Star Trek houses some interesting and emotionally rich characters, few exceeding that of Captain James T. Kirk. Kirk was one of the most famous starship captains in Starfleet and became a highly decorated commanding officer. Star Trek followed Kirk, the captain of the Enterprise, and its mission to seek out new life and boldly go where no man has gone before.
However, life as a Starfleet captain may not be as luscious as one might expect. The captain holds the responsibility for his entire crew and the lives of those that they engage throughout their space adventures. Kirk has encountered a few mistakes and failures, all of that make him more human.
8 Double Trouble
In the episode “The Enemy Within”, Captain Kirk is split into two people due to a transporter malfunction. These two Kirks are the embodiment of his good side and his evil side, with neither being able to function without the other. Kirk’s evil side assaults Bones, and sexually assaults Janice Rand. Evil Kirk’s antics wouldn’t stop there, as he would do anything to survive, as the good parts of Kirk suppress the evil side.
When the crew discovers the two Kirks, none are probably more regretful of his acts than Kirk himself. The poor Yeoman, Janice, is due for the utmost apology, as is the rest of the crew that evil Kirk assaulted, belittled, and harmed.
7 Cheating The Kobayashi Maru
One training simulation that exists in Starfleet is the infamous Kobayashi Maru. The battle simulation is regarded as an absolute. No one can win the Kobayashi Maru. It is programmed to be impossible, due to the inability to save the crew of the Kobayashi Maru, escape the Neutral Zone intact, and battle the Klingons.
However, in the 2009 reboot of Star Trek, James T. Kirk seems to beat Kobayashi Maru. This was all down to his reprogramming of the test to make the situation winnable. Kirk got into a lot of trouble for his cheating, but his defense stated that he did not believe such a situation to be unwinnable, showing his drive and determination for his crew and the mission.
6 Lack Of Security
There is a notable lack of security on board the Enterprise. Too many times throughout the show and the films are crewmembers assaulted and attacked by rogue assailants. One would expect Kirk to learn from his initial mistake, and hire more security for the ship.
This comes from the many instances when it would be needed, such as the evil Kirk fiasco to help subdue him. Or, when Sulu began to fantasize that he was a musketeer, and stalked the corridors of the Enterprise with a foil, stabbing at anyone that came his way. Security would have been essential to stop such incidents and is a failure on the captain’s part.
5 Fathership Failures
In Kirk’s later years, his romance with Carol Marcus produced a son, David Marcus. David did not take his father’s name, specifically because he did not know his father. Kirk was asked by Carol to stay out of David’s early life, to not lure the child into a life of danger and adventure like his father was so attracted to.
When David eventually met Kirk as his father, he soon became an advisor to the starship, USS Grissom. Upon researching the Genesis planet that he helped create, he was kidnapped by Klingons. David, like his father, would stop an attempted execution but be killed. The loss of his son was a somber and mournful moment for Kirk, who many harbour regret not knowing his son in his early life.
4 Reliant’s Silent Approach
Star Trek2: The Wrath of Khan saw the ship the USS Reliant, a Miranda-class starship commanded by Captain Clark Terrel. This ship was hijacked by Khan, a character from The Original Series who returned in full steed to become one of Kirk’s most deadly adversaries. Now with a new starship, Khan used the Reliant to travel to the Enterprise, and its housing captain, Admiral Kirk.
The Reliant ambushed the Enterprise and caused severe damage to the engineering section of the Enterprise. The damage caused by this silent attack was deadly, and one that Kirk must see as a failure to anticipate. Lives were on the line, and Kirk must live with that mistake.
3 Tribble Genocide
“The Trouble With Tribbles” is an episode that sees the crew of the Enterprise dealing with Klingons, Federation officials, and an unknown species of small, cute, and furry creatures, that seem to rapidly multiply to swarming levels. It’s one of the more fun episodes of Star Trek, as it can be rather silly. However, the solution for the Tribbles is none too fun.
The crew of the Enterprise beamed all of the Tribbles aboard the Klingon’s ship before they entered warp speed, meaning that all the Tribbles, and their continuous multiplication, are in the hands of the violent Klingons. Kirk allowing this is a mistake, as the Tribbles became a mortal enemy of the Klingons. Their ecological menace made the Klingons destroy the Tribble home world. Inadvertently, Kirk caused the Tribble genocide.
2 Spock’s Death
Whilst Kirk and the Enterprise were battling Khan and his forces, Spock was making the ultimate heroic sacrifice in the engineering room. The irradiated portion of the ship needed contamination, to which Spock embarked alone to save the entire crew.
Kirk and Spock share an emotional goodbye, and the funeral service houses the entire crew of the Enterprise to mourn and honor their friend. One as stoic and brave as Kirk could perhaps see this as a failure, considering he would rather sacrifice himself than see his friend die.
1 The Paradise Syndrome
On the planet Amerind, Native American humans lived and prospered in the 23rd century. “The Paradise Syndrome” saw the Enterprise exploring the planet, with Kirk being left behind after an accident. Kirk awakens to find the tribe but remembers nothing of his past.
As Kirk begins to live with the tribe, he soon falls in love with Miramanee, a priestess of her tribe that was supposed to marry Salish. Miramanee was the daughter of Goro, the chief, and her relationship with Kirk made Salish jealous. Kirk and Salish marry, and she becomes pregnant with her child. Yet, Salish has her stoned to death. The death of Kirk’s wife and unborn child, and the failure to protect them, haunts Kirk for the remainder of his days.