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James T. Kirk

James T. Kirk

Character analysis.

(Avoiding Spoilers)

Grew up… on Earth, as the son of George and Winona Kirk. When he was thirteen, he moved to Tarsus IV for a while until a food crisis resulted in a massacre, leaving young Kirk as one of few survivors who escaped. He eventually returned to Earth and enrolled in the Starfleet Academy.

Living... in the late 23 rd century, on the USS Enterprise . Kirk was assigned to captain the USS Enterprise and is in the midst of a five year mission exploring the final frontier and “boldly going where no man has gone before.”

Profession... Starfleet Captain. He’s a damn good one too. At the academy, Kirk was the only student ever to pass the Kobayashi Maru, a Starfleet test that is literally impossible to pass (though Kirk found a way to cheat the system).

Interests… exploration and adventures. Captain Kirk lives his life at warp speed. He famously told his friend Dr. McCoy, “Risk. Risk is our business. That’s what this starship is all about. That’s why we’re aboard her.”

Relationship Status... single. He’s charming his way through every galaxy in the universe. Kirk has had so many lovers that he’s probably lost count. Sadly, almost none of them come to fruition, as he must leave and continue his mission across the universe. But Kirk’s closest and most tested relationship has always been with his first officer, Spock. 

Challenge... exploring and sometimes saving galaxies from harm, without stepping on the toes of his superiors too much. Kirk, at times, believes his way is better than the Starfleet way, and often struggles to do his job within the confines of their rules. But some his biggest obstacles come from outside the Federation – in the form of the Romulans. They share a common ancestry with the Vulcans, but unlike the Vulcans they have scary battle plans and scarier eyebrows.

Personality... charismatic, moral, and headstrong. Kirk is brave enough to save a planet under attack and charming enough to woo every woman there afterwards. Despite his strong sense of justice, Kirk stubbornly takes matters into his own hands, often disobeying orders to do what he thinks is best. He pushes his crew, his ship and most of all, himself, to the limits of what they can accomplish.

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Get to Know him in...

Star Trek

The fate of the galaxy rests in the hands of bitter rivals. One, James Kirk, is a delinquent, thrill-seeking Iowa farm boy. The other, Spock, a Vulcan, was raised in a logic-based society that rejects all emotion. As fiery instinct clashes with calm reason, their unlikely but powerful partnership is the only thing capable of leading their crew through unimaginable danger—boldly going where no one has gone before.

Star Trek Beyond

The USS Enterprise crew explores the furthest reaches of uncharted space, where they encounter a mysterious new enemy who puts them and everything the Federation stands for to the test.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

Admiral James T. Kirk is feeling old; the prospect of accompanying his old ship the Enterprise on a two week cadet cruise is not making him feel any younger. But the training cruise becomes a a life or death struggle when Khan escapes from years of exile and captures the power of creation itself.

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

Admiral Kirk and his bridge crew risk their careers stealing the decommissioned Enterprise to return to the restricted Genesis planet to recover Spock's body.

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

Fugitives of the Federation for their daring rescue of Spock from the doomed Genesis Planet, Admiral Kirk and his crew begin their journey home to face justice for their actions. But as they near Earth, they find it at the mercy of a mysterious alien presence whose signals are slowly destroying the planet. In a desperate attempt to answer the call of the probe, Kirk and his crew race back to the late twentieth century. However they soon find the world they once knew to be more alien than anything they've encountered in the far reaches of the galaxy!

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

Capt. Kirk and his crew must deal with Mr. Spock's half brother who kidnaps three diplomats and hijacks the Enterprise in his obsessive search for God.

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

The crews of the Enterprise and the Excelsior must stop a plot to prevent a peace treaty between the Klingon Empire and the Federation.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture

When a destructive space entity is spotted approaching Earth, Admiral Kirk resumes command of the Starship Enterprise in order to intercept, examine, and hopefully stop it.

Star Trek

Along with his Captain James T. Kirk and the rest of his crew, Mr. Spock is in the midst of a five-year mission exploring the final frontier and "boldly going where no man has gone before." Spock's Vulcan heritage leads him to suppress his emotions and let logic lead his life. This is especially helpful in his role as advisor to Captain Kirk, who has a tendency to dive into situations without thinking them through.

Star Trek

Play as two of the greatest science-fiction heroes ever—Kirk and Spock—in the award-winning STAR TREK, a completely original co-op experience that expands the Star Trek universe even further. Set in the 23rd Century world of the massively popular Star Trek reboot, this cover-based shooter immerses players in a rich, original story and action-packed combat.

Star Trek: 25th Anniversary

Fasten your seat belts, bring your seat back to an upright position, you are about to pilot a Federation Starship on a wild roller coaster ride through the final frontier. Star Trek: 25th Anniversary is a point-and-click adventure with multiple solutions and moral choices, combined with a first person starship simulator. As Captain Kirk, you'll control phasers, photon torpedoes, shields, and communications during eight separate space and ground missions. Visit different worlds and then join a landing party sent down to map and interact with alien races and artifacts. Piloting the U.S.S. Enterprise is a thrill in itself, but the actual voices of William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, George Takei, Walter Koenig and Nichelle Nichols will make your adventure truly out of this world.

Star Trek - Armada

Star Trek: Armada is a real-time strategy game published in 2000 by Activision. The game's look and feel is based primarily on Star Trek: The Next Generation, and features a few of its main characters and ships. Playable factions include the United Federation of Planets, the Klingon Empire, the Romulan Star Empire and the Borg. The game received positive reviews and was noted for being one of the better Star Trek games to be made.

Star Trek - Armada 2

Star Trek: Armada II is a real time strategy video game published by Activision in 2001, based upon the Star Trek universe. The game was developed by Mad Doc Software. It is the sequel to Star Trek: Armada. Star Trek: Armada II was released by Activision a year after they acquired the full rights to all the franchise holding of the video game's franchise from Viacom. Like its predecessor, Armada II is set in the Star Trek: The Next Generation era of the Star Trek universe. The game showcases events in the Alpha Quadrant between the United Federation of Planets, the Klingon Empire, the Romulan Star Empire, the Cardassian Union, Species 8472, and the Borg.

Star Trek: The Animated Series

Star Trek: The Animated Series is an animated science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe following the events of Star Trek: The Original Series of the 1960s.

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  • The Enduring Personality of James T. Kirk

The Enduring Personality of James T. Kirk

A 60s Icon Through a 21st Century Lens

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Positively Trek 261: The Enduring Personality of James T. Kirk

“Space… The Final Frontier.” With those four words, the voice of Captain James T. Kirk echoes through the minds of Star Trek fans everywhere. Our first peek into the Star Trek universe showed us the bridge of the U.S.S. Enterprise with the stalwart Captain Kirk commanding the ship and our imaginations.

In this episode of Positively Trek , hosts Barry and Dan embark on the first of many character examinations, and we start where it all began: with Captain James T. Kirk. Most notably played by William Shatner, and ably reprised by Chris Pine and Paul Wesley, Kirk is an inextricable part of Star Trek . What does this character represent? How do we feel about how he has been portrayed over the years?

Show page: http://www.positivelytrek.com/

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Help support the podcast! Go to https://www.patreon.com/positivelytrek to help out!

Sunshine (version 2) by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4438-sunshine-version-2-

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Take a Chance by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4457-take-a-chance

Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.

STAR TREK and all related marks, logos and characters are owned by CBS Studios Inc. Positively Trek is not endorsed or sponsored by or affiliated with CBS/Paramount Pictures or the STAR TREK franchise.

Opening (00:00:00)

Memorable Kirk Moments (00:07:42)

Kirk and Spock (00:30:34)

Patreon Shout Out (00:39:20)

Kirk as a 60s Icon (00:39:59)

Kirk the Tactician (00:43:33)

Kirk and Edith Keeler (00:48:59)

Kirk Must Be Alone (00:57:54)

Final Thoughts (01:06:47)

Closing (01:11:12)

Barry DeFord

Dan Gunther

Dan Gunther (Editor and Producer)

Barry DeFord (Producer)

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  • How Kirk and Spock’s Relationship Held <i>Star Trek</i> Together

How Kirk and Spock’s Relationship Held Star Trek Together

star trek spock

Excerpted from TIME’s Star Trek: Inside the Most Influential Science-Fiction Series Ever . Available at retailers and at Amazon.com .

1_StarTrekCOV_US_v1.pdf

Leonard Nimoy and I certainly didn’t start our journey as close friends. Rather, like the other members of our cast, we were colleagues, feeling each other out, learning our professional strengths and weaknesses and trying to bring our A game to the show. The friendships that developed initially were in the scripts: the relationship between Kirk and Spock held the show together. The two of us were onscreen in almost every scene. Leonard described the relationship between these two characters as a “great sense of brotherhood. Spock was tremendously loyal and had a great appreciation for the talent and the leadership abilities of Kirk. He was totally devoted to seeing to it that whatever Kirk needed to be done got done.”

Conversely, Kirk relied on Spock unfailingly for his advice, knowing it would never be encumbered by any thoughts of personal gain or tempered by emotional constraints. But he also depended on him to share the burdens of command. With the exception of Dee Kelley’s McCoy, Kirk had to maintain the distance of command from the rest of the crew. That can be a lonely place if there is no outlet, and Spock provided that outlet for Kirk.

The first week we were on the air, there was one bag of mail. People were writing that they loved the show and asked for autographed pictures. That was encouraging. The second week we got three bags of mail. That was interesting. And then the deluge started, and in fact, it still hasn’t ended. We had not the slightest idea what we were creating; we were always fighting to stay on the air one more season, one more week.

Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock and William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk in the premiere episode of Star Trek, Sept. 8, 1966.

What was surprising to me was that rather than Capt. James T. Kirk, the character who received the most attention, and the most fan mail, was Mr. Spock. This was long before Leonard and I became friends, and honestly, I hadn’t expected it, and I was not especially thrilled about it. I was being paid the largest salary, I was out front for the publicity, I had the most lines, my character’s fate carried the story line, my character got the girl and saved the ship. The natural flow of events should have been that Kirk would receive the most attention, not some alien with strange-looking ears.

But the spectacular performance Leonard gave occupied all that attention in the beginning. Mr. Spock fan clubs were formed. Newspapers and magazines ran features on this extraordinary new character. Gene Roddenberry, the show’s creator, got a memo from the network suggesting that Spock be featured in every story. My future was on the line, and that line seemed to be getting shaky. And so, for a few weeks, I was quite jealous. It bothered me so much that I went to Gene Roddenberry’s office to discuss it with him. Gene was the voice of good reason in this case. “Don’t be afraid of having other popular and talented people around you,” he said. “They can only enhance your performance. The more you work with these people, the better the show is going to be.” In other words, the more popular Spock became, the better it was for everyone, including me, and I settled down to that lovely fact.

Spock evolved as Leonard explored all the possibilities of the character. It was a considerably more complex task than usual because there were no recognizable hallmarks. This was a brand-new character in American culture; he was carving out the path. There was no traditional right or wrong; the audience would tell him what was true. So Leonard took great care to protect Spock. He explained to me once, “No one else is going to provide that consistency and continuity. If the writers gave me the line ‘Let’s make hay under the Vulcan moon,’ it was up to me to remind them that three episodes earlier Spock had mentioned that Vulcan had no moons.”

Most of the hallmarks that became associated with Spock, in particular the Vulcan neck pinch and the Vulcan salute, were entirely Leonard’s creation. In one of our first episodes, Kirk’s personality was split into good and evil, and evil Kirk was about to kill good Kirk. In the script, Spock was supposed to sneak up behind evil Kirk and knock him out by hitting him over the head with the butt of his phaser. Leonard wasn’t comfortable with that; brawling, banging someone in the head somehow seemed below Spock’s evolved personality. It was too 20th-century. So he suggested to the director that Spock had a special capability that allowed him to put enemies out of action with little physical exertion. The director was open to the concept.

William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk and Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock in the Star Trek: The Original Series, Feb. 28, 1969.

Leonard and I sat down, and he told me what he had in mind: he would pinch my trapezius muscle, and I would collapse in a heap. I have no idea where that concept came from, but I was a professional actor; I knew how to fall down. Of course, it fit Spock perfectly: an advanced civilization would know where the vital nerves are located and have the physical strength to take advantage of that knowledge to incapacitate their enemy. We did the scene: Spock came up behind evil Kirk and pinched his trapezius, I dropped to the floor, and the Vulcan nerve pinch was born. For those people counting at home, fans of the show saw the Vulcan nerve pinch being used 34 different times. I wonder how many kids since then have had to suffer through the real pain of a Vulcan neck pinch.

The Vulcan salute has become recognized literally throughout the world. In this salute, the right hand is held up with the pinkie and ring finger touching but separated from the middle finger and forefinger, which also are touching, in a modified V-for-victory salute. It was created for the first episode of our second season, by which time Leonard had a strong understanding of Spock. In this episode, “Amok Time,” Spock has to return to Vulcan to fulfill a marriage betrothal that was arranged when he was a child. If he doesn’t return, he will die. This episode was written by the great science-fiction writer Theodore Sturgeon. This is the first time we have seen Spock on Vulcan, among the people of his race. In the script, he is greeted by the woman who is to conduct the marriage ceremony. Leonard suggested to the director that there needed to be some type of Vulcan greeting that would be appropriate. It would be the Vulcan version of a handshake, a kiss, a nod or bow, or a military salute. When the director agreed, Leonard had to create it. It was not an especially easy thing to envision. It needed to be unlike any traditional greeting, but it couldn’t be at all comical. As he often did, Leonard drew on his own life to find it.

Star Trek

There is a gesture he had first seen when he was 8 years old, when he went with his grandfather, father and brother to an Orthodox synagogue, and he had never forgotten it. In Jewish Orthodox tradition, during the benediction, the Shechinah, which very roughly means the feminine counterpart to God, enters the sanctuary to bless the congregation. The Shechinah is so powerful that simply looking at it could cause serious or even fatal injury. So worshipers use this gesture, in which their fingers form the shape of the Hebrew letter shin to hide their eyes. The gesture always intrigued him. “I didn’t know what it meant for a long time,” he said. “But it seemed magical to me, and I learned how to do it.” Not only did he use it as the basis for the traditional Vulcan greeting in the episode, many years later he published a controversial book of naked glamorous women wearing religious symbols, titled Shekhina. The gesture immediately caught on. Fans of the show started greeting him with it on the street—without realizing they were blessing each other.

Several of Spock’s phrases also have become part of the general culture, but none of them are as widely known as the four words said when giving the Vulcan salute that have come to have such deep meaning: “Live long and prosper.” They were written by Theodore Sturgeon for the same episode and are now known by the abbreviation LLAP—which was the way Leonard ended all his own tweets.

Spock eventually became a lasting archetype for an unemotional person. Even decades later, when New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd wanted to make the point that President Obama was dispassionate and distant, she referred to him as Spock. Spock’s lack of emotion became a central theme of the show. In fact, a lot of the humor in the show came from the constant sparring between the very human Bones McCoy and Spock. In one episode, for example, Spock comments, “He reminds me of someone I knew in my youth.” To which the surprised Bones responds, “Why, Spock, I didn’t know you had one.”

Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock and Joanne Linville as Romulan Commander in the Star Trek: The Original Series, Sept. 27, 1968.

It is difficult for people who aren’t actors to appreciate the talent it took to create a character that has become a part of American cultural history, the enigmatic Jay Gatsby of the 23rd century, destined to be played and interpreted by other actors. In less capable hands, it could have been a very one-dimensional role, but Leonard was able to create a dynamic inner life for Spock.

It resonated with audiences. Kids began wearing Spock ears, and Leonard received piles and piles of fan mail, far more than any of the other cast members. When he was out in public, people would greet him with a raised hand or wish him, “Live long and prosper.” On a different level, I experienced the same thing. People began addressing me as “Captain” or “Kirk.” That was a new experience for me. I’d had professional success, I’d played a role in some major movies, people recognized me, but I had never before been called by my character’s name. It was odd, and in some ways, it made me uncomfortable. I’m not quite sure why, but it did. I wondered, What is that all about? It’s crazy. So often I didn’t acknowledge it, or I disparaged it.

Perhaps the strangest thing was that eventually Leonard became somewhat ambivalent about his relationship with Spock. Spock made Leonard’s career. In each of the three years the show was on the air, Leonard was nominated for an Emmy for best supporting actor. TV Guide named Spock one of the 50 greatest characters in TV history. Leonard became well known and in demand because of the original series. But the new fear, replacing “I will never work again,” was that he was so strongly identified as Spock that he could never escape him.

For someone who proudly described himself as a character actor, being so strongly typecast he could not play other roles was a terrifying possibility. His first autobiography, published in 1975, was titled I Am Not Spock. The title, he explained, came from a meeting in an airport in which a woman introduced him to her daughter as Spock—although the child was never convinced. It also came from the publisher’s desire to profit from the popularity of Spock as well as create a little controversy. It was not, Leonard always insisted, meant to be a statement about his feelings about Spock, and he said if he ever had the opportunity to portray any fictional character, without hesitation he would choose Spock. And several years later, when he did write a second autobiography, it was titled I Am Spock. He had come full circle.

Adapted from Leonard , by Willam Shatner with David Fisher. Copyright 2016 by the authors and reprinted by permission of Thomas Dunne Books, an imprint of St. Martin’s Press, LLC.

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Kirk vs Picard: Who is the best Star Trek captain?

The debate surrounding Kirk vs Picard has been raging on since the late 80s, but can we finally settle the dilemma?

Still from White and Nerdy music video_Weird Al Yankovic_Kirk vs Picard

  • Command style
  • Personality

Kirk vs Picard. It’s probably one of the oldest pop-culture debates that is still going on, as well as being one of the nerdiest. Since the late 80s, when Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG) hit, fans have been divided. Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard, a suave and debonair diplomat, or William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk, a rough-and-ready, old-school man of action — who was the best captain of the USS Enterprise?

Since then, you’ll find no shortage of fans debating one way or the other. Fans of Star Trek: The Original Series prize Kirk for his rough and tumble attitude, and the cheesy, over-the-top style of his acting that matches the show around him. On the other hand, fans of TNG prefer Picard for his sophistication, his commanding demeanor, and the classically trained actor that portrays him.

No matter which side of the fence you sit on, if you’re a Star Trek fan then the discussion has almost certainly come up at least once. To this day, there is no general consensus on exactly which version of the character worked the best. Both characters have different things that make them appealing, and it’s hard to argue objectively one way or the other. 

Hard, but not impossible. That’s exactly what we're going to do right here. We’ll pit each captain of the Enterprise against each other, looking at their command style and personality to see who comes out on top. 

If you want to catch up on the exploits of both captains before you make your mind up, check out our Star Trek streaming guide to see where you can watch both shows online. You can also check out our Star Trek movies in chronological order guide too.

Kirk vs Picard: Command style

When it comes to running his ship, Kirk was very much a man of two minds. He was certainly a capable tactician, with many of his exploits becoming required reading in the Starfleet Academy. He stuck to his own moral compass, even when that meant breaking important rules, or trampling over some civilizations’ cultural customs. He was also a man who was capable of extreme aggression and anger, to the detriment of his mission, if rarely to the crew or ship he commanded.

Kirk was also a man who very much relied on his close friends to balance out his personality. He was passionate, sometimes to a fault, so Spock had to bring him down to a logical level. Similarly, he was sometimes overly gung-ho, meaning McCoy (aka Bones) fulfilled the role of his conscious. The Enterprise wouldn't have functioned nearly as well if either of these two weren't there to help Jim through the tough times.

In terms of his command style, Picard was very different from Kirk. He was incredibly strict and efficient, rarely relying on his passions or emotions. He was quick to anger, but very rarely let it control his decision-making. Picard was also a trained diplomat, which did have an impact on the way he ran his ship, making him much more likely to seek a verbal solution, rather than one based on immediate action.

Having said that, it’s not like Picard was perfect. He had personal attachments with several crew members that did occasionally interfere with how he commanded his crew, in particular Beverly Crusher and her much-maligned son, Wesley. Picard’s preference for words over action has endangered the crew of the ship once or twice, though his solid decision-making often saved the day in the end.

Kirk vs Picard: Personality

Personality-wise, Kirk is usually sold to outsiders as a horny womanizer. While that image is not without merit, it’s also true that his womanizing is somewhat blown out of proportion. For the most part, his character in the original series is staunchly pro-woman, defending reproductive rights and a woman's right to say no to a potential romantic partner on numerous occasions. If you only take into account the original canon, his number of confirmed partners hit around 9 or 10. Looking back, Kirk might seem like a bit of a sleazy horndog, but at the time he was positively forward thinking as characters go.

Outside of the bedroom, Kirk is an everyman. He doesn’t see himself, or in fact his officers, as above the rest of the crew. That’s part of the reason why he’s so willing to jump right in and put himself in harm’s way. He also cares deeply for the lives of his crew, as displayed on several occasions. Not only has Kirk done his utmost to preserve the lives of others, even at the expense of his own, but he’s been shown to take an interest in the personal lives of his crew, like when he went out of his way to run an ill-fated wedding for two of his crew members.

It can't be denied that Kirk has a dark and aggressive side. However, in one particular episode he addresses this and builds close personal relationships that help him to balance out those parts of himself; Spock and McCoy aren’t just officers, and at various times you get a very clear impression that they’re some of his closest friends. Without them, he would actively be a worse captain, and he knows it. They’re not just integral to the running of his ship, but an important part of his life and effectively act as his conscious.

When it comes to personality, Picard is quite a bit different from Kirk. Both are men of principle, Picard is much more reserved and restrained than Kirk. You can see that Picard cares deeply for the lives of those under his command, but he doesn’t rely on his officers in the same way that Kirk does. Although Riker does occasionally have to push Picard towards action rather than diplomacy at times, Picard often has a more balanced approach to problems than Kirk does when he’s separated from his officers and crew.

Compared to Kirk, Picard feels a bit more detached from his crew, yet he knows how to delegate and often does. While Picard is not unwilling to put himself into a position of danger, he acts more like an officer than a soldier. That’s not to say he’s okay sending his crew to their deaths, far from it, but he does seem to understand that it’s sometimes inevitable and is prepared to bear that burden. Indeed, while Kirk very much wears his heart on his sleeve, Picard is considerably more introspective. He carries a lot of pain with him and is often seen in turmoil over his past decisions and traumas.

Winner: Picard

No matter what answer you arrive at when it comes to the Kirk vs Picard question, you’re going to upset people. The truth is that both of these captains are brilliant in their own right. If you divorce the characters from the quality of the shows, it basically comes down to how you feel a ship should be run. The reason that Picard squeaks out a victory here is mostly based on his numerous unfair advantages.

The Next Generation is set over 100 years after The Original Series. Not only has deep space exploration been going on for over a century, meaning they’re not wrestling with the unknown as often, but the Federation is no longer one step away from war with the Klingons. Kirk almost certainly had to be more action-oriented because he was often working with little to no information. As information allows for more diplomacy, that gives Picard a slight edge here.

No matter how you personally feel about the shows, the characters, or the actors, you have to agree that the series wouldn’t be where it is today if it weren’t for both of these captains. They’ll forever be part of the legacy of Star Trek, which ensures that this debate will still be going on by the time we actually hit the year 2265. Also, you know the best Star Trek captain is Benjamin Sisko anyway... If you want more Star Trek content, be sure to check out our Star Trek movies, ranked worst to best article to see which captain gave us the best movie in the franchise.

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‘star trek: strange new worlds’ casts captain kirk: paul wesley to play iconic character.

The 'Vampire Diaries' actor will step into the sci-fi role made famous by William Shatner.

By James Hibberd

James Hibberd

Writer-at-Large

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There is a new James T. Kirk.

Star Trek : Strange New Worlds has cast actor Paul Wesley in the iconic sci-fi role.

The Vampire Diaries actor will join the upcoming Paramount+ series in the show’s second season, which is in production in Toronto. In an unusual move, the second-season casting is being announced before the first season has debuted.

Above is a first-look image of Wesley in character on what’s presumably the U.S.S. Enterprise bridge.

“Paul is an accomplished actor, an astonishing presence and a welcome key addition to the show,” said executive producer Alex Kurtzman and co-showrunners Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers in a statement. “Like all of us, he is a life-long Star Trek fan and we are excited by his interpretation of this iconic role.”

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Kenneth mitchell, 'star trek: discovery' actor, dies at 49, jason reitman enlists christopher nolan, steven spielberg, bradley cooper and more to buy westwood's village theater.

Kirk was first immortally first portrayed by William Shatner in 1966’s Star Trek and across many films. The character was also played by Chris Pine in the newer Trek feature films.

Strange New Worlds follows Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) as he leads the U.S.S. Enterprise. The show is billed as a return to the classic planet-of-the-week space exploration format of The Original Series . It also stars Rebecca Romijn as Number One and Ethan Peck as Science Officer Spock.

The series is a spinoff of Star Trek: Discovery , which introduced these new iterations of Pike, Number One and Spock during its second season.

While Pike is the ship’s captain, and Kirk will eventually be the ship’s captain, Mount will continue as a series regular on the program in season two.

Wesley is best known for his leading Vampire Diaries role across eight seasons. He also starred in the series Tell Me a Story and the miniseries Medal of Honor . He will next be seen in the film History of Evil .

Previously, Goldsman confirmed that one of the CBS Studios series’ new castmembers has a link to the show’s most iconic villain, the infamous Khan Noonien-Singh. Actress Christina Chong was announced as playing a series regular named La’an Noonien-Singh in the show. Goldsman hinted that Khan might eventually appear on the show, but not in its debut season.

Strange New Worlds launches May 5 on Paramount+. Here’s the trailer:

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Published Jun 12, 2023

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

Star Trek: The Original Series -

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.

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Laurie Ulster (she/her) is a freelance writer and a TV producer who somehow survived her very confusing adolescence as the lone female Star Trek fan in middle school. She's co-author of several books about TV and was the Supervising Producer on After Trek. Laurie can be found on Twitter at @floobish.

Graphic illustration of several wine bottles and glasses of wine

Memory Alpha

George Samuel Kirk

  • View history

George Samuel "Sam" Kirk, Jr. was a male Human scientist and Starfleet sciences division officer who lived during the mid- 23rd century .

  • 1 Early history
  • 2 Starfleet career
  • 3 Civilian career
  • 4.1.1 George Kirk Sr.
  • 4.1.2 James T. Kirk
  • 4.2.1 Christopher Pike
  • 4.2.2 Spock
  • 4.2.3 Una Chin-Riley
  • 5.1 Neutral Zone incursion
  • 5.2 Alternate 2259
  • 6 Key dates
  • 7.1 Appearances
  • 7.2 Background information
  • 7.3 Apocrypha
  • 7.4 External links

Early history [ ]

George Samuel Kirk, Jr. was born the son of George and Winona Kirk in Riverside , Iowa on Earth . ( SNW : " Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow ") He was the brother of famed Starfleet Captain James T. Kirk ; who believed he alone called his brother by the nickname "Sam". ( TOS : " What Are Little Girls Made Of? ") Unknown to James, however, George was frequently referred to as "Sam" while serving aboard the Enterprise in the late 2250s . ( SNW : " Children of the Comet ", " Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow ")

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

By 2259 , Kirk was married to Aurelan and they had three sons , including Peter . ( TOS : " What Are Little Girls Made Of? ", " Operation -- Annihilate! "; SNW : " Strange New Worlds ")

Starfleet career [ ]

Kirk served as a Starfleet officer , like his father and brother; he had attained the rank of lieutenant junior grade by 2259.

On stardate 2259.42, Kirk reported to the USS Enterprise as a member of the life sciences department under the command of Lieutenant Spock . ( SNW : " Strange New Worlds ") He worked primarily in a lab as a xenoanthropologist . ( SNW : " Lost in Translation ")

On stardate 2912.4, Kirk was assigned to the landing party to the comet C/2260-Quentin to determine how to stop it from hitting the planet Persephone III . Kirk himself was injured but was transported back to the Enterprise with the landing party where he received proper medical attention. ( SNW : " Children of the Comet ")

By stardate 1943.7, Kirk had recovered from his injuries. ( SNW : " Lift Us Where Suffering Cannot Reach ")

On stardate 2510.6, Kirk was involved in the landing party to investigate why the USS Peregrine had crash-landed on Valeo Beta V . He was notably stressed by the threat posed by the Gorn that had infiltrated the downed vessel.

Following their rescue from the incident, Kirk attended the funeral of Chief Engineer Hemmer . ( SNW : " All Those Who Wander ")

During a mission to Bavali Station to get the new deuterium refinery up and running, Kirk welcomed his younger brother James aboard the Enterprise . Kirk would assist James and Nyota Uhura in identifying the existence of extradimensional lifeforms that existed within the deuterium found in Bannon's Nebula , and the threat that processing that deuterium would pose to them. Following the mission, Kirk considered writing a paper on the subject, a prospect James called "thrilling." ( SNW : " Lost in Translation ")

Kirk would volunteer to take part in a mission to rescue survivors of a Gorn attack on Parnassus Beta . Kirk recognised his shortcomings during his previous encounter with the Gorn and wanted to rectify this, as well as gather useful information on the Gorn species and their weaknesses. Based on Montgomery Scott's description of coronal mass ejections in the nearby Shangdi system, Kirk theorised that the Gorn may have been responding to the solar flares in a similar way to locusts . ( SNW : " Hegemony ")

Civilian career [ ]

In 2265 , Sam saw James off when the captain began a five-year mission of exploration in command of the Enterprise . Also saying farewell were Aurelan and their three sons. On this occasion, Sam mentioned that he wished to be transferred to the Earth Colony II research station . ( TOS : " What Are Little Girls Made Of? ")

The following year , Sam was working as a civilian research biologist living with his family on Deneva ; his private transmitter was designated GSK 783 .

A short time later, vessels from Ingraham B arrived carrying flying parasites , and many of the colonists, including Sam, were attacked and infiltrated by the parasites . Resisting the parasites' control was excruciatingly painful, but in early 2267 , eight months after the Ingraham B vessels arrived, Aurelan managed to break the long communication blackout and get a brief distress call out to the Enterprise .

By the time the ship arrived, Sam was dead ; his wife died soon after. Their son, Peter, lived and was ultimately freed of the parasites. ( TOS : " Operation -- Annihilate! ")

Relationships [ ]

George kirk sr. [ ].

While he was the elder son and had been named after George (though he did not use the name), Sam felt his father held "old-fashioned" views on what made a fulfilled life and successful career, which were reflected more by James than Sam. This instilled a sibling rivalry in Sam, perhaps moreso than his younger brother. ( SNW : " Lost in Translation ")

James T. Kirk [ ]

The Brothers Kirk

Sam and James Kirk hugging in an alternate 2266

Sam was the older brother of James T. Kirk , who was the one who gave Sam his nickname. When James was given command of the USS Enterprise , he, along with his family, were present when James left on his five-year mission. ( TOS : " What Are Little Girls Made Of? ")

Their relationship did experience signs of strain at times; Sam expressed feelings of jealousy towards James' quick rise through the ranks. In 2259 , James had become the first officer on the USS 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 ")

An alternate timeline version of George Samuel Kirk described his brother as a "huge pain in the ass, but he's as fine a captain as Starfleet has." ( SNW : " A Quality of Mercy ")

Friendships [ ]

Christopher pike [ ].

Sam Kirk and Chris Pike

Samuel Kirk and Christopher Pike

Kirk and Christopher Pike met sometime prior to 2259 and became friends. In fact, prior to the mission to Kiley 279 , Pike personally wanted Kirk aboard the Enterprise as a crewmember. ( SNW : " Strange New Worlds ")

During the briefing prior to his first away mission, Pike commented on liking Kirk's new mustache , prompting Kirk to suggest that Pike might want to try one on himself. ( SNW : " Children of the Comet ")

When Kirk reacted emotionally to the Gorn hunting the landing party on the USS Peregrine , Doctor M'Benga suggested to Captain Pike that he be given a sedative. Pike refused him, stating his belief that Kirk was "stronger than he looks". ( SNW : " All Those Who Wander ")

Kirk served under Spock in the life sciences department aboard Enterprise ; upon being introduced by Captain Pike, Spock's initial reaction was less than enthusiastic. ( SNW : " Strange New Worlds ")

Kirk's tendency to eat (and therefore leave dirty plates and crumbs) during departmental meetings was a source of frustration for Spock; when his Vulcan DNA was temporarily removed following an encounter with the Kerkhovians , he angrily lunged at Kirk, who was bewildered by the scale of his overreaction. ( SNW : " Charades ")

Una Chin-Riley [ ]

Kirk held a great deal of respect for Una Chin-Riley , as he described her to his brother as "the first officer that he thought James should be like," someone who kept a necessary distance from her crew because she knows she has to make hard decisions. ( SNW : " Subspace Rhapsody ")

Alternate timelines [ ]

Neutral zone incursion [ ].

George Samuel Kirk (alternate 2266)

Lt. George Samuel Kirk in an alternate 2266

In an alternate timeline , Sam was still serving aboard the USS Enterprise in 2266 during the Neutral Zone Incursion .

A time traveling Christopher Pike from 2259 consulted with Sam after learning that his brother was the captain of the USS Farragut . After James beamed aboard, he and Sam immediately shared a hug, warmly greeting each other. ( SNW : " A Quality of Mercy ")

Alternate 2259 [ ]

In an alternate 2259 , Sam had died due to unknown circumstances. ( SNW : " Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow ")

Key dates [ ]

  • 2259 : Appointed to the life sciences department aboard the USS Enterprise
  • 2265 : Sees brother James T. Kirk off on his five-year mission
  • 2266 : Moves to Deneva
  • 2267 : Dies after being infected by a flying parasite

Appendices [ ]

Appearances [ ].

  • TOS : " Operation -- Annihilate! " ( Season 1 )
  • " Strange New Worlds " ( Season 1 )
  • " Children of the Comet "
  • " Lift Us Where Suffering Cannot Reach "
  • " All Those Who Wander "
  • " A Quality of Mercy " ( alternate timeline )
  • " Charades " ( Season 2 )
  • " Lost in Translation "
  • " Subspace Rhapsody "
  • " Hegemony "

Background information [ ]

George Samuel Kirk was portrayed by Dan Jeannotte in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds .

Originally, the corpse of George Samuel Kirk was portrayed by William Shatner in his only non-James T. Kirk role (possessed or otherwise). According to the script for "Operation -- Annihilate!", " Sam is revealed, very definitely a Kirk… older by ten years than the captain, perhaps a little different in nose or jawline… but he looks too much like Jim Kirk to be anyone but his brother. "

Johnny (Human)

Johnny , formerly George Samuel Kirk

George Samuel Kirk was to appear in 2009 's Star Trek (referred to in the film's script as "George Kirk, Jr." [1] ), where he would have been played by Spencer Daniels . Scenes featuring Daniels as Sam Kirk were filmed, but the character was entirely cut from the final release. The one remaining scene of Daniels playing Sam Kirk, in which Jim Kirk called out to him as he was driving past him in their uncle's (in the final cut, their stepfather's) Corvette , was altered to change the name of Daniels' character to " Johnny ", apparently a friend of Jim's.

George Samuel Kirk's deleted scene from 2009's Star Trek was available on Star Trek  the two-disc DVD release for the film , Star Trek  the three-disc Blu-ray release as well as the Blu-ray set Star Trek: The Compendium . In the scene, George ran away from home and his brother to escape the cruelty of their uncle Frank , finding it impossible to "be a Kirk" in Frank's household. He was also angered that Frank had claimed their late father's Corvette as his own. After George left, Jim found the keys to the Corvette and drove off in the car. As originally conceived, Jim drove by and called out to a shocked George, who had been trying to hitchhike.

Apocrypha [ ]

George Samuel Kirk appeared in the last chapter of Star Trek: Enterprise novel Last Full Measure , set in 2238 , in which an elderly Trip 's first visit to the Starfleet War Memorial coincided with that of young Sam and Jimmy Kirk, rendering the quiet reflection he had hoped for an impossibility. The scene established George's birthdate August 12, which was also when Federation Day was celebrated. However, according to "Echoes of Yesterday" in TOS Special 3 , George's birthdate was September 7, 2229 , and his death took place on April 13, 2267 . ("Operation – Annihilate!" originally aired on April 13, 1967)

George's two unnamed sons have been given many different names in various novels, comics and video games. The TOS novels The Last Roundup and Provenance of Shadows gives these boys the names Alexander and Julius. The novel The Autobiography of James T. Kirk calls them Joshua and Steven. The comic book Star-Crossed Part 2: Loved Not Wisely... calls them Brett and Robbie. The comic book story " Bloodline " calls them Marcus and Virgil. The comic story " The Unforgiven " calls them Adam and Jason. The photocomic " Sam " calls them George and Gregory. The video game Star Trek: Starship Creator calls them Stephen and Thomas. One of the sons was named Craig in the game Star Trek: Away Team .

A slightly altered version of George's deleted scene from 2009's Star Trek was found in the film's novelization . Among the scene's changes made for the book was George's revelation that Frank (who in a merger of the script and film characters the boys' stepfather, not uncle) wanted Jim to wash the Corvette, which had belonged to their late father, because he intended to sell it behind their mother's back - it was after hearing this that the decision to steal the car was made.

George Samuel Kirk, IDW

George Samuel Kirk of the alternate reality

The alternate reality George appeared in IDW Publishing 's Star Trek: Ongoing comic series, exploring events of the original series in the alternate reality, which clarified that the boys lived with their uncle until George ran away to live with his grandfather. This later led to a rift between the brothers, James feeling that George had abandoned their mother.

During their investigation of the neural parasites, Kirk and the crew discovered George living underground with his family to escape the influence of the parasites after their attack on the colony, with the Enterprise subsequently devising a means to banish the parasites and cure George's family, which here consisted only of his wife Aurelan and one son, Peter ( β ). At the story's conclusion, George and his family return to the colony, with George complimenting his brother's success, a degree of reconciliation having been reached between the two of them.

His mirror universe counterpart ( β ) was mentioned as being a Terran Empire scientist in the short story "The Greater Good" contained in the anthology Shards and Shadows . In 2263 , he was awarded the Zee-Magnees Prize for his work in precision frontal lobotomy. As he had no interest in a military career and his brother James T. Kirk had no interest in science unless he could manipulate it to make his life easier, neither brother had to worry about the other getting in the way of his career and having to be eliminated.

External links [ ]

  • George Samuel Kirk at StarTrek.com
  • George Samuel Kirk, Jr. at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
  • 3 Starfleet uniform (2350s-2370s)

Character Personality Types, Psychology & Philosophy

James T. Kirk Personality Type – MBTI & Big Five

What is the personality type of the Star Trek character, Captain James Tiberius Kirk? I will mostly be using the Big Five Personality Traits, and the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) for this analysis.

Captain James Kirk Personality Type.

James T. Kirk is the most well-known character in the Star Trek universe, and the captain of the most well-known ship in the federation. This ship, of course, is the Star Ship Enterprise.

James T. Kirk Personality – Big Five

James Kirk is high in the trait of openness. There are a few things about his character and life choices that suggest this. Firstly, he works in space, and space is very open. Secondly, Kirk often moves away from conventions and traditions. James Kirk tends to have a dislike for rules, and often goes against authority. There are many examples of this rebellious type of behaviour in the many depictions of Kirk.

He also displays open and out of the box thinking during his star fleet admittance test, the (Kobayashi Maru). He breaks the rules to win the test, a test that was intentionally designed to be unwinnable. This is a strong example of disliking restrictions and limitations. This is all associated with someone that is high in openness.    

Conscientiousness

James Kirk is not particularly high in trait conscientiousness, especially in his early years. He shows a preference for play over duty and work. He also has a casual and laid back demeanour. He seems to develop a more conscientious personality as he gets older. Overall, I would say he is somewhere in the middle of the conscientiousness trait scale.

Extroversion

Kirk seems to tilt more towards being extroverted on the scale. It’s not too obvious where to place him on the scale. However, a slightly extroverted personality is probably about right.

Agreeableness

Many times, Kirk shows his competitive side, and he is not afraid of confrontation. This suggests he is on the lower side of the agreeableness scale.

Neuroticism

James Kirk is also low on trait neuroticism. An indicator of this, he is good under pressure. In fact, he has a great ability to function well under pressure and stress. His life is constantly in danger. This is not a job for someone that is high in neuroticism, and that can be overwhelmed by negative thoughts and emotions.

James T. Kirk Personality Type – MBTI

James Kirk is a ESTP . He tilts more towards extroversion. He seems like more of a sensor , however, he does show aspects of a creative mind, which is more in line with being dominant with intuition. His thinking function seems more dominant, he is generally straight talking and combative. Being a natural rebel and a free thinker suggests he is a perceiver.

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What are some of the most interesting and useful lessons, concepts, or ideas that I have learned, or become aware of since discovering Jordan B Peterson. Also, what personality type is Jordan Peterson? Using the Big Five Personality Traits, & the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). If you don’t know who Jordan Peterson is, I…

Meghan Markle Personality Type – MBTI & Big Five

What personality type is Meghan Markle (Duchess of Sussex) using the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), and the Big Five Personality Traits. We also look into other aspects of her psychology to try and workout if she is a victim, or a narcissist? Meghan Markle first became well known for her role in the American…

Star Trek: Who Is Samuel Kirk?

Star Trek turned Samuel Kirk into a mystery by killing him before fans could get to know him, but all that is changing with Strange New Worlds.

While George “Samuel” Kirk isn’t the most memorable Star Trek character, his impact on the story is important even without his familial ties to a famous Starfleet captain. Samuel’s first appearance in The Original Series was also his last. He died in season 1, episode 29, “Operation – Annihilate!” due to a flying parasite that quite literally drove him mad with the urge to dive into the nearest heat source. In season 1, episode 3, “Ghosts of Illyria,” the Enterprise crew of Strange New Worlds encountered something similar . However, unlike La'an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong), Samuel was unable to overcome the urge making him want to jump into the hottest, brightest light he could find.

Samuel’s death was a harbinger of worse things to come, but it was mostly forgotten by fans who had hardly gotten a chance to know him in the first place. Years later, and Samuel is making a comeback to the story that once left him behind. Here’s what fans know so far and what may yet be in store for the next chapter of Samuel’s life. Hint: it’s not being portrayed by William Shatner in a mustache.

RELATED: Star Trek: How is T’Pring Different In Strange New Worlds?

Civilian Work Turns Deadly on Deneva

star trek tos samuel kirk aurelan kirk peter kirk captain james kirk dr mccoy

Samuel’s presence in the story predated his physical appearance in Star Trek . All it took was Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) encountering a mad scientist trying to bring to life advanced androids in The Original Series . James brings up his brother Samuel as a test in season 1, episode 9, “What Are Little Girls Made Of?”. He’s trying to determine whether the android version of himself built by Dr. Roger Korby (Michael Strong) really knows as much about him as its creator claims. The dialogue they exchange makes a quick reference to James’ traumatic experiences on Tarsus IV. Moreover, fans learn that Samuel and his family were there to see James off on his five-year mission.

Samuel left his brother with plans of settling with his family and working as a civilian research biologist on the Earth Colony II research station. A year later, the Enterprise crew got a distress signal that cases of severe mental distress they’d been tracking through planets like Levinius V and Ingraham B had finally made their way to Deneva . An otherwise unremarkable planet, it was where Samuel had settled with his wife Aurelan and three sons. It’s also where most of them died after being exposed to flying parasites, except for Samuel’s son Peter who Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley) managed to save after barely doing the same for Spock (Leonard Nimoy). Samuel’s death was as random as it was unremarkable, and his name faded into fandom history.

Lt. Commander Kirk of Starfleet

star trek: strange new worlds - who is sam kirk?2

New Star Trek movies and TV shows haven’t always been faithful to the original canon. For better or for worse, they’ve made changes to various characters for the sake of bringing old faces back to life in new and compelling ways. Samuel has always worked in the field of science, specifically with biology. So, Strange New Worlds brought him to life as a Starfleet officer.

Fans were a little thrown when Samuel (Dan Jeannotte) showed up in the series premiere, considering he’d been very dead the last time they’d seen him. Some were thrilled at the implications of his presence pointing toward the eventual arrival of his little brother James (Paul Wesley). Many others were in anticipation of getting to know more about Samuel and what kind of character Strange New Worlds would reveal him to be. Luckily, they didn’t have to wait very long.

Samuel turned out to be a curious person with a laid-back personality who was close to Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount). Out on the field, he could be ruled by impulse. In season 1, episode 2, “Children of the Comet,” he touches an alien object before anyone can confirm it's safe to do so. In moments of stress, he could be ruled by emotion, which often left him clashing with Spock (Ethan Peck) over his logic-first mindset in even the scariest situations. However, having his own personality didn’t stop Samuel from being defined by his relationships.

Family & Friends of Samuel Kirk

star trek: strange new worlds - who is sam kirk?1

Star Trek fans never learned much about Samuel’s relationships with his wife Aurelan or his three sons. They had the unpleasant experience of watching her fight desperately for her life in The Original Series before her untimely death. Poor little Peter was devastated at learning the fate of his family before being carted off to. . .well, no one knows where he ended up after being cured. While a deleted scene suggests he’d been adopted by a couple that worked alongside Samuel and then later joined Starfleet, Star Trek canon doesn’t support either theory.

Therefore, Samuel’s most important relationships ended up being with Christopher and James. It was Christopher’s personal request that landed Samuel a position on the Enterprise crew. The two were even close enough for Samuel to suggest that Christopher grow a mustache of his own, and if that’s not a sign of true friendship, then nothing is. In turn, it was Samuel’s personal recommendation that convinced Christopher to work with his little brother. He called James a “huge pain in the ass,” but assured the other man that James is as “fine a captain as Starfleet has.” Spoken like true a big brother – with both sarcasm and sincerity.

star trek: strange new worlds - who is sam kirk?4

Samuel played an integral role in season 1 of Strange New Worlds . His story isn’t exactly spin-off material , but that doesn’t mean his presence can’t continue to be important. Samuel was a science officer, with a curiosity that drove him into new parts of the galaxy just like anyone else in Starfleet. In The Original Series , his death was the catalyst for space hijinks on Deneva. In Strange New Worlds , he was a laid-back character with an impulsive streak learning about himself and those around him.

Samuel appeared in enough episodes to be considered recurring even though the series didn’t give him much to do aside from reacting to situations around him. He at least got to do more than die in a semi-dramatic fashion. Regardless, it will be fun to see if he comes back for season 2 and where the story will take him next. Only time will tell if the road of Samuel’s character development will end on Deneva once more or if Star Trek will boldly explore a more adventurous alternative.

MORE: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – Who Is Sam Kirk?

Star Trek: Bruce Greenwood's Pike Is Different From The Original Version In One Way

Pike in Enterprise captain chair

Each of the four actors to appear as Captain James T. Kirk's ill-fated predecessor,  Captain Christopher Pike , has added layers to the character's personality. But portraying an established figure in a decades-old franchise can be tricky; an actor can struggle to balance fans' expectations with bringing something fresh to the role. For Bruce Greenwood, who plays Captain Pike in Star Trek's Kelvin Timeline movies, this challenge was a little bit easier since his iteration was written differently from the original version portrayed by Jeffrey Hunter in "Star Trek: The Original Series."

Before he was cast in "Star Trek," Greenwood possessed only a casual knowledge of the franchise, having watched "The Original Series" mainly for the "hot girls in tight outfits," as he told the official Star Trek website.  He felt it was important to learn how fans viewed the character, which meant digging deep into Pike's previous appearances to understand what made the captain tick. As he delved into the Prime Timeline Pike and the new version he'd been cast to play, the actor realized both Pikes were fundamentally different in their attitude toward and overall perception of the duties of command.

Explaining the difference in "The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years: From The Next Generation to J.J. Abrams," Greenwood observed, "The fundamental difference between the Hunter Pike and the Greenwood Pike is that our dilemmas are different, Hunter's being that he was terribly ambivalent about his place in the Federation; he was torn by whether or not he wanted to go back and have a smaller life or that of a commander." In the Kelvin universe, this ambivalence has been stripped away.

Different timelines mean different motivations

The inner turmoil of Jeffrey Hunter's Pike can be seen in the "Original Series" episode "The Cage," with Pike's colleagues taking notice of his burnout. At one point, Senior Medical Officer Dr. Boyce chastises, "Chris, you set standards for yourself no one could meet. You treat everyone on board like a human being except yourself." For his part, Pike seems to be contemplating retirement, telling Boyce, "I'm tired of deciding which mission is too risky and which isn't. And who's going on the landing party and who doesn't. And who lives. And who dies."

Thanks to the butterfly effect and the divergent decision tree flowchart of the Kelvin Timeline, Bruce Greenwood's Pike seems to have averted that burnout — at least up to his early encounters with Kirk. Greenwood told the Star Trek website, "The central dilemma for Jeffrey Hunter is not the central dilemma for my Pike. I was fortunate in that regard, that I wasn't playing the same conflicts." Speaking with  Star Trek Magazine,  the actor stated, "They are almost opposites [...] Yet you can look at it as though they are two sides of the same coin, because of the parallel universe."

While Prime Timeline Pike longs for a life free from Starfleet responsibilities, Greenwood's Pike isn't free of burdens. They just take another form. According to Greenwood in SciFi Now (via Trek Movie ), "My Pike doesn't have an internal wrestling match the way the earlier one did, but he does have second thoughts and misgivings about the way Starfleet is training officers as by-the-book products that may not, at the end of the day, be what's required for a great leader."

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Unfortunately, there are no audio commentary tracks for Season 2’s home media release, but the collection does manage to pack in over two hours of interviews, behind the scenes features, and deleted scenes that cover a lot of ground.

“Exploring New Worlds” (46:30) is a very cut-and-dry exploration of the themes and challenges of Season 2. This doesn’t mean there isn’t something here for fans to enjoy, though; highlights include the fabulous art behind the creation of Cajitar (“The Broken Circle”) to the debut of Martin Quinn as Scotty in “Hegemony.”

What continues to come across in these interviews is how much everyone loves what they’re doing this season: Celia Rose Gooding (Uhura) loved the tension and catharsis of “Lost in Translation”; Jess Bush (Chapel) loves working with Melissa Navia (Ortegas) and Celia; Ethan Peck loves playing around with goofy, silly human Spock (your mileage may vary).

kirk star trek personality

It’s abundantly clear from Navia’s interview that Ortegas’ subplot in “Among the Lotus Eaters” was incredibly important to her. Even if I have criticisms of it, there’s no questioning that it was a success from the writers’ and actors’ perspectives.

There are some deeply funny bits, too — the thrill of the Lower Decks crossover in “Those Old Scientists” seems to have cut through the cast and crew like a lightning rod. Jack Quaid (Boimler) and Tawny Newsome (Mariner) are gems in their interviews, especially Quaid’s discussion of his process of bringing animated Boimler to life (alongside the, uh, Spoimler ‘bromance’). There are some issues for me, though — not interviewing Paul Wesley about playing the real Jim Kirk is annoying.

Overall, this was a bit more interesting to me than the Season 1 iteration.

kirk star trek personality

“The Costumes Closet” (13:21) is a bit hit-and-miss. There is a lot of focus on the costuming from Cajitar, with a lot of detail of extra costuming from the great Bernadette Croft. It’s a good description of the worldbuilding that costuming too (a lot more than the writers, it feels like sometimes). The overview of the new dress uniforms designed for “Ad Astra per Aspera” is great (mainly because I love the Strange New Worlds dress uniform!), and it justifies and explains the differences and improvements on the original design.

It is very descriptive and focused on Croft’s team, also touching on Dak’Rah’s outfit (“Under the Cloak of War”) and the costumes for the Rigel VII excursion (“Among the Lotus Eaters”), but tthere doesn’t seem to be much input from the showrunners on costuming ideas.

“Producing Props” (10:46) is pretty dry. This is fine, because it knows you’re here for the props, not the talk. There’s a fair bit of detail on Spock’s Vulcan lyre, as well as the multitude of props required for the Vulcan family rituals from “Charades,” from the boiling kettle through to the gongs of all shapes and sizes.

kirk star trek personality

“The Gorn” (15:37) is a very descriptive and satisfying insight into the new developments in Gorn design and costuming that were deployed with such effectiveness in “Hegemony.” It was certainly interesting to see how much of the Gorn spacesuit and head inside were physical props; everything from the prehensile tails to the sinister lizard eyes. The use of 3D-printed parts involved was a revelation to me, at least; yet another sign of how the technology is revolutionising costuming completely.

Again, however, there was very little discussion of the writers’ thinking behind the Gorn — especially considering the importance of the Gorn as the primary enemies in the show. It’s still an interesting watch, though if you saw the in-depth exploration of the Gorn design in the “Hegemony” episode of  The Ready Room with Wil Wheaton , much of that is repeated here.

It’s not the lengthiest presentation on this collection, but perhaps the best feature is “ Singing in Space” (22:14) , focused of course on “Subspace Rhapsody.”

Now, if you liked the musical episode, this will be a blast, especially for looking at how the actors, composer Tom Polce, and lyricist Kay Hanley worked together to deliver the episode. A lot of people enjoyed working on this, from the producers down to the songwriters (some of the actors seem less enthusiastic, but I’ll leave that to your judgment). The focus within the interviews on Polce and Hanley is well deserved, especially because they were the backbone of this episode.

kirk star trek personality

The Season 2 Deleted Scenes (16:04) were a bit flatter than the snippets from Season 1. There was a little more screen time for Admirals April and Tafune from “The Broken Circle,” but while may have been enjoyable to the nerds like me, it was extraneous exposition that didn’t add much in the end.

The comedy scene of La’an and Kirk wearing the same outfit (“Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow”) was cute, and human-Spock discovering the pitfalls of mixing chewing gum with other foods (“Charades”) was amusing, but neither were big losses.

Nearly five minutes from “Lost in Translation” are featured here, mainly concerning the Number One-Pelia tension subpot — which makes sense, considering how short this story was in the final cut. They’re decent scenes, especially when Pelia and Una discuss why Hemmer was so important to the crew, and how Pelia reminds them all of his loss. Again, Carol Kane shines as the chief engineer and I think the scene in the shuttle should have stayed in — I prefer it to the final version!

There is another sequence from the same episode, which seems to be an alternate cut of the Kirk brothers (and Uhura) discussing the nebula aliens; this highlights the good chemistry that Dan Jeannotte and Paul Wesley share, constantly throwing barbs at each other.

kirk star trek personality

The trim from “Those Old Scientists” – another alternate cut, this time of the Orions stealing the time portal – is pretty funny, but on the other hand, the edits from “Under the Cloak of War” are pretty odd. Erased were some pretty good character moments, like a first proper introduction between M’Benga and Chapel (from the J’Gal flashbacks) — but cutting out Captain Pike’s apology for dragging M’Benga into attending the tense dinner seems like a ridiculous decision. The sound work on all the scenes implies that they were all cut very late on the day; an odd choice considering how short the runtime of the final episode was.

What’s cut from “Subspace Rhapsody” is also fairly acceptable, even though I do enjoy watching Wesley and Romjin bounce off each other. The alternate cut of the Klingons in the final song (where they perform a little bit of Les Mis -style Klingon opera instead of K-Pop) is nice, but nothing to write home about.

kirk star trek personality

Overall? A decent set of special features, in my view. The lack of a gag reel and commentary tracks seem telling, mind you; a casualty of the actor’s strike, perhaps? I certainly hope not.

Hopefully both will see a return when Season 3 comes to disc sometime in 2025.

kirk star trek personality

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 is in stores now. 

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‘american rust’ season 2 trailer sees jeff daniels on the trail of a possible murder conspiracy – update, kenneth mitchell dies: ‘star trek: discovery’, ‘captain marvel’ & ‘jericho’ actor was 49.

By Denise Petski

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Kenneth Mitchell

Kenneth Mitchell , who played several characters in Star Trek: Discovery , and also was known for his roles in Jericho and Captain Marvel, has died from complications of ALS, his family revealed Saturday. He was 49.

“With heavy hearts we announce the passing of Kenneth Alexander Mitchell, beloved father, husband, brother, uncle, son and dear friend,” his family shared on X/Twitter.

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Mitchell announced publicly that he’d been diagnosed with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, in 2020 in an interview with People.

“The moment that they told us it was [ALS], it was like I was in my own movie,” Mitchell told the publication. “That’s what it felt like, like I was watching that scene where someone is being told that they have a terminal illness. It was just a complete disbelief, a shock.”

Mitchell played three Klingon characters in Star Trek: Discovery’ s first two seasons. He portrayed Kol in Season 1, Kol-Sha and Tenavik in Season 2. In Season 3, as the disease progressed, he played Aurellio, a character who used a hoverchair, created to incorporate his need for a wheelchair, into the series.

He also voiced three characters in the first season of Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 1, a black ops operative and a Romulan guard.

StarTrek.com also posted a tribute to Mitchell.

“Being a part of Star Trek keeps me inspired and gives me purpose,” Mitchell told Syfy Wire in 2020. “Hopefully, that will keep going.”

Mitchell is survived by his wife, Susan, their children, Lilah and Kallum, his parents and in-laws and several nieces and nephews.

The family asks that any gifts be directed toward ALS research or toward his children. A GoFundMe campaign has been set up for the children.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kenneth Mitchell (@mr_kenneth_mitchell)

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The mbti of star trek: the original series characters.

Get to know the characters of the original Star Trek series a little better and discover which you're most like according to the Myers-Briggs test!

Star Trek: The Original Series didn't last long, but it changed science fiction culture forever. Star Trek fans, sometimes called "Trekkies," have become engrossed with the future where Starfleet reigns supreme. Now, fans are excited for Star Trek: Discovery  - Season 2 and an incoming series on Captain Jean-Luc Picard.

PREVIOUSLY:  Star Trek: Discovery Crippled The Enterprise To Explain A Plot Hole

However, that doesn't mean anyone has forgotten these Original Series favorites. After all, Spock is showing up all over again on Discovery . In waiting for that, let's look at another favorite trend: MBTI personality types. Everyone has one, including Star Trek: Original Series favorites. While they aren't perfect personality assessments, they do say a lot about what a person is like. Do you match up with any of these Star Trek heroes? Here is the MBTI Of Star Trek: The Original Series Characters.

JAMES T. KIRK (ENFP)

kirk star trek personality

By far, James Kirk is the most passionate person on the Enterprise. Whether it's sympathizing with an alien species or canoodling with foreign beauties, he certainly has a knack for the emotional side of life. However, that does mean good ol' Jim can sometimes struggle with letting his impulses overtake his logic. After all, that's why he needs Spock so much.

All ENFP personalities are free spirits that like to campaign for others. Kirk, true to ENFP form, is curious, observant, very popular, and an excellent communicator. As the leading representative for the Enterprise, there's no better choice. If only he were just a little more focused and practical, though.

LEONARD 'BONES' MCCOY (ISFJ)

Dr McCoy

Enterprise's favorite curmudgeon of a doctor is Leonard McCoy, the other advisor that helps Kirk rein in his ever-dramatic emotions. As an ISFJ personality type, they're speculative and practical, even though they still fiercely care for the people dear to them. McCoy is patient, loyal, and supportive. While Kirk's plans aren't always his cup of tea, he's still there to help make them happen.

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For example, one of McCoy's defining moments is with his father. When the elder McCoy is diagnosed with an incurable disease, his father asks for his help in ending his life. Out of loyalty and support, McCoy obliges even though it means losing his only family.

NYOTA UHURA (ESTJ)

Star Trek Uhura

While work hours normally see Nyota Uhura dutifully manning communications, it's her after hours actions that show off her personality. The beautiful officer is also a great singer and often brings the crew together in communal spaces to enjoy each other's company. For a ESTJ, there's nothing better than bringing a community together.

The needs of Uhura's job benefit from her strong personality. She's reliable, direct, and honest. Though this does make her stubborn or judgmental at times, she's still a piece of Enterprise's communal heart. Whether it's singing to her crew-members or relaying vital incoming messages, she fits her Communications Officer role perfectly.

HARRY MUDD (ENTP)

Roger C. Carmel as Harry Mudd on Star Trek

As the perfect personality type for Harry Mudd, the ENTP is a top-notch devil's advocate. For a man who agrees with smuggling, selling women, exploiting androids, and pawning things he never owned, it's no surprise he'll twist anything towards his perspective.

Unfortunately for Starfleet, ENTPs are charismatic and quick thinkers. How else would the infamous Harry Mudd get out of so many dangerous situations? If it wasn't for his insensitivity and difficulty to focus on any one thing to long, they'd never catch up to him. After running into Harry Mudd three times in The Original Series , he's an iconic villain that is too original for anyone to forget.

PAVEL CHEKOV (ENTP)

Star Trek Episodes Chekov

While ENTPs can be tricksters, they also can be Swiss Army knives. Cue Pavel Chekov, the whiz kid of Starfleet Academy who knows a lot and has an answer to most things. He can fly the ship, help out in engineering, and come up with novel solutions on the fly. An intelligent quick thinker with a lot of energy, when he shows up in Season 2 of Star Trek he becomes a quick favorite.

Though Chekov is played as the kid who just wants to make everyone proud, leaning him a little towards ENFP, his adept practical thinking leans him towards thinking instead of feeling. However, that doesn't change everyone's feelings of love towards the Russian do-it-all.

HIKARU SULU (INFJ)

George Takei as Sulu in Star Trek

Despite being in space, when danger strikes Sulu is the first to brandish a sword and try to protect others. Literally. Though he's a person who keeps to themselves, he cares a lot for his crew and believes in their cause. He's a character that firmly believes in Starfleet and is ecstatic to help collect new data, find new planets, and meet new species.

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However, the downside to this insightful morality and dedication to an idea is that he's extremely private. He cares a lot for Enterprise as a conceptual unit, but other than Chekov, he doesn't let anone get very close to him. Eventually his ideals lead him to captaining a ship of his own, though, and that's an honor he cherished.

JANICE RAND (ESFJ)

Grace Lee Whitney As Yeoman Janice Rand In Star Trek

Janice Rand may not have been the most popular Star Trek character, but she was popular on the Enterprise. Between men swooning over her and women chatting with her, Janice was well-loved. After all, ESFJ are just kinda like that. They are centers of attention, extroverted, and it's mostly because of how they like to take care of others.

Sure, Janice's job as a yeoman is the reason she takes care of Kirk and others, but she does it on and off duty. Dutiful, warm, and good at connecting with others (other than when jealous) she's a perfect consul. However, her care for people does make her react poorly to criticism and crave attention. Why else would she be jealous of a child crushing on Kirk?

MONTGOMERY 'SCOTTY' SCOTT (ISTP)

kirk star trek personality

While Scotty is a personable guy, he'd still always choose tinkering with the warp core more than going to a party. Getting his hands dirty and inventing new things is his favorite way to live his life.

The plus sides of the ISTP personality make Scotty a perfect engineer. He has a great mix of creativity and practicality, letting him prioritize while also brainstorming great new ideas. For creators, that's key, being able to mix imagination with execution. However, his personality does put him at risk for getting easily bored or making questionable decisions, in the name of boredom.

CHRISTINE CHAPEL (ISFJ)

Christine Chapel, Star Trek

The lovely Majel Barrett could only do so much with the character Star Trek: The Original Series gave her. During the three season of the show, she played Christine Chapel. In short, the nurse is basically McCoy with no sass, a skirt, and a weird crush on Spock. It's no surprise, then, that she and McCoy share the same personality type: ISFJ. Both supportive and loyal, they are perfect health care professionals.

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However, Christine Chapel suffers more from the downsides of being an ISFJ. She's too shy, too altruistic, and represses her feelings. Despite all the thoughts that had to be running through her head during their wild Enterprise journey, she never had much to say. Even her supposed love of Spock was fairly muted.

KHAN NOONIEN SINGH (ENTJ)

kirk star trek personality

A natural-born leader, there is no surprise that the most famous Original Series villain, Khan, is an ENTJ. While they are efficient, charismatic commanders, they also can be cold, ruthless, and stubbornly dominant. He charges his people and his plans forward the way he thinks is best, even if it's destructive and cruel.

Kirk's greatest foe, of course their ability to inspire and lead others is why they interest one another but also hate each other's methods. Khan thinks Kirk is too soft, Kirk thinks Khan is too intolerant and brutal. Regardless of his actions, being an ENTJ gone bad is exactly why Khan is such a great, memorable villain.

SPOCK (ISTJ)

Star Trek Spock

While Kirk is captain of the USS Enterprise, Spock is the captain of Star Trek . His unique mind, iconic look, and logical actions struck a chord with Star Trek fans. Always calm in the face of danger, direct, responsible, and endlessly logical, Spock the half-Vulcan is an ISTJ to a T. He's become a pinnacle of Star Trek culture, showing up in reference or in-person in most subsequent series.

Despite all his fan-love, though, Spock has some serious flaws. He can be too by the book, insensitive, and judgemental. Though he means well, he often assumes logic is better which can be fairly off-putting in-situation. But that doesn't stop him from being everyone's favorite second-in-command, science officer, and Vulcan.

NEXT: Star Trek: Discovery Season 2 Trailer & Poster Introduces Spock

IMAGES

  1. Captain Kirk

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  2. Star Trek: The most important moments in Captain Kirk's life

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  3. Captain Kirk

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  4. Paul Wesley's incarnation of James T. Kirk

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  5. Exclusive: Star Trek Plans To Have Captain Kirk Meet Captain Kirk

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  6. James T. Kirk

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  4. Star Trek INtakes: Kirk Goes To Court

  5. Capitão Kirk Star Trek #space #startrek #captainkirk #scifi #generoddenberry #williamshatner #toys

  6. Star Trek-Kirk Stabbed

COMMENTS

  1. 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".

  2. James T. Kirk

    Early history Origins. 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 ...

  3. 10 Unmistakable Captain Kirk Character Traits In Star Trek

    Star Trek is best epitomized by the character of Captain James T. Kirk, a hero and a scoundrel in equal measure. As Captain of the fabled Enterprise, he and his crew waded boldly into the unknown reaches of space and managed to make it out in one piece, thanks largely to his set of distinct character traits.

  4. Star Trek: The Myers-Briggs® Personalities Of Captain Kirk & The

    Captain James T. Kirk - ENTJ (The Commander) Captain Kirk made a career out of defying the norm and devising solutions to difficult problems. Proof of his ENTJ personality can be seen in how he handled Starfleet's infamous no-win scenario, for which he won a commendation for creative problem-solving. Kirk has no problem assuming command.

  5. James T. Kirk from Star Trek

    Star Trek. The fate of the galaxy rests in the hands of bitter rivals. One, James Kirk, is a delinquent, thrill-seeking Iowa farm boy. The other, Spock, a Vulcan, was raised in a logic-based society that rejects all emotion. As fiery instinct clashes with calm reason, their unlikely but powerful partnership is the only thing capable of leading ...

  6. The Enduring Personality of James T. Kirk

    The Enduring Personality of James T. Kirk A 60s Icon Through a 21st Century Lens

  7. All 5 Actors Who Have Played James T. Kirk In Star Trek Movies & Shows

    When the network originally passed on Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek pilot, and Jeffrey Hunter stepped down from the role of Christopher Pike, a new Enterprise captain was required.Rather than simply replacing Hunter with William Shatner as Pike, Roddenberry created a completely new character, James Kirk who would be the Enterprise captain for three seasons of TOS between 1966 and 1969.

  8. Star Trek: William Shatner on Kirk and Spock's Relationship

    Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock and William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk in the premiere episode of Star Trek, Sept. 8, 1966. ... Kirk's personality was split into good and evil, and evil Kirk ...

  9. Kirk vs Picard: Who is the best Star Trek captain?

    Personality. Winner. Kirk vs Picard. It's probably one of the oldest pop-culture debates that is still going on, as well as being one of the nerdiest. Since the late 80s, when Star Trek: The ...

  10. Star Trek Casts a New Captain Kirk: Paul Wesley to Play Iconic Character

    March 15, 2022 3:00pm. There is a new James T. Kirk. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has cast actor Paul Wesley in the iconic sci-fi role. The Vampire Diaries actor will join the upcoming Paramount+ ...

  11. James T. Kirk MBTI Personality Type: ESTP or ESTJ?

    Star Trek (1966) Personality Type: ESTP - 7w8 - sx/so - 731 - SLE - Chaotic Good - SCUAI - VFLE - Sanguine [Dominant] - ES (T) James Tiberius "Jim" Kirk is a fictional character in the Star Trek franchise. Kirk first appears in Star Trek: The Original Series and has been portrayed in numerous films, books, comics, webisodes, and video games.

  12. Star Trek: Best James T. Kirk Quotes

    Wrath of Khan is widely regarded as Star Trek's best feature film, partly because of how it develops Kirk as a character, taking into account how the passage of time has changed him since The ...

  13. James T. Kirk (alternate reality)

    James Tiberius "Jim" Kirk was a 23rd century Human Starfleet officer. As a Starfleet cadet, he was instrumental in the defeat and death of Nero, a Romulan bent on the obliteration of the entire United Federation of Planets. As a result, he was commissioned directly to the rank of captain and appointed as commanding officer of the service's flagship, the USS Enterprise. (Star Trek) A year later ...

  14. In Defense of Captain James T. Kirk

    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 ...

  15. George Samuel Kirk

    Johnny, formerly George Samuel Kirk. George Samuel Kirk was to appear in 2009's Star Trek (referred to in the film's script as "George Kirk, Jr." ), where he would have been played by Spencer Daniels.Scenes featuring Daniels as Sam Kirk were filmed, but the character was entirely cut from the final release.

  16. 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 ...

  17. James T. Kirk Personality Type

    What is the personality type of the Star Trek character, Captain James Tiberius Kirk? I will mostly be using the Big Five Personality Traits, and the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) for this analysis. James T. Kirk is the most well-known character in the Star Trek universe, and the captain of the most well-known ship in the federation.

  18. The Enemy Within (Star Trek: The Original Series)

    "The Enemy Within" is the fifth episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series, Star Trek. Written by Richard Matheson and directed by Leo Penn, it first aired on October 6, 1966.. In the episode, while beaming up from planet Alpha 177 a transporter malfunction causes Captain Kirk to be split into two people, one "good," but indecisive and ineffectual; the other ...

  19. Star Trek: Who Is Samuel Kirk?

    Civilian Work Turns Deadly on Deneva. Samuel's presence in the story predated his physical appearance in Star Trek. All it took was Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) encountering a mad ...

  20. Which Star Trek Shows & Movies Does Kirk Appear In?

    The fact that Kirk's body still sits in Daystrom Station does suggest that he could make a return at some point. Regardless of which versions of James T. Kirk appear in future Star Trek projects, the character who first appeared on Star Trek: The Original Series will remain an indelible figure of popular culture.

  21. Star Trek: Bruce Greenwood's Pike Is Different From The ...

    Each of the four actors to appear as Captain James T. Kirk's ill-fated predecessor, Captain Christopher Pike, has added layers to the character's personality. But portraying an established figure ...

  22. Review

    The second season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds arrived on Blu-ray and 4K Blu-ray disc in December — and while it's still going to be a while until we see the series back on television, today we're playing a little catch-up and diving into all the special features of the recent release! The four-disc Blu-ray set (and 3-disc 4K Blu-ray set) contains all ten episodes of Strange New ...

  23. Kenneth Mitchell Dead: 'Star Trek: Discovery' Actor Was 49

    Kenneth Mitchell, who played several characters in Star Trek: Discovery, and also was known for his roles in Jericho and Captain Marvel, has died from complications of ALS, his family revealed ...

  24. Playing 3 Kirks In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Let Paul Wesley "Learn

    Paul Wesley's performance as James T. Kirk in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 improved after his season 1 debut as an alternate reality Kirk. Paul Wesley discusses evolving as James T. Kirk in Strange New Worlds, learning from initial mistakes made in portraying the character. Wesley ...

  25. MBTI Of Star Trek: The Original Series Characters

    SPOCK (ISTJ) While Kirk is captain of the USS Enterprise, Spock is the captain of Star Trek. His unique mind, iconic look, and logical actions struck a chord with Star Trek fans. Always calm in the face of danger, direct, responsible, and endlessly logical, Spock the half-Vulcan is an ISTJ to a T. He's become a pinnacle of Star Trek culture ...