Science fiction is one of the world’s most beloved entertainment mediums, and when you think about the ten best pilots soaring through the cosmos, you instantly picture daring helmsmen, rogue smugglers, and fearless rebels. Spaceships need skilled hands at the controls, and these legendary aviators have become the very heartbeat of every interstellar saga.
These asteroid‑avoiding wingmen and women traverse the stars in everything from single‑person starfighters to floating cities and everything in between. Some pilots possess an innate knack for maneuvering, others grew up in gritty spaceports, and a few earned their stripes after years of relentless training. Their jaw‑dropping maneuvers have earned them a place in sci‑fi lore, and we’ve gathered the ten best pilots who have left an indelible mark on the genre.
Ten Best Pilots in Sci‑Fi History
10 Hikaru Sulu: Star Trek
It’s no surprise to any devoted fan that a Starfleet helmsman would rank among the top‑tier aviators. Hikaru Sulu, an original member of the now‑iconic Star Trek franchise, served as a steady presence throughout the 1960s series. First assigned to the Enterprise in 2265, he quickly became the senior officer and regular helmsman by 2266, guiding the vessel through countless mysterious sectors of space.
Sulu’s piloting prowess became crucial during several high‑stakes encounters. He was at the wheel when the Enterprise faced a deadly cat‑and‑mouse game with Khan aboard the hijacked Reliant. Later, when the crew was forced to commandeer an unfamiliar Klingon ship to thwart the whale probe, Sulu expertly piloted the craft through a daring time‑jump maneuver around the sun, cementing his reputation as one of the most reliable space pilots in history.
9 Han Solo: Star Wars
Equally iconic, Star Wars’s Han Solo instantly conjures the image of a swaggering space ace. A natural‑born flyer, Solo first honed his skills speeding through the mean streets of Corellia, where he learned to push any vehicle to its limits. He later spent a stint in the lower echelons of the Imperial Navy, sharpening his reflexes under fire.
Transitioning to a smuggler, Solo piloted the Millennium Falcon through the infamous Kessel Run in under 12 parsecs—a feat that remains unmatched. Alongside his loyal co‑pilot Chewbacca, he famously evaded an entire Imperial Fleet led by Darth Vader by threading the Falcon through a treacherous asteroid belt, cementing his legend across a galaxy far, far away.
8 Steven Hiller: Independence Day
Independence Day introduced audiences to the daring Captain Steven Hiller, a Top‑Gun‑level fighter ace who weaved his jet through the twisting canyons of the Grand Canyon with astonishing precision. Hiller’s quick thinking and instinctive tactics shone when he deployed his aircraft’s parachute to blind a pursuer, forcing the enemy craft to crash‑land.
His legend only grew when he became the first human to commandeer an alien vessel. With only a brief visual briefing and a single false start, Hiller successfully piloted the alien ship into space, infiltrated the massive Mothership, and escaped its labyrinthine interior within a tense 30‑second window, proving his aerial mastery on a planetary‑wide scale.
7 Rocket (Racoon): Guardians of the Galaxy
Long before the Guardians of the Galaxy burst onto the big screen, Rocket the raccoon was already a celebrated comic‑book ace. While the movies often showcase a comedic rivalry between Rocket and Star‑Lord for control of their ship, the comics make it clear: Rocket is the superior pilot. Genetically engineered by the High Evolutionary, Rocket’s very DNA includes advanced piloting protocols.
His engineered skill set gives him an edge over even the most seasoned human pilots. In the cinematic sequel, Rocket proudly declares his genetic superiority, and the High Evolutionary’s modifications ensure he can out‑maneuver Star‑Lord at every turn, earning him the unofficial title of the best pilot in the entire Marvel Universe.
6 Tom Paris: Star Trek (Voyager)
Often overlooked, Tom Paris proved himself as perhaps the most underrated pilot in sci‑fi history. As the chief flight controller of the Intrepid‑class USS Voyager, he guided the ship 70,000 light‑years from the Delta Quadrant back toward the Alpha Quadrant, navigating countless perilous scenarios.
Paris led the elite Delta Force Task Force, built a trans‑warp engine, and even piloted the vessel through temporal distortions. Despite an early career setback that landed him in a penal colony, he became the first human to safely reach warp ten, crossing the trans‑warp threshold. Though his triumphant flight triggered a mutation that threatened his oxygen processing, Paris’s indomitable spirit cemented his status as a true hotshot pilot.
5 Hoban “Wash” Washburne: Firefly
One of the greatest disappointments for sci‑fi fans was the abrupt cancellation of Firefly after a single season. Thankfully, the follow‑up film Serenity gave the crew—especially pilot Hoban “Wash” Washburne—a chance to shine. Wash’s calm demeanor and uncanny reflexes kept the Serenity out of countless tight spots.
He famously leveled the ship against a moving train during a training drill and executed the daring “Crazy Ivan” maneuver, reversing the Serenity’s engines to escape a pursuing Reaver vessel. His memorable line, “I’m a leaf on the wind… Watch how I soar,” delivered in the film’s most poignant moment, solidified Wash’s place among the most skilled sci‑fi pilots.
4 Hera Syndulla: Star Wars (Rebels/Ahsoka)
Although she first appeared in The Bad Batch, Hera Syndulla is best known as Spectre One, the leader of Ghost Team and Phoenix Squadron in Rebels and later in Ahsoka. Her piloting talent is nothing short of extraordinary, catching the eye of Grand Admiral Thrawn, one of the most formidable villains in the Star Wars universe.
Hera was selected to test‑pilot the B‑Wing fighter prototype, the blockade buster, and she remains the sole pilot to out‑fly Darth Vader in a one‑on‑one TIE Advanced duel. When Vader set a trap for the Spectres, Hera’s slick maneuvers caused his own fighter to become ensnared, showcasing her unrivaled aerial finesse.
3 Kara “Starbuck” Thrace: Battlestar Galactica
The 2004 reboot of Battlestar Galactica introduced a gender‑swapped Starbuck—Kara Thrace—whose call sign became synonymous with daring. She managed to prevent two of three nuclear missiles from striking Galactica during the fleet’s first Cylon sortie and executed a bold maneuver in the Battle of Ragnar Anchorage that saved fellow pilot Lee “Apollo” Adama.
Thrace later repaired a downed Cylon Raider on an inhabitable moon, returning it to Galactica and providing the fleet with crucial Cylon fighter technology. She also demonstrated the stealth capabilities of the new Blackbird fighter during its maiden flight, earning a promotion to Captain and CAG of the Pegasus.
In a dramatic twist, Thrace appears to sacrifice herself in her Viper, only to reappear months later, earning an almost mythic “angel” status among the colonists as the saga draws to its climactic conclusion.
2 Alex Rogan: The Last Starfighter
The Last Starfighter follows arcade‑obsessed teenager Alex Rogan, who shatters the top score on a mysterious cabinet‑style game in his trailer‑park home. Unbeknownst to him, the game is a covert recruitment tool for interstellar pilots, and an alien in a crisp suit promptly signs him up.
Initially overwhelmed, Alex soon realizes Earth and his hometown are under threat. He proves himself a natural Gunstar pilot, teaming with his co‑pilot to repel the entire Ko‑Dan Armada using a daring “Death‑Blossom” maneuver—a true Hail‑Mary of space combat—solidifying his place among the ten best pilots.
1 Leela: Futurama
Turanga Leela stands alone as the sole pilot of the Planetary Express delivery ship in Futurama. From the very first episode, she leaves her job as a Fate Assignment Officer to pursue her passion for flight, despite possessing only a single eye and the resulting depth‑perception challenges.
Leela’s no‑rain‑or‑sleet attitude and signature “Hi‑Ya!” kicks make her a formidable presence. She has piloted through asteroid belts, skirted black holes, and navigated countless lethal interstellar phenomena, proving herself not only the best pilot in the series but arguably the top ace across all of science fiction.