Whoopi Goldberg Officially Returns As Guinan In Star Trek: Federation Fleet

Published Nov 7, 2026, 3:00 AM EST

Nicholas Becher is a gaming journalist with an MFA in Creative Writing from FAU. With extensive experience playing video games, he covers all forms of gaming content at Screen Rant, from breaking news to the latest fan theories. Most-played games range from Clair Obscur to Civ to Elden Ring to Halo 2 and beyond. 

Guinan has long been one of Star Trek's most beloved supporting characters, with Whoopi Goldberg's portrayal of the mysterious El-Aurian earning her a special place among longtime fans. First appearing in Star Trek: The Next Generation in 1988, Guinan served as the bartender aboard the Enterprise-D, though her role quickly evolved into something far more important. Her extraordinary wisdom, mysterious past, and close friendship with Captain Jean-Luc Picard made her a true standout.

However, Guinan was never just an ordinary bartender. Having lived for centuries, she possessed remarkable knowledge and unusual abilities, including a heightened awareness of changes to the timeline. She's even one of the few characters capable of standing up to the omnipotent Q.

Screen Rant has previously ranked Guinan among the most powerful characters in the entire franchise, as well as one of its ten smartest, cementing her reputation as a truly formidable side character. Her enduring popularity eventually led to Goldberg reprising the role decades later in Star Trek: Picard, but now Whoopi is back again as Guinan in the upcoming release of Star Trek: Federation Fleet.

Whoopi Goldberg's Guinan is officially returning to the Star Trek franchise once again, this time as part of the massive Magic: The Gathering x Star Trek crossover launching on November 13, 2026. The beloved character is featured in the Federation Fleet Commander deck, which celebrates some of Starfleet's most recognizable characters, particularly those connected to Captain Jean-Luc Picard.

The new card, "Guinan, Ancient Advisor," features artwork by Nicky Barkla depicting Goldberg's iconic character. Classified as a rare Legendary Creature — El-Aurian Advisor, Guinan costs three mana to summon, including one white mana, and has a power/toughness rating of 1/4.

Her abilities are especially appropriate given Guinan's longstanding role as a trusted advisor aboard the Enterprise. Players can spend one mana and tap Guinan to place a +1/+1 counter on each creature they control that entered the battlefield during the current turn. If this results in at least two counters being distributed, the player also draws a card.

It's a fitting interpretation of Guinan's wisdom and her ability to strengthen those around her, and gives players a useful advantage, bringing multiple creatures into play during a single turn. The card even includes sage dialogue from the character in the flavor text:

“Human intuition and instinct are not always right, but they do make life interesting.”

Guinan is just one of several familiar faces featured in Federation Fleet, which is led by Jean-Luc Picard, Luminary. The 100-card Commander deck also includes characters such as Beverly Crusher, Captain Kathryn Janeway, and Miles O'Brien. Three other Commander decks are being released alongside Federation Fleet:

• Landing Party: Led by Commander Spock, featuring an emphasis on exploration and Starfleet's adventures.
• Klingon Fury: Led by Worf, Defiant Commander, celebrating the Klingons and their warrior culture.
• We Are the Borg: Led by the Borg Queen, giving players an opportunity to command one of the Federation's most terrifying enemies.

Each Commander deck contains 100 cards, including 32 new-to-Magic cards, and will be listed for roughly $75. Premium Collector's Editions are also available for about $160.

The larger crossover celebrates Star Trek's 60th anniversary with cards drawn from across the franchise's history, including both television shows and films. Pre-release events began on November 6, with the digital launch on MTG Arena coming up on November 10 and the full tabletop release on November 13, 2026.