The top 31 spookiest Star Trek episodes (according to the Internet)
It’s spooky season and I’m also a Star Trek nerd and a list nerd, so here we go!
I asked in a Star Trek discord, ran a bunch of searches, and assigned a point each time an episode was listed among the scariest/creepiest in Star Trek. The episodes are ranked from least to most spooky, so watch in this order if you want to build up to the spookiest stuff. I cut off the list at 31, one episode for each day in October.
So without further ado…
Spookiest episodes of Star Trek*:
- TOS 1×05: The Enemy Within
- TOS 1×25: The Devil in the Dark
- PIC 2×07: Monsters
- VOY 2×08: Persistence of Vision
- ENT 3×16: Doctor’s Orders
- DS9 3×26: The Adversary
- VOY 4×25: One
- VOY 5×18: Course: Oblivion
- ENT 2×10: Vanishing Point
- VOY 3×12: Macrocosm
- VOY 3×18: Darkling
- VOY 4×07: Scientific Method
- TNG 7×14: Sub Rosa
- ENT 2×04: Dead Stop
- TNG 3×26: The Best Of Both Worlds, Part I
- TOS 1×01: The Man Trap
- TNG 7×06: Phantasms
- DS9 5×05: The Assignment
- DS9 2×14: Whispers
- DIS 1×03: Context Is For Kings
- TNG 6×21: Frame Of Mind
- TNG 7×19: Genesis
- TOS 2×14: Wolf in the Fold
- VOY 6×25: The Haunting Of Deck Twelve
- TOS 2×07: Catspaw
- VOY 2×23: The Thaw
- TNG 4×17: Night Terrors
- TNG 1×25: Conspiracy
- ENT 3×05: Impulse
- DS9 5×24: Empok Nor
- TNG 6×05: Schisms
Shorter list of the the spookiest episode from each of the 11 series:**
- TOS 2×07: Catspaw
- TAS 1×01: Beyond the Farthest Star
- TNG 6×05: Schisms
- DS9 5×24: Empok Nor
- VOY 2×23: The Thaw
- ENT 3×05: Impulse
- DIS 1×03: Context Is For Kings
- PIC 2×07: Monsters
- LD 1×06: Terminal Provocations
- PRO 1×12: Let Sleeping Borg Lie
- SNW 1×09: All Those Who Wander
Data used to collate these rankings:
- Star Trek Discord
- https://www.handitv.com/lists/18-eerie-disturbing-and-downright-scary-star-trek-episodes
- https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/the-scariest-star-trek-episodes/
- https://screenrant.com/most-disturbing-star-trek-episodes-ranked-horrifying/
- https://screenrant.com/most-terrifying-star-trek-episodes-halloween/
- https://movieweb.com/scariest-star-trek-episodes/
- https://screenrant.com/scariest-star-trek-episodes-ranked/
- https://gizmodo.com/12-scariest-star-trek-episodes-strange-new-worlds-alien-1849136069
- https://aiptcomics.com/2020/10/22/the-ultimate-star-trek-horror-episodes-guide/
- https://www.startrek.com/news/9-underrated-spooky-star-trek-episodes
- https://gizmodo.com.au/2022/07/the-12-scariest-episodes-of-star-trek/
- https://gamerant.com/star-trek-episodes-sci-fi-horror/#enterprise-impulse
- https://www.monstercomplex.com/blog/Star-Trek-Scariest-Episodes
- https://www.giantfreakinrobot.com/ent/scariest-star-trek-horror-episodes.html
- https://www.slashfilm.com/910821/10-terrifying-star-trek-episodes-to-watch-after-this-weeks-strange-new-worlds/
- https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-spooky-halloween-episodes/
- https://www.giantfreakinrobot.com/ent/star-trek-halloween-scary.html
- https://redshirtsalwaysdie.com/2017/10/26/star-trek-horror-episodes/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8BXCo9XKw4
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXsvbp9EahI
…
* There was a 12-way tie for the final 8 slots, so the final 8 in the first list are randomly selected from among those 12 episodes.
** PRO did not make an appearance on any of the lists I found, so I selected an episode that felt most appropriate. Other series only had one suggested episode and are in the list by default.