Highlights
- Jean-Luc Picard formed lifelong bonds with various individuals, both romantic and professional, who influenced his eventful life in different ways.
- Picard's relationship with Raffi Musiker was troubled but integral to protecting the Federation from threats like the Borg and the Romulans.
- Despite their love/hate relationship, Q and Picard shared a special bond, with Q choosing to spend his apparent last moments with Picard.
Jean-Luc Picard is one of Star Trek's most famous characters, second only to James T. Kirk. After assuming command of the Starship Enterprise in 2263, Picard honored the Starfleet mission statement by seeking out new life and new civilizations, including the Borg, the Tamarians, and the powerful Q Continuum. Yet while Picard was an excellent commander, his stoic nature limited his social life aboard the Galaxy-class Enterprise-D during his appearances in the Star Trek franchise.
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Despite his somewhat introverted personality, Picard formed lifelong bonds with several individuals. Some of these relationships bordered on the romantic, while others were purely professional. However, each came to influence Picard's eventful life in their own way.
9 Boothby
Picard's Mentor At Starfleet Academy
- Played by Ray Walston
Boothby, a groundskeeper at Starfleet Command, served as a mentor to many cadets who attended the nearby Starfleet Academy, including Jean-Luc Picard. Boothby could be relied upon for excellent advice and even helped to save Picard's career after the young cadet was nearly kicked out of the Academy.
Boothby was such a fixture of Starfleet Command that the mysterious Species 8472 created a replicant of the gardener as part of a training simulation in the Delta Quadrant. Nor was Boothby's guidance limited to Picard; he also provided boxing lessons to a young Chakotay.
8 Galen
Picard's Most Influential Professor
- Played by Normal Lloyd
Jean-Luc Picard's penchant for archeology was encouraged by Galen, one of his professors at Starfleet Academy. The two men were so close that Picard stated that Galen was like a father to him, although they grew apart when Picard chose a career in Starfleet over a life as an archeologist.
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Picard and Galen reconnected in 2369, although the former was soon assassinated by Cardassian-backed forces. This convinced Picard to finish his mentor's work, leading to the discovery of a shared evolutionary history for many of the galaxy's species, including the Klingons, Cardassians, and even the human race itself.
7 Raffi Musiker
One Of Picard's Most Resourceful Allies
- Played by Michelle Hurd
Raffaela "Raffi" Musiker worked with Jean-Luc Picard to evacuate Romulan civilians from their devastated region of space. However, interference from Starfleet and several clandestine groups caused Raffi to grow increasingly paranoid. Despite her difficulties, Picard sought her out in 2399 as he knew that he could rely on her to help him with his investigations into an apparent Romulan conspiracy.
The resulting investigation vindicated Raffi and restored her friendship with Picard, which had become strained by their respective departures from Starfleet. Raffi's relationship with Picard, while routinely troubled, proved integral to protecting the Federation from threats like the Borg and the Romulans, and it is therefore fitting that she joined the crew of the Enterprise-G in 2402 as the starship's executive officer.
6 Elnor
Picard's Surrogate Son
- Played by Evan Evagora
Picard first met Elnor while assisting in the evacuation of Romulan space following a devastating supernova. Although Picard had frequently clashed with the Romulans during his time aboard the Starship Enterprise, he spent a significant amount of time with the young Romulan, acting as the child's father figure. However, their relationship grew strained after Picard was called back to Federation space as a result of the 2385 Synth attack on Mars.
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However, the two eventually reconciled, and Elnor was able to utilize the training he'd undertaken as a member of the sword-wielding Qowat Milat to assist Picard against a Romulan secret society, the Zhat Vash. Elnor later joined Starfleet thanks to Picard's guidance.
5 Q
Picard's Best Frenemy
- Played by John de Lancie
It may be more accurate to describe Q's friendship with Picard as a love/hate relationship, as the powerful entity often caused mischief aboard the Enterprise-D. However, Picard's apparent dislike of Q concealed a deeper feeling that, at points, came close to friendship. Q did help Picard throughout his life, such as by showing him how his recklessness as a young man was integral to his present success.
Indeed, Q chose to spend his apparent last moments with Picard rather than die alone. This final wish demonstrated that, for all of their mutual animosity, both Q and Picard recognized their special bond.
4 William Riker
Picard's Right-Hand Man
- Played by Jonathan Frakes
Picard and Riker's relationship was initially frosty; shortly after the executive officer came aboard the Enteprise-D, Picard challenged him to manually dock the starship's saucer to its secondary hull, a difficult test of skill. However, the two men warmed to one another during their years aboard the Enterprise, and Picard was one of the guests at Riker's wedding to Deanna Troi in 2379.
However, Riker did not let his friendship with Picard blind him when faced with tough dilemmas. When Picard was assimilated by the Borg in 2366, Riker did not hesitate to open fire on the Borg cube, even though the action endangered Picard. Their relationship was always secondary to their dedication to Starfleet and the Federation, but Riker and Picard demonstrated one of Star Trek's best working relationships.
3 Guinan
Picard's Closest Confidante
- Played by Whoopi Goldberg
The mysterious Guinan was far more than just the bartender aboard the Enterprise-D. As an El-Aurian, she had seen her home planet destroyed by the Borg, and recognized the threat posed by the Collective. This allowed her to offer counsel to Picard prior to the Enterprise's disastrous encounter with the Borg in 2366. She attempted to assuage Picard's concerns that the Borg would overwhelm the Federation by pointing out the tenacity of life.
The exact nature of Guinan and Picard's relationship is shrouded in mystery (both describe it as being more than a friendship), as is its origin. The pair pretended to have met aboard the Enterprise-D, although Guinan joined the starship on Picard's request. One questionably canon novel suggested that their first meeting involved an encounter with Cardassian master spy Enabran Tain. However, regardless of its foundation, Guinan and Picard's friendship is one of the franchise's firmest.
2 Data
Picard's Android Savior
- Played by Brent Spiner
While Data's closest friend throughout The Next Generation was undoubtedly engineer Geordi La Forge, both the TNG movies and Star Trek: Picard emphasized the friendship between Picard and the android Commander Data. When the Borg attempted to alter the course of history, Data resisted the Borg Queen's offer of an alliance and saved Picard's life. He would repeat this act in 2379, when Data sacrificed himself to save Picard from the destruction of the Scimitar.
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Data's sacrifice haunted Picard. In 2399, Picard encountered Data's simulated "ghost", allowing him to gain a measure of closure. A resurrected version of Data assisted Picard in his final battle against the Borg in 2401, demonstrating that not even death could stand in the way of their mutual admiration.
1 Beverly Crusher
The Love Of Picard's Life
- Played by Gates McFadden
While Captain Kirk has gained a reputation as a ladies' man, Captain Picard stayed laser-focused on the Enterprise-D's exploratory mission throughout The Next Generation. However, he was interested in one particular woman: Doctor Beverly Crusher, the Enterprise-D's long-term chief medical officer. Their relationship was complicated by the fact that Picard had sent Beverly's husband to his death, which perhaps stopped their friendship from growing into something more during their time together aboard the Enterprise.
Despite the lack of romantic consolidation, Crusher was Picard's closest friend aboard the starship. They regularly ate breakfast together and relied on one another for advice in times of need. For example, Crusher sought advice from Picard during her romance with the Trill diplomat Odan. Star Trek: Picard hinted at a more romantic, if short-lived, relationship between the pair, although, for the most part, they were simply very close friends.
