Patrick Stewart’s final words as Admiral Jean-Luc Picard at the end of Star Trek: Picard were the greatest farewell in Star Trek history. Stewart passed away at 86 on October 28, 2026, and the outpouring of sympathy from the Star Trek community and beyond hails Jean-Luc Picard as the best Star Trek captain of all.
Captain Picard and Star Trek: The Next Generation already boast what is widely considered one of the best series finales in TV history. At the end of TNG‘s finale, “All Good Things…”, Picard joined his crew’s poker game for the first time in seven years. As the first hand was dealt, Picard uttered the immortal last words, “Five card stud, nothing wild, and the sky’s the limit,” which metaphorically encapsulated how fans felt about the voyages of the USS Enterprise-D.
Star Trek: Picard season 3 is perhaps the most acclaimed season of any Star Trek on Paramount+ series. Picard‘s long-awaited Star Trek: The Next Generation reunion sent the crew of the USS Enterprise-D on one last mission to save the galaxy from the Borg. Showrunner Terry Matalas understood the assignment and perfectly tapped into how fans longed to see TNG‘s icons return to glory, and Matalas also knew exactly how to end Star Trek: The Next Generation’s story.
Patrick Stewart’s Final Quote As Picard Was The Greatest Goodbye Line
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Star Trek: Picard season 3‘s joyous and crowd-pleasing ending saw the crew of the USS Enterprise-D gather at Ten Forward for a drink, followed by one more poker game. Of course, Admiral Picard held court as their leader, and he perfectly summed up his legendary Starfleet career and incredible life with the greatest last words ever in Star Trek:
“I’ve come to believe that the stars have always been in my favor.”
“I’ve come to believe that the stars have always been in my favor.”
Terry Matalas wrote and directed Star Trek: Picard season 3’s finale, “The Last Generation,” but he credited writer Cindy Appel with divining Picard’s iconic last words. “The stars have always been in my favor” is resonant, inspiring, and spot-on correct. Jean-Luc Picard faced daunting hardships and seemingly indomitable enemies, but “the stars” have never failed the Captain of the USS Enterprise-D and E.
Other Star Trek series and Captains have also had memorable goodbyes. Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) had great last words (borrowed from Peter Pan) in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country: “Second star to the right, and straight on til morning.” Sadly, Kirk’s dying words in Star Trek Generations, “It was fun. Oh my!”, don’t quite measure up despite the best of intentions.
As Picard, Patrick Stewart goes down in history as giving the last words to Star Trek: The Next Generation‘s two endings. “The stars have always been in my favor” leaves viewers feeling buoyant, conveying how much love Star Trek fans feel for Picard and the crew of the USS Enterprise-D. Terry Matalas letting his camera linger overhead as Picard and his friends bantered was the ideal last image of TNG’s beloved heroes.
Jean-Luc Picard’s Star Trek Story Is Over After Patrick Stewart’s Death
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With Patrick Stewart’s death, the story of Jean-Luc Picard is complete. In hindsight, fans were incredibly fortunate that Star Trek: Picard season 3 happened, and we all had one last ride with the complete main cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Now, there can be no future stories about Patrick Stewart as Picard, even if Star Trek: Legacy ever gets made, which is unlikely considering Skydance’s plans to take Star Trek in a new direction.
There is certainly no lack of Jean-Luc Picard stories in Star Trek. Dozens of Picard stories were told by Star Trek: The Next Generation, Jean-Luc was the undisputed leading man of four TNG movies, and the three seasons of Star Trek: Picard were literally named after the Admiral. Stewart is the only Star Trek actor to have a TV series named after his iconic character.
If fans ever see Jean-Luc Picard again, it could be if the character is recast someday, like Kirk and Spock were by J.J. Abrams’ movies and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. James McAvoy’s pitch to play a younger Picard as Captain of the USS Stargazer didn’t come together, sadly.
After Star Trek: Picard ended, Patrick Stewart publicly mused about his desire to make a “Picard movie,” but if there were any plans for such a thing, they were not seriously considered by the powers that be at Paramount. Still, Patrick Stewart’s performances as Picard will live forever, and there can be no better capstone to everything Jean-Luc meant to fans than his last words in Star Trek: Picard.
Star Trek: Picard is streaming on Paramount+
Star Trek: Picard
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