Highlights
- James T. Kirk, portrayed by William Shatner, is the most iconic Star Trek captain due to his memorable performance and delivery of his lines, which added drama and elevated his speeches.
- Despite popular belief, Kirk never actually said the famous line " Beam me up, Scotty " in the original Star Trek series, but he did come close when he ordered, " Mr. Scott, beam us up " in the episode "The Cloud Minders."
- Kirk's refusal to help his old enemies, the Klingons, in "The Undiscovered Country" showcases his powerful moment of bitterness and highlights that prejudice can still exist in the future, even as humanity has evolved.
Debate continues to rage among Star Trek fans as to the best captain of the Enterprise. Was it the stoic Jean-Luc Picard, the adventurous Christopher Pike, or even the divisive Jonathan Archer? While it's unlikely that this argument will ever be settled, one thing is certain. The Enterprise's most iconic Star Trek captain, at least in popular culture, was James T. Kirk (William Shatner), who commanded the ship in several series and movies.
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Kirk's legendary status is no doubt due in part to Shatner's interesting (and frequently hammy) performance. His distinctive enunciation gives even Kirk's most routine lines a sense of drama and elevates his better speeches into some of the best of the franchise.
8 "Mr. Scott, Beam Us Up."
The Cloud Minders (Star Trek: The Original Series Season 3, Episode 21)
While fans of both Star Trek and Star Wars seem keen to set themselves apart, both franchises have something in common: misremembered dialogue. Just as Darth Vader didn't say, "Luke, I am your father," nor did Kirk ever say the line, "Beam me up, Scotty," in the original Star Trek series. Despite this, the phrase is one of television's most iconic memes.
Following the resolution of a conflict on the planet Ardana in The Cloud Minders, Kirk orders, "Mr. Scott, beam us up." This is about the closest he gets to say the infamous catchphrase, although Shatner purposefully included the phrase in his later Star Trek novels as a nod to fans.
7 "Khan!"
Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan
A line notable for its delivery rather than its writing, Kirk's cry of fury following Khan's seizure of the Genesis device in Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan is one of the franchise's best-known moments. It's a prime example of Shatner's tendency to chew the scenery, but it feels justified within the context of the movie.
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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 Original Series. It's fitting, therefore, that Shatner is able to channel some of that earlier hamminess, even as his character grows beyond it.
6 "Let Them Die."
Star Trek 6: The Undiscovered Country
Some of Kirk's most insightful moments occur in The Undiscovered Country, the final film to feature the complete Original Series cast. Environmental devastation endangers the Klingon Empire, and Spock hopes to use the opportunity to usher in an era of détente between the Federation and the Klingons. Kirk, whose son was killed by a Klingon, feels differently on the subject.
Kirk is uninterested in aiding his old enemies; when Spock points out that the Klingons might die without their aid, Kirk's response is to let them. It's a powerful moment of bitterness from the Starfleet icon, and shows that while humanity has bettered itself in the future, its prejudices are far from extinct.
5 "We Can Admit That We're Killers, But We're Not Going To Kill Today."
A Taste of Armageddon (Star Trek: The Original Series Season 1, Episode 23)
- "All right, it's instinctive. But the instinct can be fought. We're human beings with the blood of a million savage years on our hands, but we can stop it. We can admit that we're killers, but we're not going to kill today. That's all it takes. Knowing that we won't kill today."
The Original Series frequently tackled then-contemporary issues through a science fiction lens, and these stories are among the franchise's most successful. "A Taste of Armageddon" features a bloodless war between two alien states: rather than fighting directly, they rely on computers to strike one another.
The Enterprise crew identifies that the abstract nature of the war means that it can never end (a riff on the Vietnam War). Kirk urges the aliens to make peace, pointing out that while life may be predisposed toward violence, it's possible to evolve beyond those urges.
4 "I Need My Pain."
Star Trek 5: The Final Frontier
- "You know that pain and guilt can't be taken away with the wave of a magic wand. They're the things we carry with us, the things that make us who we are. If we lose them, we lose ourselves. I don't want my pain taken away! I need my pain."
Star Trek 5: The Final Frontier is widely considered to be one of the worst Star Trek movies, but that doesn't prevent it from containing one of Kirk's best lines. William Shatner assumed an unprecedented amount of control over the film, from contributing the premise to directing and starring. This workload, coupled with sleep deprivation from a busy routine, was bound to result in a subpar end product.
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Despite this, Shatner excels when Sybok, a Vulcan, offers to take away the negative experiences that burden him. Although the experience will leave Kirk at peace with himself, he rejects the treatment, reasoning that all of his decisions, right and wrong, are central to his character. It's a standout moment in an otherwise lackluster story and demonstrates that even the franchise's weakest entries contain gems.
3 "Risk Is Our Business."
Return to Tomorrow (Star Trek: The Original Series Season 2, Episode 20)
- "Doctor McCoy is right in pointing out the enormous danger potential of any contact with life and intelligence as fantastically advanced as this, but I must point out that the possibilities, the potential for knowledge and advancement, is equally great. Risk! Risk is our business. That's what this starship is all about. That's why we're aboard her."
After encountering a race of non-corporeal aliens on a deserted planet, Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise are faced with a dilemma: should they loan their bodies to the aliens in return for advanced scientific knowledge? Doctor McCoy opposes the plan.
In order to convince the medical officer, Kirk delivers an impassioned speech about the nature of the Enterprise's mission and humanity's drive toward progress. He argues that exploratory risks must be taken in order for the human race to prosper, neatly summing up the entire premise of the Star Trek franchise.
2 "Second Star To The Right, And Straight On 'Til Morning."
Star Trek 6: The Undiscovered Country
Star Trek 6: The Undiscovered Country managed to balance a plot that examined then-contemporary issues with a sci-fi twist and a loving send-off to The Original Series' heroes. Kirk's final order as the captain of the Enterprise is a touching reminder of the starship's exploratory past, and gives a sense that the adventure is only just beginning.
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The times are changing for the entire Federation, and Kirk recognizes this, but he indulges in one last joyride. The future may be uncertain for Kirk and his crew, but they can still take joy in the wonders of the galaxy.
1 "I Don't Believe In The No-Win Scenario."
Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan
- "I changed the conditions of the test - got a commendation for original thinking. I don't like to lose [...] I don't believe in the no-win scenario."
Kirk's refusal to accept defeat is central to his character arc in The Wrath of Khan, in which it is revealed that he hacked a Starfleet Academy test rather than accept the intended failure. Saavik, a Vulcan officer on the Enterprise, points out that this means that Kirk has no experience of losing. Kirk claims that he doesn't need to know what it's like; he always finds a way out.
Spock's heartbreaking sacrifice at the end of the movie teaches Kirk an important lesson, changing his character forever. Kirk's quote in The Wrath of Khan not only demonstrates the captain's daring command style but also serves to foreshadow the development he must still undergo.
