star trek kirk indian

06 “A Cuchi Moya!” — Star Trek’s Native Americans

For decades, Science Fiction had offered those involved in a cultural phenomenon stigmatized as escapist entertainment the opportunity to playfully work through their visions of the future, exploring both scenarios they might hope for and those they were deeply afraid of. Against this background, it is not surprising that particularly people marginalized by the current social order use fantastic fictions to either unmask present socio-cultural practices as oppressive or to imagine alternative ways of living where they would be no longer disenfranchised.

The catchy Aliens and Others , title of Jenny Wolmark’s fine study of feminist Science Fiction, 1 points to the way in which the genre-specific trope of the alien has typically been employed as a projection space for the racial or sexual Other. The possibility SF thus offers to defamiliarize the heavily politicized positions of those who are racially, ethnically, or sexually “different” can entail liberatory as well as oppressive effects, as the genre can, on the one hand, provide fresh and new perspectives on discourses so overdetermined by history and politics, while it, on the other, allows a mainstream culture to displace and repress its own social guilt and responsibility.

Instead of examining the metaphorical association between aliens and Others or the ways in which minority authors have used the figure of the alien, I would like to address the representational practices of a decidedly mainstream SF “text”: Star Trek , the multi-media franchise born in 1965 as a short-lived television series ( Star Trek: The Original Series—TOS, 1965-69) which has grown to see three more televisual incarnations ( Star Trek: The Next Generation—STNG, 1987-94 ; Star Trek: Deep Space Nine—DS9 , 1993-99; and Star Trek: Voyager—VOY, since 1995) as well as nine feature films, numerous novels, computer games, etc. Star Trek particularly invites an investigation of its representations of “aliens and Others” for two reasons: first, the show is tremendously popular. According to a 1991 survey, 53% of all Americans classify themselves as Star Trek fans. 2 A search of the World Wide Web on a random day produced 376,512 sites related to Star Trek , the Helsinki-based page “Women of Star Trek” or the “Church of Shatnerology.”

The Star Trek shows can be seen virtually all around the globe, in countries ranging from the Czech Republic to South Africa or Indonesia. This popularity evidences that Star Trek speaks to the sensibilities of a considerable portion of (not only) the American public and routinely exposes many people to its narrations. The second reason why Star Trek particularly proposes itself for the kind of interrogation I am about to engage in lies in the fact that the program has always marketed itself as multicultural. The show has, since its inception in the mid 1960s, presented itself to its audiences as a Science Fiction program that explicitly sets out to compose a future in which people of all races, species and genders live together harmoniously. Gene Roddenberry, the man who created Star Trek , cast himself in the role of a visionary whose quotable insights into the destiny of the human “race” became the core of the program’s market identity. Among such often quoted soundbites were, for example:

Intolerance in the 23rd century? Improbable! If man survives that long, he will have learned to take a delight in the essential differences between men and between cultures, 3

Diversity contains as many treasures as those waiting for us on other worlds. We will find it impossible to fear diversity and to enter the future at the same time. 4

Star Trek’s effort to construct for itself a multicultural image can be traced to primarily two strategies. First, the program has been striving for a diverse cast of characters, from TOS ’ featuring a Black woman and an Asian man among its bridge crew, to DS9 and VOY showcasing an African American (male) and a (White) female in their respective Captain’s seats. The second strategy lies in the kinds of stories Star Trek chooses to tell. With reliable regularity, the program features self-conscious “issue”-episodes that are obviously designed to tell a parable on current political issues. These episodes follow a typical pattern in projecting real-life racial (or other) issues onto alien species. In “Let That Be Your Last Battlefield”, the crew of the Enterprise encounter the humanoid alien Lokai, whose face is half black and half white, and who is apparently on the run in a stolen shuttlecraft. Soon, a law enforcement officer, Bele, comes hunting after Lokai. The two look exactly alike, only Lokai is white on the right side of his body and black on the left, while Bele’s colors are distributed the other way around. When Lokai urgently pleads with the Enterprise-crew to grant him political asylum, they learn that the aliens’ planet is riven by a deadly race-war, a war which, by the episode’s end, will have killed all life on the planet. When confronted with the madness of an ultimately genocidal hatred, the crew of the Enterprise tries to make sense of it by putting the conflict in the context of their own (human) history:

Chekov: There was persecution on earth once. I remember reading about it in my history class. Sulu: Yes, but it happened way back in the 20th century. There is no such primitive thinking today.

The episode is thus able to address the late 1960s’ reality of brutal race riots in a safe and unthreatening context. It simplifies the complex structure of race relations by locating the source of all tensions in each race’s dislike of the other’s physical appearance, a difference the episode seemingly strives to make as superficial and ludicrous as possible. The dialogue between Chekov and Sulu then affirms that humanity has long overcome this state of racial prejudice, thus casting themselves in a role of enlightened superiority. In striking similarity to the (ideo-)logic of the colonial encounter, the crew of the Enterprise attempt to educate and save the “primitive” aliens, yet they remain unsuccessful. The episode concludes with disquieting and unresolvedly painful images of an eventually genocidal race war.

Considering this general representational practice, the rare cases in which Star Trek does not follow its own rule deserve particular attention. One such exception is that Star Trek addresses one, and only one, ethno-racial group directly—Native Americans. In his The White Man’s Indian: Images of the American Indian from Columbus to the Present ,Robert Berkhofer’s proceeds from the premise that “Native Americans were and are real, but [that] the Indian was a White invention and still remains largely a White image, if not a stereotype.” 5 to trace the trajectory of that image from the first colonial encounters to 20th century cultural productions. His analyses provides a frame of reference to judge how far Star Trek ’s representational practices perpetuate or challenge a traditional image-making which, as Berkhofer outlines, has been heavily involved in the colonial business of dis-empowering the Other.

The only ethno-racial group the program addresses in non-defamiliarized form is not African Americans (the largest “racial minority” in the United States) or Latinos (the fastest-growing “minority”) but Native Americans, a group with minimal visibility and demographic impact, yet of considerable cultural presence. Star Trek ’s choice of Native Americans becomes even more interesting when one takes into consideration that the program explicitly hails from the cultural tradition of the Western—both Roddenberry’s oft-quoted description of Trek as “ Wagon Train to the stars” and TOS ’ and STNG ’s designation of space as the “final Frontier” in their respective title sequences evidence this cultural association. “Indians” emerge from this context as a group that evokes a highly idealized and distorted image of one period in American history, mostly set in the 19th century, that mainstream American culture nostalgically yearns for as a cultural scenario that epitomizes “America” like no other. On the other hand, however, Native Americans also represent the United States’ history as a colonizer, a history the cultural narratives of the Frontier repress just as vehemently as Star Trek represses the colonial implications in its own narrative framework of interstellar “exploration.”

Three episodes cover the whole range of Trek ’s representation of Native Americans from the earliest instance in Star Trek: The Original Series to Star Trek: Voyager ’s recurring Native American character, Commander Chakotay. First, in TOS “The Paradise Syndrome,” the Enterprise arrives on an alien planet, where an accident wipes out Capt. Kirk’s memory. He is soon after found by the planet’s inhabitants who resemble Earth’s Native Americans. Due to the circumstances of Kirk’s sudden appearance, the tribe takes him for a god and adopts him into their community. The amnesic Captain, taking on the name “Kirok”, for a time enjoys the simple life, he gets married and is happy to learn that his wife is pregnant. After a while, however, the tribe find out that “Kirok” does not have supernatural powers, and they stone him and his wife. In the last minute, the Enterprise, having finally found its Captain, steps in and beams the two away from the site of their execution, yet while Kirk can be saved, his wife and unborn child die.

Although standing apart from the other, later episodes featuring Native Americans which are all linked through a common narrative thread, the episode introduces important aspects of Star Trek ’s representation of Native Americans, a representational practice that quite clearly continues traditional Western image-making of the “Indian.” The Native American tribe, 6 whose presence the narrative rather clumsily explains as being brought there by some mysterious aliens who wanted to save them from extinction, serves as the symbolic counterpoint to the technologically and socially advanced life on a starship. The social “evolution” Trek so stresses for humanity seems not to take place within Native American culture—the tribe’s way of life in the 23rd century still resembles that of the 19th century, i.e. of the brief historical period from which the cultural image of the „Indian“ originates and to which popular representations obsessively return. 7 The image the episode draws of Native Americans clearly hails from the notion of the “noble savage,”the “positive” version of the dichotomous Western image of the “Indian.” 8 It entails a romantic yearning for the simple life Native Americans come to represent, a life decidedly free of technology and complex social structures, while at the same time marking that way of life as clearly inferior (and therefore doomed to extinction).

The episode evokes this inferiority in several ways, employing well-established cultural strategies. For example, it is quite typical that the White individual coming into the Native American tribe “naturally” takes on a leadership position, thus implying that, even without any of the institutional power he might be able to draw on in his “civilized” life, his superiority is so obvious that even the “natives” notice it. In addition, the apparent lack of social development the episode implies also designates Native Americans as inferior to a humanity as imagined by Star Trek which, it becomes painfully obvious here, does not include every human community. This aspect of the tribe’s image is particularly important, not only because it makes Native Americans different from the core group in Star Trek ’s most central social quality, but also because it rules out the possibility of Native Americans ever joining the core group. A community that is unable to adapt to changing social and technological conditions, it seems to be the lesson in Social Darwinism the episode inevitably entails, will have to die sooner or later.

Taking the thus highly conservative “The Paradise Syndrome” as a point of reference, it is interesting to look at the ways in which subsequent episodes both perpetuate and change Star Trek: The Original Series ’ representational practices. Chronologically, the next episode is STNG ’s “Journey’s End,” in which the Enterprise is ordered to remove a community of Native Americans from a planet on which they had settled. This time, the episode gives a more elaborate explanation of the tribe’s presence on the alien planet: The community left Earth many years ago in order to search for land where they could build a new home. 9 The episode makes clear that the Native Americans had to go on that journey only because they had been robbed of their homeland and that they were looking not just for any piece of land but for one with which they could enter a spiritual relationship as they had done with their original homeland.

Looking more closely at the role in which the episode thus casts Native Americans reveals a highly interesting colonial narrative. “Journey’s End” is able to address colonialism directly—an issue it uneasily strives to reject in the subplot concerning Capt. Picard 10 —only in a narrative that, first, draws on the Native Americans’ role in a historical colonial encounter, and that then imagines a scenario in which it reverses that role. More specifically, the episode can only develop a convincing narrative of a colonizer who refuses to give up the land of which he has taken possession by casting a group in the role of colonizer which has previously undergone the experience of being colonized. Within Star Trek ’s multicultural framework, Native Americans emerge as (possibly) the only group who can explicitly act as colonizer and still motivate audience sympathies.

There is another subplot in “Journey’s End” that points to a second narrative function Native Americans serve in Star Trek ’s contemporary multicultural economy. When the Enterprise becomes involved in the business of re-locating the tribe, Wesley Crusher, the son of the ship’s doctor, happens to be on board. Currently training to become a Starfleet officer, Wesley is in a deep personal crisis concerning what he wants to do with his life, a crisis that manifests itself in rebellious behavior against authorities as well as against his friends. A member of the Native American tribe takes interest in him, who later turns out to be the alien “the traveler” who had predicted for Wesley an extraordinary future several years ago and who had now returned to take Wesley with him on a search for new levels of existence. Significantly, then, this alien, who represents one of Star Trek ’s most esoteric storylines, chooses a Native American identity to motivate the discontent White teenager Wesley Crusher to pay attention to his spiritual self. Even more so, once Wesley has made the decision to join the traveler in search for places “where thought and energy meet,” the alien instructs Wesley to begin his studies in the Native American community because they supposedly have special insights that could lead him on the right path.

Native Americans clearly take up the function of spiritual mediator here. They thus fill a void in the image of Star Trek ’s core group, which the program so insists on imagining as rational and forward-looking that there seems to be no room for developing a spiritual identity. This phenomenon allows two conclusions concerning Trek ’s representational politics. First, it points to contemporary multi-culturalism’s need for spirituality, a need that apparently grows more urgent the more the multicultural core group stresses its own tolerance, which is a decidedly rational concept. Second, it illustrates how multi-culturalism is still incapable of fusing that spirituality and rationality. Spirituality needs to be represented by some ethnic Other, a role, Star Trek demonstrates, that Native Americans still fit exceedingly well. The fact that the rational self can never be spiritual, however, inevitably implies that the spiritual Other also cannot be rational. This conclusion not only imposes itself by conversion, but also because, otherwise, the Other would be superior to the member of the Eurocentric core group, a hierarchical distribution Star Trek ’s evolutionary logic has certainly not intended. Traditional White images of the “Indian” silence any suspicions of aboriginal superiority by making sure to mention the natives’ impending genocide, a narrative element that not only produces the sentimental effect desired by the romantic genre in which the texts are typically written, but which also clearly states that spirituality is a luxury in the evolutionary struggle for existence. Star Trek , symptomatically, employs that element as well. In both episodes the Native Americans are under threat and need the help of the Federation in order to survive. In “The Paradise Syndrome”, the planet on which the tribe lives is about to be destroyed by an asteroid and only the Enterprise’s technological know-how can prevent the catastrophe. In “Journey’s End” Picard gets his only moments as the forceful and determined leader he usually is when he protects the Native Americans from the violent Cardassians under whose jurisdiction the tribe’s settlement now falls. Star Trek ’s multicultural imaginary thus perpetuates central elements of traditional White narratives of the “Indian,” which maintain that the “Indian” only stays “Indian” as long as he remains untouched by civilization, a logic which, in itself, already dooms Native Americans to extinction:

Since Whites primarily understood the Indian as an antithesis to themselves, the civilization and Indianness as they defined them would forever be opposites. […] If the Indian changed through the adoption of civilization as defined by Whites, then he was no longer truly Indian according to the image […]. 11

Although Star Trek seems to be aware of the ludicrousness of a Native American culture that remains unchanged through centuries of dramatic social and technological development, the program still cannot shed the mutually exclusive logic of the rationality versus spirituality binarism. Already “Journey’s End” attempts to update the Native American culture it imagines by having the members of the tribe not just encounter their own spirits in their vision-rituals but also the gods of other species. The effort to portray a Native American culture that convincingly fits in the 24th century becomes even more obvious in the context of Commander Chakotay. That VOY -character initially does appears to personify the synthesis of rationality and spirituality: He is a Starfleet officer, obviously capable of functioning in such a highly advanced en-vironment, yet he holds on to his “Indian roots.” This synthesis particularly manifests itself in the character’s visual appearance, wearing a Starfleet uniform yet having his “In-dianness” marked by a facial tattoo. Counterbalancing this interesting visual coding, however, is Chakotay’s recurring narrative function as, again, the ship’s spiritual authority. Whenever Capt. Janeway is in doubt concerning the decisions she has to make, she consults with Chakotay to, quite literally, borrow his spiritual helpers. Filmic codes mark these vision quest scenes as extraordinary, standing apart from the rest of VOY ’s televisual narrations: the ritual words Chakotay speaks, “A Cuchi Moya,” remain in what appears to be his native language—a rather surprising phenomenon con-sidering Star Trek ’s ever-present “Universal Translator” which automatically translates even the most distant alien language into convenient English—and the scenes are accompanied by a specific musical theme featuring panpipes, an instrument most popularly associated with South American Indians. The scenes thus not only establish a clear contrast to the program’s otherwise “rational” storylines, but they also employ, again, well-worn imagery to evoke romantic stereotypes of the “Indian.” Although Star Trek: Voyager hence makes an explicit effort to draw a more nuanced picture of Native American spirituality, the program is still unwilling to complicate the binary construction of the spiritual versus the rational.

I want to use the character of Chakotay to address another problematic aspect of Native American representations: casting. As Berkhofer observes, film producers (until quite recently) frequently hired White and Asian actors to play “Indian” roles, and if they did cast Native American actors “for background action,” 12 they did so completely insensitive to tribal affiliations. I would even extend Berkhofer’s observations in claiming that—until the large-scale success of Dances With Wolves (1990) severely challenged mainstream audiences’ viewing habits—actors and actresses who were marked by any ethno-racial difference could play the “Indian.” For example, the only “Indian” entire generations of German audiences could see—the Karl May character “Winnetou” featured in several German films made in the 1960s—was played by a White French actor. Along precisely the same lines, Miramanee, “Kirok”’s short-term wife in “Paradise Syndrome,” was played by an actress by the name of Sabrina Scharf.

When developing the figure of Chakotay, VOY ’s producers seemed to have been aware of these as well as other flaws in traditional representations of Native Americans and they were apparently determined to draw a more correct image. This effort becomes evident in that the VOY production team not only hired a science consultant—as had been the rule since STNG —but that they also hired an expert, Jamake Highwater, to check each script for accuracy concerning Native American issues. 13 Despite such obvious efforts not to repeat the ignorant White images of Native Americans of the past, however, VOY did perpetuate traditional patterns in casting the character of Chakotay.

First of all, while clearly striving to mark Chakotay as Native American, writers and producers seemingly regarded the character’s tribal affiliation as only marginal to the figure’s identity. Initially, Chakotay’s tribal ancestry remained unresolved for a long time. 14 It was then decided upon as Sioux (the Plains Indian again), to be soon after changed to Hopi, to be finally left open again. Indeed, VOY began employing the character of Chakotay as precisely that kind of generic “Indian,” referring to him only as being “‘from a colony of American Indians.’” 15 One contributor to the <[email protected]> discussion group summarizes many viewers’ dissatisfaction with seeing, once more, a generic “Indian”:

[…T]he show can be faulted for not creating a tribal identity for Chakotay, which would help frame him a little better. All we know about his culture is that he has a tattoo, a spirit guide, and uses a machine to imitate the effects of peyote. Also, haunting, “native” reed in-struments play on those rare occasions we get to see his private living space […].

It was not until audience pressure concerning another representational faux-pas forced the production team to write a specific tribal heritage into the character that this generic Indian-ness was specified.

This second faux-pas concerns the actor casted to play Chakotay. Robert Beltran is Mexican American, and although he tried to justify his playing an “Indian” role by evoking the Mestizo heritage of many Mexicans, 16 many viewers experienced his presence as “yet another non-Indian actor […] in a part that is identifiably Indian and uses trappings from the culture.” 17 Only very gradually, and at Beltran’s own suggestion, did the producers effectively solve the problem of their own casting decision by specifying Chakotay’s tribal affiliation as “south of border”, i.e. Mayan, Aztec or Inca. 18

Although VOY thus explicitly sets out to draw an image of Native Americans that satisfies audience’s heightened sensitivities regarding the accuracy of such representations, the program clearly fails in its own project of political correctness. In this context, it is ironic that the only moments in which VOY ’s narrations do lastingly disrupt traditional re-presentational politics lie outside of the type of self-conscious multicultural discourse to which Star Trek usually subscribes. This lasting disruption is achieved when VOY uses humor to address stereotypes of Native Americans. Two such instances exemplify the mechanisms at work. First, in VOY ’s pilot episode, “The Caretaker,” Tom Paris tries to save Chakotay’s life in an extremely tight situation. While Chakotay attempts to dissuade Paris from risking his own life, Paris jokes about how, if he succeeds, Chakotay would be forever in his debt. To his question, “Isn’t that some Indian custom?” Chakotay replies, “Wrong tribe!”. Second, in the two-part episode “Basics,” the starship Voyager falls into the hands of the hostile Kazons, who maroon the crew on an inhospitable planet. Being robbed of all their technology, the crew has to struggle with the most quotidian problems in order to survive. They, first of all, try to make a fire. When they remain unsuccessful for a long time, Chakotay remarks dispiritedly that he was the only Indian for light-years around and not even capable of making a fire.

In both these scenes, humor is used to relax a tense situation. The scenes do not set out to address Native American culture, they rather evoke “Indianness” in a mere functional way, almost incidentally. In order to achieve this effect of relaxation, the scenes bring up specific stereotypes of Native Americans, which the “real” Indian Chakotay then proves wrong. He does that, in the first scene, by pointing to the great diversity of existing Native American cultures in contrast to the generic “Indian” culture the stereotypical image holds on to, and in the second scene, by demonstrating that the skills stereotypically ascribed to Native Americans belong to a specific historical environment and that they do get lost once they are no longer practiced.

The scenes are effective in challenging the logic of traditional image-making for two reasons. First, they manage to address and effectively critique central problems in the cultural image of the “Indian” which Star Trek: Voyager could not prevent itself from repeating. And, second, the critique works in these scenes precisely because they leave the self-conscious multicultural mode the series otherwise adheres to. The scenes are among the few moments when Star Trek allows itself to acknowledge the existence of cultural stereotypes among its own core group, something the program is only able to do—without disrupting Trek ’s very premise—in a humorous mode. The laughter these scenes produce allows the core-group-identified audience to interrogate their own prejudice in a context that is unthreatening yet that clearly endorses the Native American point of view, as, to put it casually, the laughs are on the ignorant Whites.

In conclusion, an analysis of Native Americans as “non-estranged Others” reveals symptomatic features of Star Trek ’s imagination of core- and marginalized groups. This imagination is a decidedly complex one, negotiating between traditional representational practices, to which both producers and audiences are accustomed, and Star Trek ’s own multicultural image. Out of this ideological tension, Star Trek ’s re-presentational politics emerge as a constantly up-dated version of a Western imaginary in which Native Americans continue to merely serve a symbolic function for a decidedly White core culture, providing a projection space in which those of that core culture’s needs and desires that would disrupt the group’s self-image can be played out. These needs and desires encompass the yearning for a spirituality that has been written out of White identity in the process of its multiculturalization, or the need for a cultural referent that allows the core culture to still imagine certain narrative constellations typical of the Science Fiction genre, such as the sympathetic colonizer, when the group’s self-imposed multicultural conscience marks these as taboo. Thus, although the visual surface of Star Trek ’s representational practices does adapt to changing audience sensibilities, the representational politics remain essentially unchanged. The program can truly challenge that politics only in those moments when it leaves its own safely contained multicultural logic in humorous narrations that transgress the limitations of a marketable political correctness.

1 Jenny Wolmark, Aliens and Others: Science Fiction, Feminism and Postmodernism (New York: Harvester Wheatsheaf, 1994).

2 Quoted in: John Tulloch and Henry Jenkins, Science Fiction Audience: Watching Doctor Who and Star Trek (New York: Routledge, 1995) 4.

3 Stephen E. Whitfield and Gene Roddenberry, The Making of Star Trek (New York: Ballantine, 1968) 40.

4 Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman, Creating The Next Generation (London: Boxtree, 1995) 128.

5 Robert F. Berkhofer, The White Man‘s Indian: Images of the American Indian from Columbus to the Present (New York: Vinatge Books, 1979) 3.

6 Judging from the paraphernalia the episode features, the tribe appears to belong to the family of the Sioux, the one Native American culture “Indians” have stereotypically been reduced to. See Berkhofer, The White Man’s Indian , 89-90.

7 See Berkhofer, The White Man’s Indian , 97.

8 For a succinct discussion of the “good Indian”—“bad Indian” dichotomy, see Berkhofer, The White Man’s Indian , 28-30.

9 This episode as well as later ones suggest that this tribe was not the only one to leave Earth. The implied question then, whether there are still any Natives Americans left on Earth, dangerously writes a late “success” into the history of the colonial genocide in North America.

10 It is revealed that Picard, who uneasily agredees to remove the tribe in order to prevent a large-scale interplanetary war, has an ancestor who participated in brutally putting down the Pueblo revolt of 1618. While the episode thus evokes historical guilt, it has, at the same time, Picard reject this responsibility, a point of view the narrative clearly endorses.

11 Berkhofer, The White Man’s Indian , 29.

12 Ibid., 103.

13 Stephen Edward Poe, Star Trek Voyager : A Vision of the Future (New York: Pocket, 1998) 288.

14 Ibid. , 206.

15 Ibid. , 221.

16 Ibid. , 302.

17 Quoted from a contribution to the online-discussion-group <[email protected]>.

Suggested Citation

Star Trek | How Roddenberry's Future Failed Native Americans

Despite its noble intentions, from 'Kirok' to Chakotay, the Star Trek franchise has failed Native Americans at almost every turn.

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The Star Trek shows can be seen virtually all around the globe, in countries ranging from the Czech Republic to South Africa or Indonesia. The show has, since its inception in the mid-1960s, presented itself to audiences as a science fiction program that explicitly sets out to compose a future in which people of all races, species, and genders live together harmoniously.

Gene Roddenberry, the man who created Star Trek , cast himself in the role of a visionary whose quotable insights into the destiny of the human “race” became the core of the program’s market identity. Among such often quoted soundbites were, for example:

“Intolerance in the 23rd century? Improbable! If man survives that long, he will have learned to take a delight in the essential differences between men and between cultures.” - Gene Roddenberry, qouted in The Making of Star Trek (1968).

"Diversity contains as many treasures as those waiting for us on other worlds. We will find it impossible to fear diversity and to enter the future at the same time." - Gene Roddenberry, quoted in Creating The Next Generation (1995).

These episodes follow a typical pattern in projecting real-life racial (or other) issues onto alien species. In ‘Let That Be Your Last Battlefield’ ( TOS – S3, Ep15), the crew of Enterprise encounter the humanoid alien Lokai, whose face is half black and half white, and who is apparently on the run in a stolen shuttlecraft. Soon, a law enforcement officer, Bele, comes hunting after Lokai. The two look exactly alike, only Lokai is white on the right side of his body and black on the left, while Bele’s colors are distributed the other way around. When Lokai urgently pleads with the Enterprise crew to grant him political asylum, they learn that the aliens’ planet is riven by a deadly race war, a war which, by the episode’s end, will have killed all life on the planet. When confronted with the madness of ultimately genocidal hatred, the crew of Enterprise tries to make sense of it by putting the conflict in the context of their own (human) history:

Chekov: There was persecution on Earth once. I remember reading about it in my history class. Sulu: Yes, but it happened way back in the 20th century. There is no such primitive thinking today. - ‘Let That Be Your Last Battlefield’ , The Original Series – S3, Ep15.

The episode is thus able to address the late 1960s’ reality of brutal race riots in a safe and unthreatening context. It simplifies the complex structure of race relations by locating the source of all tensions in each race’s dislike of the other’s physical appearance, a difference the episode seemingly strives to make as superficial and ludicrous as possible. The dialogue between Chekov and Sulu then affirms that humanity has long overcome this state of racial prejudice, thus casting themselves in a role of enlightened superiority. In striking similarity to the (ideo-)logic of the colonial encounter, the crew of Enterprise attempt to educate and save the “primitive” aliens, yet they remain unsuccessful. The episode concludes with disquieting and unresolvedly painful images of an eventually genocidal race war.

Paradise Lost

Star Trek ’s choice becomes even more interesting when one takes into consideration that the program explicitly hails from the cultural tradition of the Western—both Roddenberry’s oft-quoted description of Star Trek as “Wagon Train to the stars” and TOS ’ and The Next Generation’s designation of space as “the final frontier” in their respective title sequences evidence this cultural association. Indigenous Americans emerge from this context as a group that evokes a highly idealized and distorted image of one period in American history, mostly set in the 19th century, that mainstream American culture nostalgically yearns for as a cultural scenario that epitomizes ‘America’ like no other. On the other hand, however, Native Americans also represent the United States’ history as a colonizer, a history the cultural narratives of the frontier repress just as vehemently as Star Trek represses the colonial implications in its own interstellar “exploration.”

Three episodes cover the whole range of Star Trek ’s representation of Native Americans from the earliest instance in Star Trek: The Original Series to Star Trek: Voyager ’s recurring Native American character, Commander Chakotay. First, in TOS ‘The Paradise Syndrome’ (S3, Ep3), Enterprise arrives on an alien planet, where an accident wipes out Captain Kirk’s memory. He is soon after found by the planet’s inhabitants who resemble Earth’s Native Americans. Due to the circumstances of Kirk’s sudden appearance, the tribe takes him for a god and adopts him into their community. The amnesic captain, taking on the name ‘Kirok’ for a time enjoys the simple life, he gets married and is happy to learn that his wife is pregnant. After a while, however, the tribe finds out that ‘Kirok’ does not have supernatural powers, and they stone him and his wife. At the last minute, Enterprise, having finally found its Captain, steps in and beams the two away from the site of their execution, yet while Kirk can be saved, his wife and unborn child die.

The image the episode draws of Native Americans clearly hails from the racist notion of the ‘noble savage’ – the ‘positive’ version of the Western image of the ‘Indian’. It entails a romantic yearning for the simple life Native Americans come to represent, a life decidedly free of technology and complex social structures, while at the same time marking that way of life as clearly inferior (and therefore doomed to extinction).

The episode evokes this inferiority in several ways, employing well-established cultural strategies. For example, it is quite typical that the White individual coming into the Native American tribe ‘naturally’ takes on a leadership position, thus implying that, even without any of the institutional power he might be able to draw on in his ‘civilized’ life, his superiority is so obvious that even the ‘native’ notice it. In addition, the apparent lack of social development the episode implies also designates Native Americans as inferior to humanity as imagined by Star Trek . This aspect of the tribe’s image is particularly important, not only because it makes Native Americans different from the core group in Star Trek ’s most central social quality, but also because it rules out the possibility of Native Americans ever joining the core group. A community that is unable to adapt to changing social and technological conditions, it seems to be the lesson in Social Darwinism the episode inevitably entails, will have to die sooner or later.

Fellow Travelers

Taking the highly conservative ‘The Paradise Syndrome’ as a point of reference, it is interesting to look at the ways in which subsequent episodes both perpetuate and change Star Trek: The Original Series’ representational practices. Chronologically, the next episode is The Next Generation’s ‘Journey’s End’ (S7, Ep20), in which Enterprise is ordered to remove a community of Native Americans from a planet on which they had settled. This time, the episode gives a more elaborate explanation of the tribe’s presence on the alien planet: The community left Earth many years ago in order to search for land where they could build a new home. The episode makes clear that the Native Americans had to go on that journey only because they had been robbed of their homeland and that they were looking not just for any piece of land but for one with which they could enter a spiritual relationship as they had done with their original homeland.

Looking more closely at the role in which the episode casts Native Americans reveals a highly interesting colonial narrative. ‘Journey’s End’ is able to address colonialism directly—an issue it uneasily strives to reject in the subplot concerning Captain Picard — only in a narrative that, first, draws on the Native Americans’ role in a historical colonial encounter, and that then imagines a scenario in which it reverses that role. More specifically, the episode can only develop a convincing narrative of a colonizer who refuses to give up the land of which he has taken possession by casting a group in the role of the colonizer who has previously undergone the experience of being colonized. Within Star Trek ’s multicultural framework, Native Americans emerge as (possibly) the only group who can explicitly act as colonizers and still motivate audience sympathies.

There is another subplot in ‘Journey’s End’ that points to a second narrative function Native Americans serve in Star Trek ’s contemporary multicultural economy. When Enterprise becomes involved in the business of re-locating the tribe, Wesley Crusher, the son of the ship’s doctor, happens to be on board. Currently training to become a Starfleet officer, Wesley is in a deep personal crisis concerning what he wants to do with his life, a crisis that manifests itself in rebellious behavior against authorities as well as against his friends. A member of the Native American tribe takes interest in him, who later turns out to be the alien ‘the Traveler’ who had predicted for Wesley an extraordinary future several years ago and who had now returned to take Wesley with him on a search for new levels of existence.

Significantly, then, this alien, who represents one of Star Trek ’s most esoteric storylines, chooses a Native American identity to motivate the discontent white teenager Wesley Crusher to pay attention to his spiritual self. Even more so, once Wesley has made the decision to join the Traveler in search for places “where thought and energy meet,” the alien instructs Wesley to begin his studies in the Native American community because they supposedly have special insights that could lead him on the right path.

Native Americans clearly take up the function of spiritual mediator here. They fill a void in the image of Star Trek ’s core group, which the program so insists on imagining as rational and forward-looking that there seems to be no room for developing a spiritual identity. This phenomenon allows two conclusions concerning Trek ’s representational politics. First, it points to contemporary multiculturalism’s need for spirituality, a need that apparently grows more urgent the more the multicultural core group stresses its own tolerance, which is a decidedly rational concept. Second, it illustrates how multiculturalism is still incapable of fusing that spirituality and rationality.

Spirituality needs to be represented by some ethnic Other, a role, Star Trek demonstrates, that Native Americans still fit exceedingly well. The fact that the rational self can never be spiritual, however, inevitably implies that the spiritual Other also cannot be rational. This conclusion not only imposes itself by conversion, but also because, otherwise, the Other would be superior to the member of the Eurocentric core group, a hierarchical distribution Star Trek’s evolutionary logic has certainly not intended. Traditional White images of the ‘Indian’ silence any suspicions of aboriginal superiority by making sure to mention the natives’ impending genocide, a narrative element that not only produces the sentimental effect but also clearly states that spirituality is a luxury in the evolutionary struggle for existence.

A Cuchi Moya

That Voyager character initially does appears to personify the synthesis of rationality and spirituality: He is a Starfleet officer, obviously capable of functioning in such a highly advanced environment, yet he holds on to his ‘Indian’ roots. This synthesis particularly manifests itself in the character’s visual appearance, wearing a Starfleet uniform yet having his ‘Indianness’ marked by a facial tattoo. Counterbalancing this interesting visual coding, however, is Chakotay’s recurring narrative function as, again, the ship’s spiritual authority. Whenever Captain Janeway is in doubt concerning the decisions she has to make, she consults with Chakotay to, quite literally, borrow his spiritual helpers.

Cliches mark these vision quest scenes as extraordinary, standing apart from the rest of Voyager’ the ritual words Chakotay speaks, ‘A Cuchi Moya’, remain in what appears to be his native language—a rather surprising phenomenon considering Star Trek ’s ever-present Universal Translator which automatically translates even the most distant alien language into convenient English—and the scenes are accompanied by a specific musical theme featuring panpipes, an instrument most popularly associated with South American Indians. The scenes thus not only establish a clear contrast to the program’s otherwise ‘rational’ storylines, but they also employ, again, well-worn imagery to evoke romantic stereotypes of the ‘Indian’. Although Star Trek: Voyager hence makes an explicit effort to draw a more nuanced picture of Native American spirituality, the program is still unwilling to complicate the binary of the spiritual versus the rational.

The character of Chakotay also surfaces another problematic aspect of Native American representation: casting. For much of film and TV history, producers (until quite recently) frequently hired white and Asian actors to play ‘Indian’ roles, and if they did cast Native American actors “for background action,” they did so completely insensitive to tribal affiliations.

When developing the figure of Chakotay, Voyager ‘s producers seemed to have been aware of these as well as other flaws in traditional representations of Native Americans, and they were apparently determined to draw a more correct image. This effort becomes evident in that the Voyager production team not only hired a science consultant—as had been the rule since The Next Generation —but that they also hired an expert, Jamake Highwater, to check each script for accuracy concerning Native American issues. Despite such obvious efforts not to repeat the ignorant white images of Native Americans of the past, Voyager did perpetuate traditional patterns in casting the character of Chakotay.

First of all, while clearly striving to mark Chakotay as Native American, writers and producers seemingly regarded the character’s tribal affiliation as only marginal to the figure’s identity. Initially, Chakotay’s tribal ancestry remained unresolved for a long time. It was then decided upon as Sioux (the Plains Indian again), to be soon after changed to Hopi, to be finally left open again. Indeed, Voyager began employing the character of Chakotay as precisely that kind of generic ‘Indian’, referring to him only as being “‘from a colony of American Indians.’” One contributor to the <[email protected]> discussion group summarizes many viewers’ dissatisfaction with seeing, once more, a generic ‘Indian’:

[…T]he show can be faulted for not creating a tribal identity for Chakotay, which would help frame him a little better. All we know about his culture is that he has a tattoo, a spirit guide, and uses a machine to imitate the effects of peyote. Also, haunting, “native” reed in-struments play on those rare occasions we get to see his private living space […].

This second faux-pas concerns the actor cast to play Chakotay. Robert Beltran is Mexican-American, and although he tried to justify his playing an ‘Indian’ role by evoking the Mestizo (mixed European/indigenous) heritage of many Mexicans, many viewers experienced his presence as “yet another non-Indian actor […] in a part that is identifiably Indian and uses trappings from the culture.” Only very gradually, and at Beltran’s own suggestion, did the producers effectively solve the problem of their own casting decision by specifying Chakotay’s tribal affiliation as “south of border”, i.e. Mayan, Aztec, or Inca.

Back to Basics

Although Voyager explicitly sets out to draw an image of Native Americans that satisfies the audience’s heightened sensitivities regarding representation, the program clearly fails in its own project. In this context, it is ironic that the only moments in which Voyager does lastingly disrupt traditional representational politics lie outside of the type of self-conscious multicultural discourse to which Star Trek usually subscribes. This is achieved when Voyager uses humor to address stereotypes of Native Americans. Two such instances exemplify the mechanisms at work. First, in the pilot episode, ‘The Caretaker’ (S1, Ep1), Tom Paris tries to save Chakotay’s life in an extremely tight situation. While Chakotay attempts to dissuade Paris from risking his own life, Paris jokes about how, if he succeeds, Chakotay would be forever in his debt.

Chakotay: You get on those stairs, they’ll collapse! We’ll both die! Paris: Yeah? But on the other hand, if I save your butt your life belongs to me. Isn’t that some kind of Indian custom? Chakotay: Wrong tribe. - Star Trek: Voyager , ‘Caretaker’ – S1, Ep1.

Second, in the two-part episode ‘Basics’ (S2, Ep26-S3, Ep1), Voyager falls into the hands of the hostile Kazons, who maroon the crew on an inhospitable planet. Being robbed of all their technology, the crew has to struggle with the most quotidian problems in order to survive. They, first of all, try to make a fire. When they remain unsuccessful for a long time, Chakotay remarks dispiritedly that he was the only Indian for light-years around and not even capable of making a fire.

In both these scenes, humor is used to relax a tense situation. The scenes do not set out to address Native American culture, they rather evoke ‘Indianness’ in a merely functional way, almost incidentally. In order to achieve this effect of relaxation, the scenes bring up specific stereotypes of Native Americans, which the ‘real’ Indian Chakotay then proves wrong. He does that, in the first scene, by pointing to the great diversity of existing Native American cultures in contrast to the generic ‘Indian’ culture the stereotypical image holds on to, and in the second scene, by demonstrating that the skills stereotypically ascribed to Native Americans belong to a specific historical environment and that they do get lost once they are no longer practiced.

The scenes are effective in challenging the logic of traditional image-making for two reasons. First, they manage to address and effectively critique central problems in the cultural image of the ‘Indian’ which Star Trek: Voyager could not prevent itself from repeating. And, second, the critique works in these scenes precisely because they leave the self-conscious multicultural mode the series otherwise adheres to. The scenes are among the few moments when Star Trek allows itself to acknowledge the existence of cultural stereotypes among its own core group, something the program is only able to do—without disrupting Star Trek ’s very premise—in a humorous mode. The laughter these scenes produce allows the core-group-identified audience to interrogate their own prejudice in a context that is unthreatening yet that clearly endorses the Native American point of view, as, to put it casually, the laughs are on the ignorant.

Brad Wright's Conversations in Sci-Fi: The Wright Cut

Brad wright's conversations in sci-fi (abridged), cgi fridays, star trek | a history of starfleet uniforms from fashion disasters to gender equality, upcoming events, brad wright: how to recharge your creativity, teryl rothery: embracing mental health as a fandom - part 5, basingstoke comic con collaboration.

Screen Rant

Star trek: captain kirk's entire prime universe timeline, explained.

Captain James Kirk was one of the most impactful figures in Starfleet, and his lengthy timeline saw him leave an enduring mark on Star Trek history.

Captain James T. Kirk had a massive impact on the Star Trek franchise, and his lengthy character timeline eventually became the stuff of legend. He debuted as the dashing captain of the USS Enterprise in Star Trek: The Original Series, and continued his legacy through the ages by defining the path of a leader in Star Trek . Though his methods were often contrary to the rule book, Kirk blazed his own trail and the many events of his life were an inspiration for future generations of Starfleet officers. From birth to death, James Kirk was the glue that held the Star Trek franchise together.

While he was far from the first captain of the Enterprise , Kirk's unique methodology revolutionized the way a starship captain approached leadership, and he was almost always right in the end. Kirk's five-year Enterprise missions saw him conquer some of the grandest adventures in the galaxy, and there was rarely a dull moment in his life. He was known as a romancer and a renegade, but he often backed up his actions with thoughtful leadership, and his "cowboy diplomacy" was rarely done by guessing. Kirk's uniqueness was his strongest trait, and no starship captain has ever been able to fully step out from under his gigantic shadow.

RELATED: Strange New Worlds Just Debunked Star Trek's Oldest Kirk Criticism

Early Life (2233 - 2250s)

Born in Iowa in the year 2233, James Tiberius Kirk was the youngest of George and Winona Kirk's two boys. By the year 2246, the Kirk family had moved to the Tarsus IV colony where young Jim was a witness to the slaughter of 4,000 civilians committed by the colony's Governor Kodos. Kirk would later encounter Kodos again during the events of the underrated TOS episode, "The Conscience of the King." Kirk eventually enrolled in Starfleet Academy in the year 2252, and first gained the attention of Starfleet brass when he assisted in the Axanar Peace Mission. He also gained special commendations for defeating the Academy's infamous Kobayashi Maru test.

Early Years In Starfleet (2250s - 2265)

Kirk spent several years as a midshipman before earning the rank of lieutenant and getting posted on permanent assignment aboard the USS Republic . During that time, Kirk also served as an instructor at Starfleet Academy where he met a pupil named Gary Mitchell and the two became fast friends. Mitchell set Kirk up with an unknown woman whom he would later mention in passing, and the relationship almost resulted in marriage. Some speculate that the unnamed woman was Carol Marcus, and it was then that Kirk fathered his son, David , though that speculation has never been corroborated by in-canon materials.

In the year 2255, Kirk was reassigned to the USS Farragut where he served as a phaser gun crew member under Captain Garrovick. Two years later, in 2257, the Farragut would encounter the cloud monster of Tycho IV and the creature killed 200 crew members aboard the ship, including the captain. Kirk was given special commendation for his service on the mission but spent many years blaming himself for the death of his captain and fellow crew members. Following that harrowing moment, Kirk's career then began to soar, and he rose through the ranks at an unprecedented speed.

Captain Of The Enterprise (2265 - 2270)

Kirk's career trajectory seemed dead-set on the captain's chair, and after his meteoric rise to the top, he was given command of the USS Enterprise after Captain Pike resigned from the post in 2265. In the first year of his five-year mission, Kirk brought along Gary Mitchell and kept Pike's science officer Spock on as his first officer. Shortly into their journey, Mitchell was given god-like powers which resulted in him malevolently slaying crew members, and Kirk then had to kill his friend to save his ship. This disastrous beginning prompted Kirk to shake up his entire crew and members like Montgomery Scott and Dr. Leonard McCoy came aboard.

RELATED: Every Captain Kirk Love Interest In Star Trek

In the proceeding four years, Kirk explored the galaxy as captain of the Enterprise and began broadening the horizons of Starfleet deeper into space. In 2266, Kirk repelled the first Romulan incursion into Federation space in over 100 years and prevented full-scale war. He was the first Starfleet captain to be court-martialed in 2267 when he was framed for the death of a crew member, and he defeated Khan Noonien Singh in the same year by marooning him on Ceti Alpha V. Kirk's exemplary five-year mission ended in 2270 when the crew was recalled, and the ship was decommissioned.

Kirk As Admiral (2270 - 2284)

For his outstanding service as captain of the Enterprise , Kirk was promoted to rear admiral and was given the position of Starfleet's chief of operations. He obviously chafed at his desk job, and seized control of the Enterprise when the V'ger incident threatened Earth. Though he recommended Will Decker to be captain of the ship, the young officer died while on the Enterprise mission to save the Earth from V'ger which left the ship without a leader. Kirk resumed permanent command of the vessel in 2271 and flew a second five-year mission which ended in 2276. Some time immediately following his second five-year stint, Kirk briefly retired from Starfleet.

Khan, The Genesis Device, And Time Travel (2284 - 2286)

After his short retirement from Starfleet, Kirk returned to the rank of admiral and served as a cadet instructor at the Academy. When Khan attacked the science station at Regula I in 2284, Kirk resumed command of the Enterprise from Captain Spock and took on his former adversary in heated combat. It was then that Kirk learned of the existence of his son David from Dr. Carol Marcus, and James Kirk suffered another devastating blow when Spock sacrificed himself to save the rest of the crew from a warp core breach. In a final desperate act, Khan detonated the Genesis Device which resulted in the creation of a new planet.

In 2285, Kirk learned that Spock's soul had been transferred into Dr. McCoy's body, and he then stole the USS Enterprise in order to reunite the Vulcan's spirit with his corpse that had been left on the Genesis planet. Kirk was besieged by an attack from Klingons who wanted to steal the secrets of the Genesis Device, and Kirk's son was killed in the process. He successfully reunited Spock's body with his soul and traveled to Vulcan where a bonding ritual could fully resurrect his departed friend. In the process of defeating the Klingons though, Kirk destroyed the Enterprise to keep it from falling into enemy hands.

RELATED: Every Time Captain Kirk Violated The Prime Directive In Star Trek, Explained

The crew then returned to Earth in 2286 but were immediately dispatched to the year 1986 to recover humpback whales that were capable of communicating with a large space probe. The probe had arrived at Earth and caused massive environmental destruction when it discovered that the whales had gone extinct. Kirk and company successfully recovered a pair of whales that had been kept in captivity and were able to travel back to the future and stop the probe's deadly rampage. After delaying his dressing down for some time, Kirk returned to Earth and was simultaneously praised and chastised for his conduct, being demoted to captain once again.

Last Tenure As Captain And Retirement (2286 - 2293)

Though he received a demotion, Kirk was given command of the Enterprise-A which was exactly what he wanted all along. The ship was plagued with technical problems and required massive overhauling before it was fully capable of exploring deep space. In 2287, Kirk's ship was taken over by Spock's brother Sybok, who attempted to fly it to the center of the galaxy to meet God. Upon arriving, Kirk and company learned that Sybok's "God" was actually a dangerous being who wanted to steal the Enterprise in order to escape the confines of its planet. Kirk was successful in defeating the supposed God, but Sybok was killed.

After seven years as captain of the Enterprise-A , Kirk's TOS crew was given a final mission that saw them take on diplomatic duties with the Klingons. The destruction of the Klingon moon Praxis had left the Empire in shambles, and Kirk's ship played host to an important first meeting. Unfortunately, Kirk was framed for the murder of Chancellor Gorkon and was sentenced to a work colony. He eventually escaped and helped Spock uncover a conspiracy that aimed to destabilize Klingon/Federation relations. After saving the Federation president from assassination, Kirk retired for the final time.

Final Years And Death (2293 - 2371)

Kirk was on hand for the launch of the Enterprise-B along with Montgomery Scott and Pavel Chekov in the year 2293. While on the routine flight, the ship was struck with the Nexus wave which partially destroyed it and sucked the retired captain into the time vortex. Though Kirk was believed to have died in the accident, he actually lived an idyllic life for almost a century within the Nexus without realizing that so much time had passed. In 2371, the Enterprise-D 's Captain Jean-Luc Picard entered the Nexus to get help from Captain Kirk.

RELATED: Strange New Worlds Can Finally Show How Kirk Met Spock In Star Trek Canon

Kirk was initially hesitant to leave his life in the Nexus, but the call of adventure was too great, and he joined his future successor in taking on the scientist Tolian Soran. Though he survived all of his dangerous missions up to that point, James T. Kirk was killed while defeating Soran, and Star Trek 's most famous captain was buried on the planet Veridian III beneath a cairn of rocks. His final words expressed his views on duty as he mentioned that it was the least that he could do for the captain of the Enterprise .

MORE: Kirk's Biggest Mistake Was Exposed By A Star Trek Computer

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Captain James T. Kirk

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Played by: William Shatner

Dubbed in french by: yvon thiboutot (tos), sady rebbot (star trek i to vi), denis savignat (generations), dubbed in brazilian portuguese by: garcia junior (tos, redub), marco antônio costa (tos, 2:23, 2:24, 2:26 on, star trek 6), marcos miranda (star trek 1 to 3), waldyr sant'anna (star trek 4), appearances: star trek: the original series | star trek: the animated series | star trek: the motion picture | star trek ii: the wrath of khan | star trek iii: the search for spock | star trek iv: the voyage home | star trek v: the final frontier | star trek vi: the undiscovered country | star trek: generations | star trek: deep space nine note archive footage | star trek beyond note photograph.

"'All I ask is a tall ship, and a star to steer her by.' You could feel the wind at your back in those days, the sound of the sea beneath you. And even if you take away the wind and the water, it's still the same... The ship is yours, you can feel her. And the stars are still there, Bones." — Kirk , "The Ultimate Computer"

The Captain . James Tiberius Kirk leads his ship, the Enterprise , through the adventure of the week — hostile cultures, supercomputers, places which look suspiciously like Earth, time-travel shenanigans . A very talented and level-headed officer, Kirk always took his duty to Starfleet deeply seriously and his main concern in any crisis was always the safety of his ship and crew. He was notorious for his hollow seductions, and a few romances which ended tragically, but mostly those failed because he named the Enterprise herself as the woman in his life. Although he took the dangers to his crew very seriously, he also maintained a light-hearted attitude and bantered with the other two members of his Power Trio frequently.

10-Minute Retirement : In “Generations”, he acknowledges in the Nexus that the universe keeps fucking him over and he deserves to be selfish for once. Of course he goes back to reality because he needs the danger, and it helps that he had multiple Nexus realities, letting him fix everything.
In "Where No Man Has Gone Before", he addresses Yeoman Smith as "Jones", and she corrects him in a manner that implies it's not the first time he's done that. (In the original script, he does it again in the ending scene, but this was cut.)
In "Space Seed", Kirk mispronounces the ship's historian's name before Spock dryly corrects him with " McGivers ". He continues to stutter over the name in front of McGivers herself, who also dryly corrects the pronunciation.
In "The Immunity Syndrome", Kirk consistently pronounces Lt. Kyle's name as "Cowell", something no other character ever does. Kyle himself makes no attempt to correct him.
Accidental Pornomancer : Bones lampshades that even when Kirk is not actively manipulating someone, he still seems to get every alien species wanting to rail him.
The Ace : Quite possibly the greatest Captain ever produced by Starfleet and humanity in general, despite all his competition, and even long after his day his many accomplishments and reputation lives on as an inspiration to later Starfleet officers, many of whom look up to him as a legend, and he is even considered this to various alien species he encountered.
Agent Peacock : In “Where No Man”, the writers talked about how they wanted Kirk to be a man comfortable with being both masculine and feminine, willing to fight dirty and being in command, but memorising poetry, stopping to admire flowers, happy to joke about himself being a mother, uses his sexuality like a Femme Fatale or Heroic Seductress depending on how greyly ambiguous the episode wants to be, and is treated like a Lust Object .
And in the early 80s Shatner did commercials for an early home computer, the Commodore Vic 20.
Ain't Too Proud to Beg : Mostly refused, but if it’s Close to Home enough, like children ensuring their own destruction, Garth (a captain who he respected) forcing him or Trelane messing with his crew, he’ll beg, plead and kneel as a last resort.
Captain Kirk's famous line to the alien impersonating the Greek god Apollo in "Who Mourns for Adonais?" is this: Kirk: Mankind has no need for gods. We find the one quite adequate.

In another episode, Kirk and crew come upon a planet dominated by a Roman Empire but with 20th century technology, where a persecuted, pacifist new religion worships a sun god. At the end of the episode, Lieutenant Uhura discovers that this new religion does not worship the Sun but the Son, clearly referencing Jesus. Kirk even considers remaining at the planet for a number of years just so they can "watch it happen all over again."
Ambiguous Situation : What Kirk considers to be the biggest regret of his life and the main source of his pain, refusing to allow Sybok to reveal it, as he did Spock's strained relationship with their father and McCoy 's regret over mercy killing his dying father from an illness that soon after was cured. Given all the tragedies he has suffered throughout his life, there are many possibilities.
Anti-Hero : Sixties sex symbol or not, Kirk stumbled into Classical Anti-Hero in Star Trek: The Motion Picture The Motion Picture and The Wrath of Khan where his mid-life crisis wears heavy upon him and some poor choices cost the lives of many recruits, and later Knight in Sour Armor in The Undiscovered Country .
Arch-Enemy : He has a special hatred of Klingons, called out for it in “Errand Of Mercy” and getting exploited in “Day Of The Dove”. And that’s before his son is killed by one of them.
Badass Normal : Kirk is a good tactician who leagues of more powerful aliens respect, whose exploits include beating a bio-engineered superman with his bare fists. Did we mention he's a non-powered human?
Because You Were Nice to Me : The suggested reason why he’s a Love Martyr and forgives so easily. He doesn’t ask for much (a few days on a real beach, knowing he made a difference), and any kindness shown seems to be good enough.
Benevolent Boss : For the most part he’s a tough but fair captain to his crew and a genial father to his men (even if Spock lampshades that general orders don’t apply to his friends). If he starts to act like a brash asshole then something is usually very wrong.
Beneath the Mask : Spock tells him early on that he has to look perfect as Captain to his crew, and it’s made clear that the swagger is partly affected, admitting to Bones he would like a long sea voyage where he can rest, and to Carol that he feels old and worn out. There’s more than a few episode endings where he’ll laugh along with Bones and Spock, and look regretful once they turn away. --wondering how in the hell he got a public reputation as an impulsive hothead. A lot of the time he felt more like Hamlet, agonizing over every decision. He just had the knack for not letting it show. Being a captain was sometimes more about looking decisive and convincing your crew that you knew what you were doing .
Big Beautiful Man : Was always a cuddly-looking version of a Mr. Fanservice , even with many shirtless scenes (and Shatner apparently working out to unhealthy levels), and fills out when he hits middle age in the second movie, still being seen as attractive and charming even if his one not-resisting-a-seduction works against him in the sixth movie.
Blood Knight : On several occasions (“Errand Of Mercy”, “Day Of The Dove”, “Spectre Of The Gun”, “Taste Of Armageddon”), he’s forced to admit that he wants to fight/is a barbarian, and that he’s been trained as a soldier. He settles for diplomat as he gets older, but traces remain, and the fact that he surrenders in the sixth movie proves a Spanner in the Works , everyone expecting him to be more than happy to knock up a few Klingon kills.
Bold Explorer : Though it was just his job, Kirk's boldness makes him an iconic version of the trope.
Boldly Coming : The Trope Codifier through Pop-Cultural Osmosis , although it's nowhere near as omnipresent as you might believe. Over 79 episodes, the number of alien women Kirk definitely sleeps with is... four. One of those was the result of being drugged by magic tears, and none of them were green (that was Pike, and she wasn't even really green. The green woman Kirk met was a mental patient who tried to seduce him , to his immense discomfort).
Break the Cutie : Aside from his seduction as tactic, he gets victimised a lot as well, either Mind Rape , drugged or some other kind of coercion, and he’s never happy about it but he can mostly deal. Until “Requiem For Methuselah”, when he finds out he was used again by Flint (but still loves Reyna anyway), and sounds seconds away from sobbing. No wonder Spock makes him forget about the whole thing.
Break the Haughty : The movies show what happens when all his flaws come back to bite him. Convinced he's the Captain who deserves command of the Enterprise ? Promote him and he'll become an Insane Admiral , not knowing how to deal with a remodelled ship. Be self-absorbed and convinced that you're on the right side of To Be Lawful or Good ? A Villain of the Week sets off a chain of events that end with Spock and Kirk's son being killed. Still think you can seduce to get your way? Get used instead, and nearly get murdered if your friends hadn't beamed you up. No wonder that for a while, he just wants to stay in the Nexus after being considered dead.
Broken Ace : Pike started off the line of Starfleet captains who really could do with therapy, Kirk just continued it. He's a hero with many medals, saved the world more times than can be counted, and is a respected Captain, he's just hiding a lot of grief and trauma (around getting old, following orders, not following orders, feeling like he's worthless if not commanding a starship, Tarsus IV, the USS Farrugut, consent getting taken away, the people he's lost…), that he thinks he needs. James T Kirk, hero at large. You can save the galaxy from destruction, but you can’t get your own life in order.
Bunny-Ears Lawyer : The things Kirk got away with... The Autobiography of James T. Kirk calls it a Self-Fulfilling Prophecy , as he's not happy towards the end of the five year mission, thinks he wants to be Admiral, and does more reckless shit to get attention, when he wouldn't have done before.
His trip to the Mirror Universe. While there, Kirk single-handedly talks Mirror Spock into instigating an uprising against the Terran Empire. We're meant to think they'll eventually find their way to a Federation-like alliance, but in Deep Space 9 we find that Kirk's machinations left mankind ripe for an asskicking by a combined Klingon / Cardassian / Bajoran alliance, after which humans are enslaved. The top dogs of the Mirror Universe are on constant look-out for anyone coming over from the other universe to interfere again, redesigning their tech to make damn sure it wouldn't, and Kirk's name is legendary among them. For Kirk, and Starfleet, the Mirror universe incident was just a weirder-than-average day at the office.
His encounter with Khan. Kirk meets one of the most famous tyrants on the 21st century, nearly gets killed by him, beats him up, sentences him to Ceti Alpha 5, and then forgot all about him until Khan came back pissed . Khan spent every night thinking of Kirk, while Kirk didn't give him a second thought.
The Captain : Kirk is the Trope Maker . Spock: "If I may be so bold, it was a mistake for you to accept promotion. Commanding a starship is your first, best destiny; anything else is a waste of material."
Captain Smooth and Sergeant Rough : He's far more genial and sociable with his crew than his aloof, coldly logical XO Spock.
The Chains of Commanding : His Married to the Job deal was deconstructed as early as "The Naked Time", as his life is i Enterprise , and his own identity fades. He never gets over it, even as he calms down in his older age.
He learns to chill and understand what’s really important as he gets older, from being an insufferable nervous Teacher's Pet at the academy, at least trying to be by the book in the series, to full on Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right! in the movies.
His conflicting loyalties about whether to be a soldier following orders or being a diplomat mostly end in Season 3. Of course the movies (and “The Cloud Minders”, as he trusts Vanna to listen to him and gets taken hostage, even if it ends up okay) show that confidence in your own rules don’t always work out, especially when it’s coupled with a mid life crisis.
Definitely not enjoyed, but the movies force him to actually confront loss and pain, and not just shove things down like a Broken Hero who wants to Just Ignore It .
He goes from stealing back command of the Enterprise from Captain Will Decker in The Motion Picture , overriding him similarly to the way his father Commodore Matt Decker tried to do to him in The Doomsday Machine , to refusing to do so when the chance to steal command of the Enterprise-B from Captain John Harriman occurs in Generations , despite the temptation.
Characterisation Click Moment : Started being his own person and less like an Ideal Hero -slash-copy of Pike in “The Enemy Within”, both for the good and bad; compassionate, dutiful, determined, gentle father to his men, but thinks of himself of an extension of the ship, capable of brutality and manipulation, marked self loathing and an anxious tendency to ignore problems he doesn’t want to deal with.
When trying to seduce someone, he always grabs a woman’s upper arms before kissing her. When he starts to do it to Spock, he’s told not in front of the Klingons, who are all looking on curiously .
Does the rubbing his forehead version of a facepalm a lot. Lampshaded in “The Trouble With Tribbles” where he actually admits for once that he’s got a headache.
Rubbing and clenching his hands together when he’s anxious. Spock notices him doing it in “And The Children Shall Lead”, and Kirk reassures him he’s not feeling as bad as he did in the turbolift.
Chick Magnet : Numerous women of various species tend to be drawn to him, he is aware of it but mostly only takes advantage of it when necessary to see through his duties and protect the lives of his crew and ship.
Chivalrous Pervert : May very well be the anti- Bond . A lot of the time he'll use his charms for a greater purpose, but he's gentlemanly when he is actually is in love, dissuades Charlie from Entitled to Have You , and most of his (less than ten) exes consider his main flaw to be Married to the Job . He also gives female crewmembers appreciative glanceovers note does it with a few men as well , but that seems to be as far as he goes, telling other romances to chill and keep to duties, and defending women as crewmen.
Combat Sadomasochist : Not for nothing did 70s fandom call him a masochist — one of his fantasies in “Shore Leave” is to have a fight with old school bully Finnegan with himself all sweaty and bloody and shirt ripped.
A Running Gag in the movies is Kirk's loving relationship with his chair. He glumly sits in the rickety captain's chair aboard the Enterprise -A, declaring that it's just not the same. Generations repeated this gag on-board the Enterprise -B, this time complete with Male Gaze .
Condescending Compassion : His paternalistic tendency to... change civilisations so that they’re assimilated under the Federation was called out early in “Errand Of Mercy”, him acting like the Organians are overly peaceful idiots and swiftly proven wrong, being more akin to the Klingons he hates than the Knight in Shining Armor .
Conditioned to Accept Horror : Deela teasingly suggests between forcing kisses on him in “Wink Of An Eye” that he’s used to being kissed when he’s not aware of it, and Odona wonders how he can even look at her when she manipulated him in “The Mark Of Gideon”. It all explodes in “Requiem For Methuselah” when he falls for a robot woman who’s actually nice, and loses his mind a little when he finds out he was still used by Flint.
Court-martialed : " Court Martial ": Kirk gets put on trial for (seemingly) causing the death of a crew member through negligence.
Cunning People Play Poker : The Corbomite Maneuver " when faced with Balok's incomprehensible mothership threatening to destroy the Enterprise, Spock contextualises their situation as a game of chess and concludes Balok has declared checkmate. Captain Kirk changes the game to poker, and then bluffs that Enterprise has a defense feature that will ensure that if it's destroyed, Balok's ship will also get blown up.
At some point before he got to command, Kirk was witness to the massacre on Tarsus IV, where thousands were killed in an attempt to hold off starvation that came to naught when the supply ships arrived note the episode regarding the massacre doesn't state as much, but a reference to his age a later episode, which was subsequently formalized as canon, makes him no older than fourteen at the time of the massacre . During his time on the Farragut , Kirk blamed himself for an attack by a vampiric cloud creature that killed Captain Garrovick and 200 other crewmen.
His mirror verse version has one too, raised in poverty by his Good Parents until his home was burned down and he was captured by the empire for “re-education”, making him brutal and sadistic .
Death Seeker : He’s always played fast and loose with his own life, calling the ship so much more important to the point where Sulu is actually concerned, and in “Shore Leave '', Finnegan taunts him on being able to sleep forever if he wants. Gets worse in the movies, doing stupid stunts while his friends are around because they’ll keep him from dying, as he’s convinced he’ll die alone. Kirk : (to the Organians) I’m used to the idea of dying, but I have no desire to die for the likes of you.
The Defroster : Despite his previous positive relationship with Captain Pike, Spock remains quite stoic and aloof, ashamed about his human heritage and determined to hide it. His friendship with Kirk becomes a chink in his emotionless armor almost immediately (the very first episode has Uhura calling Kirk the closest thing to a friend Spock has). Gradually, under his influence, Spock unbends into psychologically healthier state.
Desperately Craves Affection : Word of Shatner is that Kirk really does want someone to talk to, to tell them that something is wrong with him, but can’t because as Captain you have to keep some distance.
Determinator : When Kirk makes up his mind to do something, especially if the lives of his crew are at stake, no force in the universe can keep him down. Kirk: I don't believe in the no-win scenario.
Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu? : A specialty of Kirk's.
Disappeared Dad : Though not by his own choice. He and Carol had a child and he was so focused on his career that she eventually asked him to stay away.
The name James Kirk is spoken with great annoyance by the Temporal Investigations department. Seventeen different violations will do that for you. Agent Lucsly: The man was a menace.
Back in his academy days, a then-Lieutenant Kirk was the bane of the underclassmen. Gary Mitchell: "Watch out for Lieutenant Kirk! In his class, you either think or sink."
Dropped a Bridge on Him : His death in Generations is the Trope Namer .
Dude, Where's My Reward? : In Generations , Picard's initial attempt to get him to help by appealing to his duty is brushed off by a bitter Kirk pointing out he'd been saving the galaxy for years, and all it's got him was an empty house. Of course, he soon comes around anyway.
Dying Alone : Zig-zagged. He reveals in Final Frontier that this is his greatest fear, and he believes that it is his fate to die alone, without his best friends, Spock and McCoy , being near. Sadly, this comes to pass in Generations , but he is not entirely alone, with Captain Picard at his side reassuring him that he has made a difference one last time.
Embarrassing Middle Name : "Tiberius."
Endearingly Dorky : In decent episodes, he's... endearingly hammy as a character trait, and how seriously he takes having fun (see times like "A Piece Of The Action") is treated with affection by his crew.
Even the Guys Want Him : Male Klingons check out his ass , big monsters throw him around like a ragdoll , and he has several ex-friends who end up a little obsessive over him.
Even the Loving Hero Has Hated Ones : Kirk protects refugees and famously refuses to consider any casualty acceptable. He has even impressed multiple Sufficiently Advanced Alien species with his capacity for mercy and civility. However, he's much more of a Deadpan Snarker around Mudd and Baris, and the Klingons were an Arch-Enemy even before Kruge killed his son (not that previous Klingons hadn't nearly killed people he loved before).
Throughout the series, he’s right on the Federation’s side, and is more likely to blame himself for following orders (like in “The Apple”) than be angry at them for actually giving said orders. The only exceptions are “The Trouble With Tribbles”, a priority one distress call for wheat even before the tribbles arrive, “The Galileo Seven” where it’s finding Spock vs a jerkass ambassador on board, and the movies where he’s wearier and chilled out.
He’s willing to take the blame at first with Janice Lester, and dismisses it when Odona asks why he’s not angrier with her for all the deception and coercion.
Exhausted Eyebags : Occasionally they’ll slather on a lot of eyeliner below Shatner’s eyes when Kirk is in a particularly bad state.
Face Death with Dignity : He does this numerous times in the series and movies in the face of death, and lives up to his words to Saavik about the importance of how one deals with death at the end of his life, aboard the Enterprise-B when he believes he is sacrificing himself to save the ship, and again for real on Veridian III when he stops Soran from destroying the star system at the cost of his life.
Fan of the Past : He embraced the culture and history of his homeland, especially western lore and the life of his hero Abraham Lincoln . Recognizing the document mirrored on the planet Omega IV, he could recite the preamble of the US Constitution from memory. His extensive knowledge of his ancestral background served him well on numerous occasions. In travels to Earth's past, or on planets mirroring Earth's development, Kirk was able to function and pass himself off as a native of the time or culture with (more or less) ease.
Farm Boy : Kirk was born and raised on a farm in Riverside, Iowa. This only gets said out loud in the fourth movie, but according to Roddenberry, he had it in mind since the beginning, and it’s why Kirk so easily gets distracted by flowers and other growing things. Gillian: You're from outer space. Kirk: No, I'm from Iowa. I only work in outer space.
His Inferiority Superiority Complex . He has a lot of self loathing, so it makes him crave attention to overcompensate and the need to prove himself. Getting glory and press goes to his head, and in turn makes him miserable because he feels he doesn’t deserve it. The biography has “The Enterprise Incident” as just a shade more acted than how he was actually feeling.
He also likes repressing his problems. As willing as he to talk about his emotions, Bones despairs about how much he touts Misery Builds Character , getting out of the problem fast without thinking things through has far reaching consequences for Khan and the Mirror Universe , and expanded material has Spock’s death be the catalyst for being forced to think about all his other losses, like Gary, Sam and Edith. Star Trek: Ex Machina also has a Long List of civilizations that he dropped a bombshell on and ran away from, comparing it to his (admittedly biased) view of abandoning Carol and David.
A Father to His Men : He has a breakdown when three men are killed in “The Apple”, saying it’s his fault because he’s allowed to modify rules (he’s a By-the-Book Cop a lot of the time, just comes off worse later because Starfleet is still writing the rules, as Janeway points out) as he sees fit, and the mission wasn’t that important. He is genuinely upset and enraged by pretty much the death of every crewman, blaming it on himself. One of his Nexus fantasies is saving every Red Shirt .
Feeling Their Age : At the tender age of… thirty four, he’s taunted by the fantasy Finnegan about being too old, and he comes away from “The Deadly Years” thinking the lesson is he has to be young to be good at his job. No wonder he has a Hollywood Mid-Life Crisis in the movies.
Former Teen Rebel : Inverted . Unlike his alternate universe counterpart , Cadet Kirk was something of a humorless swot as an underclassman, only later developing into the Military Maverick we see in the movies.
Four-Star Badass : In the movies. And everyone knows it. Though as a Rear Admiral, technically he was only a Two-Star Badass. Until he gets demoted at the end of Star Trek IV . However, this is also largely subverted. Kirk's moments of badassery as an admiral are actually while he's in direct command of a starship and he's shown to be apathetic and uninterested towards his admiralty duties, such as when he almost immediately cuts the inspection of the Enterprise short in The Wrath of Khan .
Four-Temperament Ensemble : Kirk is the Choleric, although by no means unsympathetic; he's just the most decisive and determined member of the trio. McCoy 's Id.-->
Genocide Survivor : In "The Conscience of the King", Kirk is stated to be a survivor of a genocide on the planet Tarsus IV, where the Governor ordered thousands of citizens killed to ensure the rest could survive, using eugenics to decide who lived and died. It's only All There in the Manual that the actual circumstances are discussed; his mother moved to the planet for work, leaving her children and husband behind in Iowa. When Jim visits on a trip, things go very wrong, and between an Enterprise being the supply ship, the trauma itself, and his mom using him as a therapist, it hardens him and he ties himself to Starfleet.
Gold-Colored Superiority : As The Captain , he wears a gold shirt.
Good Is Not Soft : As Nice Guy Love Martyr as he is, Kirk — especially Gene Coon’s version, which carried on throughout the movies — often has to remind himself that while he was trained to be a soldier, and humans can be savage, mercy and peace is always the best option, and Vengeance Feels Empty .
Go Out with a Smile : Despite his somewhat pathetic death, he’s happy knowing he made a difference after so much worry that he wouldn’t, and that he got closure in the Nexus for everything he feels went wrong in his life .
Gunboat Diplomacy : One of his favorite diplomatic techniques seems to be threatening to blow up a planet that doesn't do what he wants. Somehow he gets away with this. He's Kirk. He even gives orbital bombardment a go as a persuading tool (with phasers on stun... sometimes ). Partially justified by the fact he was trained as a soldier, not a diplomat.
Has a Type : Of the five women Kirk had long-term relationships with before the series, four out of five were blondes and/or scientists. (The exceptions being Janice Lester, a brunette scientist, and Areel Shaw from "Court Martial", a blonde Starfleet JAG officer.)
Hates Being Alone : It’s the stated reason why he falls so hard for the first nice woman he sees and can spend some free time with in “Requiem For Methuselah”. Kirk : I had a whole universe to myself after the Defiant was thrown out. There was absolutely no one else in it. I must say I prefer a crowded universe much better.
Heartbroken Badass : Let's see...with the losses of Edith Keeler, his brother Sam and his sister-in-law, his wife Miramanee and their unborn child, Rayna Kapec, his first BFF Gary Mitchell, his true BFF Spock, his son David, and the Enterprise herself, it's amazing that there's still anything approaching an intact heart by the time he retires. The book versions of the movies are well aware of all he’s lost, and while the angst is there in the films, they bring it to full-scale depression, going right to Death Seeker both when Spock dies and when he retires, as McCoy and Spock go back to their families and he has nothing.
He Knows Too Much : Kirk is one of nine surviving eyewitnesses who can identify Kodos the Executioner, the man who ordered the deaths of four thousand people on colony planet Tarsus IV. Kodos's daughter Lenore tries to kill him by hiding an overloading phaser in his quarters. By the end of the episode, Kirk is one of only two surviving witnesses, since she succeeded in killing the other seven.
The Hero : He is clearly the protagonist of the show (and the cause of some off-screen drama).
The Hero Dies : Eventually meets his end performing a Heroic Sacrifice to save a star system during the events of Generations .
Heroic Sacrifice : The end of his life involved two of these, one attempted and believed to be such by history, and the other one for real. The attempted one being his saving the crew of the Enterprise-B, ending up in the Nexus instead. The one that stuck happened after later choosing to leave the peace and happiness of the Nexus to stop Soran and save the millions of lives in the Veridian system, including the entire crew of the Enterprise-D, none of whom he had even ever met or knew anything about.
Heroic Self-Deprecation : More pronounced in the movies, but even in the show, he'll find a reason to hate himself, whether it's feeling useless without command, Survivor's Guilt , losing men, having to kill Edith, being impulsive, and in one comic, worried if being a Heroic Seductress meant that he was nasty to women.
Heroic Willpower : In "Dagger of the Mind," one of the bad guys notes that he hasn't given in when subjected to a force that reduced one of their scientists to screaming. Note that Kirk is still having a bad time, struggling and crying, but he still alerts his ship. In "Elaan of Troyius", he is even able to resist the intoxicating, hypnotic tears of Elaan and force himself to carry on.
Hero with Bad Publicity : A common theme in Christopher L Bennett’s books is some strong Leaning on the Fourth Wall , with public perception of Kirk being an Ideal Hero who can do no wrong or a reckless bad boy who will sleep with anyone, with neither close to how he actually is.
Honey Pot : A lot of the time his "getting some" labelled by pop culture is using his charm and good looks to try and save someone else. Still gets him a reputation as Really Gets Around even in-universe during the movies.
Honor Before Reason : In "Arena" and "Spectre of the Gun", though in both cases "honor" was the right choice.
I Can Still Fight! : Kirk doesn't like being shut up in medbay at all, much to McCoy's consternation.
In the Season 2 episode "The Deadly Years", Kirk is stated to be 34-years-old. He had been Captain of the Enterprise for two years at that point, making him 32 at the time he got the promotion — or to put it another way, just a decade out of the Academy, an average of one promotion every two years. note Commissioned as an Ensign, and then promoted through Lieutenant Junior Grade, Lieutenant, Lieutenant Commander, and Commander to the rank of Captain. Had he continued at that pace, he would have made full Admiral by age 40.
Although Kirk's rise to the Captaincy was exceptionally rapid, it's clear that he's obviously an extreme outlier with regard to the average quality of Starfleet officers (even in TOS, most other Starship Captains we meet wind up dead or go insane). Contrast his reboot counterpart, who is field-promoted to Captain from Cadet before graduating from the Academy, which might generously be described as a bit farfetched.
Curiously, his Mirror Universe counterpart, who is considerably less competent than the Prime Kirk, only reached the rank of Captain through plundered alien technology allowing him to remotely eliminate all of his superiors without putting himself in danger of retaliation.
Improbable Weapon User : In hand-to-hand combat, he will sometimes grab whatever object is nearby, regardless of what it is. Twice, he has used pillows .
Inferiority Superiority Complex : Throughout the show and the movies; arrogant, paternalistic, swaggering with a Knight in Shining Armor self image, but also massive Survivor's Guilt note the novelization of the fourth movie has him yelling at Bones not to bring up the “old days” of the Enterprise , as he still remembers having to watch Edith die, as well as his brother, his sister-in-law, and Gary , is exhausted from The Chains of Command yet feels like he’s worth nothing if he’s not Captain, and worries there’s stains on his shining armor. The official show bible makes note that he has a god complex, and hates himself when he inevitably can’t measure up.
Insane Admiral : Drifts perilously close to this early in Star Trek: The Motion Picture , especially when butting heads with the Enterprise 's new Captain. He gets over it to some extent, but his later actions lead to a "demotion" that puts him back in the captain's chair, which is exactly where he wants to be and resolves the problem.
In Touch with His Feminine Side : Owns foundation beyond the out of universe putting all the male actors in eyeshadow and mascara, gets distracted by flowers easily, and is happy to joke about himself as a mother.
It's All About Me : A Jerkass Has a Point moment in “The Ultimate Computer” calls out that it always has to be him who explores a planet or fights the enemy, and as much Heroic Self-Deprecation as he has, fame and glory have a tendency of going to his head.
It's All My Fault : Of the “everything that happens under my command is my fault” variety (less so for further consequences, which the movies and DS9 will call him out hard on). McCoy and Spock have the “there’s no point in self recrimination” speech down perfectly.
If he’s hurting about something (his age being a prime example, in both “The Deadly Years” and the movies) then he goes right into denial and Bones has to yell at him. He admits it himself at the end of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , saying he’s always managed to push the pain from death down until now.
Less sympathetic is “The Enemy Within” where even the “good” version of himself is far more interested in pretending it never happened than listening to what Janice is saying.
Kicked Upstairs : While the actual events differ, most books will have him accept being Admiral the first time, ask for a Captain rank between the first and second movie, quit for a while after, and eventually be kicked into Admiral again because Starfleet is sick of him not actually knowing what he wants and they’d rather keep him on a leash anyway.
The Kirk : He's the Trope Namer , obviously. Whenever presented with a hard dilemma, he almost always tries to find the Third Option that allows for a morally acceptable solution without sacrificing any more crew or victims.
And then revived in a Star Trek novel series written by...William Shatner!
Knight in Sour Armor : Played with in the show, as he doesn't want to admit it, would rather be the Knight in Shining Armor , and it's thanks to the trauma of being one of the few surviving members of the Tarsus IV massacre that he does some terrible things in "The Conscience Of The King" (Lenore, a mentally ill 19-year-old girl who is killing other survivors for the sake of her father, calls him out on using her, and asks if there's stains on his armor). By the movies, he can admit that he feels exhausted, needs his pain, and that his impulsive It's All About Me has cost lives, but will still do the best he can. Kirk : We can admit that we're killers, but we're not going to kill today. That's all it takes. Knowing that we won't kill today.
Lame Comeback : His being Endearingly Dorky continues as he gets older, having a Fun T-Shirt with the insult (“insult” in big air quotes) “go climb a rock” imprinted on it.
He's played by William Shatner , after all. Star Trek: The Motion Picture suggests this is a character trait, as he's practically Dull Surprise until Spock comes back.
“The Enemy Within” plays with it as well, having the good part of Kirk be sedate and softly anxious, while the evil version is just brimming with barely restrained pork, except for when he’s playing weak and charming.
The Leader : Famously of the Levelheaded type. Come crisis or moral questions, Kirk's main approach was to let his officers have their say on the matter at hand and then try to find a way to successfully combine the various strengths of their advice into an effective solution. He also treated his responsibility to his crew with unwavering seriousness, often sticking his own neck out so they wouldn't have to.
Legendary in the Sequel : Kirk is depicted as the Captain, against which all of his 24th-century successors are judged (well, eventually. Early TNG episodes treated Kirk's era like it was shrouded in myth, if they acknowledged it at all — even though Dr. McCoy shows up in the pilot episode). Of course, with The Next Generation being the first Star Trek TV series since the original, using an entirely new crew, this was intentional by the producers, who wanted the series to stand on its own. This even extends to the reboot continuity, where a bunch of Romulan space miners living over a century after his heyday immediately recognize James T. Kirk by name as having been Starfleet's greatest Captain.
Living Legend : Even though the original series depicts his first command, it's clear that he's already becoming one of these. The movies take this trope and run with it.
Logic Bomb : Known for pulling this move off successfully in just about any episode featuring A.I. Is a Crapshoot ... and then some.
Lonely at the Top : According to “Where No Man”, Shatner apparently talked to the skippers of atomic submarines so he could get a sense of how lonely and desperate for affection Kirk would be in command.
The Lost Lenore : The expanded canon books have Edith as someone he loved the most and lost, while also inspiring him to help even more people. Spock, “the noblest half of myself”, at least comes back.
Love Martyr : The amount of times that someone has hurt him, drugged him, or mind-raped him, and he shoves the anger down. Nobody in-universe can figure out why either, compulsively getting into bad relationships was mentioned in the show bible, Bones and Mulhall treating his trust in Sargon in "Return To Tomorrow" as Stockholm Syndrome , and Odona in "The Mark Of Gideon" asking how he can look at her after what she did to him. He finally breaks in "Requiem For Methuselah", just as upset at getting used as losing someone he fell for.
Lust Object : Mostly women, but other guys seemed to see it as well. Kirk is one of the few men in popular culture who will regularly use this status to save someone else, provide a distraction, or get information.
Married to the Job : No matter what, his main commitment is always first and foremost to the safety of the Enterprise and her crew. This sense of duty in him is so overpowering he doesn't even need an antidote to a love potion . This is treated as ultimately unhealthy, as he feels completely lost without command, and the films have him muscle his way back in after getting Kicked Upstairs , not wanting to move on.
Memetic Badass : In-Universe example. Kirk serves as one for all of Starfleet. When given with the chance of meeting him, Picard and Sisko both positively Squee . Considering that both Picard and Sisko are also examples of this within the Trekverse, that says something.
The Men First : Being A Father to His Men , Kirk is always insistent on keeping them safe if possible. On a number of occasions note "The Squire of Gothos", "The Immunity Syndrome", "The Empath" , he has wanted to pull a Heroic Sacrifice (or even tried to do so) to ensure the well-being of his crew, and torturing them is generally a better strategy than torturing him .
Misery Builds Character : He of the “ I need my pain ” and “ pain can drive a man harder than pleasure ” mindset. Spock and Bones don’t quite agree, both taking turns with “there’s no point in self loathing” speech.
Missing Mom : All There in the Manual has Kirk’s parents have an Awful Wedded Life , and she leaves to work on Tarsus IV, leaving baby Jim to feel abandoned. She does try later on when he lives with her (he got his rock climbing habit from her), but after the massacre, she uses him as a therapist and he has a complicated relationship with her. Not helped that he repeats her patterns with his own son.
Mr. Fanservice : That uniform shirt of his will tear open at the touch of a twig. This was not actually intentional; it's just that the tailoring budget for the original show was less than impressive. More intentionally, the green wrap around shirt that’s mostly seen in Season 2, is affectionately called the “fatshirt”, as it’s very form-fitting and shows off everything, along with the much tighter pants Kirk wears than the rest of the crew. Not for nothing that one of Shatner’s nicknames on set was apparently “bubble butt”.
Must Have Caffeine : Nothing from a super-powerful alien threatening to blow up his ship to a crew member vanishing into thin air on an inexplicably abandoned planet can come between Kirk and his cup of coffee. (When an infestation of tribbles do , then It's Personal !) Kirk: (regarding a cup of tribbles) This was my chicken sandwich and coffee! I want these things off the ship, I don't care if it takes every man we've got!
Murderous Thighs : Rare Male Example in that one of the few times it’s Shatner in the “Space Seed” fight is when Kirk is trying to choke Khan out with his thighs.
My God, What Have I Done? : His reaction to sacrificing the Enterprise in The Search for Spock . Understandable, given that for Kirk, it's the equivalent of sacrificing a lover all over again. Good thing Bones was there to remind him: McCoy : What you had to do. What you always do. Turn death into a fighting chance to live.
My Greatest Failure : Kirk came to see his banishment of Khan as this, as not only did it leave him and his crew off-guard for Khan's Roaring Rampage of Revenge after the unexpected destruction of his world and the death of his wife, but it ended up initially coming at the expense of his best friend's life, something he continued to feel guilty of by The Search for Spock .
Narcissist : The fragile narcissist, as he’s a good person with compassion, but is self-obsessed in a self-loathing way and overcompensates by swaggering. Lampshaded in the sixth movie, where Marta mocks him that kissing himself must have been his life-long ambition.
Necessarily Evil : When Shanah in “Gamesters Of Triskelion” is a Woman Scorned because of how he coldly seduced her (and she’s definitely not the only one in the series to feel that way), he’s regretful but calls it necessary and what he had to do, the implication being that he knows he does this all the time.
Nice Guy : He's more balanced and friendly compared to brash McCoy and aloof Spock.
No Sense of Personal Space : He’s touchy-feely with everyone, especially Spock, even when he’s not trying to seduce anyone.
"Not So Different" Remark : From the Romulan Commander in " Balance of Terror ." Also to Kor in “Errand Of Mercy”, as much as he denies it and is ashamed when the Organians finally point it out to him. It doesn’t exactly help his loathing of Klingons.
For all his Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right! , actively placing his command in danger is rare for him, the main two times being "The Conscience Of The King" and saving Spock in the movies.
Overlapping with Shatner's in real life ham, in-universe his crew knows something is wrong when Kirk is being quiet . He walks out without a word when called "Captain Dunsel" in "The Ultimate Computer" and they're all worried, and according to the movie novels, has to be snapped back to reality multiple times when silently despairing over Spock's death.
It doesn’t last long, as he needs some fear and danger, but Kirk gives up in the Nexus, eventually explaining that making his whole identity about the Enterprise has ruined his life, and wants to make up for the mistakes he’s made. ( All There in the Manual having him save every Red Shirt , save Edith, relive his youth etc).
Officer and a Gentleman : In addition to judo-throwing aliens and romancing to get his way, he finds time to be well-versed in classical literature and offer aid to space-borne refugees.
Kirk is positively notorious in Starfleet for his violations of the Prime Directive. However lost in the shuffle is that in most cases, Kirk arrives on the scene only after someone has already interfered, and he's now in a position where he must fix or mitigate the damage, or prevent others from interfering.
In more of a personal example, he accidentally flirted with Helen Noel at a Christmas party, thinking she was a visitor instead of a crewmember (according to the script), and neither Bones or Spock let him live it down. He’s embarrassed and uncomfortable around her until she gives him Fake Memories .
On the Rebound : In the books, he tries to get back with Carol after Spock dies (“because they’re both alone”) and she rejects him, as her lover was one of the casualties of Khan. He also wants to get with Gillian as a distraction for David’s death , but she’s too busy.
Out-of-Character Moment : Most of the time, Kirk is a by-the-book guy but prone to impulsiveness and biases, and mostly had to fix messes (and make some more of his own) by violating the Prime Directive, essentially a mix of To Be Lawful or Good and I Did What I Had to Do . In “The Omega Glory”, he says without a shred of irony that a captain would give his life rather than violating the thing.
Papa Wolf : Kirk is A Father to His Men who makes a habit of punching out any entity, super-powered or not, that messes with anyone in front of him. Hurting his people (or actual children) causes him much Angst and more anger. Do the math on whether messing with anyone under him is a good idea.
Please, I Will Do Anything! : Word of actor is that he would willingly (if angrily) let himself be a Sex Slave if it meant protecting Spock.
Guns of steel aside, Shatner at the time had a soft face with long lashes, a tendency to pout, and the camera objectified him as much as humanly possible. Lampshaded in “Wink Of An Eye”, when Deela wants to keep Kirk for a long time because he’s pretty.
“Spock’s Brain” has one of the males be confused by Kirk specifically, calling him “small, like the others”. “Others” being women, “who give pain and delight”.
Proud Beauty : Was a Clueless Chick-Magnet when he was younger, with Gary having to push girlfriends on him, but in series knows full well he’s hot, and uses his looks to get out of trouble (and in one officially published fic, free drinks). Lampshaded by Colbert in an interview with Shatner, asking him if he knew he was beautiful in the show, and of course he did.
Puppy-Dog Eyes : Moreso as he gets older, especially when Spock is Not Himself and Jim wants their old friendship back.
Rank Up : He gets promoted to rear admiral sometime prior to Star Trek: The Motion Picture . However, at the end of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home , Starfleet busts him back down to captain for stealing the Enterprise in defiance of orders in The Search for Spock .
Refusing Paradise : A recurring belief of his, in conjunction with Misery Builds Character , first shown in Who Mourns For Adonais? , turning his back on paradise under Apollo in favor of the real world, believing people must 'march to the sound of drums', as well as ending the 'paradise' in The Apple for the villagers so they could make their own way in reality and become something more. He does this again at the end of his life in Generations , recognizing the Nexus for what it was and finally refusing its eternal happiness and peace to go back to the real world and perform a Heroic Sacrifice , saving the Veridian System and crew of the Enterprise-D from an Omnicidal Maniac .
Rude Hero, Nice Sidekick : Inverted , Captain Kirk is a charming Officer and a Gentleman . By contrast, his first officer, Spock, is more tactless and ruthlessly pragmatic. The fact that he's also The Stoic when he does these things probably doesn't do his image any favors.
Samaritan Syndrome : “Let me help.” He takes every red shirt death as a personal failing, to the point that in Season 3 all he can do is tiredly and bitterly phase a grave for one of them.
Sanity Slippage : It’s there in the movie and onwards, but more pronounced in the books that Kirk is losing it after Spock dies, not wanting to be alone, losing track of reality, and almost certain his reputation in Starfleet will be remembered as a poor, sad nutcase. He’s still not completely all there after Spock comes back either, sleeping around to distract from grief, having breakdowns about Edith, Sam, Gary and his sister in law, and verging on Death Seeker .
Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right! : Kirk does this quite a bit. Spock reminds him of "our prime directive of non-interference" and he rationalizes a way around it. Hell, if he were anyone else other than James T. Kirk , he'd have been toast long ago, but he is supposed to have unusually broad powers to make decisions affecting his crew, alien societies, and new worlds. Many times he doesn't violate it and instead he or the bridge crew find a clever way to solve the problem without doing so. In fact more often than not, Kirk is in the position of having to undo damage caused by others. Bones : Jim, ethics are one thing, but you’re crucifying yourself on yours.
Sex for Solace : Attempted at least. The writer’s bible says that the stress from being Captain leads him to acting out compulsively off-duty, and getting himself into unhealthy romances that he can’t get out of. The novel for Star Trek V: The Final Frontier is more explicit about it, wanting to distract himself from grief over his son.
Sex Slave : Several Season 3 episodes have him trying to get out of becoming breeding stock for one reason or another, or at least trying to get out of being drugged.
Shirtless Scene : It's not quite to the level of Walking Shirtless Scene , but Kirk appears shirtless a lot in the original TV show. Most famously, it's caused by Clothing Damage during action sequences, but he also tends to just lounge around his quarters without a shirt and such.
Smart People Play Chess : He's Spock's opponent of choice in chess games and is quite cunning, as a lot of foes have found out, to their regret.
Sore Loser : Sympathetically, but in a Hard Truth Aesop kind of way. He doesn’t deal well with losing crewmembers, sinking into unhelpful levels of guilt each time, and he programmed the Kobayashi Maru test the third time because he can’t deal with failure. He goes right into self loathing when Spock dies, thinking he’s lost the better half of himself.
Sudden Name Change : In the second pilot episode, Gary Mitchell, possessed of near-omnipotent alien powers, fights Kirk and creates an open grave with a tombstone reading "James R. Kirk." This would normally be a minor matter, but given how many times Kirk later introduces himself as "James T. Kirk," it's actually quite jarring. Michael Jan Friedman's books turned into a inside joke between Kirk and Mitchell from their Academy days. note Lieutenant Kirk boasted that "Racquetball is my middle name" when challenegd to a game by Cadet Mitchell, then Gary would joke that the R stood for different things like "Rhinocerous" or "Resourceful" when Kirk got into a tight scrape.
Survivor Guilt : A deleted scene in "The Conscience of the King" would have revealed that Kirk one of the people whom Kodos deemed worthy of saving in his eugenics program, which would further explain Kirk's hatred of him. Really, though, it would probably apply either way, since no matter whether he was chosen to live or whether he escaped execution, he survived when thousands of others didn't.
Talking the Monster to Death : Far more often than he gets credit for these days. Kirk is good at talking monsters to death (AKA fast talking his way out of a jam). Since he routinely runs into Sufficiently Advanced Aliens who cannot be defeated with firepower, it's an important skill.
Teacher's Pet : Was a humorless walking stack of books on legs when he was younger, and actually programmed the unwinnable Kobayashi Maru test on his third go because he saw failing as something he couldn’t live with.
Thousand-Yard Stare : The worst ones come after Edith dies, after Spock dies and after admitting to Picard that being dutiful got him an empty house, but he’s prone to lesser ones generally.
To Be Lawful or Good : One of the most frequent moral dilemmas faced by Kirk in quite a few stories. To his credit, he usually manages to come up with a way to actually be both lawful and good, but when his back is truly against the metaphorical wall, he will slightly lean towards the good option and be willing to bend the rules, though he never takes such a decision lightly.
Took a Level in Cynic : There was always a bit of a stain on his shining armor in the series, but he’s much more weary by the time of the movies. The losses of Spock, his son, and the original Enterprise only make it worse, and he’s a hair’s close to just completely giving up in the Nexus.
Trademark Favorite Food : Has a definite fondness for Saurian Brandy, with his evil half chugging it straight from the bottle in “The Enemy Within”.
A Tragedy of Impulsiveness : Kirk isn’t reckless, but he is impulsive and can let his emotions and biases get the better of him (that’s why having Bones and Spock around helps him out). He admits this himself in the sixth movie, mourning that he was so clouded by the loss of his son (and never liking Klingons much anyway) that he was an easy scapegoat for the assassination plot.
Tragic Hero : Originally a Broken Hero , the movies (and even more so for the book version of the movies) have him make a lot of mistakes that cost dear collateral damage, and he dies not in a blaze of glory like he wants, but suffocating and bleeding under a fallen bridge, just happy that he’s made a difference.
Tragic Mistake : It’s a combination of being manipulated by a girlfriend in Starfleet, the trauma of season three making him think he needs another position, and Spock going back to Vulcan that makes Kirk accept being an Admiral. He makes even more mistakes trying to get his ship back, and even after he’s demoted like he wants it’s still a factor in his depression, telling Picard never to accept promotion.
He worries everyone with how much he wants vengeance in “Arena” (even if he realises by the end) for what he thinks is a massacre/invasion, and he’s particularly upset with massacres that claim to be “clean”. He spends the last quarter of “Miri” sounding on the verge of a breakdown.
The presence of Karidian / Kodos on the Enterprise brings up some bad memories of Tarsus IV, since he witnessed the massacre and watched a friend suffer permanent injuries.
At the end of “Elaan Of Troyius”, having sex with her under the influence of being drugged, he tells Elaan that he has no choice remembering her. In the novel version of the sixth movie, it’s explicit that he doesn’t resist Martia kissing and spooning him due to wanting to get out of there, but still feels sick and guilty.
Trauma Conga Line : A lot of it is self-imposed angst, but the movies do a number on him until he's broken down enough to want to stay in the Nexus. It's only the fact that there's no risk that gets him out of the funk, and he goes out Married to the Job as ever. Kirk : It was fun ...
True Companions : with Spock and McCoy .
Ultimate Job Security : Later crews even lampshade that Kirk shouldn't have been able to get away with so much. However, the times when he's reckless or rebellious have been exaggerated in popular culture's perception of the character; ordinarily, he's a pretty law-abiding guy. Furthermore, Starfleet looking the other way regarding his more wild exploits makes sense insofar as the Enterprise is continually getting mixed up in situations where one wrong decision could result in the destruction of humanity at the hands of alien forces, and Kirk is the only captain proven to have a talent for continually making the right call in those circumstances. Organizational discipline is one thing, but species survival trumps it.
Urban Legend Love Life : Both in-universe and out. While quite charming and capable with women, Kirk was rather restrained and mature about it despite his reputation. Even Shatner and Nimoy around the time of Star Trek: The Motion Picture were getting annoyed with Kirk’s “love them and leave them” pop culture rep, and reminded people that sometimes Kirk went “ no no ” (though as the series bible and Shatner also points out, still a lot of Sex for Solace on shore leave because of the loneliness of the Enterprise ). In-universe he gets fucked over frequently, the assumption being the seduction tactics are just him wanting to sleep with everyone, and many years after his day even his biggest fans assume and believe this about him. Captain Sisko : "Kirk had quite the reputation as a ladies man."
It should be noted that despite this being such an infamous trait of Kirk's, it's only Shatner 's Kirk who talks like this. Both Pine and Wesley consciously chose not to imitate it. Like the mysteriously disappearing and reappearing Klingon forehead ridges, this simply creates questions which are probably impossible to answer. Pine, for his part, proved he could do the "Kirk voice" when he appeared in one of the many Saturday Night Live parodies of Star Trek , in which he played the Kirk from TOS.
In "Get a Life!" Shatner claims that it's a holdover from his D-list theatre days, when it was the only thing that kept the audience awake. Since his daughter thinks Kevin Pollack does a better Kirk than him, he also asks Pollack to help him punch up his Kirk.
Wacky Parent, Serious Child : Deconstructed in the bio, as Kirk is more like his mother than he wants to be, but she regresses after the trauma of Tarsus and uses him as a therapist, while he suffers Innocence Lost . He also has to comfort his parents after the death of Sam, when he would like nothing more than to go home and be looked after.
War Hero : Captain Kirk is openly stated to have been decorated many times for valor. Kirk doesn't talk about his awards or display them, preferring to keep them locked away in his quarters.
What Beautiful Eyes! : The main reason for all the close ups of them with everything else in a darker light seems to be just for pointing out his big and luxuriously lashed bambi eyes.
What the Hell, Hero? : Kirk gets his fair share, whether it’s from women upset that he’s pretended to love them as a means to whatever end, from Bones or Spock for being an impulsive martyr, or literally anyone for getting too much into a soldier mindset and acting like a dick as a captain.
Worth It : Despite some not entirely undeserved grumbling about what a lifetime of service has gotten him, Kirk still helps Picard fight Soren in Generations . His last words? "It was fun."
Worthy Opponent : Klingons, in particular, recognized Kirk as this. The legendary Kor, frustrated by Organian interference that made battle against Kirk impossible, wistfully surmised, "it would have been glorious" in 2267. Captain Klaa believed defeating Kirk would make him the greatest warrior in the galaxy in 2287. General Chang reveled in his attack on Kirk at the Battle of Khitomer, until he lost his advantage. Jadzia Dax would later relate Koloth telling Kurzon Dax about verbally sparring with Kirk on a space station, and lament he never had the opportunity to face Kirk in actual battle. The Romulan Commander of "Balance of Terror" also regards Kirk as a formidable opponent, acting as the Commander himself would in Kirk's place, calling him a sorcerer who "reads the thoughts in my head," and goes to his death telling Kirk "You and I are of a kind. In a different reality, I could have called you friend."
Wounded Gazelle Gambit : The only time his evil half shows any intelligence, is when he’s playing charming and weak, lulling his good half into a false sense of security before slamming him against the wall and knocking him out. Kirk as a whole person will use nicer variations of the tactic with so many women, and a few men too.
Wrestler in All of Us : You may have noticed Kirk isn’t actually good at fighting (the throwing himself at the three guys in “Tomorrow Is Yesterday” and the butt move in “Journey To Babel” are two good examples). This is because Shatner took it from wrestling he saw growing up, because he wanted to make it look like Kirk was always improvising.
Wrong Genre Savvy : He really wants to believe he’s the shining knight when in reality, Lenore was right saying there was a stain on his armor, and he’s had to admit more than once that he wants blood. Wrath Of Khan finally dissuades him of the notion, telling his son morosely that he knows nothing, and part of his arc is having to deal with losses instead of trying to ignore them.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kirk_8.jpg

Portrayed By: Paul Wesley

Appearances: star trek: strange new worlds.

In the setting of Strange New Worlds , Kirk is presently a lieutenant serving on the Farragut before being promoted to First Officer. In the Prime timeline, after two alterate variants of the character appeared before him, Lieutenant Kirk finally appears as the recently promoted first officer of the USS Farragut , which was collaborating with the USS Enterprise on a mission.

The Ace : Top of his class at Starfleet Academy, and (will be) the youngest captain in the fleet. He's already become the fastest promoted First Officer in Starfleet, breaking the record previously held by his father.
Jim's struggle with his father's legacy in the Prime Reality stems from the fact that the elder George Kirk was always away helping others, and famed for being the youngest officer in the fleet to be promoted to first officer. In the Kelvin Timeline, Jim struggled with the fact that George was revered for having sacrificed his life on the Kelvin to save its crew, including Jim and his mother.
The circumstances behind Kirk meeting Pike and Uhura are also much different. In the Kelvin Timeline, he met both in a bar brawl trying to flirt with Uhura and getting into a fight with Starfleet cadets, with Pike daring him to do better than the late George Kirk did instead of wasting his life. He meets Uhura while nursing a drink after an argument with his brother, and has to make it clear he's not flirting with her (even when she decks him during a hallucination), with his first meeting with Pike being a result of his efforts to help Uhura.
While later works in the franchise establish that Kirk has a reputation as a ladies man, it is established here that when in a relationship he will remain committed to his partner and his natural charm and outgoing personality are easily mistaken as him being a flirt.
Annoying Younger Sibling : As far as Sam Kirk's concerned, Jim is this on account of the way he's advancing through the Starfleet ranks; Sam thinks he's just trying to one up him to please their father.
Big Good : He's a bit of a maverick, but he's one of Starfleet's best officers and a paragon of their ideals.
Call-Forward : He immediately takes notice of Spock's skill and insight, hinting at their eventual friendship.
Chronic Hero Syndrome : La'an quickly calls him out for "helping every stranger in need". He gets it from his father.
Commonality Connection : In his first meeting with Spock, both men feel that Sam is a huge pain in the ass.
Doomed by Canon : He turns down a relationship with La'an because he's in an off-again/on-again relationship with a woman named Carol, and she's pregnant. She doesn't even give him a chance to be a father. His son fares no better.
Exact Words : He mentioned that he first met Pike when he became Fleet Captain. Turns out that it wasn't the exact time he was promoted; Pike had been given a temporary promotion to Fleet Captain, and Kirk happened to be on that same assignment.
Following in Relative's Footsteps : It's already established that in the prime universe, George Kirk Sr. was the inspiration for his sons to join Starfleet, and Jim directly states that he wanted to understand his father's passion for helping others.
Guile Hero : His defining trait. If there's even a slight chance to Take a Third Option , he'll do it. His brother Sam mentions that he doesn't like to lose, and will do whatever it takes to avoid that.
Rank Up : He's given a promotion to First Officer of the Farragut in his first "Prime" appearance, albeit that it's going to take a few weeks until they can train his replacement.
Reasonable Authority Figure : As Uhura begins to suffer from mysterious complications related to the mining facility the ship is stationed at, and seems to be the only one experiencing them, Kirk is the one officer that takes the extra step to help her out, as the rest of the Enterprise crew think she's just suffering from over-exhaustion and a form of radiation poisoning, which he suspects is something more.
Smart People Play Chess : Prime Kirk points out a mistake that Spock makes in a game against Christine Chapel and how it costs him an easy win.
Vitriolic Best Buds : He loves his brother Sam and would go to any lengths to keep him safe, but Sam's jealous attitude about his brother's fast-advancing career makes things an annoyance for the younger Kirk.
"Well Done, Son" Guy : Sam accuses Jim of this by trying to outdo their father's already impressive Starfleet career.
When You Coming Home, Dad? : George Kirk, in contrast to being dead in the Kelvin Timeline, was rarely home to spend time with his sons, having vested himself to his Starfleet career. This left Jim wondering why his father was choosing to help total strangers instead of making an effort to be there with his family.

A Quality of Mercy Kirk (spoilers)

Always Someone Better : To Pike, at least in the scenario of "Balance of Terror". The viewer gets the benefit of seeing that Kirk's handling of the Romulans would have indeed proven itself correct, as Kirk's more aggressive response discouraged the Romulans' belligerence, while Pike's attempt at diplomacy and negotiation in an alternate timeline was seen as weakness.
Batman Gambit : He does these so frequently that he's able to identify one on sight. When the Romulans let their appearance leak, showing that they're similar to Vulcans, Kirk suspects they did it to sow discord amongst Federation officers.
Birds of a Feather : We first meet this version of Kirk in an alternate timeline where he never captained the Enterprise , and thus he meets Spock much later than he did before. That aside, they both get on immediately due to their shared ability to think outside the box and to also be pragmatic when the occasion calls for it.
No Hero to His Valet : His older brother Sam makes it clear that he's one of the best captains in Starfleet. He also freely acknowledges that his little brother is a massive pain in the ass. Later, it turns out his brother is The Resenter of Kirk's rapid success in Starfleet, making Sam feel inadequate compared to his equally-famous father. Sam Kirk: Look, I'm not gonna say that Jim isn't a pain in the ass . He is. He's a huge pain in the ass. But the truth is, he's as fine a Captain as Starfleet has.
Strange Minds Think Alike : Both he and Spock agree that showing weakness in front of the Romulans is bad, but for different reasons. Kirk doesn't want the Romulans to think the Federation won't defend themselves. Spock knows how vicious Vulcans were before they embraced logic, and if Romulans are an off-shoot of that martial philosophy, then he knows they should not be under-estimated.
What the Hell, Hero? : Pike hesitating against the Romulans costs Kirk the Farragut , and he's not happy about that. Kirk doesn't want war, but he also isn't willing to hesitate against a violent enemy. "You flinched! You deliberated! And you lost! "

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow Kirk (spoilers)

Big Brother Instinct : Or rather, little brother instinct. He has no pretense of altering the timeline until La'an reveals Sam is still alive in her time, at which point he changes his tune.
Dies Differently in Adaptation : Instead of having a bridge dropped on him after traveling into the future, he dies in the past with a point-blank disruptor shot to the chest.
For Want Of A Nail : In this timeline, the Romulans assassinated a child named Khan Noonien Singh before he could become the infamous dictator of the Eugenics Wars. Without him, they never occurred, but it didn't give humanity the kick in the teeth it needed for losing billions of lives to it, and they became an isolationist government with a bleak, barely habitable Earth, and are stuck in a war with the Romulans that they're implied to be losing. For Kirk, he was born on the Iowa instead of Riverside, Iowa, his brother is dead (well, dead before he should be ), and his only contact with Spock is a message to tell him they can't help.
In Spite of a Nail : He still becomes Captain of the Enterprise , albeit much earlier than he did in the Prime Reality.
The Lost Lenore : For La'an, compounded by the presence of Prime Kirk as an eternal reminder. As of " Subspace Rhapsody ", she is still holding onto the watch he gave her .
Smart People Play Chess : Not only does the alternate version of Kirk in season 2 defeat multiple 21st-century opponents at traditional chess, but he also dismisses it as "idiot's chess".

Tropes applying to the novelverse Kirk

Novelverse Kirk

Antiquated Linguistics : How Bones got his nickname, according to "The Captain's Oath". Kirk called McCoy a 'sawbones' in one of their early meetings, and Bones was amused by the fact the younger man was using more outdated language than the self-professed country doctor.
Break the Badass : He's initially talked into experimenting with time travel by Admiral Delgado on the grounds of "think of the potential". After what happens with Edith, Kirk's attitude is locked into " screw the potential". The events of "Yesteryear" do not help. At all.
But for Me, It Was Tuesday : The events of The Motion Picture , specifically V'Ger's ascension. A mass freak out occurs across Federation space, with people debating what it means, some people seeing Kirk as a religious icon and some as a monster who kills AI. Kirk doesn't get what the big deal is.
Cassandra Truth : Some of Jim's more... unusual exploits tend to get dismissed by 24th century characters as being implausible, or stuff he made up (such as that incident where someone supposedly stole Spock's brain). The Enterprise -E crew, on hearing the things about "Requiem for Methuselah", however, are more open-minded (run-ins with Q will do that).
"The Captain's Oath" shows Kirk's transformation from the humorless terror of the Academy to the rules-lawyering man of the show proper, along with the start of his friendships with Bones and Spock.
A flashback in "Forgotten History" shows the transitory Kirk at the end of the five year mission - he's gotten fed up of The Chains of Commanding , the lost red shirts, the various failed romances and chasing around the galaxy, and is looking to pack it all in and take a desk job, maybe just settle down with someone.
"Ex Machina" has Kirk beginning to go from getting his fire back at the end of The Motion Picture to the man we see in Wrath of Khan , feeling his age and use diminishing in equal measure.
Designated Villain : In-universe, even. The Department of Temporal Investigations calls Kirk one of the biggest menaces of time travel on record; a boogeyman held up as a cautionary example of exactly what not to do. Most of Kirk's seventeen violations were accidents, or things Starfleet got him into. Agent Lucsly even comes to realize this when an eighteenth violation brings him into contact with the man, and he sees the dreaded "Time Pirate" isn't so bad as all that. But for the sake of the Department, he still has to lie and maintain Kirk's image.
Famous for Being First : Among other unsavory bits of his reputation, he's the first captain to be court-martialed thanks to that mess with Ben Finney.
A Father to His Men : Used to justify why he keeps leading shore parties - he doesn't want to expose anyone to danger he wouldn't face himself.
Improbable Age : As mentioned up above, he made Captain by his thirties, which gets mentioned in "The Captain's Oath", with one or two characters thinking poorly of him for it, figuring he didn't earn it on legitimate merit.
Kicked Upstairs : Sort of... his being made admiral is a little more complicated. There was a court martial after Kirk decided to screw the Prime Directive again, this time when an Obstructive Bureaucrat was on-board (of the TNG-era style mindset of "the Prime Directive says they must die"). The bureaucrat had been put there by Admiral Delgado, who wanted Kirk out of the way so he could get his hands on the Enterprise engines, but Admiral Nogura actually did want Kirk as a Fleet Admiral because he thought he'd be good at it.
Love at First Sight : No, not Spock. The Enterprise . Kirk fell in love with the old girl the first moment he saw the bridge. (Spock played Moment Killer .)
His various meddlings with alien cultures. Related, his habit of destroying AIs , which even has pro-AI groups seeing him as some sort of demon.
Apparently Spock taunted him about not recognising who Surak was that one time. Afterward, Kirk made time to study up on Vulcan history.
His reputation as a seducer. One book in New Frontier has a member of the Excalibur crew decry this reputation Kirk has... only to seconds later state he did seduce her grandmother .
A century onward, and Flint is still ticked off with him, and Starfleet types in general.
Red Baron : The Department of Temporal Investigations brand Kirk "The Time Pirate".

Captain James T. Kirk (Kelvin Timeline)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Kirk_James_T_6686.jpg

Played by: Chris Pine

Dubbed in french by: emmanuel garijo, dubbed in brazilian portuguese by: marcelo garcia, appearances: star trek | star trek into darkness | star trek beyond.

Abusive Parents : His unseen stepfather is heavily implied to have been abusive towards him and his brother. In the original script, his friend "Johnny" that young Kirk speaks to is his brother George Jr., who was running away from home due to this and learning their stepfather intended to sell their biological father's prized car. Kirk, meanwhile, decided to total it to spite him .
Adaptational Angst Upgrade : Due to his father's death, this Kirk had a significantly rougher upbringing. He was essentially an aimless drifter before Pike encouraged him to step up while the original Kirk had wanted to join from a young age. Even by Beyond where he's mostly grown back into his original characterization, the loss of his father still weighs on him.
Adaptational Dumbass : While far from stupid (Pike describes him as "the only genius-level repeat offender in the Midwest"), this version of Kirk is more prone to reckless overconfidence and impulsive action than the Prime universe version, though this can mostly be put down to inexperience ; the Prime Kirk was an experienced, seasoned officer when he became Captain of the Enterprise , whereas this one got the job while he was still a cadet. By Star Trek Beyond , he's closer to his original portrayal.
Adaptational Dye-Job : A minor example; the original Kirk had hazel eyes, while this one's eyes are blue.
Adaptational Personality Change : This Kirk is more laid back than the original .
AM/FM Characterization : In his first scene, he's hanging up on his step-father in favor of blasting Beastie Boys ' "Sabotage" (a song that In-Universe is a 100-plus-years-old) over the radio, establishing his disregard for authority (and a certain degree of love for Good Old Ways , even if they clash with Federation standards) even before the character says a single word. The detail about "Sabotage" being so old it's considered "classic" (and Kirk loving it) gets a Call-Back gag on Star Trek Beyond .
Amusing Injuries : A lot of them in the first movie. Gets shades of it in the first half-hour of the second, but after Admiral Pike dies, the joke stops being funny in a real hurry.
Anti-Hero : He's a Chivalrous Pervert and Jerk with a Heart of Gold with some serious issues when it comes to authority. But at the end of the day, you can count on him to do what's right, even if it conflicts with protocol. By the end of Star Trek Into Darkness , he's becoming more of a Hero Classic.
Arch-Enemy : No matter the universe or timeline, Kirk and Khan will always be bitter enemies.
Badass Biker : Star Trek Beyond has Kirk show his amazing biker skills when he averts the attention of Krall's men.
Badass Normal : No superpowers, but he'll go charging in anyway.
Big Brother Mentor : To Chekov in Into Darkness and Beyond .
Big Ol' Eyebrows : The character retains Chris Pine 's bushy eyebrows.
Birthday Hater : He hates celebrating his birthday because it reminds him of his father's death. In Beyond , he hates it even more because he's now one year older than his father ever got to be.
Boldly Coming : Zigzagged . So far, he's bedded an Orion woman and Caitian twins, but both those incidents took place on Earth. When he's on the Enterprise or otherwise away from his home planet, he avoids actually romancing anyone.
Kirk is confident about himself, fearless, and absolutely believes there's no such thing as a no-win scenario, prompting him to cheat at the Kobayashi Maru test to prove his point. But then comes Star Trek Into Darkness where he gets demoted and lost the command of the Enterprise , lost his father-figure Pike, and almost led his entire ship to its demise because of his impulsiveness (good thing Scotty saved them) . Kirk: I'm sorry...
At the beginning of Into Darkness , he bragged how no one in his crew was killed in the past six months of his command, then his mission to Kronos cost the lives of his escorts, many of the crewmen sucked into space at warp speed and fell into their deaths when the ship was crashing. Kirk was unable to do anything but watch. He tried to save one woman, but she slipped from his fingers.
On the mission to infiltrate the Vengeance , he ordered Spock to stay and take command of the ship, admitting that he didn't know what to do. He realized Spock was the one needed while he's expendable.
By the time he's dying, he's definitely broken . Kirk: I'm scared, Spock. Help me not be...
Brilliant, but Lazy : Kirk has a brilliant tactical mind and is an outstanding leader, but only if you can pry him away from women and alcohol long enough. Pike even refers to him as the "only genius-level repeat-offender in the Midwest."
Broken Ace : While Kirk Prime had shades of this, the premature loss of his father in this reality definitely has caused this Kirk to grow up a lot more rough around the edges. Many of his behaviors, such as excessive flirting and posturing, could be construed as coping mechanisms for his Dark and Troubled Past .
He gets choked by Spock at one point and by a Romulan at another . Both times with some pretty good acting by Pine. It hurts as you try to catch your breath afterwards. Pine actually mentioned in an interview that he admires Harrison Ford for his ability to take a beating like it really hurts , and that he considered that an underrated skill.
Kirk getting repeatedly owned in hand-to-hand combat with Spock and the Romulans is somewhat justifiable, considering they're meant to be three times stronger than humans.
The second film is no different, although it's less humorous this time around: He accidentally shoots the ride that he and Bones were going to use to get back to the Enterprise , loses his ship (temporarily), watches his father figure Pike die , gets the snot beaten out of him by Harrison, and he even dies (albeit temporarily) a very painful death of radiation poisoning .
By the third movie, his injuries aren't so amusing anymore.
The Captain : Captain of the Enterprise , leading his Ragtag Bunch of Misfits across the stars.
Cerebus Callback : Kirk's Heroic Sacrifice in into Darkness is a direct reference to Kirk and Spock's debate in the first film after Kirk cheated on the simulation.
Character Development : Grows from a smart-ass drifter to a capable leader throughout the first film, and learns to abandon some of his Military Maverick and Leeroy Jenkins tendencies in the second. By the third, he is becoming jaded with never-ending exploration and considers taking a promotion to a desk job, though he later turns it down and loses his jadedness.
The Charmer : Flaws aside, he's likable, friendly, and charming.
Chick Magnet : Gaila was into him in the first movie and the sequel has him in bed with two Caitians.
Chivalrous Pervert : Despite how much he flirts with women, we never see Kirk get pushy, and the only woman he ever (visibly) scores with is Uhura's roommate. Though in Into Darkness , he's in bed with two Caitians. As for the "chivalrous" part, it's worth noting that, despite chasing Uhura the entire first movie, he treats her as a professional and an officer worthy of respect and never makes a pass at her in the second movie. They even have a Friendship Moment bonding over their frustration with Spock.
Dark and Troubled Past : Heavily alluded to. Kirk lost his father just minutes after his birth, was frequently abused by his stepfather while his mother was off-planet, his brother ran away when Jim was still young because he hated their stepfather so much, nearly killed himself by driving a car off a cliff when he was 12, and was already a repeat offender long before enlisting in Starfleet. It certainly explains a lot of the behavioral differences between him and Kirk Prime.
Deadpan Snarker : Kirk often exhibits a dry wit. Kirk : The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Spock : An Arabic proverb attributed to a prince who was betrayed and decapitated by his own subjects.. Kirk : Well, still, it's a hell of a quote.
Determinator : He doesn't believe in no-win scenarios and is certainly one stubborn fellow once he sets his mind to accomplishing something. He keeps fighting physically superior beings (Vulcans, Romulans, Klingons, Harrison), and either holds his own or keeps going despite taking beatings that others would collapse from.
Did Not Get the Girl : Kirk hits on Uhura at the beginning of the first movie, but she turns him down. It is later revealed that she and Spock have an established relationship. In the Star Trek (IDW) comics and subsequent films, he's actually quite supportive of the relationship and gets worried about them when problems arise.
Embarrassing Middle Name : To the point his father refused to let it be Kirk's first name. George Kirk: What, "Tiberius?" [chuckling] No, are you kidding me? That's the worst.
Of Pete "Maverick" Mitchell . Both are Military Mavericks who are also Handsome Leches and eventually prove their mettle when faced with danger in an emergency situation. Both also served on the USS Enterprise and have fathers who were killed in action.
To make things more interesting, he also has traits of Jason Nesmith from Galaxy Quest — who was himself an expy of Shatner's Kirk (bringing things full-circle). Both start out as arrogant jerks who go through major Break the Haughty plots and emerge humbler and more serious about leadership.
Farm Boy : Kirk was raised on a farm in Iowa.
A Father to His Men : Kirk loves his crew as if they were his family. Harrison notices this and presents his own love for his crew as a point of similarity between them. Towards the end of Into Darkness , Kirk provides an answer to the question posed by Harrison when he gives his life (temporarily) to save the Enterprise and her crew . Harrison : My crew is my family, Kirk. Is there anything you would not do for your family?
Fight Magnet : He gets into no fewer than four fistfights during the first film and loses pretty much all of them.
First-Name Basis : McCoy mostly is on this with Kirk, Spock, and Scotty as well, but not so much.
Fire-Forged Friends : He and Spock had to be this first, though.
Former Teen Rebel : In Pike's words, "The only genius-level repeat offender in the Midwest."
Freudian Trio : The Military Maverick and Handsome Lech id to Spock's superego and McCoy 's ego .
Genius Bruiser : According to Pike, "[his] aptitude tests are off the chart." And he's good in a scrap.
Guile Hero : He loses most of the physical fights he gets involved in and has limited scientific expertise. Instead, Kirk relies on his wits to win.
Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold : A bit jerkish , maybe, but Kirk still fits the archetype of a heroic blond protagonist. This trait also contrasts against Harrison and Admiral Marcus .
Handsome Lech : Played by the attractive Chris Pine , but also eyeballs every woman in the vicinity (even while delirious from the vaccine McCoy gave him).
The Hero : He is the lead protagonist of all three films.
The Hero Dies : In Into Darkness . But only briefly . It helps that McCoy put him into cryostasis to preserve Kirk's body as soon as possible .
Heroic Sacrifice : Goes into the radiation-filled warp reactor of the Enterprise during Star Trek Into Darkness to save his crew .
He also has elements of this with McCoy , which is especially apparent in the first film. In this universe, if there's anyone who's going to stick by Kirk's side through thick and thin, it's the good doctor. And he's proven it plenty so far.
I Am Not My Father : He does not enjoy constantly being compared to his deceased father.
Iron Butt Monkey : Frequently gets his ass handed to him in fights, but makes up for it with guile and simply refusing to give up.
It's Personal : In the sequel after Harrison murders Pike .
Jerk with a Heart of Gold : Kirk can be a rather manipulative Guile Hero . However, Kirk is never out to hurt anyone just for his own ends and it's made clear he's only acting up because he lacks a challenge worthy of his smarts. Most importantly, he uses his cunning to save the universe.
The Leader : Starts out as The Headstrong type, which gets brutally deconstructed as he leads the Enterprise into near-destruction. After coming back from being mostly dead , he grows into The Levelheaded type.
Living Emotional Crutch : He and Uhura are this to Spock . He is Spock's closest friend (besides Uhura) and their bond is a crucial one in the franchise. Zoe Saldaña even describes how he and Uhura are emotional crutches to Spock in the documentary For the Love of Spock : Zoe: Every time he [Spock] goes into a negative place, or he starts being a little bit of a pessimist, he allows Uhura and Kirk to snap him out of it. And I really like that.
Manly Tears : When he sees that Pike has died during Harrison's assault .
Military Maverick : Regularly says Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right! or straight-out leaps before he looks.
Mr. Fanservice : Played by the attractive Chris Pine , and has a number of shirtless scenes .
Not Quite Dead : McCoy revives him with Khan's enhanced blood, even lampshades it by saying "Oh, don't be so melodramatic. You were barely dead."
Over Ranked Soldier : Gets an official promotion to Captain at the end of the first film. Note that he wasn't even technically a Cadet at the time. The expectable happens in the sequel when it shows he's as hot-headed as ever.
Papa Wolf : Kirk will do anything to ensure the safety of his crew.
Red Oni, Blue Oni : The brash, rule-breaking Red Oni to Spock's logical, task-orientated Blue Oni.
Revenge Before Reason : He's dead-set on killing Harrison after Pike's death , to the point that he's nearly manipulated into provoking a war with the Klingons . His crew talks him out of it before it's too late .
This actually gets him in trouble in the sequel, as Starfleet, for some reason , does not like him violating the Prime Directive. He's actually stripped of his command and Pike has to struggle to keep him as Commander .
Seen It All : He has a different flavour of angst in Beyond than his original, Prime Kirk feeling like he's nothing without the Enterprise , Reboot Kirk tired of how "episodic" it all feels.
During Spock and Uhura's conversation on Qo'noS, he was clearly on her side, commenting that she's right and Spock's response to Uhura's accusation is "not exactly a love song."
Despite Spock's injuries, Kirk still allows him to join the mission into Krall's camp after Spock says it's for Uhura.
Took a Level in Badass : Goes from a delinquent in Iowa to being a legendary captain who saved the Federation from total annihilation twice .
Took a Level in Kindness : He starts out a Jerk with a Heart of Gold , but loses the jerk part by the third movie.
Used to Be a Sweet Kid : A Deleted Scene reveals that Kirk, as a child, would get good grades and stay out of trouble. Things didn't stay that way. invoked
Vitriolic Best Buds : With McCoy . And Spock, far more in the Abramsverse than the original series.
Wrong Genre Savvy : While he's fully in the right not to trust Khan during their Enemy Mine , he might have ordered Scotty to knock him out a little too early, though admittedly they'd probably not have fared well owing to Khan's Chronic Back Stabbing Disorder .
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Paul Wesley's Captain Kirk on Star Trek is not like William Shatner: 'This is a whole new look'

The Vampire Diaries alum opens up for the first time about playing a younger Kirk on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and what's in store for season 2.

Warning: This article contains spoilers from the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 1 finale.

A new captain has beamed up to the command deck.

Vampire Diaries alum Paul Wesley was announced in March as a young Captain James Tiberius Kirk on the upcoming second season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds . But — SPOILER ALERT — Wesley's Kirk ended up making his debut in the season 1 finale, which dropped on Paramount+ Thursday.

According to Wesley, who opens up about the role for the first time with press, the original plan was to never formally announce his casting. The network and producers hoped it would be a surprise for Star Trek fans when he popped up on screen at the end of SNW . But meddling paparazzi threatened to leak images of him from the set, so the powers that be decided to announce his season 2 role, while holding onto the season 1 surprise.

"I'm glad they did [announce it] because it allows people to digest it in a way," the actor tells EW.

Trek fans know Kirk by way of William Shatner on the original Star Trek series of the 1960s, while a newer generation got their introduction to the character from Chris Pine in the J.J. Abrams Trek films. This Kirk, Wesley says, is somewhere in between. "This is a whole new look," he notes.

The SNW finale sees Captain Pike ( Anson Mount ) getting a visit from his future self. He's not just shown, but lives out a potential tragic future that could happen if Pike's prophesied death doesn't play out as its meant to. This future takes place several years down the line when Pike meets Kirk, who's captain of the U.S.S. Farragut and arrives on the scene amid a conflict with the Romulans.

Wesley discusses taking on the role, what people can expect from his performance, and what's coming in season 2.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: I feel like you're probably getting this a lot these days, but how does it feel to be Captain Kirk?

PAUL WESLEY : Gosh, how many adjectives? I could give you about a hundred and it would still not really describe it. Obviously, it is incredibly daunting. Ever since I got the role of Kirk, I'll literally be speaking to someone and there's a massive language barrier and I can't quite communicate certain words. Then I'll say "Captain Kirk." There's nobody on the face of planet earth... or I should say, most 99 percent of people know who Captain Kirk is. That is crazy. It's arguably the most iconic fictional character. There's Hans Solo and there's Captain Kirk.

There's the generation of Trek fans who know Kirk through Chris Pine and there's the other generation who know Kirk through William Shatner. What is your personal Captain Kirk?

He's somewhere in between. At the end of the day, the most important thing for me and the most important thing for the showrunners was to not insult the original series' Kirk by doing an imitation of [Shatner]. It's an interpretation that is different. I think doing an imitation of either [Kirks] would be an insult. We just remind people that it's not William Shatner. This is a whole new look. It's a whole new Spock. It's a whole new Uhura. It's a whole new Kirk. It's a new Pike. They're old characters interpreted in a new way. What is most important is to pay respect to the integrity of who Kirk is — his wants, his needs, his deep desires, his morality, his spontaneity, his instinct.

What was really important for you to bring out in him with your debut in the season 1 finale?

In the season 1 finale, it's actually a Kirk that we've never seen because he doesn't really exist. It's an alternate projected timeline of something. If Pike hadn't died and he was still commanding the Enterprise, what would this world look like? Of course, it doesn't exist. It's just in his mind. So he meets Kirk, and Kirk is not captain of the Enterprise. Kirk is captain of the Farragut. Kirk has never met Spock, he's never met Uhura, he hasn't gone through all the things that the original Kirk had gone through. So, in a way, it allowed me to... I'm not gonna say whatever I wanted, but it's a looser interpretation, right? We're not sticking to a regiment. So it was a little liberating because I didn't have as much pressure. I can't talk about season 2 too much, but it's a little bit more in line with a Kirk that we know, but it's pre-Enterprise. The most important thing is, to answer your question, is to maintain that sense of Kirk having this incredible gut instinct that he relies on, that is preternaturally accurate in a way, a morality, courage, charm, humor. We don't get to see as much of that humor in the season 1 finale because there's something very intense happening. Season 2, we get to explore a little bit more of Kirk.

In the finale, we see Kirk and Pike hitting up against each other. Do you see this episode as setting up that particular character dynamic in season 2?

Yeah, I do. The two men have a great deal of respect for one another. Pike sees this future, so he kind of knows Kirk in a way, but Kirk doesn't know him. So it's fascinating to see this. It's like, I've met you before, but I can't tell you that I've met you before and I can't explain to you how I've met you before. I do think that the two have different command styles and different approaches, but I think there's a lot of respect between the two men. There's never really a sense of animosity or real competitiveness. There's a deep sense of respect, 'cause ultimately they want the same thing. Kirk just knows that he'll figure it out quickly and he's relied on that his entire life.

We found out about you playing Kirk with the anticipation you would come in season 2. Obviously, you have this surprise appearance in season 1. It sounds like you've been hanging onto this secret for longer than I think a lot of us realized. Did you have to shoot this appearance under the cover of darkness, as it were?

Yeah, totally. I didn't tell anyone other than very, very close family and friends. And it was like an "if you say anything, I'm never talking to you again" kind of thing. Ultimately, we weren't even really gonna announce that I was playing Kirk at all until suddenly I just appeared on screen in the finale. But then we were shooting season 2 and a couple of photos came out because we did an episode where they go to earth. That's when they said, "Okay, let's just announce it because there's a lot of speculation," etc. I'm glad they did because it allows people to digest it in a way, you know? It was really hard to not tell. I ran into some people who are diehard Star Trek fans. This was before the announcement. Friends of mine that I hadn't seen in ages, and I'm like, "Well, I'm doing this show called Star Trek ." They're like, "Oh! What character?" I'm like, "Maybe you've heard of him. Captain Kirk." They're like, "Shut up! No, you're not." Nobody believed me. They literally thought I was a crazy person. Then the announcement came out and they were like, "You weren't kidding!" It's such an iconic role that everyone thinks you're pulling their leg. So I was glad that the announcement came out.

This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 1 is currently streaming on Paramount+.

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In Defense of Captain James T. Kirk

We're going back to the beginning to take a second look at Star Trek's classic captain.

Two photos of Captain Kirk (The Original Series). One is of him on the bridge in his gold captain's uniform; the other is a cut out of him repeated three times. The images are purple and yellow.

StarTrek.com

While the new Star Trek series are being celebrated (and rightly so) for their inclusion and progressive ideas, this is, as many old-school fans are happy to point out, nothing new. But often the praise for the new shows has come with a side order of derision towards The Original Series and, in particular, its lead character, Captain James T. Kirk . I’m here to tell you that Star Trek ’s first captain was a lot more progressive than he gets credit for.

Captain Kirk sits on the bridge in the captain's chair. He is surrounded by his crew and is laughing.

Let’s start with some of James T. Kirk’s origin story, for those who only see him as the king of swagger:

He grew up with horrific tragedy; he lived through a food crisis on Tarsus IV, where Governor Kodos executed 4000 colonists to “save” the rest. Kirk, 13 at the time, was an eyewitness to the massacre.
He was described by close pal Gary Mitchell as a “stack of books with legs.” Mitchell added that, at Starfleet Academy , “The first thing I ever heard from an upperclassman was, ‘Watch out for Lieutenant Kirk. In his class, you either think or sink.’”
Also at the Academy, Kirk was relentlessly hazed by a bully named Finnegan.

Is that the guy you think of when you hear “James T. Kirk”?

While Kirk definitely had his fair share of backwards moments — as an adolescent girl, I cringed every time he addressed his entire crew as “gentlemen” — he also proved, over and over again, that he was able to transcend them.

He Didn’t Stand for Bigotry

A close up of Captain Kirk (The Original Series) on the bridge of the Enterprise.

A famous line still quoted all over social media happened right in Star Trek ’s first season, when the crew saw what Romulans looked like for the very first time. Startled by their striking similarity to Vulcans, navigator Lt. Stiles immediately became suspicious of Mr. Spock . When he suggested they ask Spock to decode Romulan messages, instead of the cryptography team that was already on the case, Kirk put his foot down.

KIRK: I assume you're complimenting Mister Spock on his ability to decode. STILES: I'm not sure, sir. KIRK: Well, here's one thing you can be sure of, Mister. Leave any bigotry in your quarters. There's no room for it on the Bridge. Do I make myself clear? STILES: You do, sir.

He Knew That 'No' Meant 'No'

Captain Kirk (The Original Series) leans forward with his hands resting on a table as he addresses Charlie from the episode

One of Star Trek ’s earliest episodes, “ Charlie X ,” was about the discovery of an orphan who’d been given extraordinary powers and was struggling to handle them as he went through a turbulent adolescence and exposure to other humans for the first time. It was left to Kirk to teach him about how to behave around women. Granted, there were some clunky moments like this one, where the message was good, but the delivery was a failure —

“There's no right way to hit a woman.I mean, man to man is one thing,but, er, man and woman, er, it's, er, it's, er.Well it's, er, another thing. Do you understand?”

Charlie didn’t really, and Kirk’s mistake was — as someone who had to act like a parent but wasn’t one yet — that he didn’t see how deeply Charlie was struggling until too late. But when Kirk tells Charlie to stop pursuing Yeoman Janice Rand, he’s 100% clear.

“You go slow. You be gentle.I mean, it's not a one-way street,you know, how you feel and that's all.It's how the girl feels, too.Don't press, Charlie.If the girl feels anything for you at all, you'll know it.”

He’s talking about consent. He hammers the point home with this —

“Charlie, there are a million things in this universeyou can have and there are a million things you can't have.It's no fun facing that, but that's the way things are,” advising the lovesick superteen to, “Hang on tight and survive. Everybody does.”

He Put Himself in His Enemy’s Shoes

Unlike too many of the loudest voices today, Kirk wasn’t a dig-his-heels-in kind of guy; he had the ability to see himself through his enemy’s eyes and change his way of thinking — even when threatened.

In “ The Devil in the Dark ,” it’s Kirk who discovers that the creature who’s been killing the miners on Janus VI isn’t a marauding murderer. When he comes face-to-face with the creature Spock describes as a “proven killer,” he ignores Spock’s urging to shoot it. While it’s Spock who connects the dots and realizes the miners have been destroying the Horta’s eggs, it’s Kirk who stopped the killing cycle and connected with the creature before anyone else.

Many viewers think of “ Arena ” as the episode where Kirk builds a gun and fights the Gorn, but what the episode is really about is Kirk listening to the Gorn. When the Gorn captain describes a Federation colony as invaders in Gorn territory, Kirk hears it, loud and clear. As he’s about to win the battle to the death, he stops. “No, I won’t kill you,” he says, “Maybe you thought you were protecting yourself when you attacked the outpost.” (Bonus points to McCoy and Spock, who also consider the Gorn’s perspective even when their captain is threatened.)

Kirk grips Rojan's arms as he offers a proposal of help in 'By Any Other Name'

In “ By Any Other Name ,” as soon as Kirk conquers the aliens who’ve taken over his ship and are steering it towards another galaxy, his first offer is one of help. Even as they’re physically wrestling and he knows he’s won, he tells the Kelvan (no relation to Kelvin) commander Rojan to bring the problem to the Federation, who can help the Kelvans find a place to live. Rojan is shocked, “You would really do that? You would extend welcome to invaders?” They stop fighting, and Kirk says, “No. But we would welcome friends.”

And in “ Day of the Dove ,” when an alien sets Klingons up against the Enterprise crew in an endless battle, Kirk determines they’re being manipulated and makes peace. “What's happening to us? We've been trained to think in other terms than war. We've been trained to fight its causes, if necessary. Then why are we behaving like a group of savages? Look at me. Look at me. Two forces aboard this ship, each of them equally armed. Has a war been staged for us, complete with weapons and ideology and patriotic drum beating? Even — Spock. Even race hatred?”

He Could Always See A Better Future

Captain Kirk (The Original Series) addresses Mirror Universe Spock. Both men are in their Mirror Universe uniforms.

In “ Mirror, Mirror ,” Kirk, Uhura , Scotty , and McCoy are thrown into the Mirror Universe — a savage world where officers are promoted by assassinating their superiors and planets are conquered. When they finally figure out how to get back, Kirk stalls his return. He’s not just racing back to safe home territory; he wants the Mirror Universe to be safer, too.

With two minutes and ten seconds left, he decides it’s time to have a one-to-one with Mirror Spock. He appeals to Spock’s logic, calling him out as illogical for going along with the brutality of the Empire. “If change is inevitable, predictable, beneficial, doesn't logic demand that you be a part of it?” he asks, urging Spock to find a logical reason to spare the Halkans (who are about to be destroyed). We learn many years later, on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , that his speech worked, and the Empire fell. (It’s not his fault that the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance took over.)

His Soulmate Was the Most Progressive Person of Her Time

Captain Kirk (The Original Series), dressed in 20th century clothes, talks to Edith Keeler while holding her arms.

In “ The City on the Edge of Forever ,” Kirk meets Edith Keeler in New York City during the Great Depression. Sure, she’s played by the gorgeous Joan Collins, but he doesn’t fall for her because she’s beautiful or has a delightful accent; he’s immediately hooked by her ideas. She talks about a future with hope and unity to a largely oblivious room, and when another fella tells Kirk, “Not that she's a bad-looking broad, but if she really wanted to help out a fella in need...” Kirk tells him to shut up. Twice. “I want to hear what she has to say,” he says. You can almost hear his heart pounding.

All of Edith and Jim’s conversations as they’re dating are about her views. Her optimism and her belief in a better world are what make him fall for her. When he has to let her die to save Earth’s future, he’s utterly devastated because he knew she was right and could have changed the world, if only she’d been born at a different time. And he loved her.

He Had Humility, and Could Admit When He Was Wrong

Captain Kirk (The Original Series) sits in the captain's chair, smiling slightly.

Humility is sorely missing from today’s political and social conversations. We’re all sticking our heels in the mud, refusing to acknowledge that anyone who thinks differently from us might have any validity, and refusing to engage in conversation.

And yet Kirk, who’s often described as a macho guy who always thinks he’s right, was able to recognize when he wasn’t — after behaving like a fool for most of the episode. The Organians repeatedly tell him they don’t need his help stopping a Klingon invasion of their planet, but he doesn’t listen at first; he knows what’s what and they don’t, and if they’re not going to defend themselves, he’ll do it for them. The Organians finally put a stop to the fighting, then tell Kirk, Spock, and the Klingons to leave; they’ve put up with their shenanigans long enough. Kirk and Kor (the Klingon commander) are outraged... at first. Later, on the ship, he sings a different song.

“I'm embarrassed.I was furious with the Organiansfor stopping a war I didn't want.We think of ourselvesas the most powerful beings in the universe.It's unsettling to discover that we're wrong.”

When was the last time you heard someone say something like that — or said it yourself?

He Overcame His Own Prejudice

Captain Kirk (The Original Series), wearing the red uniform of the TOS movies, smiles at the viewscreen on the bridge.

In Star Trek III: The Search for Spock , Kirk’s son David Marcus was killed by Klingons, and it hardened Kirk’s heart. He hated Klingons for it and was furious when Spock set him up (three movies later with Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country ) as the escort and emissary for Klingon Chancellor Gorkon .

After Gorkon has been killed, and McCoy and Kirk imprisoned for the crime and then rescued, Kirk confesses, “Gorkon had to die before I understood how prejudiced I was,” and admits that, “people can be frightened of change.”

“Some people think the future means the end of history,” he tells the assembly after saving the Federation President and the Chancellor’s daughter. “But we haven't run out of history just yet.” The message is as relevant now as it was then, if not more so.

So Let’s Boldly Go… As We Always Did

So, next time you compare our new heroes to our old ones, take a closer look because Kirk and his crew were fighting the good fight long before they knew we’d still be talking about them 56 years later. They learned, they grew, and they set the stage for everything that came after with messages of equality, peace, and not just a better future, but a better humanity.

This article was originally published on June 13, 2022.

James T. Kirk

View history

James Tiberius "Jim" Kirk was a male Human Starfleet officer who lived during the 23rd century . His time in Starfleet made Kirk arguably one of the most famous and sometimes infamous starship captains in Starfleet history . The highly decorated Kirk served as the commanding officer of the Constitution -class starship USS Enterprise and the Constitution II -class starship USS Enterprise -A , where he served Federation interests as an explorer , soldier , diplomat , and time traveler . ( TOS : " Where No Man Has Gone Before ", " Court Martial ", " Errand of Mercy "; Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home ; Star Trek Generations ; DS9 : " Trials and Tribble-ations "; VOY : " Q2 ", " Friendship One ", et al.)

1.1 Origins
1.2 Childhood
2.1 Academy years
2.2.1 Service aboard the Republic
2.2.2 Academy instructor
2.3.1 Mission to Neural
2.3.2 First encounter with the cloud creature
2.3.3 Pike's interest
2.3.4 Contact by La'an Noonien-Singh
2.3.5 First officer Kirk
2.4.1 Year One
2.4.2 Year Two
2.4.3 Year Three
2.4.4 Year Four
2.4.5 Year Five
2.5 Chief of Starfleet operations
2.6 The V'ger crisis
2.7 First retirement
2.8.1 Inspection tour
2.8.2 Stealing the Enterprise
2.8.3 Saving Earth
2.9.1 Sybok and Sha Ka Ree
2.9.2 Final mission
2.10.1 Maiden voyage of the Enterprise -B
2.10.2 The Nexus and death
4.1 Skills and hobbies
4.2 Personal combat
5.1.1 Baby Kirok
5.1.2 George Kirk, Sr.
5.1.3 Sam Kirk
5.1.4 David Marcus
5.2.1 Nyota Uhura
5.2.2 Spock
5.2.3 Leonard McCoy
5.2.4 Montgomery Scott
5.2.5 Hikaru Sulu
5.2.6 Janice Rand
5.2.7 Ben Finney
5.2.8 Jean-Luc Picard
5.3.2 Janice Lester
5.3.3 La'an Noonien-Singh
5.3.4 Carol Marcus
5.3.5 Janet Wallace
5.3.6 Areel Shaw
5.3.7 Helen Noel
5.3.8 Janice Rand
5.3.10 Lenore Karidian
5.3.11 Edith Keeler
5.3.12 Sylvia
5.3.13 Marlena Moreau
5.3.14 Drusilla
5.3.15 Kelinda
5.3.16 Elaan
5.3.17 Miramanee
5.3.18 Shahna
5.3.19 Deela
5.3.20 Marta
5.3.21 Odona
5.3.22 Rayna Kapec
5.3.23 Antonia
5.3.24 Martia
5.4.1 Khan Noonien Singh
6.1 Earth's 20th century
6.2 Other temporal events
7.1 Captain of the UEF Enterprise
7.2 Captain of the USS Farragut
7.3 Thelin's commanding officer
8 Awards and honors
9 Key dates
10.1 Existential Kirk
10.2 Kirk on death
10.3 In Harm's Way
10.4 Kirk on women
10.5 Kirk and Spock
10.6 Opinions of Kirk
11.1 Appearances
11.2.1 Casting Kirk
11.2.2 Naming Kirk
11.2.3 Character development
11.2.4 Kirk's demise
11.3 Ambiguities
11.4 Reiteration
11.5 Apocrypha
11.6 External links

Early history

Sarah April and young Spock overlook the infantile Arex, Uhura, Kirk and Sulu

Kirk (lower right) appearing as he did as a toddler

James Tiberius Kirk was born on March 22nd , 2233 in Riverside , Iowa on Earth . ( TOS : " The Deadly Years "; Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home ; Star Trek V: The Final Frontier ; ENT : " In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II " production resource ; SNW : " Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow ") He was the son of George and Winona Kirk ; their other son, his brother , was George Samuel . ( Star Trek ; TOS : " What Are Little Girls Made Of? ", " Operation -- Annihilate! ")

His parents named him after his maternal grandfather , James , and his paternal grandfather, Tiberius . ( TAS : " Bem "; Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country ; Star Trek ) Furthermore, Kirk was a descendant of late 19th century American frontier pioneers . ( TOS : " Spectre of the Gun ") Kirk embraced the culture and history of his homeland , especially western lore and the life of his hero Abraham Lincoln , and later even recognized the document mirrored on the planet Omega IV , he could recite the preamble of the United States Constitution from memory. ( TOS : " Spectre of the Gun ", " The Savage Curtain ", " The Omega Glory ")

Kirk, along with Winona and Sam, spent the majority of Kirk's childhood chasing George Kirk, Sr. from one posting to another, to the point that Kirk barely saw the man. When Kirk asked Winona why they never saw George Sr., she told James that "he's helping people who really need it." ( SNW : " Lost in Translation ")

Kirk sang around a campfire sometimes was when he was a boy in Iowa, something he would later recall not having done since that time, as of 2287 . ( Star Trek V: The Final Frontier )

At some point early in his life, Kirk contracted and nearly died from Vegan choriomeningitis . Although he was cured, the organisms of the disease continued to be carried in his blood. ( TOS : " The Mark of Gideon ")

Governor Kodos in 2246

By 2246 , he was living on Tarsus IV , as his father George moved there. During his time on Tarsus IV, the planet was undergoing a food crisis that was starving the colony , which consisted of eight thousand people. Governor Kodos , sympathetic to old eugenics philosophies and unaware that supply ships were imminent, tried to save a portion of the colony by killing four thousand colonists he deemed least desirable or able to survive. The thirteen-year-old Jim Kirk was one of only nine eyewitnesses to the massacre. ( TOS : " The Conscience of the King "; SNW : " A Quality of Mercy ")

Starfleet career

Academy years.

In 2252 , Kirk entered Starfleet Academy, with help of Mallory , whose son later served under Kirk. ( TOS : " Shore Leave ", " The Apple ") He also often spoke of his father as being his inspiration for joining Starfleet. ( Star Trek )

Finnegan as he appeared in 2252

As a plebe , Kirk soon caught the attention of a boisterous and bullying Irishman named Finnegan . The upperclassman evidently hazed "Jimmy-boy" mercilessly throughout their shared time at the Academy. Fifteen years later , the Shore Leave Planet sensed Kirk's antipathy for Finnegan and produced a simulacrum that Kirk could pummel for satisfaction. ( TOS : " Shore Leave ")

As a cadet , Kirk participated in a successful peace mission to Axanar , for which Starfleet Command awarded him with the Palm Leaf of Axanar Peace Mission . ( TOS : " Court Martial ", " Whom Gods Destroy ")

When he was a midshipman , Kirk began a friendship with his instructor , Lieutenant Benjamin Finney . Their relationship was so important to the two men that Finney named his daughter , Jame , after Kirk. ( TOS : " Court Martial ")

Kirk's physical training included tests he had to pass for working in an oxygen -deficient atmosphere , as well as hand-to-hand combat . ( TOS : " Tomorrow is Yesterday "; TAS : " The Pirates of Orion ") He was also trained in hyper-power circuits . ( TOS : " Dagger of the Mind ")

His academic studies introduced him to several men that he encountered later in his career. Among them was John Gill , a noted history professor and cultural observer . ( TOS : " Patterns of Force ") Kirk studied the exploits of Garth of Izar , a famous captain who joined Kirk's pantheon of heroes. ( TOS : " Whom Gods Destroy ") The " Pasteur of archaeological medicine ", Dr. Roger Korby , became a man Kirk wanted to meet. ( TOS : " What Are Little Girls Made Of? ") Kirk also studied the military strategies of Klingon General Korrd . ( Star Trek V: The Final Frontier ) He also attended lectures at the Academy on the Nomad space probe. ( TOS : " The Changeling ")

During his time in the Command Training Program , Kirk confronted the Kobayashi Maru scenario . He refused to accept his first two defeats. Before making a third attempt, he secretly reprogrammed the simulation computer , consequently becoming the only cadet in Academy history to beat the "no-win" scenario and earning a commendation for original thinking. ( Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan )

Kirk's graduating class was represented with such future officers as Corrigan , Mike , Teller , and Timothy . ( TOS : " Court Martial ") One of his former classmates, R.M. Merik , was dropped in his fifth year for failing the psychosimulator test . ( TOS : " Bread and Circuses ")

Early postings and assignments

The personnel file for James T. Kirk, 2259

Kirk was commissioned as a Starfleet officer with the rank of ensign and the serial number SC937-0176CEC. ( TOS : " Court Martial ")

Among his early missions was the Vulcanian expedition , along with former classmate Timothy. ( TOS : " Court Martial ") He had also, at one point, visited Alpha Majoris I , where he had personally witnessed the native mellitus . ( TOS : " Wolf in the Fold ")

Also early in Kirk's career, he became quite familiar with the work of Doctor Tristan Adams . He even had the opportunity to visit penal colonies that had been revolutionized by Adams, later describing what he saw as " clean, decent hospitals for sick minds , " even describing them as " resort colonies ", as opposed to " cages ". ( TOS : " Dagger of the Mind ")

Service aboard the Republic

During the 2250s , "some years" after being a midshipman, Ensign Kirk rejoined his friend and former instructor, Lieutenant Finney, aboard the USS Republic . After Finney made a mistake nearly catastrophic to the ship, Kirk logged the incident, which resulted in his friend being reprimanded and put to the bottom of the promotion list . ( TOS : " Court Martial ")

Academy instructor

During the same period, Kirk was promoted to Lieutenant and worked as an instructor at the Academy. It was around this time he first met Cadet Gary Mitchell , who was a student in his class where, according to an upperclassman , "you either think or sink". Mitchell later remembered Kirk as "a stack of books with legs ." In an attempt to divert his friend's attention and make the class easier to get through, Mitchell set Kirk up with a " little blonde lab technician " whom Kirk almost married . ( TOS : " Where No Man Has Gone Before ")

Kirk's early career included a year alongside Janice Lester , during which time the two became romantically involved. The perceived lack of opportunities for a woman to command a starship struck them both as unfair, but she became embittered by the supposed career barrier. Their relationship soured to a point where Kirk felt she punished and tortured him for her circumstances. Years later, Kirk said that he never stopped her from going on with her "space work", but ultimately felt that "we'd have killed each other" if they had stayed together. Lester recalled that Kirk walked out on her "when it became serious." ( TOS : " Turnabout Intruder ")

Service aboard the Farragut

Kirk served aboard the USS Farragut in the late 2250s.

Upon graduating from Starfleet Academy, Kirk began his service under Captain Garrovick . His first deep space assignment was as a lieutenant aboard Garrovick's USS Farragut , as a member of the phaser gun crew , where he was assigned to a phaser station . ( TOS : " The Corbomite Maneuver ", " Obsession ")

After joining the crew of the Farragut , Kirk quickly made a name for himself and "put in some legwork to beat" the record of becoming both the youngest active and all-time first officer in all of Starfleet; a record previously held by his father. ( SNW : " Lost in Translation ")

Mission to Neural

Lt. Kirk visited Neural in 2255 on his first planetary survey.

In 2255 , the young lieutenant visited Neural on his first planetary survey mission. He befriended one of the planet's natives, the Hill man Tyree . Kirk's report described a primitive but promising culture , and Starfleet endorsed him recommending a policy of non-interference . ( TOS : " A Private Little War ")

First encounter with the cloud creature

In 2257 , the Farragut engaged the dikironium cloud creature at Tycho IV . The creature killed Garrovick and two hundred of the ship's crew . Farragut 's record tapes of the event included Kirk insisting upon blaming himself for the disaster, citing his delay in firing the ship's phaser banks at the creature as he lost consciousness. The ship's executive officer disagreed, stating, " Lieutenant Kirk is a fine young officer who performed with uncommon bravery. " ( TOS : " Obsession ")

Pike's interest

In 2259 , Captain Christopher Pike took an interest in Kirk and looked up his file after witnessing Kirk in action as the captain of the Farragut in an alternate timeline , recognizing that Kirk had the potential to make a good captain for the USS Enterprise and sensing that Kirk was meant to be in command during the coming Neutral Zone Incursion in 2266 . ( SNW : " A Quality of Mercy ")

Contact by La'an Noonien-Singh

Lieutenant Kirk, 2259

Later that year, Lieutenant Kirk was contacted by La'an Noonien-Singh , on the pretense of confirming his brother's place of birth, after her adventures with another alternate timeline version of Kirk. He later invited her for drinks if they were ever to meet at starbase . ( SNW : " Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow ")

First officer Kirk

Lt. Kirk meeting Fleet Captain Christopher Pike

Shortly after, Kirk was promoted to first officer of the Farragut , breaking his father's record as the youngest first officer in Starfleet history. However, Kirk had a few months before he would actually assume the post as Kirk needed to train his replacement for his current duties first. ( SNW : " Lost in Translation ")

During this time, under Fleet Captain Pike, the Enterprise and the Farragut were assigned to bring a deuterium mining station online. During the mission, clashed with his brother Sam, the ship's xenoanthropologist , several times over his promotion.

Kirk helped Nyota Uhura to figure out the signals that she was receiving from aliens in the Bannon's Nebula . During his time with Uhura, he suffered a broken nose inflicted by her during one of her hallucinations , initially believed to be associated with lack of sleep and deuterium poisoning . He admitted to her that he had previously gone days without sleep and experienced a case of deuterium poisoning himself, but that he had never punched a superior officer before.

Nonetheless, Kirk continued to believe in Uhura, and helped her find the true cause of the hallucinations. With help of his brother Sam, they focused on the possibility that she was being contacted by an extradimensional lifeform that was located in the nebula. After figuring out what the lifeform was trying to communicate, Pike had the Enterprise destroy the mining station. Following the mission, Kirk attended a celebration on the Enterprise where he met his future first officer and best friend Spock for the first time. ( SNW : " Lost in Translation ")

Lt. Kirk spent some time on the Enterprise shadowing Lt. Cmdr. Chin-Riley prior to him assuming his position as first officer about the Farragut

Kirk later returned to the Enterprise on a short-term posting; his commanding officer felt Kirk would benefit from shadowing Enterprise 's first officer, Una Chin-Riley before he assumed the same position on the Farragut . During this time, La'an revealed her history with his alternate self, but Kirk revealed to her he was in a relationship with Carol Marcus who was pregnant with their son . ( SNW : " Subspace Rhapsody ")

Commanding the USS Enterprise

The USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)

By 2265 , at the age of thirty-two, Kirk assumed command of the Constitution -class USS Enterprise from Fleet Captain Pike. ( TOS : " The Menagerie, Part I ") Kirk's father lived long enough to see his son earn his first captaincy. ( Star Trek )

Along with the Enterprise , Kirk also acquired a number of Pike's old crewmates as well as science officer Spock, as his first officer. For his first command, he also requested to have Lieutenant Commander Gary Mitchell along with him. ( TOS : " Where No Man Has Gone Before ") Also under his command was his former instructor, Ben Finney. ( TOS : " Court Martial ")

Kirk was initially quartered on Deck 12 in 2266 , before moving to Deck 5, room "3F 121". ( TOS : " Mudd's Women ", " Journey to Babel ")

Kirk and Spock graffiti

At some point during the 2260s, Kirk and "his pointy-eared pal" attempted to "crash" the Command Conference afterparty on Starbase 25 , but struck out and settled to end the night in a nearby dive bar . Over a century later , two other Starfleet officers – Beckett Mariner and Brad Boimler – also struck out, before ending up in the same bar.

In recollecting the incident, the alien bartender , who coincidentally was the same who served Kirk and Spock years before, added to her story that " [t]he blonde one did most of the drinking. " Before they left, "Kirk + Spock" was left behind, scrawled into the bar's countertop. Likewise, before Mariner and Boimler left, they too scrawled their names alongside those of their heroes. ( LD : " An Embarrassment Of Dooplers ")

USS Enterprise leaving galactic barrier, remastered

USS Enterprise in 2265

For five years , Kirk commanded the Enterprise , which made him a legend in space exploration. ( Star Trek: The Motion Picture ; VOY : " Q2 ") In addition to his primary mission statement – "to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life, and new civilizations" – Kirk received standing orders to investigate all quasars and quasar-like phenomena. ( TOS : " The Corbomite Maneuver ", " The Galileo Seven ", " Return to Tomorrow ")

On more than one occasion, Kirk and Mitchell took part in missions together, including one on Dimorus , where they encountered rodent-like creatures that shot poisonous darts . Mitchell took one of the darts meant for Kirk, saving Kirk's life but nearly dying himself. The two later visited Deneb IV where, in at least three cases, Mitchell was capable of carrying long telepathic conversations with the natives , scoring 80% or higher on comprehension. One night, a telepathic conversation with a female native had a deleterious effect on Mitchell. Kirk later stated that he'd been worried about Mitchell ever since that night. As a pun, Mitchell referred to the girl as a nova . ( TOS : " Where No Man Has Gone Before ")

Kirk and Spock in briefing lounge playing chess

Kirk faces the unknown

Following a stopover at the Aldebaron colony , the Enterprise attempted to determine the whereabouts of the missing SS Valiant . After discovering the Valiant 's disaster recorder which described a catastrophic disaster following that early vessel's visit to the galaxy 's edge, Kirk pushed on and encountered the galactic barrier for his first time. The Enterprise failed to breach the barrier and barely escaped destruction. With its warp engines badly damaged, the Enterprise limped under impulse power towards the Delta Vega lithium cracking station .

The barrier triggered a transformation in Mitchell who began developing psychic powers that progressed rapidly, with a commensurate loss of his humanity. Ignoring Spock advising him to destroy Mitchell immediately, Kirk hesitated until after Mitchell killed navigator Lee Kelso . On the surface of Delta Vega, he hunted Mitchell and managed to kill him only with the help of another officer undergoing the same transformation as Mitchell, Dr. Elizabeth Dehner . ( TOS : " Where No Man Has Gone Before ")

Following the tragedy, Kirk shuffled the Enterprise 's command crew. Lieutenant Commander Spock remained science officer and Kirk acknowledged him as first officer. A new chief medical officer , Dr. Leonard McCoy , replaced Dr. Mark Piper . Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Scott remained chief engineer . Lieutenant Nyota Uhura became communications officer and Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu was transferred from astrosciences to the helm . Kirk did not settle on a regular navigator for another two years. ( TOS : " The Corbomite Maneuver ", " Catspaw ", " Amok Time ", " Who Mourns for Adonais? ")

On stardate 1512.2, Kirk made first contact with the First Federation , when the Enterprise was detained by Captain Balok and a massive spaceship under Balok's command, the Fesarius . Both captains bluffed ferociously, but Kirk's poker face held. Balok proved to be quite friendly, eager to begin a cultural exchange. ( TOS : " The Corbomite Maneuver ")

The darker half of Kirk rages in frustration, 2266

Kirk learned something about his own nature after a transporter malfunction in 2266. Kirk was split into two physical duplicates, one intuitive and passive, the other violent and passionate. While separated, the survival of both personalities were threatened, and a way was eventually found to recombine the two.

After his personality was split due to a transporter accident in 2266 , Kirk was forcibly introduced to the competing elements in his personality, described most roughly as passive and aggressive. ( TOS : " The Enemy Within ")

McCoy curing Kirk of polywater intoxication

Succumbing to the effects of polywater intoxication in 2266, Kirk contemplated aloud the heavy responsibility of command, and the price the Enterprise exacted from his personal life: " this vessel... I give, she takes... She won't permit me my life; I've got to live hers." Ultimately, he gathered himself, speaking directly to the Enterprise, " Never lose you... never. " ( TOS : " The Naked Time ")

On stardate 1533.6, Kirk and his crew made a brief first contact with the Thasians , an uncanny group of aliens . While interacting with Charlie Evans , a temporary visitor to the Enterprise , Kirk demonstrated prowess with judo , and deep-rooted compassion when Charlie's "teachers" wanted to return him to an isolated existence. ( TOS : " Charlie X ")

The Romulan commander

Kirk repelled the first Romulan incursion into Federation space in over a century, on stardate 1709.2. A Romulan Bird-of-Prey equipped with a cloak and a powerful plasma torpedo system destroyed four Earth Outpost Stations along the Romulan Neutral Zone . Kirk engaged and pursued the Romulan ship in a drawn-out cat-and-mouse chase against a Romulan commander in whom Kirk found an instinctual rapport. Both captains used ruses that simulated more damage than actually received. Kirk was able to briefly track the Romulan, by mirroring its movements to simulate a sensor ghost. Finally, emerging from the camouflage of a comet 's tail, Kirk was able to disable the Romulan vessel. Before ordering his vessel's self-destruction , the Romulan captain remarked that under different circumstances he and Kirk might have been allies. ( TOS : " Balance of Terror ")

Kirk encountering Miri

The Enterprise reached Exo III on stardate 2712.4, where Dr. Roger Korby was found after years of silence, exploring and exploiting a sophisticated android manufacturing technology – the legacy of a long- dead civilization . Korby had replaced his own damaged body, transplanting his personality into an android replica, and built himself a beautiful companion, Andrea . Against Kirk's wishes, an android duplicate of Kirk was created too. However, the android Korby, after exhibiting madness , destroyed himself. ( TOS : " What Are Little Girls Made Of? ")

Kirk is tortured in 2266

At the Tantalus Penal Colony in 2266, Doctor Tristan Adams used his neural neutralizer device as an instrument torture on Kirk. The device emptied a victims mind of thought, leaving it vulnerable to suggestion. Adams included conditioning that made him feel love for Dr. Helen Noel , including deep pain at the idea of her loss. Kirk was able to resist long-term damage from the device. ( TOS : " Dagger of the Mind ")

On stardate 2817.6, Kirk responded to a call from Dr. Thomas Leighton , a fellow survivor and witness to the horror of Tarsus IV. Leighton suspected the leader of a traveling theater troupe , actor Anton Karidian , of being Kodos "the Executioner," a man long thought dead. After Leighton was murdered and other witnesses's deaths were revealed, Kirk convinced Anton Karidian's daughter, Lenore , to bring the acting troupe aboard the Enterprise. Attempted murders of Kirk and Enterprise crewmember Kevin Riley (another survivor) led Kirk to confront Karidian (who was indeed Kodos), discovering the recent killings were the acts of his mad daughter, trying to protect her tormented aging father. ( TOS : " The Conscience of the King ")

Kirk's court martial proceedings

Kirk became the first Federation starship captain to ever face a court martial , after he was accused of causing the death of Lt. Commander Benjamin Finney, the Enterprise records officer . Kirk employed Defense Attorney Samuel T. Cogley , and Kirk's former flame Areel Shaw acted as prosecutor at his trial , which was held on Starbase 11 , convened by Commodore Stone . Kirk was exonerated after Finney was discovered alive, having faked his death and the evidence implicating Kirk. ( TOS : " Court Martial ")

When Spock kidnapped his former commander, Fleet Captain Christopher Pike, who had been horribly crippled, and commandeered the Enterprise in 2267, he inadvertently jeopardized Kirk's command. After Spock locked the ship on course to Talos IV , Kirk was a member of a tribunal that tried Spock, the other members being Pike himself, and an illusion of Commodore Mendez . Spock's crimes were in violation of General Order 7 and were punishable by death . Once it was revealed that Spock's ultimate goal was to allow Pike, a Starfleet hero, to live a semblance of normality under Talosian illusion, Starfleet declined to prosecute the matter. ( TOS : " The Menagerie, Part I ", " The Menagerie, Part II ")

When the Enterprise passed through the Omicron Delta region , Kirk hoped to arrange for his crew (and himself) to take some badly needed shore leave . While Kirk and his landing party investigated a candidate planet to determine its suitability for that purpose, they were beset with manifestations of hidden desires they had. In fact, they had discovered the Shore Leave Planet, and advanced technologies which an ancient, enigmatic species had left behind. ( TOS : " Shore Leave ")

On stardate 2124.5, a being calling himself " General Trelane ( retired ), the Squire of Gothos " waylaid the Enterprise . Though immensely powerful and troublesome, Trelane was revealed to be nothing more than a child of his species , and a badly behaved one at that. Kirk was put on trial, albeit this time in an illusory court , by Trelane. ( TOS : " The Squire of Gothos ")

Kirk fighting the Gorn captain

Kirk made contact with the Gorn Hegemony and the Metrons on stardate 3045.6. Finding a Federation base on Cestus III destroyed and Gorn forces lying in wait, Kirk ordered the Enterprise to give chase to a Gorn starship that had been responsible for the attack, intending to destroy it. The pursuit took the two belligerents through Metron space. The Metrons, pacifistic but powerful, interrupted the engagement and declared both sides were savages.

Kirk and the Gorn captain were removed from their respective ships by the Metrons and deposited on a desolate planetoid , where the Metrons forced the two captains to fight each other, threatening to destroy the loser's vessel. Kirk was victorious, but refused to kill the Gorn. Kirk's act of mercy impressed the Metrons, who allowed both ships to go free. ( TOS : " Arena ")

On stardate 3192.1, the Enterprise was caught up in a "civilized" interplanetary war between Eminiar VII and Vendikar , whose engagements were fought only by computers, and marked "casualties" among the citizenry dutifully reported to death chambers . After the Enterprise was declared a target and the crew ordered to die, Kirk destroyed the Eminiar computers, forcing them to finally treat with their enemy – or face a war that would destroy their civilization. ( TOS : " A Taste of Armageddon ")

Khan in 2267

The Enterprise discovered the SS Botany Bay , an ancient sleeper ship , on stardate 3141.9. The vessel carried a group of eighty-four genetically-engineered Augments from Earth's Eugenics Wars , kept alive in cryogenic freeze ; twelve of these had died when their stasis capsules failed. Their leader, Khan Noonien Singh , seduced Enterprise historian Lieutenant Marla McGivers , revived his seventy-one surviving comrades, and attempted to steal the starship – before Kirk stopped him. Somewhat respectful of Khan's integrity and abilities, Kirk exiled Khan and his people on planet Ceti Alpha V , where the former tyrant would have a chance to "tame a world" without threatening others. ( TOS : " Space Seed ")

Under the euphoric , enervating influence of pod plants , the entire Enterprise crew mutinied, abandoning the ship for the planet Omicron Ceti III in 2267. Kirk was the last to fall under the influence, but his subconscious anger at the idea of leaving the ship rose to the surface, and broke the pod plant's effect. ( TOS : " This Side of Paradise ")

Accompanied by Spock and McCoy, Kirk discovered the first known silicon-based lifeform , a sentient Horta matriarch, on the mining colony Janus VI on stardate 3196.1. ( TOS : " The Devil in the Dark ")

At the start of another war between the Federation and the Klingon Empire , Kirk and Spock met with the Organian Council of Elders personally and attempted to convince the Organians , who were apparently primitive, to accept Federation protection. Shortly after the planet Organia was subsequently occupied by Klingons, Kirk and Spock began conducting a guerrilla war against the Klingon occupation, but Organians abandoned their false humanoid forms and intervened, forcing an end to the interstellar war and imposing the Treaty of Organia . Organians predicted that, in time, the antagonistic powers would eventually become friends. In the end, Kor, frustrated by Organian interference that made battle against Kirk impossible, wistfully surmised, "it would have been glorious". ( TOS : " Errand of Mercy ")

Responding to the Deneva colony having recently gone silent, Kirk found that a hive-mind of marauding flying parasites had killed his brother , George Samuel Kirk, and that the colony's remaining population was under their influence, causing mass insanity . McCoy and Spock were able to develop a method of killing the exotic creatures. ( TOS : " Operation -- Annihilate! ")

By this time in 2267, Kirk had finally settled on Ensign Pavel Chekov as the Enterprise 's regular navigator. ( TOS : " Catspaw ")

Kirk, Spock, and McCoy discovered Zefram Cochrane , the inventor of the warp drive , missing for 150 years, on a planetoid . An energy being Cochrane called "the Companion " had kept him alive and young all those years. At Cochrane's request, Kirk did not log the encounter. ( TOS : " Metamorphosis ")

Kirk diverted the Enterprise from an assigned ceremonial mission on Altair IV to Vulcan on stardate 3372.7, in order to save his first officer from the dangerous effects of his pon farr mating cycle. In the presence of the Vulcan matriarch, T'Pau , Kirk was forced to participate in Spock's marriage ceremony. ( TOS : " Amok Time ")

Making repairs in 2267

A distress call led the Enterprise to the crippled USS Constellation after an ancient machine, deemed a " planet killer ", had nearly destroyed that starship. While stranded aboard the nearly crippled Constellation , he and Chief Engineer Scott worked together to recover enough power and control functions to partially restore ship's functions. After Matt Decker , a Starfleet commodore who was now mentally unbalanced, made a suicide run with a stolen shuttlecraft , Kirk piloted the Constellation inside the machine, detonating the engines and destroying the device. ( TOS : " The Doomsday Machine ")

On the planet Halkan , a transporter malfunction swapped the Enterprise landing party with a corresponding landing party from a parallel " mirror universe " where a savage, oppressive, Terran Empire had replaced the United Federation of Planets. A sadistic alternate version of Captain Kirk captained the ISS Enterprise , whose first officer was a ruthless, bearded Spock . ( TOS : " Mirror, Mirror ")

After beaming down to the planet Gamma Hydra IV , Kirk, along with Spock, Dr. McCoy, and Scott were all exposed to a rare form of radiation poisoning from a rogue comet . The radiation caused the party to age very rapidly. Kirk's accelerated dotage forced Commodore Stocker , who was visiting the Enterprise , to relieve Kirk from command of the ship until Dr. McCoy discovered a cure. Standard hyronalin therapy, alone, was ineffective. It was not until Spock, Nurse Chapel , and Dr. Janet Wallace were able to concoct a new type of treatment based on an old-style adrenaline radiation therapy that Kirk and his party could receive an antidote for the poisonous radiation, and just in time for the captain to regain his ability to command and save the Enterprise from a heavy Romulan attack into which Stocker, whom Kirk had earlier dismissed as a "chair-bound paper pusher" but who had relieved him after an extra-ordinary competency hearing, had unwisely led the ship. After Kirk was cured, he managed to maneuver the Enterprise out of the Neutral Zone and away from Romulan ships via a bluff . ( TOS : " The Deadly Years ")

On stardate 4523.6, the Enterprise was dispatched to Deep Space Station K-7 , Koroth , Federation bureaucrats , and myriads of cuddly but prodigious tribbles tested Kirk's patience. ( TOS : " The Trouble with Tribbles "; DS9 : " Trials and Tribble-ations ") Unknown to Kirk, Benjamin Sisko and the crew of the USS Defiant observed and facilitated his actions after a Bajoran Orb : the Orb of Time brought them from the 24th century ; Sisko even got Kirk's autograph (although Kirk thought he was signing a shipping order ) and told Kirk that it had been an honor to serve with him. During the same mission, Lieutenant Commander Jadzia Dax expressed her knowledge that Koloth always regretted not getting the chance to face Kirk in battle. ( DS9 : " Trials and Tribble-ations ")

An Orion spy stabbing Kirk

While the Enterprise was transporting ambassadors to the Babel Conference of 2268, an Orion agent , Thelev , disguised as an Andorian , stabbed Kirk, puncturing his left lung. ( TOS : " Journey to Babel ")

On Neural in 2268

Kirk returned to Neural, the site of his first Starfleet assignment, on stardate 4211.4. Klingons had begun supplying the primitive native villagers with firearms , leading them to war on the neighboring Hill People . Kirk decided to supply the Hill People with similar weaponry , escalating the conflict, but putting both sides on equal footing. ( TOS : " A Private Little War ")

Upon his second encounter with the dikironium cloud creature in 2267, Kirk re-experienced the feelings of guilt over his actions in a previous disastrous incident, aboard the USS Farragut . Exhibiting a single-minded fixation on the destruction of the creature, McCoy and Spock questioned Kirk's emotional condition. But as it proved, phasers were ineffective against the cloud creature; thus, Kirk learned that he could not have stopped it in their previous encounter, and hence that he had nothing to regret. With the help of his former captain's son, Ensign Garrovick , Kirk lured the creature to the planet Tycho IV , destroying it with an antimatter bomb. ( TOS : " Obsession ")

Kirk found the contaminated society of Sigma Iotia II , based on 1920s Chicago gang culture, puzzling at first, but he quickly warmed to it. Uniting the world's "gangs" under one "boss", the Iotians became a Federation protectorate . ( TOS : " A Piece of the Action ")

Scouts from the Kelvan Empire in the Andromeda Galaxy hijacked the Enterprise for their return voyage on stardate 4657.5. The Enterprise , modified with Kelvan technology , became the first Federation starship known to cross the galactic barrier, briefly leaving the boundary of the Milky Way Galaxy before Kirk and his senior officers overwhelmed the Kelvans and returned to Federation space. ( TOS : " By Any Other Name ")

Kirk later had his mind displaced into a receptacle in 2268, briefly allowing the ancient being Sargon to live as a corporeal being. ( TOS : " Return to Tomorrow ")

Kirk holding John Gill as he dies

After John Gill failed to report in from a cultural observation mission to Ekos , the Enterprise was assigned to investigate. Kirk found his old professor had developed an idealization of Utopian fascism and had abandoned observation for intervention, creating a Nazi -like world government that overwhelmed Gill's best intentions. Kirk aroused the subverted Gill in time to avert Ekos' impending war with neighboring Zeon , and heard Gill recant his philosophies before he died. ( TOS : " Patterns of Force ")

Kirk being threatened by Kara with a phaser on Sigma Draconis VI

On stardate 4842.6, the Enterprise discovered the Amerind planet, where an ancient race, the " Preservers ", had transplanted elements of Native American cultures that had been endangered in centuries past. When an accident separated Kirk from the landing party and caused him to suffer amnesia , Spock was forced to abandon the search and command the Enterprise in its mission, that of the interception of an asteroid on course to hit the planet. For several months, the inhabitants worshiped Kirk as a god called " Kirok ". During that time, Kirk took a wife . Upon the Enterprise 's return and the restoration of his memories, Kirk was able to activate an ancient planetary defense mechanism the Preservers had left behind, and thereby divert the approaching asteroid. ( TOS : " The Paradise Syndrome ")

In Romulan disguise in 2268

Inexplicably to his crew, Kirk began exhibiting bizarre behavior on stardate 5027.3, and ordered the Enterprise across the Romulan Neutral Zone. Three Romulan starships detained the Enterprise , and Kirk and Spock met the Romulan commander aboard her ship, where Kirk's death was faked. The ruse allowed Kirk, surgically altered to look Romulan, to infiltrate the Romulan vessel and steal its cloaking device. Using the device, the Enterprise cloaked and escaped to Federation space, taking along the captured Romulan commander. The entire operation had been designed to give the Federation plausible deniability in case of the mission's failure, and place the culpability on Kirk in that case. ( TOS : " The Enterprise Incident ")

Near Tholian space , on stardate 5693.2, the Enterprise discovered the USS Defiant adrift, its crew dead, trapped in a spatial interphase . Tholian commander Loskene responded to the trespass of "recently annexed" Tholian space. Kirk was lost in the interphase and presumed dead. The Enterprise exchanged fire with the Tholians, and the unstable region incited madness among the crew. A second Tholian ship joined the engagement, producing a web to ensnare the Enterprise . After various crew members witnessed Kirk's spectral image, he was retrieved from interphase, and the Enterprise used the rift to escape Tholian entrapment. ( TOS : " The Tholian Web ") Many years later, in 2381, a framed photograph of Kirk in an environmental suit during this mission was hanging on the wall of an old bar at Starbase 25 . ( LD : " An Embarrassment Of Dooplers ")

Spock attempting to differentiate between two almost identical Kirks in 2269

The Enterprise visited a Federation asylum on Elba II on stardate 5718.3. Kirk's longtime hero, Fleet Captain Garth of Izar , was committed as a patient. Garth, capable of cellular metamorphosis , assumed Kirk's form in an attempt to escape and commandeer the Enterprise . Spock was able to determine which man was truly his captain, and Garth was returned to rehabilitation . ( TOS : " Whom Gods Destroy ")

At the end of that year, the governing council of the planet Gideon attempted to use the Vegan choriomeningitis organisms in Kirk's blood to control their planet's extreme over-population. ( TOS : " The Mark of Gideon ")

A deadly plague struck the crew of the Enterprise before stardate 5843.7. Seeking a cure on Holberg 917G , Kirk encountered Flint , a near- immortal Human. Born as Akharin , during Earth's 4th millennium BC in Mesopotamia , Flint had later been known as Solomon , Alexander the Great , and Leonardo da Vinci , among other famous identities. Kirk fell in love with Rayna Kapec , an android Flint had built to give him company in his final days of seclusion. ( TOS : " Requiem for Methuselah ") A century later, Captain Janeway of the USS Voyager expressed some doubt about this encounter. ( VOY : " Concerning Flight ")

Kirk, with the Excalbian recreation of Abraham Lincoln, and Spock on Excalbia

An incredibly realistic simulacrum of Kirk's hero, the American President Abraham Lincoln , greeted the Enterprise on stardate 5906.4. Following an invitation to the surface of the planet Excalbia , the silicon-based Excalbians re-created the historical figures Surak , Genghis Khan , Phillip Green , Kahless , and Zora . Kirk, Spock, Lincoln, and Surak were pitted against the others as means for the Excalbians to understand the nature and strength of good versus evil . During the battle, Kirk received perhaps on of his most meaningful compliments from the form of Lincoln, who was struck by Kirk's propensity to take the offensive when required, when his he asked of Kirk, " Do you drink whiskey ? " After Kirk responded, " Occasionally; why? " Lincoln answered, " Because you have qualities very much like those of another man I admire greatly, General Grant . " ( TOS : " The Savage Curtain ")

James Kirk's mind, trapped inside Janice Lester's body

After responding to a distress call from his former lover, Janice Lester, on Camus II , Kirk arrived at her bedside, where she appeared to be near death. Not expecting danger, Kirk was easily ensnared. Lester activated the life-entity transfer device and was immediately thrilled by her possession of Kirk's body. The transfer would eventually return the exchanged persona to its original body, as long as both remained alive. Drugged and disoriented within Lester's body, Kirk was easy prey, but Lester's spontaneous gloating monologue prevented her from strangling Kirk before Dr. Leonard McCoy arrived.

Kirk was still a liability as long as he remained alive in sickbay , but the exclusive care of Dr. Coleman kept Kirk isolated from the crew , however, Spock discovered the truth of the situation through a brief mind meld with the imprisoned Kirk in Lester's body, but their attempted escape was halted by security officers ignorant of the captain's strange new behavior.

During Lester's final attempt to kill Kirk, the two touched in a brief struggle, and the misplaced personalities returned to their proper bodies. Broken, incoherent, and sobbing in her complete failure, Kirk couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor, mentally unstable, twisted-minded woman, who was driven mad not only by her ambition of craving the power to command a starship, but also her hatred and jealousy of the captain she once loved, then wanted dead. Kirk felt her life could have been as rich as any woman's, "if only…" ( TOS : " Turnabout Intruder ")

In 2269, Kirk encountered Cyrano Jones and Koloth once again, saving Jones when his vessel, a Federation scout ship , was destroyed by the IKS Devisor . Koloth demanded that Kirk hand Jones over and Kirk defiantly told him that the first Klingon to board the Enterprise would be the last Klingon. ( TAS : " More Tribbles, More Troubles ")

Kirk restrained by a Swooper on Phylos

Kirk, along with Spock, Sulu, and McCoy visited the planet Phylos , where he encountered a clone of Stavos Keniclius , a scientist from the Eugenics Wars. Spock was abducted by Swoopers and cloned, which became known as Spock Two . Kirk later lead a rescue mission to get Spock back, which was successful. Before leaving Phylos, Kirk told Stavos Keniclius 5 that Spock Two could stay with him and together they could attempt to bring the Phylosian civilization back from the dead. ( TAS : " The Infinite Vulcan ")

Kirk wearing a polarized conductor headband

Late the same year, the Enterprise returned to the time planet to once again visit the Guardian of Forever, when he, Spock, and historian Erickson observe the dawn of the Orion civilization . ( TAS : " Yesteryear ")

Kirk and his crew were instrumental in stopping a massive matter-energy cloud from consuming the planet Mantilles . Kirk wrestled with the ethical implications of destroying the cloud once it was determined to be a living creature but fortunately, Spock was able to mind meld with it and convinced it to cease its movement toward Mantilles. ( TAS : " One of Our Planets Is Missing ")

Kirk lead a landing party that beamed down to inspect Planet Two of the Taurean system . There, he became affected by the glandular secretion of the female members of Theela's species who inhabited there, who were known for controlling the male mind. This drained Kirk of his "life force," causing him to age at a rate of ten years per day. After an all-female security detachment led by Lieutenant Uhura recovered him and the landing party. By using their molecular pattern stored in the transporter system, Kirk and the others were returned to their previous ages. ( TAS : " The Lorelei Signal ")

Sord and Kirk working together

Kirk, together with Spock, were tasked by the Vedala to recover the Soul of the Skorr , which had been stolen and had triggered a racial fury among the Skorr . As a result, they had prepared for war against the known galaxy. Kirk was specifically chosen for the mission for his leadership and adaptability skills. Together with a team consisting of Spock, Lara , Em/3/Green , Sord , and Tchar , they were transported to a world simply named " mad planet " to recover the Soul of the Skorr. Kirk later determined that the thief was Tchar, and together with Spock, he was able to defeat him and get the Soul of the Skorr back using null-gravity combat exercises . ( TAS : " The Jihad ")

Kirk, shrunken down, assists an injured Sulu, along with Spock, Arex, and Kyle

Kirk and the Enterprise crew later discovered the long-lost Earth colony Terratin after they had sent out a distress signal. However, the only way the colony believed they could get Kirk's attention was to shrink the crew of the Enterprise down to their size. Upon requesting that the colony's inhabitants be saved, Kirk, after being restored to full-size when he transported down to Terra 10 's surface, had the miniature colony beamed aboard the Enterprise and later had it relocated to the planet Verdanis . ( TAS : " The Terratin Incident ")

Kirk attempting to be beamed up from Lactra VII

Kirk, together with Spock and McCoy, beamed down to Lactra VII to locate Lieutenant Commander Tom Markel and other missing officers from the starship USS Ariel after they had been missing for approximately six weeks . While there, Kirk located the missing Ariel officers and encountered the Lactrans . While being held in their " zoo ", Kirk faked being ill in order to regain his confiscated communicator and escape with his crewmembers. Unfortunately, it was taken away by a young Lactran and it was beamed up to the Enterprise instead. Upon witnessing this, the Lactrans tried to destroy Kirk's mind after their "child" had disappeared. After it returned to the surface with Montgomery Scott, it told its fellow Lactrans all it had learned about the Federation and the races it encompassed while on the Enterprise , which led them to free Kirk, Spock, McCoy and the Ariel crew. The Lactrans later requested that Starfleet visit their planet again in about twenty or thirty centuries in their time. When Spock told Kirk that it would take some time to figure out long that would actually be, Kirk responded that, regardless, it would not be their problem. ( TAS : " The Eye of the Beholder ")

Kirk calling Scott after the gravity on the bridge cuts out

In 2270 , Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise fell victim to several practical jokes after the ship passed through an energy field near the Romulan Neutral Zone. Passing through the field caused the Enterprise 's main computer to malfunction and it began erratically playing jokes on the crew. Among the jokes that Kirk had played on him were the computer printing that he was a jerk on the back of his uniform, making him and Spock slip on ice in a corridor, and causing the artificial gravity on the bridge to cut out, making Kirk float to the top of the bridge. ( TAS : " The Practical Joker ")

Kirk, Robert April, Sarah, April, Scott, and Spock in conference

Kirk in a briefing with Commodore Robert April

Later that year, Kirk welcomed aboard Commodore and Federation Ambassador-at-large , as well as former commanding officer of the Enterprise , Robert April , along with his wife Sarah , on its journey back to Babel, where April was due to be honored before his mandatory retirement . While on the way there, the Enterprise encountered Karla Five and her vessel while it was apparently headed for its destruction at the heart of Beta Niobe supernova. While attempting to save her and her ship, Kirk and his crew were drawn into a reverse universe , where Karla Five was actually from and was intending to return to through the supernova remnant. Kirk, along with his entire crew, began to turn into children while in this universe. Thankfully, due to the efforts of a younger Commodore April taking command of the Enterprise from its captain, Kirk, along with his crew, were all restored to their normal ages when they returned to their own universe. ( TAS : " The Counter-Clock Incident ")

Further exploits of this time included saving the Pelosians from extinction , despite it being a violation of the Prime Directive , such as he had with the Baezians and Chenari years earlier. ( VOY : " Q2 ")

Reaching the end of its five-year deployment in 2270, Kirk ordered the Enterprise set on a course returning the ship to Earth. ( Star Trek: The Motion Picture )

Chief of Starfleet operations

As a rear admiral in the mid-2270s

The USS Enterprise returned to Earth in 2270. Kirk's successful mission resulted in his promotion to rear admiral and a posting as Chief of Starfleet Operations at Starfleet Headquarters in San Francisco for the following two and a half years. With Spock leaving Starfleet to return to Vulcan to purge all emotion, Kirk recommended Will Decker to replace him as Enterprise captain while the ship underwent an extensive refit at the San Francisco Fleet Yards , but he told Decker how envious he was and how much he hoped to find a way to get a starship command again. ( Star Trek: The Motion Picture )

The V'ger crisis

Kirk commanded the Enterprise during the V'ger crisis and its official shakedown cruise

In the mid- 2270s , V'ger , an energy cloud assimilating information from (and destroying) objects in its path, threatened Earth. The only starship positioned to intercept it was the Enterprise , her refit nearly complete but still awaiting trial runs. After convincing Admiral Nogura that he was the best man to meet the threat, Kirk rushed the Enterprise into service, assuming the rank of captain for the duration of the mission. Decker regarded Kirk's command as an insult and a mistake and pointed to his recent desk service and unfamiliarity with the ship's new systems, but the younger man fulfilled his duty as first officer.

The entity proved to be the late 20th century NASA space probe Voyager 6 , having amassed great power and self-awareness in its travels. When Kirk and his party discovered the true nature of V'ger and negotiated a visit to the actual probe itself, located at the heart of the 'V'ger' vessel, Decker used the opportunity, with V'ger 's protection, to fulfill his wish to merge with the V'ger entity through the simulacrum of his lover Ilia , thereby uniting V'ger 's mechanical nature with its Human origins. The union resulted in the birth of a radically new, and benign, lifeform. ( Star Trek: The Motion Picture )

Following the success of this mission, Kirk commanded the Enterprise in the mid-to-late 2270s. His quarters were on deck 5.

First retirement

Kirk briefly retired from Starfleet sometime before 2284 to pursue a number of personal goals and affairs, namely his relationship with a woman named Antonia . ( Star Trek Generations )

Return to Starfleet

Inspection tour.

Kirk returned to Starfleet in 2284 and took a position in the admiralty , supervising command-track cadets at Starfleet Academy among his duties. The lack of a center seat gnawed at him until he began to express discontent in his latest posting. Kirk celebrated his fifty-second birthday alone, barring a visit from his friend Dr. McCoy, who gifts him a bottle of 2283 Romulan ale and, as Kirk was allergic to Retinax V , a pair of glasses to adjust for his increasing farsightedness.

The following day, Kirk visited the Enterprise , now commanded by Captain Spock, for an inspection tour and as an observer to a cadet training cruise. Unknown to Kirk at the time, his nemesis, han Noonien Singh had been accidentally released from his exile on Ceti Alpha V , which had lost the inhabitability it had possessed when he and his people were originally left there, by hijacking the USS Reliant , leading to the hunt for the Genesis Device from the Regula I space station . A call from Dr. Carol Marcus alerted the Enterprise , which changed course to investigate even though its crew was largely "a boatload of--children," in Kirk's phrasing. Despite Kirk's (somewhat half-hearted) protests, Spock insisted on deferring his command to Admiral Kirk, quipping that as a Vulcan "he had no ego to bruise."

The subsequent engagement with his old enemy was tumultuous for Kirk, including a near-disastrous blunder disregarding Starfleet regulations quoted by Saavik that nearly doomed his ship and crew. In a textbook example of Kirk's ability to wield the Enterprise against a well-matched opponent was in the encounter with the USS Reliant , where he saved the Enterprise by tricking Khan into believing he was receiving data on Genesis but instead having his shields lowered via the Reliant 's prefix code , allowing the ship to make several retaliatory phaser hits on the Reliant , leading to a temporary withdrawl. Following the immediate success, Kirk admitted, in frustration and fury, to having gotten "caught with my britches down," at first, namely ignoring General Order 12 , which allowed the Enterprise to be crippled by the non-communicative ship's sudden attack.

After arriving at Regula I, Kirk met his estranged son, David Marcus , whom he rescued along with Carol Marcus , and the Enterprise escaped into the Mutara Nebula . A difficult battle with Khan ensued , however, Kirk prevailed after he used his long starship experience and Khan's own egomaniacal psychology to level the playing field and prevail, though it came at a great personal cost, the resulting death of his friend of twenty years, Spock. ( Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan )

Stealing the Enterprise

Kirk in 2285, stealing the Enterprise

Kirk's return to Earth in 2285 was solemn. The loss of Spock affected Kirk deeply, and McCoy began to show signs of mental illness. Planning to return to the Genesis Planet after his battle-damaged starship was fully repaired, Kirk's hopes were dashed when Commander, Starfleet Fleet Admiral Morrow announced that the Enterprise would soon be decommissioned.

Ambassador Sarek approached Kirk, leading to the discovery of Spock's katra surviving in McCoy. Kirk's senior officers rallied to him, conspiring to rescue McCoy and steal the Enterprise from Spacedock One in order to recover Spock's body from the Genesis Planet and to bring it, and his katra , to Mount Seleya on Vulcan.

At the Genesis planet, a Klingon Bird-of-Prey 's attack left the Enterprise disabled. After setting an auto-destruct sequence, Kirk and his crew abandoned the ship for the surface. The Enterprise was destroyed, taking a Klingon boarding party along with it. Finding Spock's body reanimated by Genesis, Kirk took the Bird-of-Prey to Mount Seleya on Vulcan, where Spock's katra and body were reunited. ( Star Trek III: The Search for Spock )

Saving Earth

Kirk and Spock walking the streets of San Francisco in 1986

After three months of exile on Vulcan, Kirk and his crew departed (aboard the Bird-of-Prey renamed HMS Bounty ) for Earth, to face their charges of violating nine Starfleet regulations . During the voyage, a mysterious probe besieged Earth and communicated only in whale song . After answering the planetary distress signal and determining the probe's objective, Kirk used the slingshot effect to take the Bounty back in time to 1986 San Francisco , 300 years ago.

With the help of cetacean biologist Dr. Gillian Taylor , Kirk successfully obtained the humpback whales George and Gracie and returned with them to 2286 . By providing the whales that could answer the probe's query, Kirk redeemed Humanity's extermination of a sentient species and saved Earth from an environmental catastrophe. ( Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home )

Commanding the USS Enterprise -A

Kirk and crew on the bridge of the Enterprise -A

Following the Whale Probe incident, the Federation president declared to Kirk, "we are forever in your debt." In light of their recent heroics, all charges facing his crew were dismissed, but one remained against Admiral Kirk: disobeying the orders of a superior officer. Kirk's punishment was a reduction in rank to captain and a return to the duty that had served the Federation so well, starship command. He was assigned to the Constitution II -class starship, the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-A) , in 2286. He commanded the Enterprise -A for the next seven years. ( Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home ; Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country )

Sybok and Sha Ka Ree

Kirk, Sybok, Spock, and McCoy on Sha Ka Ree

Kirk and the Enterprise -A were hijacked by Sybok and traveled to Sha Ka Ree

In 2287 , after a brief shakedown cruise proved the Enterprise -A not quite to be as fully spaceworthy as it had initially seemed to be, Kirk vacationed in Yosemite National Park with Spock and McCoy, while Montgomery Scott attended to the technical problems. The respite was interrupted after Spock's half-brother, Sybok , raised a small force called the Galactic Army of Light to take over the planet Nimbus III and captured the Federation, Klingon and Romulan representatives.

Kirk and the Enterprise -A responded, as did a Klingon Bird-of-Prey commanded by Klaa , who took on the rescue mission as an opportunity to take on Kirk, as he believed defeating Kirk would make him the greatest warrior in the galaxy.

Following a failed assault on Paradise City , Sybok captured the crew of the Enterprise -A and took over the ship. After most of Kirk's crew fell under Sybok's influence and joined in his quest to meet " God " by taking the starship through the Great Barrier to the legendary Sha Ka Ree . En route, Sybok offered Kirk the chance to "ease his pain," as he had seemingly demonstrated on Spock and McCoy. But Kirk rejected the offer angrily, insisting, " I don't want my pain taken away; I NEED my pain!!! "

Later, the entity they encountered proved to be a malevolent force, imprisoned and looking for release. Sybok joined the entity in combat, sacrificing himself and permitting the Enterprise -A to escape. ( Star Trek V: The Final Frontier )

Final mission

Kirk and McCoy on trial

Kirk's career culminated in 2293 , when the Enterprise -A was assigned to escort Klingon Chancellor Gorkon to Earth for a peace conference. Kirk opposed the peace initiative Spock covertly negotiated. He especially resented that Starfleet had chosen him to be the Federation's olive branch. A cabal of Federation and Klingon officials instigated an attack on Kronos One that appeared to come from the Enterprise -A, and assassinated Gorkon.

The Klingons arrested Kirk and McCoy, then tried and convicted them for the murder of Gorkon, sentencing them to the Rura Penthe penal asteroid. In violation of orders and treaties, Spock took the Enterprise -A into Klingon space, eluded detection and rescued Kirk and McCoy. Following his victory over General Chang at the Battle of Khitomer , Kirk saved the Federation president from assassination, and the historic Khitomer Conference continued; this led to the successful negotiation, signatures, and ratifications of "The First Khitomer Accords" between the UFP and the Klingon Empire.

After commanding two Starships named Enterprise , Kirk's tenure as captain of the Enterprise ended in 2293.

Kirk, Spock, Scott, Uhura, Chekov, and McCoy see the rest of Sulu's crew onboard the Excelsior -class USS Excelsior on the view screen one last time before parting ways. Kirk ordered Chekov to set the course "second star to the right, and straight on till morning," as the last flight of the Enterprise -A. After that, she was decommissioned, and Kirk retired permanently from Starfleet. ( Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country )

Second Retirement

Maiden voyage of the enterprise -b.

Kirk briefly taking command of the Enterprise -B

Shortly after retirement, Kirk joined his friends Montgomery Scott and Pavel Chekov as the honored guests of Captain John Harriman on the maiden voyage of the Excelsior -class starship USS Enterprise -B . The event, featuring a media frenzy surrounding Kirk, was little more than a ceremonial cruise, as the Enterprise -B was not yet fully crewed or equipped for regular duty. Soon after departure, the ship received a distress signal from two Whorfin -class ships transporting El Aurian refugees, trapped in an energy distortion called the Nexus .

With the advice of Kirk, and the help of Scott and Chekov, the rescue mission was a partial success, but the Enterprise -B succumbed to the Nexus' gravimetric field. Declining Harriman's offer to take command, Kirk volunteered to modify the ship's deflector relays and successfully enabled the ship's escape, but not before a burst of energy from the Nexus breached the secondary hull . Kirk was lost and presumed dead. ( Star Trek Generations )

The Nexus and death

Kirk, just before jumping over a chasm

Events of 2371 revealed Kirk had entered the Nexus, yet unaware of the passing of 78 years due to the non-linear nature of time in the Nexus. Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the USS Enterprise -D discovered Kirk within the Nexus. Kirk agreed to leave his idyllic but unsatisfying existence to help Picard defeat the deranged scientist Tolian Soran , who was going to destroy the Veridian system .

As Kirk explained to Picard, the main reason he always returned to the command chair of the Enterprise was that it was only there that Kirk could truly make a difference. He advised Picard to refuse anything Starfleet offered him that would take him away from the current Enterprise , because he would lose the ability to make a difference in the universe.

" It was... fun. Oh my.... "

Kirk sacrificed his life to save the inhabitants of Veridian IV , as well as the crew of the Enterprise -D, climbing along a precariously-balanced metal bridge in order to grab the control panel necessary to disable the missile that Soran would have used, the bridge subsequently falling down a steep cliff when its support beams broke. His last words, spoken to Picard after being assured that he had made a difference, were to comment that his help was the least he could do for the captain of the Enterprise , as well as to assure Picard that " It was... fun. Oh my.... " ( Star Trek Generations )

Scan of Kirk's remains at Daystrom Station

Captain Picard buried Kirk in a simple stone cairn on a Veridian III mountain top. ( Star Trek Generations )

After Kirk's death, Section 31 retrieved his body for Project Phoenix .

As of 2401 , the remains were stored on Daystrom Station . ( PIC : " The Bounty " okudagram )

Sometime after 2285 , Kirk made a brief appearance in a film called The Tardigrade in Space , which was about the adventures of a female tardigrade and a DOT-7 robot called Dot . His appearance in the film depicted his first encounter with Khan Noonien Singh in sickbay , when he was first awakened from cryosleep in the year 2267 . ( ST : " Ephraim and Dot ")

His missions were read by grade school students and Starfleet Academy cadets alike. ( Star Trek Generations ; VOY : " Q2 ") As a child in grade school , future Enterprise -B Captain Harriman read about Kirk's missions. ( Star Trek Generations ) While nearly a century later, in 2377 , as Icheb began his cadet training aboard Voyager , he recited a report for Early Starfleet History , that described when Kirk concluded his " historic five year mission", that "one of the greatest chapters in Starfleet history came to a close. " ( VOY : " Q2 ")

Captain Kathryn Janeway of the USS Voyager nostalgically recalled Captain Kirk (and his contemporaries) as belonging " to a different breed of Starfleet officer. " She went on to note that, given " the era they lived in, [...] It's not surprising they had to bend the rules a little. They were a little slower to invoke the Prime Directive, and a little quicker to pull their phasers. " She opined, "Of course, the whole bunch of them would be booted out of Starfleet today. But I have to admit, I would have loved to ride shotgun at least once with a group of officers like that." ( VOY : " Flashback ")

Along with Kirk's seventeen separate temporal violations, which gave him the distinction of having the biggest file on record with the Department of Temporal Investigations, Kirk also had a long standing first contact record to his name. ( DS9 : " Trials and Tribble-ations ") It remained untouched until 2378 , when Captain Janeway concluded her seven-year trip across the Delta Quadrant aboard the USS Voyager . ( VOY : " Friendship One ")

During a visit to the 23rd century from 2373 , Lieutenant Commander Worf remarked that it would be an honor to meet Kirk. ( DS9 : " Trials and Tribble-ations ")

The defensive pattern Kirk Epsilon was a battle tactic that was still in use during the late 2370s . ( Star Trek Nemesis )

In 2380 and 2381 , Kirk was mentioned multiple times by various crew members of the USS Cerritos , including Brad Boimler and Beckett Mariner . ( LD : " Second Contact ", " Veritas ", " An Embarrassment Of Dooplers ")

Kirk's old bar on Starbase 25 still had his and Spock's names scratched into the counter top as of 2381 . ( LD : " An Embarrassment Of Dooplers ")

In 2383 , Kirk was an option for a crewmember in the Kobayashi Maru scenario . Jankom Pog suggested that he and Dal R'El use "this JT Kirk guy," but Dal was uninterested as they already had a captain: himself. ( PRO : " Kobayashi ")

In 2384 , Hologram Janeway noted that both Captains Kirk and Sulu were "Starfleet legends". To the Enderprizians , Kirk was known as " James'T the Warrior ", and he had at least one namesake on Planet 0042692 , James'T . ( PRO : " All the World's a Stage ") Kirk also had at least two others named in his honor during his lifetime, Jame Finney and Leonard James Akaar . ( TOS : " Court Martial ", " Friday's Child ")

Personal interests

Skills and hobbies.

Kirk spent a huge portion of his life aboard starships, and consequently relished the times he could spend outdoors. He was an accomplished equestrian, and kept a horse at a mountain cabin that he owned during his first retirement. Another companion at his mountain cabin was Butler , his Great Dane . He sold the cabin sometime after his return to Starfleet. ( Star Trek Generations )

A personal challenge that nearly cost him his life was free-solo climbing the face of El Capitan mountain in Yosemite National Park on Earth. After Spock rescued Kirk from an accidental free fall, Kirk told the Vulcan and McCoy that while falling he knew he would not die because he had always known that he would die alone, and since he, McCoy, and Spock were present during the incident, he could not die. ( Star Trek V: The Final Frontier ) However, Kirk's prediction eventually proved apparently wrong when he died on Veridian III in the company of Jean-Luc Picard, who was, evidently, an ultimately poor surrogate for Spock and/or McCoy in that particular situation. ( Star Trek Generations )

Beckett Mariner once described herself as a "Kirk-style free spirit ", though her mother, Captain Carol Freeman , retorted that Kirk was confident, whereas Mariner was unwilling to risk dropping her defenses to make allies. ( LD : " First First Contact ")

Personal combat

Kirk's unique fighting style

Kirk incorporated techniques from Judo into his personal combat style

Kirk's command style frequently brought him in close proximity to his enemies, often resulting in hand-to-hand combat. His idiosyncratic martial-arts style used hand chops to the neck, wrestling and judo throws, roundhouse punches, two-fisted swings and open-hand slaps in varying combinations, and even drop kicks. One or two of Kirk's blows overwhelmed a variety of enemy guards and henchmen. In addition, Kirk regularly performed dives and rolls, either to evade phaser fire or to attack an opponent, thereby often jumping off walls and other fixed elements.

A typical example of Kirk's fighting style in a more extended bout occurred in 2265 on the surface of Delta Vega , in the attempt to kill his friend Gary Mitchell. ( TOS : " Where No Man Has Gone Before ")

While typical examples of his wrestling and Judo abilities were seen when the Orion spy Thelev assaulted him, and when he used a judo throw to disarm the Redjac entity which had taken the form of Hengist . ( TOS : " Journey to Babel ", " Wolf in the Fold ")

At times, a larger, more powerful opponent clearly out-classed Kirk, leaving him to his wits, the aid of his crew, or pure luck to see him through. Pitted against the Gorn captain in 2267, he held his own for a time, until his injuries forced withdrawal and a search for a more efficient weapon. ( TOS : " Arena ")

In 2255 and again in 2268, he wrestled a ferocious Mugato of Neural. When the massive ancient android Ruk attacked Kirk on Exo III in 2266, Kirk could do little but hold on for the ride. ( TOS : " A Private Little War ", " What Are Little Girls Made Of? ")

On the Shore Leave Planet in 2267, Kirk was shocked by the appearance of Finnegan, his Academy nemesis, who had not seemed to age. The two proceeded to slug each other until both were bleeding and exhausted. Perhaps the longest fist-fight of his life, it was clearly the most satisfying. ( TOS : " Shore Leave ")

Kirk fought his friend and first officer Spock on three occasions when the half-Vulcan lost his normal emotional control. A series of slaps delivered to Spock in 2266 resulted in a blow that sent Kirk over a table. In 2267, after necessarily cruel taunts, Spock tossed Kirk back and forth across the transporter room , regaining control just before he crushed his captain's skull. Spock's blood fever during his pon farr of 2267 made him so dangerous in the koon-ut-kal-if-fee ritual fight that Dr. McCoy was forced to falsify Kirk's death before Spock could kill him. ( TOS : " The Naked Time ", " This Side of Paradise ", " Amok Time ")

Kirk was constantly looking to improve his arsenal of combat techniques. Upon witnessing Hikaru Sulu perform a body throw on Agmar on Phylos in 2269, he asked Sulu to teach him the technique sometime, since it might come in handy. ( TAS : " The Infinite Vulcan ")

Relationships

The Kirk family ancestry included settlers who pioneered the American frontier in the 19th century , and the Kirks of the early 23rd century rediscovered the impulse for untamed spaces. After his early childhood on Earth, Kirk lived on Tarsus IV by the age of thirteen, and his brother's family later lived on colonies as well. ( TOS : " Spectre of the Gun ", " The Conscience of the King ", " Operation -- Annihilate! ")

Kirk's brief 2268 marriage to Miramanee produced a child. Though she and the baby died while she was still in the early days of her pregnancy, " Kirok " had welcomed her news of the child. ( TOS : " The Paradise Syndrome ")

George Kirk, Sr.

Kirk's father, Lieutenant Commander George Kirk was serving as first officer of the USS Kelvin during the time of Kirk's birth.

Kirk often credited his father with inspiring him to join Starfleet. His father proudly lived long enough to see his son achieve command. ( Star Trek )

Sam and Jim reuniting in an alternate 2266

George Samuel Kirk (called "Sam" only by his brother) was also, for a time, a Starfleet officer. ( SNW : " Strange New Worlds ", " A Quality of Mercy ")

Their relationship did experience signs of strain at times; Sam expressed feelings of jealousy towards James' quick rise. In 2259 , James had become the first officer on the Farragut , the youngest in Starfleet history, a record previously held by their father. Sam felt James' ambition and brash attitude reflected badly on him. ( SNW : " Lost in Translation ")

Sam later described Una Chin-Riley to James as "the first officer that James thought he should be like." Someone who kept a necessary distance from her crew because she knows she has to make hard decisions. ( SNW : " Subspace Rhapsody ")

Sam, along with his wife Aurelan and three sons, joined his younger brother for a farewell visit before the Enterprise departed for her five-year mission. It was the last time Jim saw Sam alive. ( TOS : " What Are Little Girls Made Of? ") Sam ended up on Deneva, with his wife and son Peter by 2267 . James was too late to save his brother and sister-in-law from the neural parasites that had invaded Deneva that year, and killed the couple, but Peter survived the attack. ( TOS : " Operation -- Annihilate! ")

According to an alternate timeline version of Sam Kirk, he described Jim as a " huge pain in the ass but he's a fine a captain as Starfleet has." ( SNW : " A Quality of Mercy ")

David Marcus

David Marcus in 2285

Kirk's romance with Carol Marcus produced a son, David Marcus. At Carol's request, Kirk stayed out of David's early life. David knew something of Kirk, referring to him as "the over-grown Boy Scout " his mother used to know, but not that Kirk was his father. Carol kept David's father's identity a secret, fearing that Kirk's adventurous life would draw David away from her. In spite of the separation, Carol told Kirk that David was "a lot like you, in many ways."

In 2285 , David was working with his mother at the Federation research station Regula I as part of a team developing Project Genesis when Khan Noonien Singh attacked the station. After fleeing to the Regula planetoid , Kirk rescued David and Carol. Kirk did not immediately recognize his son at their awkward meeting, and later became melancholy when considering an alternate life as a father. He observed David's dislike of him, complaining to Carol, "There's a man out there whom I haven't seen in fifteen years, who's trying to kill me. You show me a son who'd be happy to help him." After witnessing Kirk's victory at the Battle of the Mutara Nebula and the funeral for Spock, David consoled his father and admitted he was "proud, very proud, to be [his] son." ( Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan )

Kirk with David's body on Genesis

Later in 2285, David was an advisor on the starship USS Grissom , researching the Genesis planet he had helped to create. Taken hostage by Klingons , David interrupted an attempted execution of Lieutenant Saavik , wrestling a Klingon warrior briefly before being killed with a stab to the chest. The news of David's death led Kirk to stumble to the deck in grief, spitting at Commander Kruge in his rage, "You Klingon bastard, you've--killed my son!" Kirk subsequently killed Kruge and all but one ( Maltz ) of his crew. As Kirk and his crew made their escape from the collapsing Genesis planet, he somberly and mournfully said goodbye to his son. ( Star Trek III: The Search for Spock )

Kirk kept David's memory close, with a picture of his son in his quarters aboard the Enterprise -A. Kirk's opinion of Klingons, once enemies he could occasionally respect and even share a laugh with, grew into hatred. In 2293 , during the diplomatic mission to the Klingon Empire instigated by the destruction of Praxis , he logged, "I have never trusted Klingons, and I never will. I've never been able to forgive them for the death of my boy." Acknowledging that he wanted to believe Spock's statements that the mission was historic, he added, "(H)ow on Earth can history get past people like me?" The partial log entry, surreptitiously and illegally recorded by the evil Lieutenant Valeris , was used against him during the trial for the assassination of Chancellor Gorkon, and the incident forced him to come to terms with his hatred for Klingons; Gorkon's daughter and acting successor, Azetbur , realized and admitted just as the Khitomer Conference was getting under way that Kirk had restored her father's faith, to which Kirk responded that Azetbur had in turn restored his son's faith. ( Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country )

Friendships

An approachable, gregarious individual, Kirk made many friends across a range of worlds and status, from the Hill dweller Tyree to Starfleet Fleet Admiral Morrow. Those that shared his closest, personal confidence appear to be limited to a few, including Spock, Leonard McCoy, and Gary Mitchell. The core group of talented officers that he assembled in his first years aboard the Enterprise followed his call throughout their own careers, and were integral factors to his long success and lasting reputation.

Kirk recognized the impact his life in Starfleet had on his family life. In 2287 , while camping with his friends in Yosemite, he referred to himself, Spock, and McCoy as the only family that men like themselves were likely to have. Presumably, his prediction that he would die alone meant that he would die with neither of them also present at his death. ( Star Trek V: The Final Frontier )

Nyota Uhura

Lt. Kirk introducing himself to Ensign Uhura

Kirk first met Nyota Uhura at a bar on the Enterprise in 2259. He introduced himself to her and she responded with hostility as she believed he was flirting with her. Over time, the two began to trust to one another and after dealing with the deuterium creatures within Bannon's Nebula , the two shared a drink and Uhura introduced Kirk to Spock. ( SNW : " Lost in Translation ")

After Kirk replaced Pike as captain of the Enterprise , Kirk kept Uhura on as communications officer. The two would work closely together for the next thirty years. ( TOS : " The Corbomite Maneuver "; Star Trek: The Motion Picture ; Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country )

Kirk and Spock meeting for the first time

Kirk and Spock officially met in 2259 after Kirk visited the Enterprise for the first time after being tentatively promoted to first officer aboard the Farragut . ( SNW : " Lost in Translation ")

By 2265, Kirk and Spock were serving together aboard the Enterprise and were familiar enough with each other for Spock to address Kirk as "Jim". After the death of Gary Mitchell, Kirk came to depend on Spock's detached, logical analysis as a supplement to his own intuitive and impulsive nature. Their official relationship deepened into a friendship of mutual respect and love that was without a doubt the most important relationship of both Kirk and Spock's life. ( TOS : " Where No Man Has Gone Before ")

The inseparable trio (l to r) McCoy, Kirk, and Spock in 2267

As Edith Keeler observed of Spock's place in the world, " You? At his side. As if you've always been there and always will. " ( TOS : " The City on the Edge of Forever ") He once described his Vulcan friend as " the noblest part of myself " and declared that Spock's immortal soul " is my responsibility, as surely as if it were my very own. " Kirk even told Spock's father that he would never realize how important Spock was to him, and declared that, despite losing the Enterprise and his son, had he not tried to rescue his friend, " ...the cost would have been my soul . " ( Star Trek III: The Search for Spock )

Kirk with Spock on Earth in 1969

The polywater intoxication that affected the Enterprise crew in 2266 led to a difficult encounter between Kirk and his first officer. Needing Spock at a critical moment, Kirk found him in anguished reflection, regretting his inability to express love even for his mother. Trying to bring the first officer around to the moment, Kirk slapped him. Spock's reaction was flat and revelatory, " Jim, when I feel friendship for you, I'm ashamed. " Struck again, Spock responded in kind, sending Kirk backwards over a table. ( TOS : " The Naked Time ")

Spock was sympathetic to Kirk's plight after the transporter divided the captain's personality into opposite aspects. He referred to his own halves, "submerged...constantly at war with each other," explaining that he survived it because his intelligence won out over both and forced them to coexist. Spock believed that Kirk's own intelligence would also enable him to survive such a contest intact, and urged him to embrace the part of himself that, seemingly ugly, was crucial to his personality and captaincy. ( TOS : " The Enemy Within ")

Kirk holding Spock after he is attacked by a parasite on Deneva

After Kirk discovered emotional rage was the key to nullifying the effect of the pod plants, his first step in retrieving his crew was to taunt Spock into anger. Anticipating the result of a Vulcan's higher strength level pitted against his own, Kirk wielded a pipe for protection. After being called an "elf with a hyperactive thyroid" and told that he belonged "in the circus, right next to the dog-faced boy," Spock indeed lost control, nearly killing Kirk before resuming command of himself. ( TOS : " This Side of Paradise ")

In 2267, Spock began his pon farr mating cycle, and behaved bizarrely aboard the Enterprise . Kirk called to Spock " the best first officer in the fleet " and " an enormous asset to me " as he pled with Spock to explain his actions. When told that by taking Spock to Vulcan, against Starfleet orders, Kirk fired back, " I owe him [Spock] my life a dozen times over! Isn't that worth a career? "

Joining him on Vulcan for his marriage ceremony, Kirk was drawn into T'Pring 's scheme to marry another, and forced to fight Spock to the death. McCoy, knowing Kirk was endangered, faked Kirk's death, and the marriage was not consummated. Spock, despondent that he had murdered his captain, thrilled at the sight of Kirk alive, exclaiming, " JIM! ", which McCoy delighted in needling Spock about once he gained his composure. ( TOS : " Amok Time ")

Kirk's understanding of Spock had an enormous impact on the parallel mirror universe, visited after a transporter accident in 2267. As Kirk's party prepared to return to their proper universe, Kirk implored the mirror-Spock to re-examine his role in the fascistic Terran Empire , insisting, "One man can make a difference." Mirror-Spock's consideration of those words led to his rise to dominance and reform of the Empire, with drastic consequences. ( TOS : " Mirror, Mirror "; DS9 : " Crossover ")

When Kirk was trapped in spatial interphase during a rescue operation in Tholian space, Spock ordered the Enterprise to maintain her position in an effort to retrieve him, in spite of the danger the Tholians presented and the disruptive nature of the local space. After Kirk's assumed death, Spock and McCoy viewed the "last orders" Kirk had prepared. He urged Spock to use all the Vulcan disciplines at his disposal, tempered with intuitive insight. Kirk believed Spock had the latter qualities, but should they elude him, he was urged to seek out McCoy. ( TOS : " The Tholian Web ")

Kirk once commented to Captain Garth that the dream of the Axanar Peace Mission participants made him and Spock "brothers." Spock only said, " Captain Kirk speaks somewhat figuratively, and with undue emotion, but what he says is logical and I do, in fact, agree with it. " ( TOS : " Whom Gods Destroy ")

When Dr. Janice Lester, a former lover of Kirk's, took over Kirk's body, Spock performed a mind meld on Kirk while he was trapped in Lester's body. Spock believed Kirk was Lester before anyone else, and when Lester as Kirk ordered his execution, he continued to stand by his friend. ( TOS : " Turnabout Intruder ")

Kirk with Spock again in the 2270s

At the end of the Enterprise 's five-year mission, a period marked by his frequent loss of his emotional control, Spock chose to leave Starfleet and his friends, to pursue the Kolinahr discipline of logic on Vulcan . His return to Enterprise during the V'ger threat was a cold event, without acknowledgment of his past friendships. In V'ger 's aftermath, Spock finally achieved equilibrium, able to express his friendship for Kirk without the influence of aliens or illness, and notably lacking any threat of physical violence. ( Star Trek: The Motion Picture ) In 2285, Spock was calmly able to tell Kirk, " You are my superior officer. You are also my friend. I have been and always shall be yours. " ( Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan )

Kirk and Spock, together on Kirk's birthday

Spock's sacrifice of his own life, to save the Enterprise from Khan's detonation of the Genesis Device, deeply affected Kirk. At his funeral, Kirk could only bring himself to say of Spock, " Of all the souls I have encountered in my travels, his was the most... Human... " but he broke off and broke down without being able to continue. ( Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan )

The revelation that Spock's katra, his "living spirit" (actually his complete brain patterns), survived in the tormented mind of McCoy, led Kirk to risk his career, and in turn, his crew's. He first asked Admiral Morrow for permission to retrieve Spock's body from the Genesis Planet, to bring it, and McCoy, to Vulcan. Kirk insisted that any chance to save Spock's soul was his responsibility, "as surely as if it were my very own." His request declined, he told his crew, "The word...is 'No.' I am therefore going anyway."

With the help of Uhura, Scott, Sulu, and Chekov, Kirk rescued McCoy from confinement and commandeered the Enterprise from Spacedock One . The renegade mission saw the destruction of Kirk's ship and the death of his son. Finding Spock's body re-animated by Genesis, Kirk brought him and McCoy to Vulcan for the fal-tor-pan (re-fusion) ritual. The first person Spock recognized was Kirk: "Jim. Your name...is Jim." ( Star Trek III: The Search for Spock )

During their homecoming from Vulcan, and eventually their trip to 1986 , Kirk tried to remind the resurrected Spock, suffering from memory loss, to their friendship and past adventures together. After Kirk's and the command crew's trial, Spock told his father, Sarek, that his "associates" were his friends. ( Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home )

Spock in an attempt to save Kirk's life at Yosemite National Park

In 2287, the trio enjoyed a camping trip together at Yosemite National Park , which abruptly ended when Spock, half-brother Sybok diverted the Enterprise to Nimbus III . After their adventure on Sha Ka Ree and Sybok's death, Kirk referred to Spock once again as his "brother," and told him and McCoy that they were his real family. ( Star Trek V: The Final Frontier )

When Spock later entered the alternate reality , he told the James T. Kirk of that reality of their deep friendship, despite the fact that the alternate Spock had marooned Kirk on Delta Vega . During this meeting, Spock called the alternate Kirk "old friend" several times and felt it was good to see a version of James Kirk despite the terrible events of that day . Kirk, who had been accused of cheating on the Kobayashi Maru by the alternate Spock, told Spock Prime that his actions in changing history could be construed as cheating. Spock nostalgically admitted that it was "a trick I learned from an old friend," referencing the prime Kirk.

When meeting with his alternate reality counterpart, Spock Prime admitted to deceiving the alternate Kirk to force him and the alternate Spock to work together to defeat Nero rather than intervening in the situation himself to make both men see the potential of their friendship. Spock Prime explained it as " I could not deprive you of the revelation of all that you could accomplish together, of a friendship that will define you both in ways you cannot yet realize. " He then encouraged the alternate Spock to stay in Starfleet and foster that friendship, something Spock ultimately chose to do. ( Star Trek )

In 2263 of the alternate reality, the alternate Spock discovered that even so long after Kirk's death, Spock Prime kept a picture of him and the bridge crew of the Enterprise -A amongst his personal things. ( Star Trek Beyond )

Leonard McCoy

Sharing a drink in 2266

Doctor Leonard McCoy became chief medical officer of the Enterprise after the departure of Dr. Mark Piper in 2265 . Kirk formed an easy rapport with his new doctor, giving him the moniker "Bones" (as in the old-fashioned colloquialism "sawbones" for a doctor or a surgeon). Even after McCoy began a program of exhaustive (and exhausting) quarterly physicals and interfered with Kirk's usual diet, their friendship grew rapidly. McCoy was probably Kirk's closest friend, aside, of course, from Spock. ( TOS : " The Corbomite Maneuver ")

The demands of Kirk's career required his best possible health, which Dr. McCoy closely oversaw. Kirk sparred with his crew in the Enterprise gymnasium for exercise. Quarterly physical checks tested his physical fitness as well as general health. In spite of his evident strength and conditioning, Kirk did tend to put on extra weight from time to time. Whenever Dr. McCoy noticed such a gain, he was unafraid to adjust Kirk's diet card , at least once annoying his captain with a plate of dietary salad . ( TOS : " Charlie X ", " The Corbomite Maneuver ")

Kirk could count on McCoy to express exactly what he thought, whenever he thought it, frequently without the courtesy of a question, and the doctor was often the sharpest observer of Kirk's actions and character. An early act of constructive insubordination occurred when the Enterprise faced the ominous spacecraft Fesarius and Kirk seemed to be pushing young Lieutenant Dave Bailey past his breaking point. McCoy let his opinion loose from beside the captain's chair, and Kirk barked an angry reply--but this led Kirk to realize that poker, not chess as Spock had postulated, was the game he and Commander Balok were really playing. Unintimidated by that angered reply to his unrestrained expression of opinion, McCoy continued that behavior throughout their service together, earning a wide latitude with Kirk. ( TOS : " The Corbomite Maneuver ")

The first time McCoy saved Kirk's life, however, was not in surgery, but instead when McCoy fired a phaser (which itself was unusual for McCoy) in 2266. When the M-113 creature of planet M-113 attacked Kirk, it appeared to McCoy as Nancy Crater , a past love and a particularly powerful impediment to inflict harm. With Spock's help, McCoy was able to see past the creature's camouflage, killing it before it killed Kirk. ( TOS : " The Man Trap ")

During the original five-year mission, Kirk recorded a tape of last orders Commander Spock and Chief Medical Officer McCoy were to play upon his death. He urged Spock and McCoy to give each other the same trust and loyalty they had each shown him. ( TOS : " The Tholian Web ")

Kirk implores McCoy to rejoin the crew of the Enterprise

McCoy's retirement from Starfleet in 2270 ended abruptly when Kirk, through Admiral Nogura , reactivated McCoy's commission for the Enterprise 's emergency deployment for the V'Ger crisis. Kirk's plea," "Damn it, Bones, I need you-- BADLY," ended McCoy's objection to the unwelcome "draft" and he returned to his frequent duty station, hovering just behind the captain's chair. ( Star Trek: The Motion Picture )

McCoy advises Kirk on the bridge

In 2285 , McCoy advised a melancholic Kirk, while both were surrounded by Kirk's collection of genuine and simulated antiques, on his (Kirk's) birthday, "Get back your command. Get it back before you turn into part of this collection." He gestured to the collection and finished, "Before you really do grow old." ( Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan )

Kirk holds McCoy in Spock's quarters

Kirk's drastic action taken to save Spock's katra was also an effort to save McCoy from the anguishing burden of bearing Spock's "marbles". After his moonlight requisition of the Enterprise resulted in the ship's destruction, burning through the Genesis planet's atmosphere, Kirk asked, " My God, Bones... what have I done? " McCoy replied, " What you had to do, what you always do: turn death into a fighting chance to live. " ( Star Trek III: The Search for Spock )

Kirk and McCoy in 2287

After the assassination of Klingon Chancellor Gorkon , Kirk and McCoy were imprisoned together on Rura Penthe . With the "help" of a shapeshifter named Martia, they were able to escape together and return to the Enterprise . ( Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country )

Montgomery Scott

Montgomery Scott , the oldest of the Enterprise senior officers, was also the most consistently deferential to Kirk. While not included in Kirk's innermost circle with Spock and McCoy, Kirk had evident faith in Scotty's capabilities as an engineer. Kirk pushed the Enterprise past her known limits many times, and the technical genius of his devoutly loyal "miracle worker" was regularly the key to success.

He later admitted that a big part of his reputation was his exaggeration of repair estimates, so that Kirk could be pleasantly surprised when Scott has them done quicker than he had expected. It became a running joke of sorts between the two later on. Scott and Kirk shared a passion for the Enterprise , but Scotty's was a simpler, less complicated love for his " bairns ". ( TNG : " Relics "; TOS : " Where No Man Has Gone Before ", " The Naked Time ", " The Changeling ", " The Paradise Syndrome ", " Elaan of Troyius "; Star Trek: The Motion Picture ; Star Trek III: The Search for Spock )

As the ship's second officer , commanding the Enterprise while Kirk led a landing party, Scott's personal loyalty to Kirk served as a bulwark against various ambassadors or potentates who threatened mission success. Usually, Scott refrained from taking the captain's chair and hovered around the conn when left in command, as he always felt more comfortable in engineering than on the bridge in command of the ship. He took the center seat only when the situation was critical: scaring a Klingon ship away from Capella IV , or defiantly facing down three Romulan battle cruisers and demanding his captain's return. ( TOS : " A Taste of Armageddon ", " Bread and Circuses ", " Friday's Child ", " The Enterprise Incident ")

" Aye, captain. " (2267)

When escape from the mirror universe via the transporter meant one of the Enterprise party had to stay behind to operate the controls, Scott stoically volunteered. After Kirk overrode him, Scott's one-word plea " Jim! " was one of the few times he familiarly addressed Kirk. ( TOS : " Mirror, Mirror ")

Scott kept his temper throughout Korax 's barrage of taunts and insults thrown at Kirk, but a cross word about the Enterprise led Scott to throw the first punch in the K-7 bar-fight of 2267. When Kirk, a little incredulous that his engineer had failed to defend his honor, confined Scott to quarters as punishment, the engineer beamed at the chance to catch up on technical manuals. ( TOS : " The Trouble with Tribbles ")

Kirk observed Scott's infatuation with two young and attractive lieutenants, Carolyn Palamas and Mira Romaine , with bemused detachment at first, until the "stiff-necked thistle-head" abandoned his usual solid professionalism and required Kirk's stern, but affectionate, scolding. ( TOS : " Who Mourns for Adonais? ", " The Lights of Zetar ")

Kirk with Scott during a power drain crisis in 2269

Kirk's socialization with Scott outside of the call of duty was rare. One exception, a visit to the flesh-pots of Argelius II , was a morale-boosting effort by Kirk on Scott's behalf. If Scott noticed the motivation, he didn't seem to care. Even after the horrific encounter with the Redjac entity, the "old Aberdeen pub-crawler" was eager to join Kirk on a second expedition to the planet. By 2285, Kirk knew enough about Scott's off-duty habits to detect the residue of a "wee bout" of shore leave at first glance. ( TOS : " Wolf in the Fold "; Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan )

" …she'll be ready. " (2270s)

When the V'Ger threat forced the newly refitted Enterprise into duty, Scott protested with a litany of complaints about the rush and unready state of the starship. After Kirk revealed he had convinced Admiral Nogura to return his command, Scott responded, " Any man, who could manage such a feat... I would'na dare disappoint. She'll launch on time, sir, and she'll be ready. " ( Star Trek: The Motion Picture )

In 2293 , Scott accompanied Kirk, along with Chekov, to the christening ceremony of the Enterprise -B. Kirk expressed to Scott his surprise over Sulu finding the time to make a family after encountering his daughter Demora . Scott reminded Kirk of a saying he always said, " If something's important, you make the time. " Scott also commented on Kirk's seeming restlessness, asking him if he found retirement to be a little lonely. " You know, I'm glad you're an engineer . With tact like that, you'd make a lousy psychiatrist ", Kirk replied to him. Later, Kirk was believed to be lost in a hull breach in deflector control caused by an energy tendril from the Nexus . Making his way to the heavily damaged area, Scott mourned the loss of his former commanding officer. ( Star Trek Generations )

Upon being rematerialized in 2369 after spending 75 years in the USS Jenolan 's transporter buffer , by the Enterprise -D, to Scott's surprise that he was found by the Enterprise , Scott's immediate response was, " The Enterprise! I should have known! I bet Jim Kirk himself hauled the old girl out of mothballs to come looking for me. " ( TNG : " Relics ")

Hikaru Sulu

Sulu, together with Kirk on the Shore Leave Planet

Though Hikaru Sulu was briefly an Enterprise physicist , he was transferred to the command division under Kirk's command, where Sulu became the ship's senior helmsman throughout the historic five-year mission. ( TOS : " Where No Man Has Gone Before ", " The Corbomite Maneuver ") Kirk relied on Sulu as a capable officer he could trust with the Enterprise conn in battle situations ( TOS : " Arena ", " Errand of Mercy ", " The Savage Curtain ") and on away missions as delicate as the timeline-risky visit to the US 498th Airbase Group in Omaha , Nebraska , on Earth in 1969 . ( TOS : " Tomorrow is Yesterday ")

Sulu with Kirk in the 2270s

Sulu risked his career for Kirk on two occasions. Conspiring with his friends, he assaulted a security guard to liberate Dr. McCoy, and piloted the stolen Enterprise out of Earth Spacedock to the Genesis planet in 2285. ( Star Trek III: The Search for Spock ) As captain of the Excelsior in 2293, he penetrated the Azure Nebula in Klingon territory in an effort to rescue his former captain before he was forced to turn back, ( VOY : " Flashback ") and he later joined Kirk in halting the Khitomer conspiracy . ( Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country )

Outside of their careers, however, the friendship between Kirk and Sulu was not especially close. Kirk was surprised to discover Sulu had a daughter, Demora , on the maiden voyage of the Enterprise -B. Chekov had to remind him that he had actually met her before, twelve years prior. ( Star Trek Generations )

Janice Rand

Kirk holds Janice close (2266)

Starfleet assigned Janice Rand as Kirk's personal yeoman in 2266. Initially, he complained about the idea of a female yeoman, leading McCoy to ask flatly, "What's the matter, Jim? Don't you trust yourself?" Kirk said he already had a female to worry about, and that the Enterprise was that female. Kirk warmed to Rand, but an undercurrent of sexual attraction between the two became obvious in stressful situations. Suffering from polywater intoxication in 2266, Kirk confided his attraction for Rand to Spock, shouting that he had "a beautiful yeoman!" Kirk later reached out to her hesitantly, longing for her, but he could not approach her on account of his duty. ( TOS : " The Corbomite Maneuver ", " The Naked Time ")

A transporter malfunction created a duplicate of the captain that contained his negative qualities, such as hostility, lust, and violence. That version of Kirk was consumed with lust and desire for Rand and went "on the prowl" to find her. Eventually, when they both were alone in her quarters, he slowly approached her. Besides being a little startled by his presence, it looked and felt normal for her, until she noticed the captain drinking from a bottle of Saurian brandy.

Obviously drunk, he started telling her that she was "too beautiful to ignore" and "too much woman." As he stalked closer to her, he claimed that they'd both been "pretending too long." Then, he suddenly grabbed her and began kissing her fiercely. The Kirk duplicate tried to pin her to the floor to rape her. But Rand defended herself, leaving a large scratch on her attacker's face, which helped the crew differentiate between the two Kirk "halves." After the situation was resolved, Rand continued as Kirk's yeoman until a reassignment in 2267. She returned to the Enterprise as transporter chief in the 2270s . ( TOS : " The Enemy Within ", " The Conscience of the King "; Star Trek: The Motion Picture )

Kirk and Rand repeatedly felt an attraction for one another, but resisted discussing or acting on their feelings openly. During one mission, Rand, Kirk and other members of a landing party were trapped on a planet where only children survived; adults quickly developed a deadly virus which had been accidentally created by a life prolongation project on the planet. When Rand became upset, Kirk held her close in his arms and comforted her. Miri , a teenage girl whom the team had befriended, witnessed this and became jealous.

She felt that Rand was her "competition" and briefly betrayed the landing party by letting the other children abduct Rand. The captain's love for Rand became obvious when he was under stress from the disease, as he became distraught and obsessed in finding "his Janice," even grabbing Miri and shouting, "Where is she, Miri? Where is she, Miri? Where's Janice? Has something happened to her? Where is she? I've got to find Janice!"

Back aboard the Main Bridge, Kirk admitted, acknowledging that Miri's true age was far older than it appeared to be, " I never get involved with older women, Yeoman. " Rand threw him an "Oh, really?" look in response. ( TOS : " Miri ")

When Kirk was a midshipman , he befriended Academy instructor Lieutenant Ben Finney. Some time later, Ensign Kirk and Finney served together aboard the USS Republic . The two became so close that Finney named his daughter, Jame , after Kirk.

A rift developed between the two friends while aboard the Republic when Kirk logged a mistake that Finney had made which could have caused the destruction of the ship. Because of this, Finney was put on reprimand and his name was sent to the bottom of the promotion list. Finney blamed Kirk for his subsequent inability to gain a command of his own.

Though their friendship was effectively over, Lieutenant Commander Finney served aboard the Enterprise in 2267, as records officer. Kirk was unaware that Finney's old grudge had been growing larger over the years, and Finney had passed into madness. To take his revenge, he staged his own death and manufactured evidence of Kirk's negligence. Finney was successful to a point, and Kirk became the first Federation Starfleet starship commander brought before a court martial . With the help of the eccentric lawyer Samuel T. Cogley and Spock, Finney's deception was revealed and charges against Kirk were lifted. Finney was arrested and faced trial, represented by Cogley. ( TOS : " Court Martial ")

Jean-Luc Picard

Kirk's body buried by Picard

Although their association was brief, James T. Kirk and Jean-Luc Picard had profound personal effects on one another. Very much like Spock and Leonard McCoy, Picard was instrumental in helping Kirk find meaning in his life after his greatest adventures were essentially over. In fact, it could be argued that Picard was one of the most significant persons in Kirk's entire life, as he embarked on his final adventure with him and passed away knowing that he had "made a difference." Picard laid Kirk to rest on that obscure planet and was his lone mourner. ( Star Trek Generations )

Often described as a ladies' man , Kirk was notably successful in attracting women, and enthusiastic in their pursuit, yet notoriously unsuccessful in establishing any lasting relationships with women – a fact his brother Sam tended to warn women about. ( SNW : " Lost in Translation ") By design or coincidence, his most significant affairs were with women fundamentally incompatible with his life in Starfleet. In weighing the balance of starship versus a settled home life, the gross tonnage of the Enterprise usually tipped the scale. ( TOS : " The Naked Time ", " Elaan of Troyius ")

As Kirk became more and more well-known, these exploits became the stuff of legend; when Jadzia Dax , upon seeing Kirk while aboard the Enterprise during the Defiant crew's trip over a hundred years into their past, mentioned how much more handsome "he" was in person, Captain Sisko responded that Kirk had "quite the reputation" in terms of his dealing with women – though Dax then admitted that the "he" to whom she had referred was actually Spock. ( DS9 : " Trials and Tribble-ations ")

While attending the Academy, Kirk was romantically involved with at least two women.

Ruth, as she appeared in 2252

In 2252 , another lover was a woman named Ruth . In 2267, he was greeted by a replica of Ruth that the Shore Leave Planet, in the Omicron Delta region, created. ( TOS : " Shore Leave ")

Janice Lester

Kirk had a year-long relationship with Janice Lester while she also was at the Academy. He professed loving her, but the romance ended badly after " the intense hatred of her own womanhood made life with her impossible. " The two were reunited in a truly bizarre manner in 2269, when Lester, extremely jealous of Kirk's successful career, traded her consciousness with that of Kirk's to take his place as captain of the Enterprise and then exact a double revenge by killing both Kirk and her womanhood. ( TOS : " Shore Leave ", " Turnabout Intruder ")

In the late 2250s , as an instructor at the Academy, Lieutenant Kirk was romantically involved with a " blonde lab technician " whom Gary Mitchell had introduced him to. His relationship with her grew serious, as he almost married her. ( TOS : " Where No Man Has Gone Before ")

La'an Noonien-Singh

Kirk first met La'an Noonien-Singh in 2259 when Singh contacted Kirk on the pretense of confirming his brother's place of birth, after her adventures with another alternate timeline version of Kirk. He later invited her for drinks if they were ever to meet at starbase. ( SNW : " Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow ")

They officially met later on when Kirk transported aboard the Enterprise . Kirk revealed to her details of his childhood and reminded La'an that she still owed him a drink. ( SNW : " Lost in Translation ")

After they worked together trying to eliminate the subspace fold, La'an confessed to Kirk that she had fallen in love with an alternate version of him. She told him that she also liked the way Kirk looked at her now, but he said that while he felt a connection with her as well, he was presently in a relationship with Carol Marcus. ( SNW : " Subspace Rhapsody ")

Carol Marcus

Carol Marcus in 2285

Kirk was involved with Dr. Carol Marcus in the late 2250s . She was stationed at Starbase 1 in 2259 and was pregnant at the time. ( SNW : " Subspace Rhapsody ") She bore his son, David Marcus , but the relationship dissolved as their careers drove them apart. In 2285, the fractured family unit was briefly reunited. ( Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan ;)

Janet Wallace

janet Wallace

Kirk was involved with the future Janet Wallace in 2261 ; this relationship was also called off due to their difference in careers. ( TOS : " The Deadly Years ")

In 2263 , Kirk broke off a relationship with Areel Shaw . Kirk was reunited with Shaw four years later, when she was assigned as the prosecutor in his court martial, though Shaw was pleased when she lost the case and Kirk was exonerated of any wrongdoing. ( TOS : " Court Martial ")

Noel's falsely implanted recollection

During an Enterprise lab's Christmas party in 2265, Kirk met Dr. Helen Noel and danced with her. He used her first name to address her and engaged in brief flirtation with Noel that ended unsatisfactorily for Kirk. He later exhibited irritation when McCoy assigned her to help Kirk investigate Tantalus Penal Colony , and Kirk insisted on using her surname while working with her. Testing the neural neutralizer , Noel conditioned Kirk to believe that their previous encounter had been a sweeping romance. The colony's mad doctor, Tristan Adams , used the suggestion of love and loss of Noel to torture Kirk. ( TOS : " Dagger of the Mind ")

The "evil" Captain Kirk and Yeoman Rand

In 2266, the evil side of Kirk tried to assault and seduce Yeoman Rand. ( TOS : " The Enemy Within ")

Also in 2266, Kirk met a girl called Miri , who was soon about to enter puberty , despite being about 300 years old chronologically speaking. Kirk piqued her interest by calling her "pretty" when they first met, and they went on to develop a close friendship. When the Enterprise left Miri (where Miri lived) shortly thereafter, Janice Rand told Kirk that Miri had really loved him. He accepted that, but said that he never got involved with older women. ( TOS : " Miri ")

Lenore Karidian

Later the same year, while on Planet Q , Kirk met Lenore Karidian at a party and entered into a brief romance with the then-nineteen-year-old blonde girl. As with many of Kirk's love affairs, the two fell in "love at first sight." Kirk was clearly enamored with Lenore, but the true depth of his feelings – and the importance of those feelings relative to his duties as a captain – were conveyed only through insinuation.

When Leonard McCoy directly asked Kirk whether he really cared for the hopelessly insane Lenore, the captain paused pensively, then evaded the question with a navigational order: " Ahead warp factor one, Mr. Leslie . " McCoy's reply, " That's an answer, " presumably indicated that he understood Kirk's unstated position: as captain, Kirk's priority was always the ship, despite his personal feelings for women such as Lenore. ( TOS : " The Conscience of the King ")

Edith Keeler

Edith Keeler in 1930

In 2267 , Kirk and Spock traveled back to the 1930s to repair damage to the timeline Leonard McCoy accidentally caused. While searching for McCoy, Kirk met and fell in love with the compassionate and far-seeing social worker Edith Keeler . Keeler's death was found to be the focal point in history needing repair. As she crossed a street to meet Kirk, he was forced to hold McCoy back while an automobile struck and killed her, thus restoring the timeline. ( TOS : " The City on the Edge of Forever ")

In 2267, the alien Sylvia tried to seduce Kirk into giving her the transmuter . ( TOS : " Catspaw ")

Marlena Moreau

After 2267, Kirk had a near romance with Marlena Moreau . ( TOS : " Mirror, Mirror ")

In 2268, while Kirk, Spock, and McCoy were held captive in a 20th century Roman Empire , a slave woman named Drusilla "seduced" Kirk. ( TOS : " Bread and Circuses ") In The Autobiography of James T. Kirk , Drusilla had a son named Eugenio ( β ), whom McCoy believed to be Kirk's son from their intimate time together.}}

In the line of duty, to recover the Enterprise hijacked by Kelvans in 2268 , Kirk seduced Kelinda , in order to arouse jealously in her commander, Rojan . Kelinda recognized Kirk's attempt at seduction, but welcomed his continued efforts. ( TOS : " By Any Other Name ")

Kirk kissing Elaan

On a peace mission to the war-torn Tellun system in 2268, the Enterprise transported Elaan , Dohlman of Elas , to her diplomatically-arranged wedding on Troyius . Kirk's antagonistic relationship with the arrogant and spoiled Dohlman changed sharply after her Elasian tears infected him. Under their powerful biochemical influence, Kirk became instantly and deeply infatuated with Elaan. He ultimately resisted the more compelling effects of the tears and fulfilled his duties, but both Elaan and Kirk experienced a tangible sense of loss at their melancholy final parting. ( TOS : " Elaan of Troyius ")

Miramanee in 2268

In 2268, on the surface of the Amerind planet, an accident induced amnesia in Kirk and separated him from the Enterprise landing party.

For several months, Kirk lived among the Native American inhabitants, worshiped as a god called " Kirok ". His mind at ease from the pressures of command, he took a wife, Miramanee , who became pregnant with his child.

When the tribal worship of Kirok was dispelled, he and Miramanee were stoned – fatally injuring both the young woman and their unborn child. ( TOS : " The Paradise Syndrome ")

Kirk "helps" Shahna

In 2268, when captured for the gladiatorial combats of Triskelion , Kirk was assigned to the tutelage of the drill-thrall Shahna . Kirk introduced Shahna to the wider universe around her, and the Human concept of love. ( TOS : " The Gamesters of Triskelion ")

Queen Deela

Deela was queen of the (infertile) male Scalosians who hijacked the Enterprise in 2268. They planned to use the male members of the ship's crew as a gene pool so her species could continue. Deela choose Kirk as her consort, who, along with the help of Spock, was able to stop her plan. ( TOS : " Wink of an Eye ")

In 2269, the criminally-insane, pathologically-lying Orion inmate of the Elba II penal colony , Marta , became infatuated with Kirk while tending to him after torture . The fact that she loved him meant she had to kill him, but she failed in the attempt. Garth of Izar's jealousy led him to use Marta as a demonstration of a new explosive, killing her. ( TOS : " Whom Gods Destroy ")

Kirk and Odona kissing

Prime Minister Hodin of Gideon , a world greatly suffering from overpopulation, abducted Kirk and forced him to spend time isolated with his daughter, Odona , in 2269. As a carrier of Vegan choriomeningitis , it was hoped Kirk would infect Odona, and the rest of the population. The couple became quite affectionate in their time spent together, though Odona said Kirk "behaved like a perfect gentleman." ( TOS : " The Mark of Gideon ")

Rayna Kapec

Rayna Kapec in 2269

In 2269, Kirk's encounter with the near-immortal Flint led to their competition for the love of the android Rayna Kapec , and resulted in her destruction. Kirk was heartbroken. Spock took an extraordinary liberty with his grieving friend, melding with Kirk without his consent, whispering the word "forget". ( TOS : " Requiem for Methuselah ")

Kirk fell in love with Antonia after his first retirement from Starfleet in 2281 . The two lived together for some time before Kirk decided to rejoin Starfleet. Later in life, he regretted not having proposed to her. He would later be reunited with a life like illusion of Antonia during his 75 years in the Nexus, which was, from a chronological standpoint, his longest-lasting romance. ( Star Trek Generations )

Kirk kissing Martia on Rura Penthe

In 2293 , Martia had a brief romance with Kirk to put him off his guard so he and McCoy could be killed trying to escape. When he expressed his disgust over having kissed her, she, while in his form, quipped, " Must have been your lifelong ambition! " (However, it turned out to be Martia who was ultimately double-crossed and killed.) ( Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country )

Khan Noonien Singh

Khan and Kirk on the Enterprise in 2267

One of the most violent rivalries of his life was the bitter feud between himself and 20th century Augment dictator Khan Noonien Singh .

In 2267 , the Enterprise discovered Singh and his followers aboard the SS Botany Bay and awakened them. Unaware of Khan's true identity, Khan took advantage of Kirk's hospitality to familiarize himself with the ship and its systems. After identifying Khan, Kirk had him restricted to quarters, prompting Khan to implement his plan to seize control of the Enterprise .

With the help of Lieutenant Marla McGivers , Khan assumed control of the Enterprise . The augments were eventually subdued with anesthetic gas, causing Kirk and Khan to engage in hand-to-hand combat. Realizing he was no match for Khan's augment strength, Kirk subdued him with a heavy flow-control rod. After defeating Khan and his followers, Kirk exiled them to the then habitable world of Ceti Alpha V . ( TOS : " Space Seed ")

Khan later sought revenge against Kirk after McGivers had died in exile. By that time, Ceti Alpha V had lost its ability to support much of the life it had once sustained. To exact his revenge, Khan hijacked the USS Reliant and stole the Genesis terraformation torpedo, whose research and development team included Kirk's old flame Carol Marcus and his bitter, resentful son by Carol, David Marcus. The torpedo's detonation aboard the Reliant, while it was inside the Mutara Nebula , killed Khan and those who were left of his people. But the Enterprise, and Kirk, barely managed to escape the torpedo's blast radius. ( Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan )

Kirk would more than once cross paths with the Klingon officer Kor. They first encountered each other on Organia during the 2267 Federation-Klingon War. Kirk was posing as a native of the planet when Kor declared himself its military governor. Kor was immediately drawn to Kirk, admiring his spirit compared to the passive Organians, and appointed him as his liaison. He would not learn Kirk's real identity until after Kirk and Spock had destroyed his supply depot. Kor noted he would have liked to face Kirk in battle and, even though he planned to have him executed and to use the mind scanner on him, joined him for a drink, where he noted his admiration for Starfleet and claimed they were alike despite their ideological differences.

After Kirk had been freed by the Organians, he again confronted Kor in his office. Kor managed to surreptitiously summon his guards but it was at that point that the Organians intervened, preventing combat between both the troops on the surface and the fleets in orbit. Kirk and Kor found themselves temporarily united in protest against the Organians' interference but Kirk accepted the situation quicker than Kor, restraining him from attempting to attack the non-corporeal beings. ( TOS : " Errand of Mercy ")

They would meet again in 2269, when Kor's ship the IKS Klothos exchanged fire with the Enterprise in the Delta Triangle shortly before both ships were pulled into the alternate dimension known as Elysia . Again, their battle was halted by an outside agency, this time by the ruling council who had forbidden violence in the area. Kirk convinced Kor that their two ships should work together in an attempt to escape the region but Kor planned to destroy the Enterprise afterwards, planting a bomb to detonate when the Enterprise went to warp eight. The attempt failed and Kor quickly left the scene, taking credit for the escape with the Klingons. ( TAS : " The Time Trap ")

Time travel

Several of Kirk's voyages involved travel through time, either personally through time portals or along with the entire starship Enterprise via acceleration through gravity wells . According to the Federation's Department of Temporal Investigations , Kirk, who sometimes ignored regulations when he felt it was for the greater good, amassed seventeen separate temporal violations during his career, more than any other person on file as of 2373 .

His time-travel exploits were well-known enough that, when Sisko, after he and his crew returned to the 24th century, told Dulmur and Lucsly that the vessel they had encountered in the past was the first Enterprise , the two DTI investigators shrugged at the realization that it was "his" ship, which Sisko proudly confirmed. Kirk was regarded by DTI as a "menace". ( DS9 : " Trials and Tribble-ations ")

Earth's 20th century

Kirk and crew visited 20th century Earth on multiple occasions during his captaincy.

The Guardian of Forever

In 2267, after experiencing violent time distortions, the Enterprise discovered the source, the Guardian of Forever . McCoy, delusional from an accidental cordrazine overdose, entered the time portal, altering history to the extent that the Federation and the Enterprise no longer existed. Kirk and Spock followed McCoy, appearing in 1930 New York City on Earth . Kirk found himself and Spock shelter in exchange for work, falling in love with a beautiful, idealistic benefactor, Edith Keeler . After Spock discovered that McCoy had prevented history's recorded death of Keeler, he was forced to restrain the doctor from saving her life again while Kirk watched Keeler die and himself avoid doing anything to save her life, the price for restoring the timeline. ( TOS : " The City on the Edge of Forever ")

When the Enterprise traveled back in time from 2267 to Earth of 1969 but was accidentally observed by the United States Air Force , Kirk, with Sulu, beamed down to a military base in Omaha , Nebraska , to destroy photographic evidence of the Enterprise 's appearance. By warping around the sun 's gravity well in a slingshot maneuver , Kirk and his crew managed to rectify the situation, cause the incident to "unhappen," and return to their own time aboard the Enterprise . ( TOS : " Tomorrow is Yesterday ") While formulating a means of escaping an alternate timeline created by Q 's manipulations of the past, Admiral Jean-Luc Picard referenced Kirk's intentional time travels, using this maneuver, prior to attempting it themselves aboard the CSS La Sirena in visiting the past from 2401 . ( PIC : " Penance ")

Kirk, with Spock in 1968

In 2268 , Kirk was ordered to repeat the recently proven slingshot maneuver, taking the Enterprise back to 1968 on a mission of historical observation. Intercepting enigmatic agent Gary Seven , Kirk attempted to stop his interference but eventually cooperated with Seven's effort to avert a nuclear exchange between the United States of America and the Soviet Union . ( TOS : " Assignment: Earth ") After arriving in 2024 , using the slingshot maneuver, Picard recalled Kirk's encounter with Seven after learning of Tallinns similar credentials as a watcher . ( PIC : " Fly Me to the Moon ")

Other temporal events

A visit to the planet Sarpeidon , doomed by its sun's impending nova , revealed that the Sarpeidans had escaped en masse into their own planet's past via their Atavachron time portal . The harried and ubiquitous Atoz mistook Kirk, Spock, and McCoy for tardy natives, and he thrust them into the planet's past. ( TOS : " All Our Yesterdays ")

In 2269 , Kirk and Spock used the Guardian of Forever a second time, on a mission of historical observation to the dawn of Orion civilization. Upon their return, no-one but Kirk recognized Spock as the Enterprise first officer. Supposedly killed in his childhood, Spock returned to the Vulcan of his youth, playing the role of a nearly forgotten cousin who had saved his life during the kahs-wan , a Vulcan coming-of-age ordeal. ( TAS : " Yesteryear ")

Alternate timelines

Captain of the uef enterprise.

United Earth Fleet Captain James T. Kirk in an alternate 2259

In the alternate timeline created where Khan Noonien Singh was killed by the Romulan Sera , Kirk was born on the USS Iowa , and was (still) the brother of George Samuel Kirk, who had died sometime prior to 2259.

Kirk once claimed he spent six months in a Denobulan prison with a Vulcan cellmate. He learned the Vulcan neck pinch from this person, as well as how to make Plomeek soup in a toilet .

Kirk dying of a gunshot wound in 2022

He joined the United Earth Fleet and by 2259, was captain of the UEF Enterprise . After La'an Noonien-Singh was transported aboard his ship from the prime timeline, Kirk was inadvertently brought back in time with her to 2022 Toronto , the point of divergence between their two timelines. Although initially skeptical of her intention to restore her timeline, he was persuaded to help her when he learned that not only was Earth a paradise, but that Sam was still alive. As they attempted to prevent history from being changed, Kirk was killed by the Romulan temporal agent Sera, before La'an succeeded in restoring the original timeline. ( SNW : " Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow ")

Captain of the USS Farragut

Captain James T. Kirk of the USS Farragut in an alternate 2266

In an alternate timeline where Captain Christopher Pike remained in command of the Enterprise and avoided the accident that exposed him to delta radiation , Kirk became the captain of the Farragut . In 2266 , he responded to the distress call sent by Outpost 4 as it came under Romulan attack. At Kirk's suggestion, the Farragut and the Enterprise shadowed the Romulan Bird-of-Prey responsible, preparing to engage it in a pincer move once it entered the tail of the comet Icarus IV and became temporarily visible through its cloaking device .

James T. Kirk in an alternate 2266.

However, the Romulan Commander had anticipated their plan and positioned his vessel behind the Farragut . Kirk ordered his ship to turn and engage the Bird-of-Prey, but the Farragut was hit by a plasma torpedo at close range and sustained catastrophic damage to its saucer section . With life support failing, the surviving crew were evacuated to the Enterprise , including Kirk. After Pike negotiated a ceasefire, Kirk piloted a shuttlecraft for reinforcements, returning with a fleet of drone ships to bluff the Romulan armada that had appeared.

When the Romulans attacked the Enterprise , Kirk used his drone fleet to cover the Enterprise until its engines could be repaired, beaming back aboard moments before the Enterprise jumped to warp. Pike was impressed by Kirk and told the young captain that he would make a good captain for the Enterprise . Pike got to know Kirk briefly before using a time crystal to return to his own time where he changed the events that led to this timeline. However, the encounter led to Pike taking an interest in Kirk in his own timeline. ( SNW : " A Quality of Mercy ")

Thelin's commanding officer

In an alternate timeline created where Spock was killed in 2237 when he was seven years old, Kirk had assumed command of the USS Enterprise by 2265 and chosen the Andorian Thelin as his first officer. ( TAS : " Yesteryear ")

Awards and honors

Kirk in dress uniform 2267

2233 : Born to George and Winona Kirk in Riverside , Iowa on March 22nd.
2246 : On Tarsus IV , he was one of nine witnesses to a massacre ordered by Governor Kodos .
2250 : Began a fifteen-year friendship with Gary Mitchell .
2252 : Entered Starfleet Academy as a cadet . Was romantically involved with Ruth and bullied by Finnegan . During his time at the Academy, participated in the Axanar Peace Mission .
2252 to 2255 : Befriends Lieutenant Benjamin Finney . Promoted to ensign and was assigned aboard USS Republic , along with Lieutenant Benjamin Finney.
Promoted to lieutenant. Was on his first planetary survey mission at Neural .
Graduated from Academy after defeating the "no-win" Kobayashi Maru scenario . Assigned to the USS Farragut under the command of Captain Garrovick
2257 : Encounters dikironium cloud creature while serving aboard the Farragut .
2259 : Appointed First officer of the Farragut
Late 2250s/Early 2260s: An instructor at the Academy. Gary Mitchell was one of his students. Relationship with Carol Marcus ends; their son, David Marcus , is born.
2261 : Breaks off relationship with Janet Wallace .
2263 : Breaks off relationship with Areel Shaw .
2265 – 2270 : He assumed command of the USS Enterprise for a historic five-year mission . Specific accomplishments include:
2265 : Takes the USS Enterprise to the galactic barrier , the first Earth ship to do so in two hundred years. During the mission, is forced to kill close friend Gary Mitchell .
2266 : Achieved first contact with the First Federation . Later that year, repels a Romulan incursion and destroys a Romulan Bird-of-Prey.
2267 : Became the first Starfleet captain ever to stand court martial, charged with negligent homicide in the death of Benjamin Finney ; charges dismissed.
2268 : Responsible for stealing a Romulan cloaking device during a covert Starfleet intelligence mission. Experiences amnesia and lived among the American Indians on Amerind where he wedded Miramanee .
2269 : Diverts the asteroid-ship Yonada from destroying Daran V . Nearly killed by Dr. Janice Lester with whom he'd had a year-long relationship years before. Trapped in a planet's past along with Spock and McCoy on a planet about to go supernova
2270 : Promoted to Rear Admiral and assigned as Chief of Starfleet Operations .
Mid- 2270s : Accepted temporary grade reduction to Captain and assumed command of USS Enterprise to intercept V'ger .
2281 : Retires from Starfleet.
2282 : Meets Antonia and enjoys a romantic relationship with her until choosing to resume his Starfleet career instead of marrying her – a decision he later regrets.
2284 : Returns to Starfleet as an instructor at Starfleet Academy.
2285 : Assumes temporary command of the Enterprise during a routine training mission, engages Khan Noonien Singh in the Battle of the Mutara Nebula . Deserts from Starfleet later that year to retrieve body of Captain Spock from the Genesis Planet.
2286 : Returns to Earth to face court martial charges. Subsequently, saves the planet in the Whale Probe incident. Demoted to captain for disobeying orders of Starfleet Commander Morrow and assigned to command the USS Enterprise -A.
2287 : Takes the Enterprise -A to the center of the galaxy after Vulcan renegade Sybok hijacked the ship.
2293 : Along with Captain Hikaru Sulu of the USS Excelsior , was responsible for saving the Khitomer Conference : retired from Starfleet and was presumed killed later that year during the maiden voyage of the USS Enterprise -B.
2371 : Jean-Luc Picard finds Kirk alive inside the Nexus . Killed while defeating Tolian Soran 's plans and saving planet Veridian IV .

Memorable quotes

The wit and wisdom of Starfleet Captain James T. Kirk.

Existential Kirk

" Space, the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before. "

"Above all else, a god needs COMPASSION!"

" I wanna live! I wanna live! "

" This vessel... I give, she takes. She won't permit me my life, I've got to live hers. "

" No beach to walk on. "

"Don't tell me that again, Science Officer! It's a theory; it's possible! We may go up in the biggest ball of fire since the last sun in these parts exploded, but we've got to take that one-in-ten-thousand chance!"

" Why me? I look around that bridge, and I see the men waiting for me to make the next move. And Bones...what if I'm wrong? "

" ...Nothing is more important than my ship. "

" You said you wanted freedom. It's time you learned that freedom is never a gift; it has to be earned."

"Death, destruction, disease, horror--that's what war is all about! That's what makes it a thing to be avoided. You've made it neat and painless. So neat and painless you've had no reason to stop it. And you've had it for over five hundred years. Since it seems to be the only way I can save my crew and my ship, I'm gonna end it for you, one way or another."

" All right. [War is] instinctive. But the instinct can be fought. We're Human beings with the blood of a million savage years on our hands, but we can stop it. We can admit that we're killers, but we're not going to kill today. That's all it takes! Knowing that we're not going to kill... today! "

"It's a true Eden, Jim. There's belonging and love. " "No wants...no needs...we weren't meant for that. None of us. Man stagnates if he has no ambition, no desire to be more than he is. "

" Well, that's the second time man's been thrown out of paradise. " "No, no, Bones. This time we walked out on our own. Maybe we weren't meant for paradise. Maybe we were meant to fight our way through...struggle, claw our way up, scratch for every inch of the way. Maybe we can't stroll to the music of the lute--we must march to the sound of drums."

" Excuse me, Gentlemen... I'm a soldier, not a diplomat. I can only tell you the truth. "

" Mankind has no need for gods. We find the one quite adequate. "

" Human flesh against Human flesh. We're the same. We share the same history, the same heritage, the same lives. We're tied together beyond any untying. Man or woman, it makes no difference... We're Human. We couldn't escape from each other even if we wanted to. That's how you do it, lieutenant. By remembering who and what you are. A bit of flesh and blood afloat in a universe without end. The only thing that's truly yours is the rest of Humanity. That's where our duty lies. "

" In every revolution, there's one man with a vision... "

"What is a man but that lofty spirit, that sense of-- enterprise? That devotion to something that cannot be sensed, cannot be realized, but only dreamed, the highest reality?"

" War isn't a good life, but it's life. "

" Do you know the one, 'all I ask is a tall ship...?' " " It's very old. " " 20th century Earth. 'All I ask is a tall ship, and a star to steer her by.' You could feel the wind at your back in those days, the sound of the sea beneath you. And even if you take away the wind and the water, it's still the same... The ship is yours, you can feel her. And the stars are still there, Bones."

" I... am... KIROK! " ( TOS : " The Paradise Syndrome ")

" You could serve as Human sacrifice. " " No I wouldn't enjoy that at all. Besides you seem to need me alive. "

" I don't believe in the no-win scenario. "

" We learn by doing. "

" The needs of the one outweigh the needs of the many. "

" Double dumbass on you! "

"Don't tell me--you're from outer space." "No, I'm from Iowa; I only work in outer space."

"Damn it, Bones, you're a doctor! You know that pain and guilt can't be taken away with the wave of a magic wand! They're the things we carry with us, the things that make us who we are! If we lose them, we lose ourselves! "I don't WANT my pain taken away--I NEED my pain!!!"

" You have restored my father's faith. " " And you have restored my son's. "

"I was out saving the galaxy while your grandfather was in diapers!"

" Don't let them promote you, don't let them transfer you, don't let them do anything that takes you off the bridge of that ship. Because while you're there, you can make a difference. "

Kirk on death

" Look, I could tell you some comforting fairy tale, but we both know the truth. Our job puts us up against death more than is fair. And we might not like it, but we do have to face it. And right now, death is winning. It claimed your family, it claimed your friend. It convinced you to forget them, because it's less painful than holding on to their memories. Now, you can let death win...or you can fight back. Hold on to them. "

" I'm used to the idea of dying. But I have no desire to die for the likes of you. "

" Poor Matt... He gave his life in an attempt to save others... Not the worst way to go "

" What a terrible way to die. " " There are no good ways, Sulu. "

" How we deal with death is at least as important as how we deal with life... "

" Lieutenant Saavik was right... You never have faced death. " " No, not like this. I haven't faced death. I've cheated death. I tricked my way out of death... and patted myself on the back for my ingenuity. I know nothing. "

" My God, Bones... What have I done? " " What you had to do. What you always do. Turn death into a fighting chance to live. "

" I've always known... I'll die alone. "

In Harm's Way

" This is the captain of the Enterprise . Our respect for other lifeforms requires that we give you this... warning. There is one critical item of information that has never been incorporated into the memory banks of any Earth ship. Since the early years of space exploration, Earth vessels have had incorporated into them, a substance known as... corbomite. It is a material and a device which prevents... attack... on us. If any destructive energy touches our vessel, a reverse reaction of equal strength is created, destroying... " " You now have two minutes. " " ...DESTROYING the attacker. It may interest you to know... that since the initial use of corbomite more than two of our centuries ago, no attacking vessel has survived the attempt. Death has... little meaning to us. If it has none to you... then attack us now. We grow annoyed at your foolishness. "

" They used to say if man could fly, he'd have wings... but he did fly. He discovered he had to. Do you wish that the first Apollo mission hadn't reached the moon, or that we hadn't gone on to Mars or the nearest star? That's like saying you wish that you still operated with scalpels and sewed your patients up with catgut like your great-great-great-great-grandfather used to. I'm in command. I could order this. But I'm not... because... Dr. McCoy is right in pointing out the enormous danger potential in any contact with life and intelligence as fantastically advanced as this. But I must point out that the possibilities, the potential for knowledge and advancement is equally great. Risk... risk is our business! That's what this starship is all about... that's why we're aboard her! "

" Khan. How do we know you'll keep your word? " " Oh, I've given you no word to keep, admiral. In my judgment you simply have no alternative. " " I see your point... stand by to receive our transmission... (whispers) Mr. Sulu, lock phasers on target... " " Time's up admiral! " " Here it comes. Now, Mr. Spock. "

" Sir, you did it! " " I did nothing! Except get caught with my britches down. I must be getting senile. "

" Kirk... you're still alive, my old friend. " " Still. Old. Friend! You've managed to kill just about everyone else, but like a poor marksman, you KEEP MISSING the TARGET! "

" KHAAAAAAN!!! " ( Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan )

" We tried it once your way Khan, now are you game for a rematch? Khan... I'm LAUGHING at the superior... intellect. "

" Sorry about your crew, but as we say on, Earth, c'est la vie . "

" I... have had... enough of you! "

" SHOOT HIM!!! "

" Excuse me... but what does God need with a starship? "

" Don't believe them! Don't trust them! " " They are dying... " " Let them die. "

" Risk is part of the game, if you want to sit in that chair. "

Kirk on women

" When I get my hands on the headquarters genius who gave me a female yeoman... " " What's the matter Jim, don't you trust yourself? "

" You're too beautiful to ignore. Too much woman. "

" Uh, there are things you can do with a lady, uh, Charlie, that you... Uh, there's no right way to hit a woman. I mean, man to man is one thing, but, um, man and woman, uh, it's, ah... is, uh... Well, it's, ah, another thing. Do you understand? "

" Worlds may change, galaxies disintegrate, but a woman... always remains a woman. "

" You'll learn something about men and women... the way they're supposed to be. Caring for each other, being happy with each other, being good to each other. That's what we call... love. You'll like that too. A lot. "

" Mr. Spock, the women on your planet are logical. That is the only planet in this galaxy that can make that claim. "

" You sleep lightly, captain. " " Yes, duty is a good teacher. I see you've changed your dress-maker. " " Release me! " " So you could attack me again? That would be foolish. " " Call the guards if you're afraid, captain. " " I'm not afraid. In fact... I find this rather enjoyable. "

Kirk and Spock

" Will you try for one moment to feel? At least act like you've got a heart? "

" Spock, I think I'm in love with Edith Keeler. " " Jim, Edith Keeler, must die."

" Alright, you mutinous, disloyal, computerized half-breed, we'll see about you deserting my ship... You're an overgrown jackrabbit. An elf with a hyperactive thyroid... What else would you expect from a simpering devil eared freak whose father was a computer and whose mother was an encyclopedia... Your father was a computer, like his son... from a planet of traitors. A Vulcan never lived who had an ounce of integrity... You're a traitor from a race of traitors. Disloyal to the core; rotten like the rest of your sub-Human race, and you've got the GALL to make love to that girl. Does she know what she's getting, Spock? A carcass full of memory banks who should be squatting on a mushroom, instead of passing himself off as a man. You belong in a circus, Spock, not a starship. RIGHT NEXT TO THE DOG-FACED BOY!

" Mind your own business, Mr. Spock! I'm sick of your half-breed interference, do you hear me? "

" Analysis, Mr. Spock? " " Very bad poetry, captain. "

" No, it was a calculated risk. Still, the Eminians keep a very orderly society and actual war is very messy business. Very, very messy business. I had a feeling they would do anything to avoid it, even talk peace. " " Feeling is not much to go on. " " Sometimes a feeling, Mr. Spock, is all we Humans have to go on. " " Captain, you almost make me believe in luck. " " Why, Mr. Spock, you almost make me believe in miracles. "

" Kill Spock? That's not what we came to Vulcan for. "

" Of my friend, I can only say this: Of all the souls I have encountered in my travels, his was the most... Human. "

" Oh him? He's harmless. Back in the sixties, he was part of the free speech movement at Berkeley. I think he did a little too much LDS. "

" ... either you're with me or you're not! " " I am here, captain. " " That's a little vague, Spock... "

" I lost a brother once... I was lucky... I got him back. "

" You're a great one for logic. I'm a great one for rushing in where angels fear to tread. We're both extremists. Reality is probably somewhere in between. "

" You know, if Spock were here, he'd say I was an irrational, illogical Human being for taking on a mission like that... Sounds like fun! "

Opinions of Kirk

" This officer's record shows him to be an insubordinate, unprincipled, career-minded opportunist with a history of violating the chain of command whenever it suited him. "

Appearances

" Where No Man Has Gone Before "
" The Corbomite Maneuver "
" Mudd's Women "
" The Enemy Within "
" The Man Trap "
" The Naked Time "
" Charlie X "
" Balance of Terror "
" What Are Little Girls Made Of? "
" Dagger of the Mind "
" The Conscience of the King "
" The Galileo Seven "
" Court Martial "
" The Menagerie, Part I "
" The Menagerie, Part II "
" Shore Leave "
" The Squire of Gothos "
" The Alternative Factor "
" Tomorrow is Yesterday "
" The Return of the Archons "
" A Taste of Armageddon "
" Space Seed "
" This Side of Paradise "
" The Devil in the Dark "
" Errand of Mercy "
" The City on the Edge of Forever "
" Operation -- Annihilate! "
" Catspaw "
" Metamorphosis "
" Friday's Child "
" Who Mourns for Adonais? "
" Amok Time "
" The Doomsday Machine "
" Wolf in the Fold "
" The Changeling "
" The Apple "
" Mirror, Mirror "
" The Deadly Years "
" I, Mudd "
" The Trouble with Tribbles "
" Bread and Circuses "
" Journey to Babel "
" A Private Little War "
" The Gamesters of Triskelion "
" Obsession "
" The Immunity Syndrome "
" A Piece of the Action "
" By Any Other Name "
" Return to Tomorrow "
" Patterns of Force "
" The Ultimate Computer "
" The Omega Glory "
" Assignment: Earth "
" Spectre of the Gun "
" Elaan of Troyius "
" The Paradise Syndrome "
" The Enterprise Incident "
" And the Children Shall Lead "
" Spock's Brain "
" Is There in Truth No Beauty? "
" The Empath "
" The Tholian Web "
" For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky "
" Day of the Dove "
" Plato's Stepchildren "
" Wink of an Eye "
" That Which Survives "
" Let That Be Your Last Battlefield "
" Whom Gods Destroy "
" The Mark of Gideon "
" The Lights of Zetar "
" The Cloud Minders "
" The Way to Eden "
" Requiem for Methuselah "
" The Savage Curtain "
" All Our Yesterdays "
" Turnabout Intruder "
" Beyond the Farthest Star "
" Yesteryear "
" One of Our Planets Is Missing "
" The Lorelei Signal "
" More Tribbles, More Troubles "
" The Survivor "
" The Infinite Vulcan "
" The Magicks of Megas-Tu "
" Once Upon a Planet "
" Mudd's Passion "
" The Terratin Incident "
" The Time Trap "
" The Ambergris Element "
" The Eye of the Beholder "
" The Jihad "
" The Pirates of Orion "
" The Practical Joker "
" Albatross "
" How Sharper Than a Serpent's Tooth "
" The Counter-Clock Incident "
Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
Star Trek Generations
Star Trek Beyond (picture only)
DS9 : " Trials and Tribble-ations " (archive footage)
ENT : " These Are the Voyages... " (archive audio)
ST : " Ephraim and Dot " (archive audio)
PIC : " The Bounty " (scan of remains)
" No Small Parts " (picture only)
" An Embarrassment Of Dooplers " (picture only)
" A Quality of Mercy "
" Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow "
" Lost in Translation "
" Subspace Rhapsody "
VST : " Walk, Don't Run " (archive footage)

Background information

Casting kirk.

Kirk was played by William Shatner .

Don Eitner served as body double for Shatner as the pair of Kirks in " The Enemy Within ". Actress Sandra Smith also "played" Captain Kirk in Janice Lester 's body in " Turnabout Intruder ", while Shatner "played" Lester in Kirk's body.

Following his introduction in the second pilot, the only non-appearance of Kirk was in the animated episode " The Slaver Weapon ". Archive footage of Shatner was used in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode " Trials and Tribble-ations ", and archive audio of his voice was used in the Star Trek: Enterprise finale, " These Are the Voyages... " and the Star Trek: Short Treks episode " Ephraim and Dot ".

William Shatner was not the first choice to play Kirk. The producers first approached actors Lloyd Bridges and Jack Lord for the role; both turned it down. [5] [6] (X) [7] (X) Both Bridges and Lord have since passed away.

In order to play Kirk, William Shatner attempted to stay physically fit. " I've tried to stay limber, and I've tried to keep myself in shape, " he related. " Not for a little reason. For a great reason, because I'm playing Captain Kirk, and I wanted to be ready for each movie and not act my age. " ("Strange New Worlds: The Valley of Fire", Star Trek Generations (Special Edition) DVD / Blu-ray )

Naming Kirk

The name for Kirk wasn't decided until 1965 . In a memo written by Gene Roddenberry to researcher Kellam de Forest on 18 May 1965 , sixteen names were under consideration. These names were:

Christopher

This memo was reprinted in The Making of Star Trek [ page number? • edit ] and Inside Star Trek: The Real Story [ page number? • edit ] .

"James Tiberius Kirk" was the final choice of name chosen to adorn the new TV show's hero.

Originally, according to Gene Roddenberry 's novel Star Trek: The Motion Picture , Kirk was named "James" after his mother's "first love instructor" as well as "an uncle" (his "father's beloved brother"), and "Tiberius" because the Roman emperor fascinated his grandfather Samuel.

Gary Mitchell's tombstone for "James R. Kirk"

Kirk's middle name came later, as can be ascertained by the "James R. Kirk" tombstone, created by Gary Mitchell in " Where No Man Has Gone Before ", Kirk's middle initial was R, not T. According to D.C. Fontana in the introduction for Star Trek: The Classic Episodes 1 , when the mistake over the middle initial was discovered, Gene Roddenberry decided that if pressed for an answer on the discrepancy, the response was to be " Gary Mitchell had godlike powers, but at base he was Human. He made a mistake. "

The origin of Kirk's established middle name has several possible, if not potentially conflicting, origins, including the "official" claim that David Gerrold spontaneously blurted out the name in response to a question regarding what Kirk's middle initial stood for at a 1973 Star Trek convention , and subsequently conferred with D.C. Fontana and Gene Roddenberry , who approved the name, and it became forever part of Star Trek lore. ( [8] Maximum PC , November 2010, p. 94; Star Trek: The Official Guide to the Animated Series , 129) In another instance, the name was referenced by Fontana in a Q&A with her and Majel Barrett , in an audio recording dated from a 1972 convention, which suggests that Fontana may have been the first to mention the name to the public. [9] Whereas a third case can be made, and consequently has been by various reference works, that Roddenberry himself was responsible for the name, as his "fondness" for "Tiberius" predates Star Trek , having had already used it in his prior series, The Lieutenant , for that lead character: "Willam Tiberius Rice". ( Star Trek Chronology (1st ed., p. 40); The Encyclopedia Shatnerica , p. 90; Star Trek Magazine Special 2016 , pp. 23-24)

Character development

Gene Roddenberry , in his original pitch to television producers, described the character (originally named Robert April , then Christopher Pike) that later came to be known, eventually, as Captain Kirk:

The 'skipper' , about thirty-four, Academy graduate, rank of Captain... a shorthand sketch of Robert April might be 'A space-age Captain Horatio Hornblower ', lean and capable both mentally and physically. A colorfully complex personality, he is capable of action and decision that can verge on the heroic – and at the same time lives a continual battle with self-doubt and the loneliness of command. As with similar men in the past (Drake, Cook, Bougainville, and Scott), his primary weakness is a predilection to action over administration, a temptation to take the greatest risks onto himself. But, unlike most early explorers, he has an almost compulsive compassion for the plight of others, alien as well as human, [and] must continually fight the temptation to risk many to save one.

NBC 's early- 1966 sales brochure (reprinted in Inside Star Trek: The Real Story ) described Kirk thus:

A Space Academy graduate, Captain James Kirk has learned to accept the loneliness of command as he has rapidly climbed the ladder of promotion, although he never will learn to like the loneliness his post brings. Starship command is the most important position a man in the Space Service can hold, since he alone can and must make decisions in his contact with the other worlds that can affect the future course of civilization throughout the Universe. So far, James Kirk has proven himself equal to this awesome responsibility. A strong, capable, highly intelligent man in his mid-thirties, Kirk is a born leader, who has trained himself to walk the tightrope between friendship and authority without losing his sense of humor or compassion for others.

William Shatner was to have reprised his role as Captain Kirk on Star Trek: Phase II . The writers/directors guide for that series, written, among others, by Gene Roddenberry and Jon Povill between May and August 1977 , described Kirk as follows:

A shorthand sketch of Kirk might be 'a space-age Captain Horatio Hornblower,' constantly on trial with himself, a strong, complex personality. With the Starship out of communication with Earth and Starfleet bases for long periods of time, a Starship captain has unusual broad powers over both the lives and welfare of his crew, as well as over Earth people and activities encountered during these voyages. He also has broad power as an Earth Ambassador may discover. Kirk feels these responsibilities strongly and is fully capable of letting the worry and frustration lead him into error. He is also capable of fatigue and inclined to push himself beyond Human limits, then condemn himself because he is not superhuman. The crew respects him, some almost to the point of adoration. At the same time, no senior officer aboard is fearful of using his own intelligence in questioning Kirk's orders and can themselves be strongly articulate up to the point where Kirk signifies his decision has been made. Kirk is a veteran of hundreds of planet landings and space emergencies. He has a broad and highly mature perspective on command, fellow crewmen, and even on alien life customs, however strange or repugnant they seem when reassessed against Earth standards. On the other hand, don't play Kirk like the captain of an 1812 frigate in which nothing or no one moves without his command. The Enterprise crew is a finely-trained team, well able to anticipate information and action Kirk needs. Aboard ship, Captain Kirk has only a few opportunities for anything approaching friendship. One exception is with ship's surgeon Dr. McCoy, who has a legitimate professional need to constantly be aware of the state of the Captain's mind and emotions. But on a 'shore leave' away from the confines of self-imposed discipline, Jim Kirk is likely to play pretty hard, almost compulsively so. It is not impossible he will let this drag him at one time or another into an unwise romantic liaison which he will have great difficulty disentangling. He is, in short, a strong man forced by the requirements of his ship and career into the often lonely role of command, even lonelier because Starship command is the most difficult and demanding task of his century.

Kirk's demise

Regarding the death of Kirk, Ronald D. Moore , co-writer of the script in which Kirk died, wrote:

Years later, Moore added:

William Shatner personally found portraying the final appearance of Kirk, in Star Trek Generations , was "kind of strange and sad." ("Uniting Two Legends", Star Trek Generations (Special Edition) DVD / Blu-ray )

Star Trek 's writers, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman , intended the alternate reality Spock to be given a hologram of Kirk Prime by Spock Prime to convince him of their friendship. His message would have bookended the young Kirk's promotion to captain and explained Spock's offer to become his first officer. However, the filmmakers opted to drop the idea without proposing it to Shatner, as the actor was vocal about having a substantial role in the film and not a cameo. Kirk's lines were as follows:

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you... (stops, grins) I know I know, it's illogical to celebrate something you had nothing to do with, but I haven't had the chance to congratulate you on your appointment to the ambassadorship so I thought I'd seize the occasion... Bravo, Spock – they tell me your first mission may take you away for awhile, so I'll be the first to wish you luck... and to say... I miss you, old friend. I suppose I'd always imagined us... outgrowing Starfleet together. Watching life swing us into our Emeritus years... I look around at the new cadets now and can't help thinking... has it really been so long? Wasn't it only yesterday we stepped onto the Enterprise as boys? That I had to prove to the crew I deserved command... and their respect? I know what you'd say – 'It's their turn now, Jim...' And of course you're right... but it got me thinking: Who's to say we can't go one more round? By the last tally, only twenty five percent of the galaxy's been chartered... I'd call that negligent. Criminal even – an invitation. You once said being a starship captain was my first, best destiny... if that's true, then yours is to be by my side. If there's any true logic to the universe... we'll end up on that bridge again someday. Admit it, Spock. For people like us, the journey itself... is home. [11]

Ambiguities

Accepted canon regarding Kirk's early life before the Enterprise , and gaps between events portrayed in films, are scarce and ambiguous. The following notes attempt to reconcile the "mysteries" of Kirk and canon, but these questions may never be satisfactorily answered.

One of the ambiguities was when Lieutenant Kirk was an instructor at the Academy. According to " Coming of Age ", there was an age requirement of 16 years for cadets. Assuming that Gary Mitchell was born in 2242 , the earliest that he could have entered the Academy was in 2258 . Of course, this raised the probability that the blonde lab technician might be Carol Marcus. Speaking of his time at the Academy as an instructor, he said in a line of dialogue from the script of "Where No Man Has Gone Before" that, " I sort of leaned on cadets I liked. "

The producers of Star Trek have stated – including on the audio commentary – that many of the events of the alternate reality could have taken place in the original timeline. Some possible events include:

a rebellious youth in Iowa
disciplinary actions for cheating on the Kobayashi Maru
meeting Spock for the first time because he cheated on his test

Roberto Orci , co-writer of Star Trek , had said that in an early draft of that film, dialogue confirmed that in the prime reality, Kirk was born in Iowa and not aboard the USS Kelvin : " If not for the attack from the Narada , the Kelvin would've reached Earth and Kirk would've been born in Iowa. The attack made Winona Kirk go into labor early. " [12] The dialogue in question was likely Prime Spock's line in which he tells the alternate James T. Kirk that he was born on a farm in Iowa, to which Kirk corrected him, stating he (the alternate Kirk) was born on a starship. This line appears in the novelization of the film , which used an early draft of the screenplay as a basis.

In March 1985, when the town was looking for a theme for its annual town festival, Steve Miller, a member of the Riverside City Council who had read The Making of Star Trek – a book that lists Kirk's year of birth as 2228 rather than the more firmly established 2233 – suggested to the council that Riverside should proclaim itself to be the future birthplace of Kirk. Miller's motion passed unanimously. The council later wrote to Roddenberry for his permission to be designated as the official birthplace of Kirk, and with Roddenberry's consent, the town developed a tourist industry around the idea. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home then established on screen that Kirk was from Iowa.

Reiteration

In 2022 , Paul Wesley appeared in the role of James T. Kirk during the first season finale of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , serving as the captain of the USS Farragut in an alternate timeline. His casting was announced on 15 March 2022 . He is set to reprise the role in Season 2 of Strange New Worlds . [13]

Outside of filmed canon productions, the character of Kirk had appeared in many novels , comics , games , and collectibles . While Kirk was the hero of nearly every TOS novel, he was notably the star of a series of novels by William Shatner (with Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens ) which starred Kirk, reborn after his 24th century death when the Borg -Romulan alliance resurrected and brainwashed him, intending to use Kirk to kill Picard.

However, surgery performed by Doctor Julian Bashir , aided by Admiral McCoy, removed the implant controlling Kirk's actions, and the residual 'programming' was removed thanks to a mind meld with Spock. After his condition was stabilized and the Borg-Romulan alliance was destroyed, as well as a fatal blow delivered to the Borg Collective , Kirk went on to form a close, albeit sometimes strained, friendship with Picard, as well as once again encounter the mirror universe as his other self returned to kill him. He even goes on to have a child with Teilani, a genetically-engineered Romulan/Klingon hybrid.

According to Star Trek II: Biographies , Kirk was born on July 28th, 2182 on Farside Base, Luna to parents Eugene Claudius Kirk and Marjorie Wimpole. He had a sister named Michele Suzanne Kirk.

According to several novels (such as Final Frontier and Best Destiny , both by Diane Carey ) Kirk's father "George Samuel Kirk, Senior" was a Starfleet commander who was a close friend of Robert April and briefly the Enterprise 's executive officer on its first mission. The novel Collision Course by William Shatner gave James Kirk's father's name as "George Joseph Kirk". The name of Kirk's mother was said to be "Winona Kirk". Crisis on Centaurus stated George died on the planet Hellspawn in 2250, but this was overruled canonically in the 2009 film with Spock stating George Kirk saw James taking command of the Enterprise .

The DS9 novel Original Sin features an Akira -class starship named the USS James T. Kirk (NCC-63719) in honor of Kirk. It had an illustrious service history which included exploration and defensive missions.

Kirk's gravestone

In the third and fourth issues of the IDW Publishing comic Star Trek: Spock: Reflections , Picard sent a message to Spock after the events of Star Trek Generations explaining how Kirk did not die on the Enterprise -B, but was pulled into the Nexus and how he left it to help Picard defeat Soran from killing 200 million people in order to re-enter the Nexus and in the process, Kirk was killed while saving Picard and millions of others. Since Kirk was already thought dead, and explaining the nature of the Nexus to Starfleet would be difficult, Picard decided to bury Kirk on Veridian III where he gave his life to save millions. Nonetheless, Picard felt Spock should know of Kirk's fate. Eventually, Spock traveled to Veridian III and retrieved Kirk's body where he brought him back home to Earth to be reburied at the Kirk family farm in Iowa. Spock explains to Picard how Kirk did the same for him, at a terrible cost , and says he needed to be equal to Kirk's sacrifice.

Kirk and The Doctor

In the third issue of the Doctor Who crossover comic Assimilation² , Kirk, Spock, McCoy and Scott investigate a Federation archaeological team on the planet Aprilia III on Stardate 3368.5, which had lost contact with Starfleet. Upon landing in the shuttlecraft Galileo , they are greeted by project manager Jefferson Whitmore, who assures them that all is well and gives them a tour of the facility, but Kirk finds the staff suspiciously calm. His team later return to the facility after dark where they meet the Fourth Doctor , assuming he's a member of the research team and he helps them break the electronic lock and together, they infiltrated the facility. There, they find the researchers standing catatonically, with small cybernetic devices in their ears. It is discovered they were under the control of the Doctor's enemies, the Cybermen . A battle ensues and Kirk fights the Cyber-Controller , but is proved no match for the cybernetic being. The Doctor then asks Kirk if he has any gold on him as he's had experience with the Cybermen and Kirk hands him his communicator. Kirk distracts the Cyber-Controller while the Doctor uses his sonic screwdriver to disintegrate the communicator's gold cover into dust and use it to clog up the Controller's respiration and allowing Spock to destroy it with his phaser. After the Cybermen are defeated and the Doctor slips quietly away, Kirk arranges for a permanent garrison of Starfleet Security personnel to protect the researchers against further Cyberman incursions.

In Star Trek Cats , Kirk is depicted as an orange tabby cat .

External links

James T. Kirk at StarTrek.com
James T. Kirk at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
James T. Kirk at the Star Trek Online Wiki
James T. Kirk at Wikipedia

Cast & crew
User reviews

The brash James T. Kirk tries to live up to his father's legacy with Mr. Spock keeping him in check as a vengeful Romulan from the future creates black holes to destroy the Federation one pl... Read all The brash James T. Kirk tries to live up to his father's legacy with Mr. Spock keeping him in check as a vengeful Romulan from the future creates black holes to destroy the Federation one planet at a time. The brash James T. Kirk tries to live up to his father's legacy with Mr. Spock keeping him in check as a vengeful Romulan from the future creates black holes to destroy the Federation one planet at a time.

J.J. Abrams
Roberto Orci
Alex Kurtzman
Gene Roddenberry
Zachary Quinto
1.6K User reviews
532 Critic reviews
82 Metascore
27 wins & 95 nominations total

Spock Prime

(as Zoë Saldana)

Amanda Grayson

George Kirk

Winona Kirk

Captain Robau

Officer Pitts
(as Antonio Elias)
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Did you know

Trivia Simon Pegg did not audition for the role - he simply received an email from J.J. Abrams asking if he would like to play Scotty. Pegg said he would have done this for free, or even paid Abrams to be in this film, if he had not been offered a role.
Goofs After Spock boards the Vulcan ship on board the mining vessel, Kirk is seen walking through some pipes. His Starfleet phaser has switched to a Romulan gun (longer barrel and no lights), before switching back to the Starfleet one again in the next scene. He actually acquires the Romulan gun a few scenes later.

Spock Prime : James T. Kirk!

James T. Kirk : Excuse me?

Spock Prime : How did you find me?

James T. Kirk : Whoa... how do you know my name?

Spock Prime : I have been and always shall be your friend.

James T. Kirk : Wha...

[shakes head]

James T. Kirk : Uh... look... I-I don't know you.

Spock Prime : I am Spock.

James T. Kirk : Bullshit.

Crazy credits The first part of the closing credits is styled after the opening credits of Star Trek (1966) , where the starship Enterprise blasts off into space as a monologue describes its mission, and then the cast names appear as the famous "Star Trek" theme music plays.
Connections Edited into De wereld draait door: Episode #4.157 (2009)
Soundtracks Theme from 'Star Trek' TV Series Written by Alexander Courage & Gene Roddenberry

User reviews 1.6K

briancham1994
Aug 9, 2020

Reboots & Remakes

If this premise is that an alternate timeline created when Nero traveled back in time, then what happened to James Kirk's older brother, Sam, aka George Samuel Kirk Jr.?
How can Spock's mother still be alive years later (original series) when she dies earlier on in this movie ?
What is Star Trek about?
May 8, 2009 (United States)
United States
Official Facebook
Star Trek: The Future Begins
Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park - 10700 W. Escondido Canyon Rd., Agua Dulce, California, USA (Vulcan)
Paramount Pictures
Spyglass Entertainment
See more company credits at IMDbPro
$150,000,000 (estimated)
$257,730,019
$75,204,289
May 10, 2009
$385,681,768

Technical specs

Runtime 2 hours 7 minutes
Dolby Digital
Dolby Atmos
2.35 : 1 (original ratio)
2.39 : 1 (original ratio)

More to explore

'Star Trek's' Paul Wesley Strongly Clarifies Recent 'Vampire Diaries' Comments, Explains Why He's Open To Many Years Of Playing Kirk

Posted: April 20, 2024 | Last updated: April 20, 2024

Actor Paul Wesley is crushing it as James T. Kirk in "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," but even so, there's a community of fantasy fans out there still holding out hope to see him return to his former franchise. Those hopes were dashed recently when Wesley went viral explaining why he wouldn't return to "The Vampire Diaries," noting that eight years on a show was long. CinemaBlend wondered if that same mindset translated to playing Kirk in "Trek" and got a passionate response from the actor about the differences between the two. We had a chance to speak to Paul Wesley recently, and during our conversation, we brought up the fact that many "Trek" actors have reprised their roles throughout their lifetimes. As the heir apparent to playing James T. Kirk from this point on, we noted he could be called on to play him in other projects and questioned if he was up for that, given the comments he made about never returning to "The Vampire Diaries." Wesley enthusiastically set the record straight on his original comments, with a bit of key context that better explained his response.

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La'an Embracing Khan Means Strange New Worlds Could Beat The Gorn
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James T. Kirk.
Kirk to Enterprise: The Piece of Star Trek in Your Pocket
¿Por qué el capitán Kirk viste de verde en el episodio de DS9 Trials

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COMMENTS

"Star Trek" The Paradise Syndrome (TV Episode 1968)
The Paradise Syndrome: Directed by Jud Taylor. With William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, Sabrina Scharf. Trapped on a planet whose inhabitants are descended from Northwestern Native Americans, Kirk loses his memory and is proclaimed a God while the crippled Enterprise races back to the planet before it is destroyed by an asteroid.
The Paradise Syndrome
"The Paradise Syndrome" is the third episode of the third season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek. Written by Margaret Armen and directed by Jud Taylor, it was first broadcast October 4, 1968.. In the episode, an alien device on a primitive planet erases Captain Kirk's memory, and he begins a new life with the planet's indigenous people modeled on Native Americans.
The Paradise Syndrome (episode)
Kirk loses his memory and begins a life in a native village. Kirk, Spock, and McCoy beam down into an idyllic location next to a lake on the planet Amerind, reminiscent of the American Pacific Coast. Kirk remarks on the "duplication" of the planet's evolution as compared to Earth, while McCoy notes the beauty of the flora. They come upon an ancient obelisk covered with unknown alien symbols ...
"Star Trek" The Paradise Syndrome (TV Episode 1968)
Release Calendar Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie Spotlight. ... Captain James Tiberius 'Jim' Kirk: Leonard Nimoy ... Mister Spock: DeForest Kelley ... Dr. McCoy: Sabrina Scharf ... STAR TREK THE ORIGINAL SERIES SEASON 3 (1968) (7.9/10)
"Star Trek" The Paradise Syndrome (TV Episode 1968)
The love scenes between Kirk and the Indian girl were just painful to watch; they were classic late 60's/early 70's cheese. People tune into Star Trek to see space ship battles and alien worlds; not to see the hero frolic mindlessly through the meadows with an Indian girl to syrupy flute music.
Miramanee
Miramanee was the tribal priestess of the Native tribe on the planet Amerind. She was the daughter of Goro. In 2268, she was under the influence of the belief that Kirok, the alias taken by James T. Kirk, who was suffering from amnesia, was actually a god. This was because Kirk resuscitated an apparently drowned young boy. She took the medicine badge from Salish, who was the medicine chief ...
"The Paradise Syndrome"
It's his best episode yet, with a performance that tops the ones he gave even in prior Kirk-focused episodes like "Obsession," "This Side of Paradise," "The Immunity Syndrome" and "The City on the Edge of Forever.". Yes, as Spock puts it, Kirk is an "extremely dynamic individual," but Shatner earns it here.
Khan Noonien Singh
Khan Noonien Singh is a fictional character in the Star Trek science fiction franchise, who first appeared as the main antagonist in the Star Trek: The Original Series episode "Space Seed" (1967), and was portrayed by Ricardo Montalbán, who reprised his role in the 1982 film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.In the 2013 film Star Trek Into Darkness, he is portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch.
"A Cuchi Moya!"
Number 49 (2007) DOI 10.18422/49-06 Native Americans, Science Fiction, Star Trek, TV. 06. "A Cuchi Moya!". — Star Trek's Native Americans. by Katja Kanzler. For decades, Science Fiction had offered those involved in a cultural phenomenon stigmatized as escapist entertainment the opportunity to playfully work through their visions of the ...
Star Trek
Three episodes cover the whole range of Star Trek 's representation of Native Americans from the earliest instance in Star Trek: The Original Series to Star Trek: Voyager 's recurring Native American character, Commander Chakotay. First, in TOS 'The Paradise Syndrome' (S3, Ep3), Enterprise arrives on an alien planet, where an accident ...
Star Trek: The most important moments in Captain Kirk's life
The Autobiography of James T. Kirk is a first-person perspective on Captain Kirk's life, with the legendary starship commander narrating his own life story. (The foreword is "written" by Dr ...
James T. Kirk
James Tiberius Kirk, commonly known as James T. Kirk or Captain Kirk, is a fictional character in the Star Trek media franchise. Originally played by Canadian actor William Shatner, Kirk first appeared in Star Trek serving aboard the starship USS Enterprise as captain. Kirk leads his crew as they explore new worlds, new civilizations, and "boldly go where no man has gone before".
The Native American Myth That Inspired Star Trek's The Enemy Within
O n the 1966 "Star Trek" episode "The Enemy Within," Captain Kirk (played by one-time /Film writer William Shatner) beams up from a geological research mission covered in a rare magnetic dust. The ...
Star Trek: Captain Kirk's Entire Prime Universe Timeline, Explained
Captain James T. Kirk had a massive impact on the Star Trek franchise, and his lengthy character timeline eventually became the stuff of legend. He debuted as the dashing captain of the USS Enterprise in Star Trek: The Original Series, and continued his legacy through the ages by defining the path of a leader in Star Trek.Though his methods were often contrary to the rule book, Kirk blazed his ...
Kirok
Kirok was the persona adopted by James T. Kirk, while suffering from amnesia, as he lived among the American Indian population on Amerind. As he had first been seen by the natives when exiting the Preservers' obelisk, and having shortly thereafter resuscitated a young boy who was thought to have drowned, Kirok was believed to be a god and became medicine chief instead of Salish. He also ...
Characters / Star Trek: The Original Series
The Captain.James Tiberius Kirk leads his ship, the Enterprise, through the adventure of the week — hostile cultures, supercomputers, places which look suspiciously like Earth, time-travel shenanigans.A very talented and level-headed officer, Kirk always took his duty to Starfleet deeply seriously and his main concern in any crisis was always the safety of his ship and crew.
Paul Wesley's Captain Kirk on 'Star Trek' is 'a whole new look'
A new captain has beamed up to the command deck. Vampire Diaries alum Paul Wesley was announced in March as a young Captain James Tiberius Kirk on the upcoming second season of Star Trek: Strange ...
Star Trek: The Original Series season 3
The third and final season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek, premiered on NBC on Friday, September 20, 1968 and concluded on Tuesday, June 3, 1969. It consisted of twenty-four episodes. Star Trek: The Original Series is an American science fiction television series produced by Fred Freiberger, and created by Gene Roddenberry, and the original series of the Star Trek ...
Star Trek (TV Series 1966-1969)
Star Trek: Created by Gene Roddenberry. With Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner, DeForest Kelley, Nichelle Nichols. In the 23rd Century, Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise explore the galaxy and defend the United Federation of Planets.
In Defense of Captain James T. Kirk
StarTrek.com. Let's start with some of James T. Kirk's origin story, for those who only see him as the king of swagger: He grew up with horrific tragedy; he lived through a food crisis on Tarsus IV, where Governor Kodos executed 4000 colonists to "save" the rest. Kirk, 13 at the time, was an eyewitness to the massacre.
James T. Kirk
James Tiberius "Jim" Kirk was a male Human Starfleet officer who lived during the 23rd century. His time in Starfleet made Kirk arguably one of the most famous and sometimes infamous starship captains in Starfleet history. The highly decorated Kirk served as the commanding officer of the Constitution-class starship USS Enterprise and the Constitution II-class starship USS Enterprise-A, where ...
Indians In Star Trek (Kinda Sad) : r/startrek
That'd be around .3% of people in the Star Trek Universe are Indian. And, since probably 2/3 of the people in Star Trek played humans, that would be like 3/333 = 1/111 ~.9% of humans are Indian. However, in the present world, around 15% of people are Indian. As a woman of Indian heritage, I just find the lack of representation for the Indian ...
'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Returning for Seasons 3 & 4
The role of Spock was originated by Leonard Nimoy in the original Star Trek series back in the 1960s and Peck plays a younger version of the character—in his pre-Kirk days on the Enterprise.
Star Trek (2009)
Star Trek: Directed by J.J. Abrams. With Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Leonard Nimoy, Eric Bana. The brash James T. Kirk tries to live up to his father's legacy with Mr. Spock keeping him in check as a vengeful Romulan from the future creates black holes to destroy the Federation one planet at a time.
Captain Kirk should have gone aboard Star Trek: The Next ...
William Shatner's Captain Kirk made his final appearance on Star Trek: Generations. He, Montgomery Scott (James Doohan) and Pavel Chekov (Walter Koenig) joined the Enterprise-B for its inaugural ...
'Star Trek's' Paul Wesley Strongly Clarifies Recent 'Vampire Diaries
Actor Paul Wesley is crushing it as James T. Kirk in "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," but even so, there's a community of fantasy fans out there still holding out hope to see him return to his ...