Captain Kirk is one of the most iconic characters in the history of both television and cinema. He was first brought to life by William Shatner when Star Trek premiered in 1966. That initial run only lasted three years, but left a legacy that remains to this day. Thankfully, people would see more of Trek and Kirk about a decade later with Star Trek: The Motion Picture. The movie itself is of debated quality, but it reinvigorated the series, allowing audiences to see Kirk grow older and ultimately ascend off the mortal coil. Not even this would be the end of the captain, however. In 2009, Star Trek was rebooted, with Chris Pine taking on the role.
Given Kirk's godlike stature in the pop culture pantheon, there is bound to be a lot of misinformation out there about him. Some of the information is spread maliciously, while other falsehoods developed organically with time. With this list, we plan to set the record straight on some of the most prevalent misunderstandings surrounding Captain Kirk. Both William Shatner and Chris Pine's Kirks will be looked at. The character's contribution to pop culture are irrefutable, so it is only right that everybody knows the truth.
So prepare to boldly go where no reader has gone before, because here are the 20 Things Everyone Gets Wrong About Captain Kirk.
He's Not Stoic
Kirk is not infallible, though those unfamiliar with the character may picture him as a beacon of perfection in the dark depths of space, holding ground even as worst hardships are thrown his away. Truthfully, if Kirk were perfect and unmoved by tragedy, he would be pretty boring. Fortunately, the truth is that he constantly fights to keep his emotions in check, and he sometimes loses that battle.
Many times his feelings cloud his judgement, leading to regrettable decisions. After the untimely ing of his son at the hands of Klingons, the captain harbors an intense hatred for the species. He usually stays brave in the face of certain doom, but sometimes it just becomes too much for him.
He Has A Brother
It makes sense for the new timeline to not dwell on every aspect of Kirk's family, but this one would also fly over the heads of those who watched the original six movies. Star Trek V: The Final Frontier has a scene where Kirk and Spock share an emotional moment upon discovering the Vulcan's long lost brother. Kirk refers to Spock as his sibling that he lost, and luckily got back.
This exchange, while heartfelt, completely ignores the fact that Kirk has an actual brother. George Samuel Kirk was the captain's older sibling who was felled by a parasite in the episode, "Operation-Annihilate". Scenes in 2009's Star Trek with his brother were filmed, but ultimately left out.
He Isn't Really A Ladies' Man
Ask someone only slightly knowledgeable on Star Trek to describe Captain Kirk, and they'll probably mention him being successful with the ladies, both human and otherworldly. William Shatner was certainly an attractive man in his younger days, and Chris Pine is still a hunk, but this trait is not really accurate when looking at what Star Trek really is.
Star Trek's universe follows different rules than ours in regards to relationships, but this proved impossible to portray on 1960s television screens. Kirk definitely got around, but so were all of the other characters. It was not shown because only the main character could be out making conquests. Had all of the whoopee been portrayed, censors would have stopped the show from airing at all.
He Never Said "Beam Me Up, Scotty"
The Mandela effect has been plaguing society for longer than most people realize. Kirk himself is at the center of one of the most infamous false recollections in popular culture. Everyone gets the reference when the phrase "beam me up, Scotty" is uttered. This refers to Kirk signaling Montgomery Scott to teleport him back to the Enterprise.
It may come as a surprise then to learn that Kirk never says this phrase in the show or movies. He came close a couple of times, but not once will one hear those four words in that particular order. The phrase has become a pop culture mainstay, and likely won't disappear even after people find out the show never used it.
William Shatner Is Actually A Great Actor
People who enjoy dumping on Star Trek are all too quick to harshly judge William Shatner's performance as Kirk, throwing around like "hammy" and "overacting." These people present their case by cherry picking examples out of context in order to make them look silly.
Shatner is a legend for a reason, and that is because he is a masterful actor. Outside of Trek, he has numerous other venerated roles, such as an episode of the Twilight Zone and a five season stint as Denny Crane on Boston Legal. The next time someone espouses lies about Shatner's acting, just show them The Wrath of Khan. Kirk's eulogy for Spock is executed perfectly, and could only be done by a master of the craft.
He Was Revived... Sort Of
Kirk is at the center of one Star Trek's most disappointing moments. The captain is eventually felled, ending his life long journey. The actual moment of his demise is well done, it is just unfortunate that it happens in Star Trek: Generations, one of the worst movies in the franchise. As of today, it is the last time William Shatner has portrayed Kirk.
Fortunately, Kirk was revived in a series of books penned by William Shatner (with the help of co-writers). Unfortunately, these books are not canon, instead being dubbed the "Shatnerverse." Anything can happen in this science fiction franchise, so William Shatner coming back as Kirk in a movie is not outside the realm of possibility.
He's Not Always A Loose Cannon
Kirk is known to be well read. One book that will not be found in his library is the rule book, because he threw that one out the window a long time ago, at least based on people's thinking. When watching the television series and movies, one will ultimately discover that the captain typically adheres to Starfleet's regulations.
There are exceptions, of course, but they only occur when it is absolutely necessary. He is a diligent captain, but he still has his principles, and those take priority over his oath to Starfleet. In the end, though, if he broke the rules so much, he probably would not be venerated and studied by cadets at Starfleet Academy many generations after his untimely ing.
He and Uhura didn't share The First Interracial Kiss On TV
The leader of the Starship Enterprise is not only fondly ed for his heroics, but also for breaking new ground in the television medium. William Shatner and Nichelle Nichols are often credited with the first interracial kiss broadcast into homes. This moment comes from the 1968 Star Trek episode "Plato's Stepchildren". It is an important moment in television history, but it was not the first of its kind -- not even close.
The earliest possible occurrence of this dates back to 1959 on television in the UK. There are several well documented occurrences from US broadcasts too. Robert Conrad and Pilar Seurat touched lips in The Wild Wild West, Nancy Sinatra did the same with Sammy Davis Jr. just a year before the Star Trek episode in the 1967 television special Movin' With Nancy.
He's Not Always Aiming For A Fight
Chris Pine's Kirk, while a fine interpretation of the character, is often at the heart of a lot of these unfounded ideas. While the new movies may not have created these traits, they have perpetuated them. Most notably, the 2009 films depicts a young Captain Kirk consistently antagonizing people and looking for a fight.
In the Original Series, Kirk could certainly defend himself in hand to hand combat, but it was far from his main priority. Solving problems through non-violent means was a hallmark of Star Trek that made it so special. In "Arena", one of the best episodes of the 1966 television show, audiences even see the captain spare a gorn's life after a brutal fight.
He Doesn't Always Win
Kirk doesn't believe in no win situations. As a captain, the ship and all of its crew's lives are his responsibility, and the ing of one weighs heavily on his soul. As a result, he refuses to it any loss as acceptable. It is a noble philosophy for any captain to have, but it does not mean that it is actually true. Kirk unfortunately does lose, and sometimes pays a personal price.
In "City on the Edge of Forever", Kirk goes back in time in order to remedy an error in the timeline. To set history straight, he must allow a woman, with whom he has fallen in love, to be hit by a car. He corrects the timeline, but the ending is downright tragic, especially for 1960s television.