Picard Versus Janeway?

[Terok Nor]

Janeway is a crazed psychopathic murderer. Has Picard ever dealt with anyone like that? This is a woman who willingly allowed herself to be assimilated by the Borg on multiple occasions whereas Picard was destroyed by the experience of becoming Locutus. I think he'd be no match for Captain Crazyways.

 

[Tanyanoel]

AS much as I love Picard, all my money would be on Janeway, she is the toughest cookie in the galaxy hands down.

 

[Dylan Hoffman]

My vote is definitely on Janeway. If both captains had equally matched ships, crew and weaponry, Janeway would still prevail due to her tactical experience from her journey in the Delta Quadrant. Picard's diplomatic skills wouldn't make a difference whatsoever.
Don't get me wrong though, I still like both captains and it's a shame they couldn't work together in a movie or two.

 

[Maris Williams]

Tactical: Janeway
From her time in the Delta Quadrant, I believe that Janeway as picked up a few tricks that would definitely beat out Picard. Janeway is also pretty badass with a phaser rifle. In a starship fight where they don't have to follow Federation laws, I think that Janeway would win. (Riker could beat both of them)
Diplomacy: Tie
It's really hard to tell because they have to deal with such different people. Picard mostly had to deal with the Federation, but Janeway had to deal with a lot of hostile and unfamiliar forces. However, Picard is not as accepting as Janeway; Picard still didn't seem very comfortable with Data's sentience, but Janeway became very accepting of the Doctor. Picard is a "what do you think" captain, and Janeway is a "what can we do" captain.
Prime Directive: Picard
Janeway had a little bit of space cowboy in her, and I don't think she reeeaalllyy wanted to follow the Prime Directive. She wasn't going to break it as much as Kirk, but she let a lot of things slide. Picard was pretty good with not messing with time.
Commanding the Crew: Janeway
All Janeway wanted was to get her crew home safely. She knew her crewmen's names and she actively trying to include everyone. Picard seemed very detached.

 

[Dan Wilson]

Defo picard was better

 

[Refuge]

Coffee is stronger than tea.

 

[Voth commando1]

Janeway and Picard both share similar ideological and intellectual proclivities I think they'd get on well.

Against one another? Hmm There both wily and skilled leaders I couldn't say.

 

[Voth commando1]

I admit though as much as I love Voyager I absolutely hate coffee.

 

[LJones41]

Captain Janeway once described Captain Picard as her "Comrade in Arms." And she was hot for Commander Riker, which is to be expected. So, I'm not at all confident that any kind a worthy competition could ever play out, betwixt the two. She's too much in awe of the leadership onboard Enterprise-D, herself. And this is no mere fantasy, on my part - no! Because it's canon - it's all there, onscreen. Every last bit of it ...

Knowing Kathryn Janeway, that "awe" wouldn't last very long. I wouldn't underestimate her, if I were you.


Who would win between the two of them? I honestly don't know. Despite someone's "humorous" attempt to put down Janeway and dismiss her as unoriginal, I suspect there is no clear answer as to who would win. In fact, I don't know who would win in regard to all five ship/station commanders. I realize that many would choose Kirk as the best commander. Personally, I don't know. All of them are very good and all of them are capable of being ruthless and creative when the moment demands it.

 

[Refuge]

Picard as much as I liked him was a touch too superior. Janeway was THE Captain for that journey home through the Delta quadrant. She was mother bear. Her science background I always felt gave her a tactical edge as well. Voyager needed to be a family, their own community. You never got that sense about Next Gen's crew. There was a definite class distinction that suited Picard. He struggled with accepting Wesley.. but then who wouldn't? Janeway was much better adjusting in fact encouraging new memebers to the crew, children, she actively wanted to know who her crew were. Picard knew some and the rest were red shirts.. Janeway was survival hardened, rather than mission hardened as Picard was. Janeway needed to adapt with only what they had. Picard had support and although not a fault he was lazier because of it. Janeway would out wit Picard, out think him, and achieve the better result.

 

[Infern0]

Picard as much as I liked him was a touch too superior. Janeway was THE Captain for that journey home through the Delta quadrant. She was mother bear. Her science background I always felt gave her a tactical edge as well. Voyager needed to be a family, their own community. You never got that sense about Next Gen's crew. There was a definite class distinction that suited Picard. He struggled with accepting Wesley.. but then who wouldn't? Janeway was much better adjusting in fact encouraging new memebers to the crew, children, she actively wanted to know who her crew were. Picard knew some and the rest were red shirts.. Janeway was survival hardened, rather than mission hardened as Picard was. Janeway needed to adapt with only what they had. Picard had support and although not a fault he was lazier because of it. Janeway would out wit Picard, out think him, and achieve the better result.

Picard was in command of 1,047 crew

Janeway was in command of 146

Picard HAD to employ effective use of bureaucratic management to run a ship of that size, with multiple departments working on multiple different missions at the same time, diplomacy, scientific, go here, do this, do that, etc etc, there was a LOT going on that we didn't see in the main mission. Whereas voyager had ONE thing to do, get home, smaller departments, less going on etc. There were more engineers aboard Enterprise than there were crew on voyager, for example.

As for janeway being "survival hardened", yes she went through bad things in the DQ but anything that compared to being savagely tortured by the cardassians for days without breaking? Picard was held to a lot more constraints under direct orders of the Federation but that's not to say he never showed his chops in that regards, see Darmok for an example of that. (a situation i could not see janeway surviving)

In the end the question comes down to WHAT the "contest" is, what are the parameters, what is the environment, they have strengths and weaknesses, Janeway does shine in relatability and caring nature, but is that an important factor from a CO, when you have heads of department and the XO who are supposed to fill that role anyway?

By and large Picard is the superior C/O with the broader range of abilities and the superior staff, in my opinion

 

[Refuge]

I don't think Picard having a greater number of subordinates and a divisional command structure beneath him made him a better Captain, otherwise it would be a numbers game. Give me more plebs and I'm automatically a better leader. No, doesn't equate. By the very nature of having Federation leadership AND resources Picard always had the luxury to regroup. He didn't have to wait years to have a soft place to fall. He had staff, options, and a range of crew to keep his missions, (more often than not, planned missions), operational. He had an endless supply of tea.

As for his personal endurance that has nothing to do with Command. Good for him that he may for example have survived the Borg and Cardassians but his usefulness as Commander is not measured by that.

I agree a lot depends on the conditions the test of command is judged upon. I just believe that Janeway survived more than a journey home. Many an exploration and challenge was met along the way. Picard just was not challenged in the same way, his abilities to compare with Voyager's challenges leave him lacking.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

Neither of them pulled a Sisko and socked Q in the jaw, if they had it would've been the end to many tedious episodes

 

[Lynx]

I like them both.

Sometimes I prefer Picard and sometimes I prefer Janeway but I think than Janeway has a lead in the race.

 

[Sophie74656]

Janeway is a crazed psychopathic murderer. Has Picard ever dealt with anyone like that? This is a woman who willingly allowed herself to be assimilated by the Borg on multiple occasions whereas Picard was destroyed by the experience of becoming Locutus. I think he'd be no match for Captain Crazyways.

Janeway wasn't "destroyed" by the borg because her individuality remained in tact. Picard's assimilation was more of a psychological assault because of the queen's method

 

[Gary7]

I never feel like captain comparisons are valid, because the context is different for each of them. You must remember that. Would Picard have been better in the Voyager scenario? No. Janeway was more of a risk taker, which was essential for lone survival in the Delta quadrant. And despite Picard's intimate experience with the Borg, I think he'd have too much of an aversion to think of an alliance. Janeway would've bumped heads with Riker so much on board the 1701D, and would've fared OK... but not as refined and thorough as Picard.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Depends, what are they trying to do?

Picard's a far better diplomat and negotiator, either one of them would do fine in a space fight. Janeway was better at dealing with crewmembers who weren't perfect Starfleet specimens of discipline and thus was able to manage the Maquis and keep morale up better than Picard would have in that situation. Picard would never make a deal with the Borg but maybe he would have managed to calm down 8472 and helped them win their fight against the Borg while dispelling their anger at the rest of the dimension. Also Picard probably wouldn't have mucked around with 'Out Ferengiing the Ferengi' and would have just beamed them to the brig and not wasted the shot they had at the Barzan wormhole.

 

[Calum Gore]

You're all crackers if you think Janeway was a better captain than Picard. Voyager, as a series made the Borg look like they fight like Romulans, when the Borg are far more powerful. Simply put an intrepid starship placed in the heart of borg territory would be assimilated. Picard in several episodes shows he is a far better diplomat and shows his command ability. Showing he can endure torture too. Janeway has many good qualities as a captain but when she becomes self righteous she becomes a megalomaniac not taking any advive from her crew. Simply put it seems voyager looks like it was written by someone who was not following what TNG had set out. Different writers altogether attempting to keep a seeies going.

 

[Calum Gore]

You're all crackers if you think Janeway was a better captain than Picard. Voyager, as a series made the Borg look like they fight like Romulans, when the Borg are far more powerful. Simply put an intrepid starship placed in the heart of borg territory would be assimilated. Picard in several episodes shows he is a far better diplomat and shows his command ability. Showing he can endure torture too. Janeway has many good qualities as a captain but when she becomes self righteous she becomes a megalomaniac not taking any advive from her crew. Simply put it seems voyager looks like it was written by someone who was not following what TNG had set out. Different writers altogether attempting to keep a seeies going.

One edit when it comes to Sisko people forget he is half profit. He was not on par with Picard even with that advantage.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Winner depends on the contest.

Equestrian, fencing? Advantage Picard.
Engineering ancient pre-industrial machines? Advantage Janeway.

Fighting against each other as Captains of equally matched ships? Hard to say, I'd probably give a slight edge to Picard.
Racing to rescue stranded colonists trapped in a spatial anomaly? Slight edge Janeway.