Star Trek: Warp Catchphrases, Explained

Star Trek is considered the most popular science fiction television series to hit the small screen. His depiction of the future shows potential danger, yet is inspiring because of the progress humanity has made. Crime and poverty have been eradicated from Earth and people have come together to create an egalitarian society. Even more impressive is the technology that Earth and other advanced cultures throughout the galaxy have created. Spaceships are a common mode of transportation. Instead of great navies on the oceans, the planets sail a sea of ​​stars.

The most advanced piece of technology any civilization can create Star Trek space is warp drive. Warp technology allows starships to travel through space faster than the speed of light, which is a convenient narrative device. Even though light is fast, it still takes over five hours for sunlight to reach Pluto, a celestial body in the same system. Star Trek the characters travel across the galaxy, so they use varying degrees of warp speed to get there in mere minutes. Starfleet captains are notorious for using the phrase right before their helmsman goes into warp speed.

Related

Star Trek: Cetacean Ops, explained

Exploring the history and function of this unique division present on some Starfleet ships, including the USS Cerritos.

What is a 'Warp Catchphrase'?

star trek tos captain james t kirk

Every mission Starfleet crews undertake is in the name of science, diplomacy or exploration, but not every alien race they encounter has the same mentality. Whenever a starship warps, there's no telling what awaits the crew at their destination. It could be an alien race that has just discovered warp technology, eager to reach the stars. On the other hand, it could be a faction focused on war and galactic domination, like Deep Space Nine's Dominion. So it is fitting that the captain should have it something comforting or inspiring to say before the helmsman initiates warp drive. It's like a short pep talk that gets the crew pumped up for the mission.

Warp Phrase Selection

Star Trek warp drive

Until Star Trek: Discoveryeach captain facilitated the slogan selection. IN Discovery, when the experimental starship USS Discovery accepted Sara as its new captain, the bridge crew anxiously awaited his selection. His first choice was “Execute,” which long-time trekkers know as one of Captain Kirk's slogans. However, when Saru said it, it was clumsy and the crew wasn't too happy about it either.

Choosing a warp password is not easy. It has to be inspirational, it has to have language and it can't be something that makes the crew laugh. Moreover, it is difficult to stick to just one phrase because it is a situational practice. Sometimes it can be something a little more jovial, while other times it needs to convey the menace of the situation. So most captains don't stick to a single phrase. Although the writers of the show probably prefer to use the same word or phrase over and over to make things easier.

More importantly, each captain chooses a phrase that best fits their personality. Someone like Spock wouldn't choose something intentionally humorous or lighthearted like “Let's get out of here.” He chooses something matter-of-fact and pragmatic, which he does in the episode Strange new worlds — kind. His exact sentence is:

I'd like the ship to leave… now

Every Captain's Warp Catchphrase

Many captains appeared in it Star Trek projects and even more individuals who have gained the privilege of using the warp phrase. Some characters were even portrayed by different actors and in different timelines. Not an exhaustive list, but here are a few memorable ones:

Captain James T. Kirk

There have been several different iterations of Kirk on the big and small screen. In the original TV series, he usually said something along the lines of “Warp factor one. It's simple and official, it sounds like something officers learn to say at Starfleet Academy. There wasn't a single catchphrase he stuck to on the big screen. Shatner's Kirk changed that, with phrases including “Perform,” “Let's see what he's got,” and “Like this.” Chris Pine's Kirk in JJ Abrams' Kelvin verse said: “Take us out” which is not the most memorable phrase.

Captain Christopher Pike

In both Kelvin's verse and Strange new worldsCaptain Christopher Pike, although he knows his destiny, is simple but inspiring. Pike's original iteration in the original series never got a chance to say the warp phrase, so the audience's first encounter with Pike's catchphrase came from Bruce Greenwood's version, where he simply stated, “Puch it.” This is not too far from Anson Mount's phrase, “Hit.”

Captain Jean-Luc Picard

Like Captain Kirk, Picard said various phrases before launching the USS Enterprise into warp speed, but he had a few favorites that even non-tourists would recognize. Star Trek. Picard was probably the most famous “Make it so” and “Engage.” The first line was more common as Picard often said it after giving a crew member an order.

Captain Janeway

Of all the Starfleet captains, Kate Mulgrew's Janeway probably had the most authority with her one-liners, especially when she didn't have her morning cup of coffee. She did “do it” sounds like an order that had to be obeyed immediately. Janeway proved to be cunning and resourceful, always one step ahead of her opponents in the unfamiliar environment of the ship. So when she said to do something, the garrison did it or risked certain doom with no hope of cavalry showing up.

Captain Michael Burnham

Michael Burnham, Spock's adopted sister, didn't start out as a ship's captain Star Trek: Discoveryso she had no catchphrase to speak of. She worked under several other captains who did, however, which gave her some inspiration for what would eventually be her warp phrase. Captain Lorca, the treacherous captain who was actually from the mirror universe, simply said: “Go!”. I thought it suited his nature, which was pragmatic and matter-of-fact. However, the revelation of his true identity showed that he didn't really care.

When Michael came up with her phrase, it was clear that she had given it a little more thought. “Let's Fly” was inspiring as well as insight into her idealistic philosophies. It's uplifting and fits her personality perfectly. It also fit into the “Red Angel” storyline in which she was central.

MORE

Star Trek: Deflector Shields, explained

Deflector shields are Star Trek's defense mechanism, but they don't seem to successfully defend against all kinds of attacks.

Leave a Comment