepted into the canon, other stories in the franchise, whether animated or not, have followed a similar approach. Writers of these supplemental narratives keep in mind the core canonical events and lore, but not every story outside the main films and series is included in the official continuity. That said, any direct references from screen-based productions to these external stories pull them into the overarching Star Trek canon.

Canonical Status of All Star Trek Animated Series

Recognizing Animation as an Equal Medium to Live Action in Star Trek

Initially, Star Trek: The Animated Series seemed set apart from The Original Series due to its animated format, which led to misconceptions about its canonicity. Today, however, the franchise has learned from its past. For instance, Star Trek: Lower Decks has made it explicit that its animated format does not diminish its canonical status. Notably, characters from Lower Decks have crossed over into live-action realms, interacting with Anson Mount’s Captain Pike in the episode “Those Old Scientists”from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

Furthermore, Star Trek: Prodigy not only stands as its own narrative but also acts as a legacy continuation of Star Trek: Voyager. It incorporates references to Voyager episodes and develops existing story arcs featuring characters from that series. This crossover approach is consistent across various modern Star Trek offerings; cast members from Star Trek: The Next Generation reprise their roles within both Prodigy and Lower Decks. Consequently, all Star Trek animated productions are regarded as equally canonical as their live-action counterparts.

Source & Images