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Star Trek Ranks, Explained

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Starting with the original series, Star Trek has adopted a quasi-military series of ranks and protocols for its characters. Starfleet is ostensibly a peaceful organization dedicated to exploration and diplomacy, but things can get dangerous on the final frontier. A functioning chain of command is necessary in the event of trouble to ensure that everyone operates at peak efficiency.

It's a bit of a paradox, since Starfleet officers also tend to be rugged individualists, but it makes a good deal of sense and over time has become an indispensable part of the franchise. A given character's rank speaks volumes about their comparative age, their position onboard, and their relationship with the other members of the crew. As with most things Star Trek, rank insignia has evolved over time. Here's a breakdown of Starfleet's ranking system in descending order from the lowliest cadets to the most powerful admirals.

Updated January 18, 2024 by Robert Vaux: Star Trek's ranking system is very stable at this point, and very little tends to change. The article has been updated to include a brief list of prominent members of each rank, along with the series and seasons they held it. It has also been updated to conform to current CBR guidelines.

9 Cadets Are Officers in Training at Starfleet Academy

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Cadets are typically students at Starfleet Academy , spending time onboard a starship as part of their training. They hold no rank and must obey the orders of any crewmen. They're often issued temporary badges or communicators and usually have a supervisory officer to watch over them. Cadets in the 23rd century wear badges with a distinctive black backing. Cadets in the 24th century wear distinctive uniforms denoting their status.

In Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, the Enterprise is used as a training vessel, with the crew consisting almost entirely of cadets. Wesley Crusher formally joins Starfleet Academy starting in Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 4, Episode 9, "Final Mission," and spends most of his subsequent appearances at that rank. Similarly, Nyota Uhura joins the Enterprise as a cadet in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, as does Sylvia Tilly in Star Trek: Discovery.

8 Enlisted Personnel/NCO Are Starfleet's Worker Bees

While officers attend Starfleet Academy, the rank-and-file personnel attend the 24th-century equivalent of boot camp. They become the anonymous crew working in the background, performing the countless tiny tasks required to keep a starship running. Their ranks include both enlisted crewmen and petty officers (the equivalent of sergeants) who often play supervisory roles. They typically lack any insignia on their uniforms, though chief petty officers in the Next Generation era sometimes have a black pip or similar marking.

Enlisted personnel often serve as The Original Series ' infamous red shirts : doomed to die in the name of plot exposition. The Next Generation introduces perhaps Starfleet's best-known enlisted man. Miles O'Brien runs the transporters on the Enterprise-D, and later becomes Chief of Operations on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine .

7 Ensigns Hold The Lowest Rank

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Ensigns are the lowest-ranking officers on Starfleet vessels. Cadets typically receive the rank of ensign immediately upon graduation from Starfleet Academy. While they technically have command authority, they're usually assigned menial tasks beneath the attention of the senior officers. Like NCOs, they lack insignia on their uniforms in The Original Series era. With The Next Generation and later series, ensigns receive a single gold pip on their collar. They're often lumped into the red shirt category.

Harry Kim is probably the franchise's most famous (or infamous) ensign, failing to receive a single promotion through Star Trek: Voyager's seven seasons , despite serving with distinction on the bridge. The Original Series' Pavel Chekov also begins his Starfleet career as an ensign, though he advances at a faster rate. Of course, the four main characters in Star Trek: Lower Decks are ensigns, though they all receive a promotion to lieutenant, junior grade at the beginning of Season 4.

6 Lieutenant, Junior Grade Have More Responsibility Than Ensigns

The next step up the ladder is lieutenant, junior grade. These are officers with more authority and responsibility than ensigns, but who still require seasoning before taking higher command positions. Medical personnel typically receive the lieutenant, junior grade rank after graduating, which reflects their extended training time. The Original Series uses a single dashed bar on the uniform sleeves to denote them, though Strange New Worlds has retconned that with a connected colored bar. T he Next Generation and later series note the rank with a second black pip in addition to the ensign's colored pip.

Both Julian Bashir and Ezri Dax hold the rank of lieutenant, junior grade when they begin their duties on Deep Space 9, though Ezri receives hers as a field promotion in Season 7, Episode 3, "Afterimage." Geordi La Forge starts as a lieutenant, junior grade too, as does Mr. Worf. B'Elanna Torres receives the rank on a provisional basis when she joins the crew of the Voyager, and the Lower Decks crew are all promoted to lieutenant, junior grade in Season 4, Episode 1, "Twovix."

5 Lieutenants Lead the Away Teams and More

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Lieutenants have advanced to the point where they can take on considerable responsibilities. They may lead away teams or control key systems, and they often appear among the bridge crew or even as department heads. The Original Series notes them with a single bar on the uniform sleeve, while Strange New Worlds adds a second thinner bar above the lieutenant, junior grade's insignia. The Next Generation uses two colored pips on the collar — a method emulated by subsequent series.

Worf spends most of The Next Generation's later seasons as a lieutenant (he's promoted to lieutenant commander during the events of Star Trek Generations ) while Ro Laren is promoted to lieutenant shortly before her defection to the Maquis in The Next Generation Season 7, Episode 24, "Preemptive Strike." Lieutenants often occupy the helm position, including Hikaru Sulu in The Original Series, Keyla Detmer in Star Trek: Discovery , and Erica Ortegas in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds .

4 Lieutenant Commanders Head up Departments

Lieutenant commanders hold positions of senior responsibility onboard a starship, even serving as executive officers or de facto captains on small ships. One larger ships, they often serve as the head of specific departments such as science and engineering. In The Original Series , the rank is designated with two stripes on the sleeve — one thick, one dashed — which Strange New Worlds adjusts to two thick colored bands. The Next Generation and subsequent shows note lieutenant commanders with two colored pips and one black one.

Montgomery Scott holds the rank of lieutenant commander in The Original Series , acting as Chief Engineer and even commanding the Enterprise when Kirk and Spock are away on missions. Similarly, Geordi La Forge rises to the rank of lieutenant commander in The Next Generation , joining Data and Deanna Troi at the position, though the latter eventually advances to commander. Worf and Jadzia Dax are both lieutenant commanders when they begin their romance on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . Lastly, the original Number One — Una Chin-Riley on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds — is a lieutenant commander.

3 Commanders Aid and Can Take Over the Captain's Dutires

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Commanders are usually the ship's executive officers, "Number Ones," who assist the captain in their duties and step up in the event the captain is incapacitated. Commanders are often viewed as captains in training, and ultimately destined for a ship of their own in the future. In some cases, commanders are the head authority on smaller ships or space stations. Chief medical officers often hold this position as well. They're delineated by two thick bands on their sleeves in The Original Series era and three colored pips on the collar in The Next Generation and later.

Mr. Spock holds the rank of commander during the events of The Original Series , serving double duty as chief science officer as well. He's been followed by the likes of William Riker on The Next Generation and Seven of Nine on Star Trek: Picard . In addition, Beverly Crusher and Leonard McCoy both hold the rank of commander, while Deanna Tori is promoted to commander in Season 7, Episode 16, "Thine Own Self." Ben Sisko also begins his tenure on Deep Space 9 as a commander before being promoted to full captain at the end of Season 3.

2 Captains Command Starfleet's Various Starships

The captain serves as the commander of a starship, with the entire crew ranked beneath them. This affords them a great deal of autonomy, but also equal amounts of responsibility. Starships must often face dangers alone in the far depths of space. It falls to the captain to make the final call when lives are at stake. Occasionally, captains can be found in other duties, such as commanding a star base or holds an administrative position on Earth. Captains are delineated by three stripes on their sleeves in the Original Series era — two thick, one dashed — which Strange New Worlds slightly alters to a single thin band sandwiched between two thicker ones. The Next Generation era uses four full pips on the collar.

Most Star Trek series use a captain as the main character, starting with James T. Kirk in The Original Series . Their ranks include Jean-Luc Picard, Kathryn Janeway, Christopher Pike, and Carol Freeman. In addition, many lower-ranking characters eventually attain the captain's chair, such as Will Riker, Tuvok, and Mr. Spock. Both Ben Sisko and Michael Burnham become captain after several seasons of climbing the ranks, a change from most Star Trek series which tend to begin with their captains in place.

1 Admirals Possess The Greatest Rank and Come to Represent Starfleet Itself

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Admirals are Starfleet's major movers and shakers, placed in charge of entire fleets or overseeing vital operations. As flag officers, they no longer serve onboard starships, though they can claim command of one if circumstances dictate. James T. Kirk takes control of the Enterprise as an Admiral in both Star Trek: The Motion Picture and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , while both Kathryn Janeway in Star Trek: Prodigy and Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: Picard are the authority on their respective vessels.

In addition to giving successful captains a cushy desk job, Star Trek often uses admirals as stand-ins for Starfleet itself: either aiding the crew in their endeavors or standing in their way when they go against protocol. They're delineated by a wide variety of methods, and hold varying ranks within the admiralty, such as Vice Admiral and Commodore, that shift from project to project.

The Star Trek universe encompasses multiple series, each offering a unique lens through which to experience the wonders and perils of space travel. Join Captain Kirk and his crew on the Original Series' voyages of discovery, encounter the utopian vision of the Federation in The Next Generation, or delve into the darker corners of galactic politics in Deep Space Nine. No matter your preference, there's a Star Trek adventure waiting to ignite your imagination.

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In the mid-23rd century, Spock became known as the best first officer in Starfleet while diligently serving under Captain James T. Kirk 's command on the USS Enterprise and the USS Enterprise -A , for over 30 years. By the end of the century, he was a starship commander in his own right, and quickly turned to following in his father, Sarek 's, footsteps—first, as a diplomat and special envoy, and later, as an ambassador . ( TOS ; TAS ; TOS movie , novelization & comic adaptations : The Final Frontier , The Undiscovered Country ; TNG episode & novelization : Unification )

Throughout most of the 24th century, he worked in the Federation and in the Romulan Star Empire to bring about the Reunification of Vulcan and Romulus . ( TNG episodes : " Unification ", " Face of the Enemy ", ST - Typhon Pact novels : Rough Beasts of Empire , Plagues of Night )

• 1.1 Early life
• 1.2 Education
• 1.3 Starfleet Academy
• 1.4.1 Early Voyages Begin
• 1.4.2 Vulcan's Glory
• 1.4.3 Eleven years of service
• 1.4.4 Discovery
• 1.5.1 The Five-Year Mission
• 1.6 Kolinahr
• 1.8.1 Yesterday's Son
• 1.9 Time For Yesterday
• 1.10.1 The Genesis Incident
• 1.11 The mirror universe and the Surak
• 1.12 The voyage home
• 1.13 The Enterprise -A
• 1.15 Once a hero
• 1.16 Gorkon
• 1.17 After the Enterprise-A
• 1.18 Ambassador Spock
• 1.19 Saavik
• 1.20 Romulus and Reunification
• 1.21 Romulan Supernova
• 1.22 The Kelvin timeline
• 2 Alternate timelines and realities
• 3 Starfleet service record
• 4.1 Connections
• 4.2.1 Rank insignia
• 4.3.1 Appearances
• 4.3.2 References
• 4.4 External links

Spock (meaning " uniter " in Vulcan), the son of Sarek of Vulcan and Amanda Grayson , was born deep within a cave in Vulcan's Forge on January 6 , 2230 . As is the case with most Vulcans, only his last name was used due to the difficulty non-Vulcans would have in pronouncing his full name, although on at least one occasion Spock revealed his full name. ( TOS episodes : " Journey to Babel ", " This Side of Paradise "; TAS episode : " Yesteryear "; TOS movie : The Final Frontier ; TOS novel : Ishmael ; TOS movie : Star Trek Beyond )

To avoid tissue rejection, Spock was incubated twice during his 13 months of gestation. Ordinarily a Vulcan- Human hybrid would abort in the first month, but hundreds of chemical treatments were applied during his second and third months to help the infant survive, according to Sarek. ( TOS reference : Inside Star Trek )

Spock came from a distinguished Vulcan family with a long history of involvement with Earth . His grandfather Skon had been the first to translate The Teachings of Surak into English , giving humanity access to Surak 's teachings. ( ENT episode : " Two Days and Two Nights ")

His great-grandfather Solkar had made the first official contact with Earth as captain of the T'Plana-Hath , and later served as the first ambassador of Vulcan to Earth. ( TNG movie : Star Trek: First Contact ; the Decipher CCG; ENT episode : " The Catwalk ")

His Human ancestors included Aaron Stemple , a 19th century Seattle landowner, and Jeremy Grayson , a respected 20th and 21st century peace advocate, and Jeremy's wife Dora . ( TOS novels : Ishmael , Strangers from the Sky )

Spock had a half-brother named Sybok , from Sarek's first marriage. Sybok rejected Vulcan logic and embraced his emotions. Sybok left Vulcan when Spock was very young in search of the mythical Vulcan " heaven " known as Sha Ka Ree . ( TOS novel : The Final Frontier )

Spock's parents, in accordance with Vulcan tradition, arranged for Spock to be betrothed to a Vulcan girl named T'Pring while Spock was very young. ( TOS episode : " Amok Time ")

At some point during his childhood, he used to meet with his father's friend Tarok who was like an uncle and was called "Takta" in a loving manner. He used to tell stories to young Spock of the time before the Vulcan Reformation ; some of these tales were considered inappropriate by other Vulcans. ( TOS novel : Avenger )

The seven-year-old Spock and his older self in 2237 .

At the age of seven, Spock defied his father's wishes and journeyed into the Vulcan desert known as the Forge in an attempt to complete the kahs-wan , the traditional Vulcan coming of age ritual. With the assistance of his cousin Selek (actually Spock himself from the future) and the sacrifice of Spock's pet Sehlat , I-Chaya , young Spock completed the kahs-wan ritual. It was at this time that Spock chose the Vulcan way of life over that of his human mother. ( TAS episode : " Yesteryear ")

Even after the ritual was complete, Spock would continue to defy Sarek and head into the Vulcan wilderness; Sarek would eventually track Spock on one of these journeys and Spock would explain his reasoning for his adventures. ( ST comic : " Spock: Reflections, Issue 1 ")

When Spock was a boy, he would often disappear into the mountains for days at a time. His father asked him what he had done and where he had gone but Spock refused to tell him. Sarek forbade him to go but he went regardless and endured the punishment for disobeying his father. Shortly before his death in 2368 , Sarek told Captain Jean-Luc Picard that he secretly admired "the proud core of him that would not yield." ( TNG episode : " Unification ")

Spock's parents took in orphan Michael Burnham as part of their family. Spock at first did not welcome her and retreated to his room. There, he spooked Burnham with a drawing of a dragon-like monster. Spock ignored her. Following the Logic extremists bombing of the Vulcan Learning Center , Spock was told by a Red Angel that Burnham had ran away to the outskirts of ShiKahr . ( DSC episodes : " Brother ", " Point of Light ", " If Memory Serves ")

As a child, Spock traveled with his parents as part of their duties in the Federation diplomacy services, and had occasion to be present at some key events in Federation history . When Klingon Captain Krenn visited Earth in the 2230s decade , Spock purportedly discussed games with him in an embassy meeting room, and the two had a chess match. Without mentioning Spock by name, referring to him only as the son of the Vulcan ambassador, the incident was part of a dramatized re-telling in the novel The Final Reflection decades later, of which Spock only remarked that the account was part of a fictional work. ( TOS - Worlds Apart novel : The Final Reflection )

Spock faced a great decision in his need to decide which path to follow for his higher education.

Spock's decision to attend Starfleet Academy was influenced by his interactions with B6 Blue , a Nasat scientist on Vulcan during Spock's youth. Through her, Spock learned of Starfleet's more open and adventurous approach to science. ( TOS - Constellations short story : " Devices and Desires ")

In the year 2247 , Spock befriended a human youth named David Rabin , the son of a Starfleet captain . After a harrowing encounter with a Vulcan madman named Sered in the area of the Forge called the Womb of Fire , Spock decided to again defy his father's wishes. This time, instead of joining the Vulcan Science Academy as his father wished, Spock decided to follow Rabin's lead and instead joined Starfleet Academy . ( TOS novel : Vulcan's Forge ; ST reference : The Visual Dictionary )

In 2249 , Sarek was given the choice of sponsoring either Spock or Spock's foster sister Michael Burnham for the Vulcan expeditionary fleet - they would not allow both to join the fleet. Given that choice, Sarek decided to sponsor Spock, and informed Burnham that the Vulcan fleet had rejected her candidacy. Spock decided to attend Starfleet Academy anyways the following year, rendering the sacrifice of Burnham's opportunity unnecessary. Spock's decision led to an eighteen-year rift between Spock and Sarek. ( DSC episode : " Lethe ")

Starfleet Academy

Cadet Spock.

At the Academy, Spock led his year in Astrography , Comparative xenobiology , Semiotics , Quantum mechanics , Warp engineering and four other disciplines. ( EV comic : " Flesh of My Flesh ")

Spock was friends, and often worked with, Armand St. John , who claimed Spock was the only person in the Federation capable of understanding his brilliance. Spock suspected they found something in common in that both of their respective fathers disapproved them of attending Starfleet Academy. The two often fought, as Spock found the shortcuts that St. John employed in his research to be dangerous. Spock was proved correct when St. John was expelled after one of his experiments caused extensive damage to the campus. Spock would meet St. John again years later at the Pollux II laboratory while serving aboard the USS Enterprise . ( TOS comic : " All of Me ")

Spock took the two-year Vulcan curriculum and an additional series of cadet cruises at Starfleet Academy before being commissioned as an officer at age 19, around the turn of the 2250s decade. ( TOS novel : Vulcan's Glory )

The Enterprise under Pike

Early voyages begin.

In 2253 , when Spock was still a cadet , Captain Christopher Pike of the USS Enterprise met with him with an offer; the Enterprise was about to begin a long term mission to chart the Pathiad Nebulatae , but the ship's chief science officer had been diagnosed with Virillian toxic fever . To fill the vacant position Pike offered the promising cadet Spock an internship on the Enterprise , with the rank of acting ensign . Spock accepted. ( TOS comic : " Flesh of My Flesh ")

Years later, while under the influence of a Klingon mind-sifter , Spock had a hallucinatory experience of his first day on the bridge as an ensign and acting science officer . ( TOS short story : " Chaotic Response ")

Vulcan's Glory

Lt. Spock and Captain Christopher Pike of the USS Enterprise and the Vulcan's Glory emerald.

After Spock completed a three-year tour (around the turn of the 2250s decade) as an ensign and assistant science officer aboard a cutter and a two-year tour (ending December , 2253 ) as third officer and science officer of the USS Artemis , he was promoted to full lieutenant and joined the crew of the USS Enterprise as chief science officer and second officer in 2253 , under the command of Captain Christopher Pike . At first Pike was nervous about the possibility of having a Vulcan on the bridge, feeling that Spock's Vulcan heritage would mean that he wouldn't be able to "gut out" command decisions. ( TOS novel : Vulcan's Glory )

One of Spock's first assignments on the Enterprise was to lead the landing parties to GS391 and Areta searching for the lost Vulcan treasure called Vulcan's Glory , a huge, natural, uncut emerald .

Spock became romantically involved with a Vulcan woman on his staff named T'Pris , and briefly considered dissolving his bond with his betrothed back home, T'Pring . Tragically, T'Pris was murdered by a human crewmember with one-eighth Vulcan blood named Lieutenant Daniel Reed , whose maternal great-grandmother had been disgraced when the Glory had originally been lost. ( TOS novel : Vulcan's Glory )

Eleven years of service

Spock in the 2250s .

Spock quickly became a valued member of the Enterprise crew , spending eleven years under Pike's command. ( TOS episode : " The Menagerie, Part I ")

Early in his service aboard the Enterprise , Lieutenant Spock joined Captain Pike and Lieutenant Tyler on a shuttle mission to planet Filos 4 . While evaluating Commander Knoxville 's work in developing alternative transporter technologies, a malfunction caused Spock to fall through a portal to another location, and Captain Pike jumped through after him. Following their return to the Enterprise , Spock submitted a report to Starfleet, which led them to suspend the experiments indefinitely. ( ST - Spock: Reflections comic : " Issue 2 ")

In 2254 he diagnosed, and helped to cure the vessel from a Ngultor virus . ( EV comic : " Flesh of My Flesh ")

Not long after he was among the injured during the coup on Rigel VII , he saved the Enterprise 's Nurse Gabrielle Carlotti from a Kaylar mace blow but was then thrown against a wall, damaging his leg ( EV comic : " Our Dearest Blood ")

Soon after the incident on Talos IV , the Enterprise discovered an Interspacial Rift that opened once every 33.4 years that led to the edge of the area of the galaxy known as the Gamma Quadrant .

Spock was part of a delegation that met with the Calligar , a race that lived in a series of satellites orbiting a world in flame on the other side of the rift. ( TOS novel : The Rift )

On the planetoid Darien 224 , Spock and a landing party from the Enterprise discovered the Last-of-all-Cities , a lost colony of Vulcans which crashed on the planet two millennia before, and had left Vulcan before the Time of Awakening and the logic-reformation. A splinter group from the colony (who wished to remain in isolation) had captured the USS Cortez in the hopes of using it to oppose the rest of the colony, which wished to return to Vulcan as conquerors. While Spock and the landing party did their best to keep relations with the emotional Vulcans good, Spock learned a lot about the nature of the Vulcan people. The Cortez and the colony were ultimately destroyed when they used an ancient psionic weapon. Following the incident, Spock re-assessed his way of life and underwent a purification ritual, removing what few Human emotions he did have and devoting himself fully to a life of logic and intellect, surmising to Captain Pike "Passion kills, Captain. Logic does not" . ( EV comic : " Cloak and Dagger ")

In 2255 Captain Pike informed Spock that a position had opened up on board the USS Intrepid , which was entirely crewed by Vulcans. Pike told Spock if he chose to apply for the position, he would support Spock as it would be a good career move for the Vulcan. He asked Spock to think it over and come back to him when he made a decision. A few days later the Enterprise experienced an outbreak of rigelian fever which required the ship to divert to Cypria III in order to obtain the materials to manufacture a cure. After the materials were obtained from the Cyprians and the outbreak contained Spock informed Pike that he had decided to stay on the Enterprise and not apply for the position on the Intrepid . ( TOS novel : Child of Two Worlds )

In May of 2255 , Spock, with his foster sister, the USS Shenzhou 's acting XO Lieutenant Michael Burnham entered the Juggernaut to disable it before it wipes out the colony on Sirsa III . Together, Spock and Burnham passed a number of challenges and Spock Mind melded with her to keep in contact with her. They then discovered that this ship belonged to the Turanian Empire who deemed both him and Burnham worthy of joining the Empire. However, when the Juggernaut attacks both the Enterprise and the Shenzhou , Spock and Burnham set their phasers to overload. This disabled the Juggernaut. ( DSC novel : Desperate Hours )

Following the end of the Federation-Klingon War of 2256 - 57 , Spock took a leave of absence from Starfleet due to a premonition about several Red bursts . On a unnamed planet, Spock encountered the Red Angel from his childhood. He received visions from the Red Angel that showed the destruction of Earth, Vulcan, Andor and Tellar. The encounter also caused Spock to experience time non-linearly. He decided to commit himself to the psychiatric unit on Starbase 5 . When the red bursts happened, Spock decided to leave despite his doctors' objections. He used a Vulcan nerve pinched on three of his doctors and took a shuttlecraft. ( DSC episodes : " Brother ", " New Eden ", " Point of Light ", " If Memory Serves ")

Starfleet believed that Spock had killed his doctors and was wanted for murder. Both Section 31 and the USS Discovery under Captains Leland, Georgiou and Pike searched for him and his shuttle. Eventually, Spock abandoned his shuttle and returned to Vulcan. There, his mother shielded him from everyone in a sacred crypt lined with Katra stones . Spock hid there until Burnham and Sarek discovered him and turned him over to Captain Leland in order to "repair" his mind. However, Spock and Burnham escaped to a shuttle when Georgiou warned them about the technology that would destroy his mind. ( DSC episodes : " Saints of Imperfection ", " Light and Shadows ")

Spock in 2259.

After the climactic battle with Control , Spock returned to the Enterprise and shaved his beard . Some months later, he observed the last red signal from his lost foster sister. Spock, Number One and the rest of Pike's crew continued their missions to strange new worlds. ( DSC episode : " Such Sweet Sorrow "; Strange New Worlds )

The Enterprise under Kirk

In 2264 , Pike's time as Captain of the Enterprise was coming to an end as Pike was due to be promoted to Fleet Captain . By then Pike was quite comfortable with having Spock as part of his crew. Spock was one of the few officers to remain on the Enterprise after Pike left, and Pike felt better about turning the Enterprise over to Captain James Kirk as Spock would be remaining on board, serving as both Kirk's first officer and science officer. Pike by then had come to respect Spock's dedication to logic , and felt that Spock would keep young Captain Kirk from acting rashly. ( TOS novel : Burning Dreams ; WizKids module : Attack Wing )

According to the elder Spock in TOS novelization : Star Trek , "In both our histories the same crew found its way onto the same ship in a time of ultimate crisis." This may imply that there is an untold story set in the prime timeline in which Kirk's crew faced an extremely serious challenge while still a new and untested unit.

The Five-Year Mission

Together, Spock, James T. Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise made history .

One of the first successful missions in 2265 was making first contact with the Archernarians of Archernar IV . There, Spock defused the situation was by making a screeching noise to prevent Lt. Lee Kelso from firing his phaser at the Archernarians. ( TOS comic : " Mission's End, Issue 1 ")

In 2266 , the Enterprise was the first Federation ship to officially view the true appearance of the Romulans , who looked remarkably like Vulcans. Spock confirmed that it was indeed likely that they were a war-like offshoot of the Vulcans. ( TOS episode : " Balance of Terror ")

In 2267 , Spock came to the aid of his former Captain, Christopher Pike, after Pike had become an invalid barely capable of communication after exposure to delta radiation . Spock risked the death penalty by breaking General Order 7 and returning Pike to Talos IV, where the Talosians could give Pike the illusion of a normal existence. ( TOS episode : " The Menagerie ")

Later that year, Spock felt the fires of pon farr and returned to Vulcan to wed his betrothed, T'Pring . At the ceremony, T'Pring chose instead to pit Spock against Kirk in combat while Spock was enveloped by the plak tow , or "blood fever", in order to break her engagement to Spock and wed a Vulcan named Stonn instead. ( TOS episode : " Amok Time ")

Soon after, Spock was reunited with his parents when the Enterprise escorted a complement of ambassadors , including Sarek and his wife , to a diplomatic conference on the codenamed planet Babel . During the journey, Sarek suffered a cardiac episode requiring immediate surgery. Sarek almost died when Spock's presence was required for a massive "T" negative blood transfusion, but Spock refused to relinquish his duties to the Enterprise . After Spock was relieved of duty, he reported to Dr. Leonard McCoy in sickbay and gave the transfusion, saving Sarek's life. The incident ended an eighteen-year rift between Spock and Sarek. ( TOS episode : " Journey to Babel ")

In 2268 , the Enterprise was ordered to covertly enter the Romulan Star Empire and retrieve a Romulan cloaking device . It was during this incident that Spock first met the Romulan woman known as Charvanek . ( TOS episode : " The Enterprise Incident ")

In 2269 , Spock and Dr. Leonard McCoy were sent 5,000 years into the past of the world Sarpeidon , where Spock met and became romantically involved with a woman named Zarabeth . Unbeknownst to Spock when he returned to the 23rd century , he left Zarabeth pregnant with his son, Zar . ( TOS episode : " All Our Yesterdays "; TOS novel : Yesterday's Son )

Later that year while studying Vulcan history using the Guardian of Forever , the timeline was changed, forcing Spock to travel back through the Guardian in order to preserve his own existence. Arriving in Vulcan's past, Spock posed as a cousin of Sarek named Selek . Spock saved his younger self from a le-matya attack during his younger self's kahs-wan trials. The timeline restored, Spock was returned to the Guardian's world . ( TAS episode : " Yesteryear ")

When the religious Crusaders attacked the Federation from another dimension, Spock proved vital in defeating their attempt to forcibly convert the Federation to follow their Truth and their belief that different cultures could not cooperate. By making contact with the Crown of the God-King Jaenab , which allowed him to make telepathic broadcasts to his people, while Kirk kept Jaenab occupied, Spock used a mind meld to share his own experience of different cultures interacting by using his own parents as an example, the discovery prompting Jaenab to call off his crusade and enter isolation to examine his own motives. ( TOS novel : The Weight of Worlds )

In 2270 , towards the end of the five-year mission, Spock encountered Berlis Aknista after the Enterprise rescued him. Berlis had a very powerful form of telepathy that attracted Spock and eventually led to Spock interlocking his mind with Berlis, but the connection would be broken soon after. As Spock sat in his cabin afterward he felt Berlis probing his mind and killed him in order to avoid further interference by Berlis. ( TOS novel : Troublesome Minds )

When the five-year mission of the Enterprise came to an end in 2270 , Captain Kirk recommended Spock for the command of the science vessel, the USS Grissom and the USS Enterprise . Spock turned down the offer as he believed that being in command, even of a science ship, would keep him from the scientific research that was his specialty.

Spock returned to Vulcan for six months leave with the intention of returning to Starfleet and serving again with Kirk. After Kirk accepted a promotion to Admiral , something that he swore he would never do, Spock resigned from Starfleet and took a teaching job at the Vulcan Science Academy . He soon met and became romantically involved with a Vulcan woman named T'Sura . The couple soon bonded, becoming betrothed to each other.

When the ancient katra of an unstable and very powerful Vulcan named Zakal found a host and began to terrorize the region in 2271 , Spock was drawn into the events, as were Kirk, McCoy and McCoy's friend Keridwen Llewellyn . Zakal was stopped, but at the cost of Llewellyn's life.

Spock blamed himself for Llewelyn's death, believing that it was his lack of emotional control that brought about the circumstances of her death. As a result, Spock terminated his link with T'Sura, and instead opted to become a postulate of Kolinahr in order to shed all of his remaining emotions. ( TOS novel : The Lost Years & TOS comic : " Mission's End ")

In late 2272 Spock was preparing to achieve the final stage of kolinahr by severing all ties to friends and family. Despite his efforts, feelings of friendship and affection persisted for his human friends, Kirk and McCoy, as well as the sense that his friends were in some sort of peril.

In an attempt to break his bonds to Kirk and McCoy once and for all, Spock performed the ritual of Sekhet in order to purge his remaining emotions. After the third day of motionless meditation without food or water, the sense of his friends in danger ceased.

Upon the completion of the ritual meditation Spock believed that had finally purged himself of his residual feelings for his friends, when he felt an alien presence from the depths of space . He dismissed the feeling as no more than the after-effect of his meditation ritual and thought nothing more of it. ( TOS novel : Recovery )

Several weeks later, in early 2273 , Spock was set to perform the ritual with the Vulcan masters that would indicate that he had finally achieved kolinahr , when he again felt the alien mind from across the vastness of space. It was a mind of pure logic, yet was empty, and it stirred his human emotions and blood. After being told by the masters that he had not achieved kolinahr and that his answer lay elsewhere, Spock set off in search of the source of the call from space.

Fortunately for Spock, Admiral Kirk and the Enterprise were in search of the same entity, and Spock joined the Enterprise in their search for the lifeform that became known as " V'Ger ". Spock's Starfleet commission was then reactivated and he offered his services as Chief Science Officer for the mission.

After melding with V'Ger, Spock realized that V'Ger, for all of its vast intelligence and logic, was empty, lost and devoid of further purpose. The experience made Spock realize that logic alone was not enough for the balance that he sought. Spock chose not to return to Vulcan and the study of kolinahr , choosing instead to return to Starfleet , serving on the Enterprise under Kirk in his former position. ( TOS movie , novelization & comic adaptation : The Motion Picture )

Yesterday's Son

In 2269 , Spock was sent back 5,000 years into the past of the world Sarpeidon , and had a brief but passionate relationship with Zarabeth , a woman that had been banished to live out her life alone in the barren, frozen wasteland of Sarpeidon's northern hemisphere. ( TOS episode : " All Our Yesterdays ")

A year and a half later, in late 2270 , while studying Sarpeidon's historical records, Spock found evidence in the form of a 5,000-year-old cave painting that indicated that Zarabeth had bore his child in the icy wastes.

After an appeal from T'Pau to the Federation Council, Spock obtained permission to use the Guardian of Forever to visit Sarpeidon's past and bring Zarabeth and son home with him.

Things did not go exactly as planned, and Spock, Kirk, and Dr. Leonard McCoy found themselves arriving 10 years later in Sarpeidon's past than planned. Zarabeth was dead, killed in an avalanche, and Spock's son, Zar , was nearly an adult.

Spock brought the boy back to the Enterprise with him, but their relationship was strained. Zar believed that Spock had only retrieved him out of a sense of duty, and not out of any kind of fatherly feeling. Spock, not knowing how to deal with the emotions Zar had stirred in him, had been unable to convince Zar otherwise.

Zar had unusually strong telepathic talent, even surpassing the skills of his father.

While studying Sarpeidon's history records, Zar found more evidence of his existence in his homeworld's past. In fact, he was an important historical figure whose absence would profoundly affect the timeline.

After helping Spock foil a plan by the Romulans to seize the Guardian of Forever, Zar prepared to return to Sarpeidon's past. But before he left, Spock shared a mind meld with Zar, allowing him to experience the true depths of his father's feelings for him.

Spock, his son Zar, and the Guardian of Forever.

Zar used his telepathic power to direct the Guardian to deposit him on Sarpeidon's southern continent, where he would begin his life's work. ( TOS novel : Yesterday's Son )

Time For Yesterday

Nearly fifteen years later, in early 2285 , the Guardian had seemingly malfunctioned, and was ninety days away from actually destroying the universe. After Spock was able to momentarily stabilize the portal, he jumped through with Kirk and McCoy with intent of bringing back Zar, who was the only person to successfully communicate telepathically with the Guardian.

Spock located Zar, who was at the point in the timeline where history recorded his death in battle, and explained the situation to him. But Zar refused to abandon his troops on the eve of battle and would not help with the Guardian.

It was only at the urging of Zar's new wife, Wynn , whose precognitive abilities saw this as the only way for Zar to survive the coming battle, did Zar agree to leave.

After using his powers to help the Guardian regain control of its functions, Zar returned to Sarpeidon's past to meet his fate.

Spock, however, was not willing to stand by idly and let his son die. He followed Zar back to the past, and with Spock's assistance, Zar survived the battle.

After returning to the Enterprise , Spock decided not to seek out Zar's fate in the new timeline, choosing instead to remember him as he saw him last - alive, well, and happy. ( TOS novel : Time for Yesterday )

Death and Rebirth

The genesis incident.

Spock in 2285.

By 2285 , Spock had been promoted to Captain and was assigned to Starfleet Academy, commanding the Enterprise as a teacher on a training vessel. Spock was commanding a training cruise (with an inspecting Admiral Kirk on board) when Khan Noonien Singh escaped from Ceti Alpha V with a number of his followers, who had earlier accompanied him into exile. Spock relinquished command to the senior officer, stating as a Vulcan it was clearly logical -having, "no ego to bruise." Hijacking the USS Reliant , Khan tried to avenge the death of his wife , which he blamed on Kirk. After a deadly game of " cat -and- mouse " in the Mutara Nebula , the Reliant was disabled by the Enterprise , and Khan was fatally injured. Before he died, however, Khan activated the Genesis Device that he had earlier stolen from Regula I .

The warp engine of the heavily damaged Enterprise was off-line when Khan activated the Genesis Device countdown sequence. As a result, the Enterprise would have been caught in the detonation of the device and destroyed. Realizing this, Spock went to engineering, and was about to enter the dilithium crystal chamber when stopped by McCoy . Rendering McCoy unconscious with a Vulcan nerve pinch , Spock stopped long enough to enter into a mind meld with McCoy. ( TOS movie , novelization & comic adaptation : The Wrath of Khan ) Thanks to Jonathan Archer successfully carrying Surak 's katra , Spock knew it was possible for a human brain to house a Vulcan katra , which gave him the confidence to meld with McCoy to prepare for the transfer of his katra at the end. ( TOS novel : The Autobiography of Mr. Spock )

McCoy regained consciousness a few moments later. Both he and Montgomery Scott watched in horror as Spock entered the radiation soaked chamber and began realigning the dilithium crystals. Spock succeeded in bringing the warp engines back online, and the Enterprise was able to escape the detonation of the Genesis Device. But by then, Spock had already received a fatal dose of radiation.

Summoned to engineering, Kirk was prepared to enter the chamber himself and pull Spock out. Kirk was held back by McCoy and Scott before he could flood the whole engineering section with radiation. When Kirk protested that Spock would die, Scott replied that Spock was dead already, with McCoy confirming that it was too late for Spock. The two friends spoke to each other for what was apparently the final time. Spock saw his sacrifice as his solution to the Kobayashi Maru scenario , and asked Kirk what he thought of his solution. Before dying from radiation poisoning , Spock gave Kirk the Vulcan salute, and told Kirk to, "Live long and prosper."

A short time later, a funeral was held for Spock in the torpedo bay of the Enterprise . As Captain Spock's will stated that Spock was not to be returned to Vulcan, Admiral Kirk decided to have his friend's body placed in a photon torpedo casing and fired into the space above the newly formed Genesis Planet . It was Kirk's intention that Spock's body would be cremated when the torpedo casing burned up upon entering into the atmosphere of the Genesis Planet. For the eulogy, Kirk said, "Of my friend, I can only say this: of all the souls I have encountered in my travels, his was the most... human ." ( TOS movie , novelization & comic adaptation : The Wrath of Khan )

However. the planet was still forming when the torpedo was fired from Enterprise , and the gravitational fields of the Genesis Planet were in flux at the time. As a result, instead of burning up in the atmosphere or crashing into the planet, Spock's torpedo soft-landed on the surface. Over the next few weeks, the remnants of the Genesis wave re-generated the body of Spock. His cells were regenerated as that of a child's, which began to rapidly age as the Genesis Planet aged. A survey mission from the USS Grissom soon arrived, mistaking quickly evolved microbes near Spock's landing site as the animal lifeforms detected from the Grissom . He was later discovered by Dr. David Marcus and Lieutenant Saavik . By then, Spock's body had aged to be the equivalent of eight to ten Earth years of age.

Spock undergoing Fal-tor-pan on Vulcan.

In orbit, the Grissom was destroyed by a Klingon bird-of-prey , commanded by Kruge . While Kruge's men searched for the Grissom survivors, Spock's body and the Genesis Planet were rapidly aging. As Spock's body became that of a young man and began experiencing pon farr , Saavik helped the Spock through this.

Meanwhile on Earth , Spock's father Sarek revealed to Kirk that Spock may have transferred his katra into a different mind. After failing to find the katra in Kirk's mind, the two searched through engine room recordings of Spock's final moments, finding that Spock had transferred his katra into McCoy's mind. Sarek requested that both McCoy and Spock's body be brought to Vulcan so that the two could find peace. When Starfleet refused to allow Kirk to return to the Genesis Planet, Kirk and the senior staff of the USS Enterprise stole the Enterprise and traveled to the Genesis Planet.

By the time the Enterprise arrived in orbit , Marcus, Saavik and Spock's body were captured by Kruge . Overwhelmed by the battle, the Enterprise was disabled. When Kruge's men killed Doctor Marcus, Kirk agreed to surrender the ship. Kirk and the Enterprise crew beamed down to the Genesis Planet after setting the auto-destruct device of the Enterprise . Several of Kruge's warriors beamed aboard the Enterprise and were killed when the auto-destruct device destroyed the ship.

Kruge then beamed down and confronted Kirk on the surface of Genesis. He ordered Maltz to beam everyone else except himself, Kirk, and Spock on board his ship. Kirk and Kruge fought on to the edge of a cliff overlooking a sea of lava. When Kruge tried to pull Kirk into this sea of lava, Kirk had enough and kicked Kruge away, who fell to his death. Spock's body had by now reached the same age as it was just prior to Spock's entering the dilithium crystal chamber of the Enterprise . Beaming on board the Klingon ship, the crew managed to capture the ship from Maltz - the only warrior left on the ship - and set course for Vulcan .

Arriving at Vulcan, the crew of the late Enterprise climbed the steps of Mount Seleya - where the crew of the Enterprise believed that Spock's katra would be transferred to the Hall of Ancient Thought . Upon arriving at the summit of Mt. Seleya, Sarek requested instead that fal-tor-pan , or "the refusion" of Spock's body and mind be performed. For the first time in many years, fal-tor-pan was performed by the High Priestess T'Lar , removing Spock's katra from McCoy's mind and placing it back in Spock's body. ( TOS movie , novelization & comic adaptation : The Search for Spock )

Spock would later write in his autobiography that his memories of the time were hazy, but he remembered seeing Mt. Seleya through Dr. McCoy's eyes, the long and exhausting climb up the steps, the grueling fal-tor-pan ritual that lasted throughout the night, and waking up the next morning in his own body. ( TOS novel : The Autobiography of Mr. Spock )

The mirror universe and the Surak

Soon after, Kirk and his crew took the bird-of-prey to the Regula I space station in order to have a funeral service for David Marcus with his mother, Carol while the still-unstable Spock recuperated on Vulcan.

Deadly reflection.

As his recovery seemed to take a turn for the worse, Spock was confronted in his home by a representation of himself from one of the variant mirror universes , who had come to attempt to gain the secret of the Genesis device from his counterpart's DNA .

The two Spocks mind-melded and battled on the mental plane, with the twin results of Spock's mental instability being cured, and the mirror-Spock switching sides.

The two Spocks set off for the mirror-universe, following Kirk in the bird-of-prey, who had re-commandeered the USS Excelsior from James T. Kirk , and taken her to the mirror-universe in an attempt to forestall an invasion.

Upon arrival in the mirror-universe and catching up with Kirk, the two Spocks assisted Kirk in his plans to assist the underground resistance fighting the Terran Empire led by the mirror- David Marcus .

Upon returning to Earth, it was decided by Grand Admiral Stephen Turner that while the Federation dealt with the repercussions and ramifications of the Genesis incident, Spock would command the USS Surak , a science vessel where Spock's miraculous condition could be monitored and studied. ( TOS comic : " The Mirror Universe Saga ")

During his brief command of the Surak , Spock and his crew encountered the planet Proto , where an air-borne pollen induced dream-like states in several of the crew, and faced down an attack from a Romulan invasion team that was testing new transporter technology on the planet Verdee . ( TOS comics : " Dreamworld ", " The Trouble with Transporters! ")

After the Surak encountered a derelict ship with only a sole surviving Andorian passenger, Spock's crew began to come down with a mysterious malady that struck down the entire ship's complement. Spock, infected but the only survivor, set the Surak 's course for a nearby star in hopes of eradicating the disease.

Spock was rescued from the Surak by the timely arrival of Kirk and the Excelsior . Determined to find a cure for the virus, Kirk disobeyed orders and followed the infected Andorian across the Romulan Neutral Zone . With the assistance of a Romulan commander, a cure for the virus was found using the ship's transporter as a filter.

Spock was cured of the virus, but the positive effects of Spock's mind meld with his mirror counterpart were undone, causing Spock's mind to unravel. Kirk and his command crew returned to Vulcan in the bird-of-prey, again in violation of orders, in order to get Spock the medical attention that he needed. ( TOS - The Doomsday Bug! comics : " Death Ship! ", " Stand-Off! ", " The Apocalypse Scenario! ")

The voyage home

For the next three months, the senior staff of the late Enterprise remained in exile on Vulcan . During this time Spock and McCoy each participated in mind meld sessions with T'Lar to ensure that any remaining part of Spock's mind still in McCoy's mind was transferred back to Spock. Also during this time Spock underwent a Vulcan retraining program to ensure that his knowledge was intact. Because the training was based on Vulcan logic, Spock was initially unsure of how to handle questions about how he was feeling, but his mother was confident that the feelings from his human half would resurface in time.

The voyage home.

When the Enterprise senior staff decided to return to Earth to face the consequences of their actions in early 2286 , Spock decided to travel with them to offer his own testimony. What the crew expected to be a quick voyage back to Earth and the end of their Starfleet careers was sidetracked when an alien probe arrived in Earth orbit and began damaging the planet. Spock was able to determine that the probe's transmissions were the songs sung by the extinct humpback whale species of Earth. When Admiral Kirk decided to go back in time and retrieve such whales, Spock was able to prepare the Bounty to go back in time completely from memory. He was later able to correctly guess the best course to return to the 23rd century .

After the probe had left the Sol System , the senior staff of the Enterprise stood before the Federation Council to face the consequences of rescuing Spock. Even though Spock had not been charged, he decided to stand with his shipmates. The mitigating circumstances caused by the probe 's visit to Earth prompted the Federation council to dismiss all but one of the charges - which was directed solely at Admiral Kirk. The council ordered Kirk reduced to the rank of Captain , but gave him the command of the USS Enterprise -A . Spock returned to active duty in Starfleet, assuming the role of first officer on the Enterprise . ( TOS movie , novelization & comic adaptation : The Voyage Home )

The Enterprise -A

At first, Spock harbored doubts as to whether he was fully restored and capable of performing his duties as science officer, but after he was able to quickly repair the Enterprise -A's warp core on the fly after it had been sabotaged by a religious zealot, Spock realized that he was indeed fit for duty. ( TOS comic : " Choices! ")

Devil Down Below! .

Several weeks later, the Enterprise returned to planet Gamma Trianguli VI , twenty years after Kirk destroyed the planet-controlling computer called Vaal , despite Spock's strong objections. Without Vaal's influence, Gamma Trianguli VI's indigenous people had regressed into near-savagery. Kirk was forced to admit his earlier error, and Spock managed to reactivate Vaal, even briefly "joining" with it, while still granting the local population more freedom of thought and action than was previously available under Vaal. ( TOS episode : " The Apple "; TOS comics : " Paradise Lost! ", " Past Perfect ", " Devil Down Below! ")

Soon after, when Kirk had been viciously attacked, stabbed through the heart by a mysterious assailant, Spock sensed it immediately. Spock met Dr. McCoy at the entrance of Kirk's quarters where Spock forced the door, and found the dying Kirk.

McCoy managed to save Kirk's life, and Kirk identified Ensign William Bearclaw as his attacker. Bearclaw was a discipline case that Kirk had recently put up for transfer. After being drawn into the investigation, Spock began to harbor doubts as to Bearclaw's guilt. Spock articulated his doubts to Kirk and asked him to keep an open mind just before Kirk was again attacked by the shape-shifting Garth of Izar , who had previously impersonated Bearclaw. Spock returned in time to save Kirk from Garth, dropping him with a Vulcan nerve-pinch. ( TOS comic : " Who Killed Captain Kirk? ")

The Enterprise returned to Earth in 2287 so that chief engineer Montgomery Scott could track down the numerous bugs that popped up. Spock was taking his shore leave in Yosemite National Park with Kirk and McCoy when the call about an emergency on Nimbus III (aka "The Planet of Galactic Peace") came in. The ruling council, consisting of a human, a Klingon, and a Romulan, had been taken hostage. Upon viewing the recording made by the kidnapper, Spock recognized him as his half-brother, Sybok , whom Spock had not seen since he was a child. Sybok had left Vulcan after he had rejected his culture's reliance on logic, and embraced his emotions.

The Enterprise raced to Nimbus III, only to have the ship taken by Sybok, who employed a mysterious mental power on the Enterprise crew. Sybok took the Enterprise through the barrier at the center of the galaxy, hoping to release The One , whom Sybok believed to be a God -like being from Sha Ka Ree , the Vulcan " heaven ". The One , rather than being a benevolent force, was murderous and cruel. The One killed Sybok, and was about to do the same to Kirk when Spock rescued him with the assistance of General Korrd of the Klingon Defense Force . ( TOS movie : The Final Frontier )

Once a hero

During a 2287 landing party excursion to Dinar IV in search of the missing Federation freighter Arcade , Spock became involved in a firefight against Haigy raiders who had grounded the vessel. When Security Officer Thomas Lee was fatally struck by a disruptor blast, Spock initiated a mind meld to attempt to stabilize the ensign . The damage to Lee's body was too great, and Spock only managed to calm Lee as the young man passed away. Spock later shared with Kirk that Lee's last conscious thought was that the ensign couldn't wait to go swimming again. ( TOS comic : " Once a Hero! ")

This incident was an early impetus for Spock to consider a more diplomatic role in Starfleet than a scientific one. ( ST reference : The Star Trek Encyclopedia ) The following year, when the Enterprise ferried a number of Federation diplomats to Starbase 49 for a peace summit with the Klingons, Spock engaged in several conversations with Klingon diplomatic aide Toladal , which further fueled these thoughts. ( TOS novel : In the Name of Honor )

Then in 2293 , at the behest of his father, Spock opened up talks with the Klingon Chancellor , Gorkon , following the destruction of the Klingon moon, Praxis . The destruction of Praxis had damaged the ozone layer of Qo'noS , the Klingon homeworld, and left the Empire incapable of self-sufficiency so long as hostilities with the Federation proceeded. The pair agreed to a summit between the Federation and the Empire on Earth.

Spock volunteered the services of the Enterprise on Kirk's behalf to escort the Chancellor and his party to Earth. This last mission under Kirk's command (Kirk had previously announced his retirement) went disastrously wrong when a cloaked bird-of-prey commanded by the renegade General Chang attacked Gorkon's ship, killing the Chancellor and leaving the blame with Kirk.

Kirk and McCoy were arrested and tried by the Klingons for the Chancellor's assassination and sentenced to life imprisonment at the penal colony of Rura Penthe . Spock disobeyed orders from Starfleet Command to return to Earth and devised a rescue plan.

After the rescue of Kirk and McCoy, Spock discovered that Kirk had been betrayed to the Klingons by Valeris , his own protégé . When Valeris refused to divulge the new location of the peace talks, Spock forcibly retrieved the information by establishing a mind meld with the unwilling Valeris, an action from which Valeris never fully recovered.

Soon afterward at the Khitomer conference, Kirk saved the lives of Klingon Chancellor Azetbur , Federation President Ra-ghoratreii , and uncovered a conspiracy between Chang, Starfleet Admiral Lance Cartwright , and Romulan Ambassador Nanclus to maintain the current state of hostility by assassinating the leaders suing for peace. Kirk was exonerated in the eyes of the Klingons, and a new era began between the two powers. It was here that Spock first met future Romulan Senator Pardek . ( TOS movie : The Undiscovered Country , TOS comic : " Enter the Wolves ", TNG episode : " Unification ")

After the Enterprise-A

Spock joined the Melpomene Players after the decommissioning of the USS Enterprise -A . He was a part of their production of Romeo and Juliet . He left the group shortly after a production of Hamlet in which he played Polonious in 2293 . ( TOS novel : The Fearful Summons )

After James Kirk's apparent death aboard the USS Enterprise -B , Spock gave the eulogy for his friend. In it, he mentioned "returning the favor" due to Kirk having given Spock's eulogy. ( ST reference : Federation: The First 150 Years )

In 2294 , Spock, while still holding the rank of captain, was transported by the Victory to the USS Enterprise -B. Captain John Harriman introduced himself to Spock and showed him the James T. Kirk dedication plaque in engineering . ( ST comic : " Spock: Reflections, Issue 1 ")

Ambassador Spock

Captain Spock in 2296 .

In 2296 , three years after the presumed death of James T. Kirk aboard the USS Enterprise -B , Spock was in command of the the USS Intrepid II , a science vessel.

After a reunion with David Rabin and a final confrontation with Sered on the planet Obsidian , Spock began to wonder if Starfleet was still the place for him.

Sered had believed that Vulcan and her sundered cousins needed each other, and Spock had come to the realization that he agreed. Except where Sered wanted to unite with the Romulans as conquerors, Spock felt that they must come together as allies, as brethren. Spock resigned his commission in Starfleet, and joined the Federation Diplomatic Corps , with the ultimate goal of bringing together Vulcan and Romulus.It was during this time that Spock first met his long-standing Romulan ally in his quest for reunification, Ruanek . ( TOS novel : Vulcan's Forge )

By the year 2300 , Spock had attained the rank of Ambassador , though he still found himself occasionally involved in Starfleet affairs. ( TOS novel : Cast No Shadow )

Spock soon established himself as an Ambassador of great skill, with accomplishments that rivaled even his father's.

In 2320 , Spock returned to Talos IV after being summoned to the planet by the Talosians. Having a private shuttle, Spock was able to slip away with a minimum of difficulty this time and reached Talos IV. He arrived in the Talos Star Group to find a drastically altered Talos IV. Instead of a planet with high levels of radiation and a sickly yellow appearance, now Talos IV had a healthy blue color, with radiation levels lower than that of Earth. Spock landed on the surface of the planet to find a rebuilt city. The Magistrate, or Keeper as he was originally known, had shown Spock around, and explained that Pike had recently died. He showed Spock a message Pike had recorded for Spock. Pike asked Spock to convey some of his ashes back to Earth, and to present the Talosians petition to not only repeal General Order 7 , but to join the Federation as well. ( TOS novel : Burning Dreams )

In the year 2327 , Spock and Sarek had a very public disagreement over how the Federation should shape their policy toward a new race that the Federation had contacted, the Cardassians .

Ambassadors Spock and Sarek, circa 2327.

Matters were made worse by Sarek's new wife, Perrin . Spock's mother, Amanda, died in the year 2293 of natural causes. Sarek had left his place at Amanda's deathbed when the Federation contacted him about a diplomatic emergency, knowing that he would never see his wife alive again. Spock had long harbored resentment against his father for this. ( TOS novel : Sarek )

In the years that followed Amanda's death, Sarek had found himself to be lonely, and had recently married the much younger Perrin .

Perrin angered Spock, when she drunkenly gave him an ultimatum to apologize to Sarek on the Cardassian issue, or he would no longer be welcome in Sarek's home. Spock responded by saying, "In that case, I shall not trouble you by visiting (Sarek and Perrin's home in) Shi'Kahr again". This began a new rift between Spock and Sarek that would last until Sarek's death in 2368 . ( TOS comic : " Enter the Wolves ")

Spock first met his future wife, Saavik , in 2274 , when he rescued the young Vulcan/Romulan hybrid from a barbaric existence on the Romulan border world of Hellguard .

Spock spent some time teaching Saavik Vulcan logic and discipline before bringing her to Vulcan and arranging for his parents to continue Saavik's education. When Saavik was ready, Spock sponsored her application to Starfleet Academy . ( TOS novel : The Pandora Principle )

Saavik was present on the Enterprise when Spock experienced his death rescuing the ship from Khan Noonien Singh in the Mutara Nebula , and tended to his needs after his miraculous rebirth at the Genesis Planet in 2285 . ( TOS movies : The Wrath of Khan , The Search for Spock )

Spock and Saavik remained close over the years that followed, with their relationship evolving over the years from mentor/apprentice, to shipmates, colleagues, confidants, friends, and finally something more.

The couple formally announced their betrothal, or engagement, in a formal ceremony on the planet Vulcan in the year 2328 . Among the attendees were Ambassador Sarek, Admiral Leonard McCoy and Lieutenant Jean-Luc Picard . The Lady Perrin was not in attendance.

Over the years that followed, Spock's career in diplomacy and Saavik's career in Starfleet kept them from being together for long periods or planning their wedding, but they kept in close contact.

Spock's repeated attempts over the years to convince Vulcan to look into the possibility of reunification with the Romulans met with little or no success. In this period he was given numerous, if more mundane, assignments (e.g., to Earth in 2342 , to Andor in 2343 ).

In 2344 , Spock successfully negotiated a trade agreement between Vulcan and the reclusive Federation member Oriki .

Shortly after success with the trade agreement and still on Oriki, Spock received a covert communique from Charvanek , a Romulan officer that he had met years ago during the Romulan cloaking device affair of 2269 . He left immediately for Romulus, believing that Charvanek would only summon him if the security of both The Federation and the Romulan Star Empire were at stake. When Starfleet found out what Spock had done, Captain Uhura directed Saavik to covertly extract Spock, no matter what his reason for going.

Vulcan's Heart .

On Romulus, Spock and Saavik discovered the plans of the mad Romulan Praetor Dralath to attack the Klingon civilian colony of Narendra III and use it as a staging area to attack both the Klingon Empire and the Federation.

Saavik fled Romulus in order to warn the Federation, and Spock remained behind to neutralize the threat that Dralath posed.

Saavik managed to reach the starship USS Enterprise -C , under the command of Captain Rachel Garrett . After sending Saavik off to Vulcan for medical attention, Captain Garrett took the Enterprise to Narendra III and defended the Klingon civilians from the sneak attack, at the cost of the lives of her crew and ship. To the Klingons, this was a tremendous act of honor, one that cemented the relationship between the Klingon Empire and the Federation for years to come.

On Romulus, Spock (who was suffering from the early stages of pon farr ) assisted in taking Dralath, who ordered the Narendra attack without the authorization of the Romulan Senate , into custody. A new Praetor, Narviat , took office.

Spock escaped from Romulus with the assistance of his old friend and ally from Obsidian , Ruanek. Soon after Spock's reunion with Saavik, the couple tended to the needs of Spock's Pon Farr .

Soon after, in a ceremony on Vulcan's Forge , Spock and Saavik were married. Among the attendees at this ceremony were Admiral McCoy and Captain Uhura. ( TOS novel : Vulcan's Heart )

Romulus and Reunification

Ambassador Spock in 2368.

In 2368 , Spock decided to take his re-unification effort directly to the Romulan people by re-locating himself to Romulus in order to work with Romulus' growing underground movement. This did not mean that he was through with the affairs of the Federation, as he would periodically leave Romulus for brief periods on matters of importance to the Federation.

He later admitted to Picard (working undercover with him) that his " cowboy diplomacy " he used now and in the past was viewed as "arrogant presumption" by his friend, James T. Kirk . Picard for the most part, reminded Spock of that former captain . ( TNG episode : " Unification ")

In 2371 , Spock was part of a group of Romulan dissidents rounded up by Romulan authorities on the world of Constanthus and scheduled for execution. Starfleet dispatched the USS Enterprise -D along with Admiral Leonard McCoy in an effort to retrieve the ambassador. Taking it upon himself to mount a rescue was a recent arrival to the 24th century , Montgomery Scott . Scotty commandeered the Constitution -class USS Yorktown and set off for Romulan space.

The joint rescue efforts ultimately proved successful, and Spock was recovered (exhibiting a brief display of emotion as he materialized on the Yorktown 's transporter pads and saw Scotty at the controls) and returned to Federation space. He chose, however, to return to his work on Romulus. ( TNG novel : Crossover )

In 2372 , Spock received a message on Romulus from Captain Picard, informing him of Captain Kirk's return from the Nexus and subsequent death on Veridian III . Spock soon left Romulus to see the site of his friend's death himself. He crossed the Neutral Zone aboard an Orion transport, and disembarked at Deep Space Station E-5 , where he chartered another ship, owned by the Bolian captain Moxx , to take him from there to Veridian III . ( ST comic : " Spock: Reflections ")

While on Veridian III to pay his respects at James Kirk's grave, Spock was intercepted by T'Pring (his former betrothed), who questioned him about his hopes for Romulan/Vulcan reunification. She also returned a brooch that Spock's mother had given her before the wedding that never happened. ( TOS - Strange New Worlds 9 short story : " The Smallest Choices ")

In 2373 , Spock was called in to consult on the situation in the recently fallen Thallonian Empire . Spock had been in Thallonian space a decade earlier on a fact-finding mission about the reclusive Thallonians. Despite having to cut that mission short (so he could rescue a captured Vulcan woman named Soleta , and see her safely back to Federation space by way of a freighter named Qualor's Pride ), Spock was still the Federation's greatest, living authority on Thallon , and thus his expertise was needed in the crisis. ( NF novel : House of Cards , NF short story : " Out of the Frying Pan ")

During the Dominion War , Spock used what influence he had on Romulus to convince the Romulans that it would be in their own best interests to join in the Federations war effort against the Dominion . ( ST short story : " Blood Sacrifice ")

As Starfleet's resources became lean as the Dominion War heated up, many former command officers were reactivated to active or reserve service, including Spock. Spock was re- commissioned as an admiral and met briefly with other reactivated officers aboard the USS Sovereign , including Admiral Leonard McCoy, Captain Montgomery Scott, and Captain James T. Kirk. The group was instrumental in uncovering an impostor in that action, as it was revealed that Fleet Admiral Alynna Nechayev had been replaced by her mirror universe counterpart . Ironically, the mirror Nechayev had been instrumental in reactivating Spock and Kirk before they revealed her identity. While this action was decisive in protecting Federation security, Spock did not play any further publicly known role in his service as wartime admiral. ( TOS novel : Spectre )

The Borg also attempted to assimilate Ambassador Spock in order to stop peace treaty negotiations between the Klingons and Romulans, however the timely intervention of Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the USS Enterprise -E prevented their success. Even though such an act would have been needless-given the fact that Spock's psyche still resonated fragments from a branch of the Collective -in the form of his old mind meld with V'Ger 's Ilia/probe. ( TNG video game : Armada , ST novel : The Return )

Romulan Supernova

In the early 2380s Spock left Romulus, believing there was nothing more he could achieve in the face of the predicted supernova. He was contacted by now Admiral Jean-Luc Picard when his journey brought him to an unplanned rendezvous with the USS Verity . ( PIC novel : The Last Best Hope )

In 2387 , Spock had befriended a Romulan named Nero . He also discovered a star , Hobus , had gone supernova which threatened to destroy Romulus , and attempted to intervene. Spock promised to save Romulus.

With the help of the USS Enterprise -E , Spock hoped to use Geordi La Forge 's experimental starship, the Jellyfish , to insert Red matter into the heart of the exploding star, creating a singularity to consume the star and thus saving Romulus. The ambassador piloted an advanced space craft equipped with red matter and proceeded to the star to carry out his mission, but before he could, the star's effect destroyed Romulus.

With other worlds threatened with destruction, Spock continued his mission and successfully created a black hole which consumed the supernova. Before he could escape, however, he was intercepted by the Romulan mining vessel Narada , commanded by Nero .

Nero blamed Spock for Romulus's destruction and was bent on revenge, but both the Narada and the Jellyfish were pulled into the black hole. Spock, aboard the Jellyfish , was sent to the 23rd century , as was Nero aboard the Narada , instantly creating an alternate reality . Spock was presumed to be dead in the prime reality . ( TOS comic : " Star Trek: Countdown ", TOS movie : Star Trek , ST website : StarTrek.com )

Despite's Spock's apparent death, he became known as "The Great Spock". He was still seen as a great benefactor for the eventual reunification of the Vulcan and Romulan people when Vulcan became Ni'Var . ( PIC episode : " The End is the Beginning "; DSC episode : " Unification III ")

The Kelvin timeline

Spock emerged from the black hole in the year 2258 of an alternate reality created by the actions of Nero, who had emerged twenty-five years earlier . Nero was waiting for Spock when he arrived, and he and the Jellyfish were captured. Rather than kill Spock, Nero marooned him on Delta Vega , where he could witness the destruction of Vulcan from the planet's surface. Nero then used some of the red matter from the Jellyfish to create a black hole in Vulcan's planetary core ; Spock watched helplessly from Delta Vega as his homeworld was destroyed.

Shortly thereafter, Spock was searching an ice cave for supplies when he encountered a young Starfleet Cadet about to be eaten by a native beast . Using his torch to scare the animal off, once out of danger Spock looked at the still-shocked Human, and realized just who he had rescued: one James Tiberius Kirk , who had been marooned on the planet by that era's Spock for mutiny . The elder Spock was surprised that Kirk, who didn't believe him, (he had dismissed Spock's self-identification, and claim of lifelong friendship, as "bullshit" ) was not captain of the Enterprise - but at the mention of Nero, young Kirk decided he just might be telling the truth. Through a mind meld, Spock explained to Kirk his presence in this time period and the reasons behind Nero's history-changing actions (told that, in addition to Kirk and himself, the counterparts of Dr. McCoy , Uhura , Chekov and Sulu - all but one of the six officers who had once risked their careers to save him - were all serving aboard the Enterprise , Spock deduced that the timeline was attempting to "repair" itself). He then walked with Kirk to a nearby Federation outpost, where they met the one member of their core group not yet aboard the ship, Montgomery Scott , whom Spock had previously avoided but whose presence he now viewed as more evidence of his timeline theory. Using Scotty's equation for transwarp beaming (which Scott had not actually figured out yet), Spock was able to transport Kirk back to the Enterprise along with Scott. When asked why he would not come with them, Spock stated that his other self must not know of his existence, implying that it could cause some kind of temporal paradox.

After the Enterprise had defeated Nero, the elder Spock returned to Earth. There, he met his less-than-surprised younger self (Kirk had kept his word, but upon being recognized by the Jellyfish , the most advanced spacecraft he had ever seen, and discovering it was built in 2387, young Spock deduced who must have assisted him), convincing him to remain in Starfleet. He also explained that the reason he did not return to the Enterprise with Kirk to explain things was that he did not wish to deprive Kirk and Spock of the chance of working together and developing the friendship they were destined to have. He then wished his younger self good luck, after which he witnessed the promotion of Jim Kirk to captain of the USS Enterprise .

He left with an intention to establish a Vulcan colony . ( TOS movie : Star Trek )

With his true identity kept secret from all but a key few individuals. Although he had a brief conversation with his father during the trip, when he attempted to speak up in the council to warn them against establishing the new Vulcan on Ceti Alpha V, he was informed that, for his role in Nero's attack, he was stripped of his rights as a citizen and was therefore not considered a Vulcan by the Council. ( TOS comic : " Legacy of Spock, Part 1 ")

With Vulcan no longer an option, Spock travelled to Romulus in an attempt to initiate the peace process that he had played in back in his own reality, but was captured by the Romulans and accused of trying to destroy Romulus early based on the words of the last two survivors of Nero's crew. ( TOS comic : " Legacy of Spock, Part 2 ")

Fortunately, he was able to escape with the aid of a Romulan resistance movement led by Pardek , allowing him to make contact with the Vulcan fleet- still heading for Ceti Alpha V despite his warning- and warn them that the Romulans were coming, intending to use the last of the red matter to destroy the fleet. ( TOS comic : " Legacy of Spock, Part 3 ") The appearance of the Enterprise was enough to give the Vulcan fleet time to drive off the Romulans, with Kirk's word helping the Vulcans decide to accept Spock's advice and follow his recommendations to find a suitable planet. ( TOS comic : " Legacy of Spock, Part 4 ")

In 2259 of the alternate reality, Spock contacted the older version of himself for information regarding Khan Noonien Singh . The following year , Spock had departed New Vulcan before the Enterprise returned when the younger Spock entered Pon farr . ( TOS movie : Star Trek Into Darkness , TOS comic : " After Darkness, Part 2 ")

Spock died in January of 2263 on New Vulcan . Two Vulcans were sent to Yorktown Station to inform the younger Spock of Spock's passing, and to give him some of elder Spock's personal property. Included was a photo of Spock and his crewmates on the bridge of the prime-reality USS Enterprise -A sometime prior to 2293. ( TOS movie : Star Trek Beyond )

Vulcan civilization would thrive on New Vulcan over the next 3,000 years, and over the years Spock would become a revered figure to the Vulcan people. By approximately 5259 , a statue of Spock had been built on New Vulcan, surrounded by a number of monuments. While many of the surrounding monuments were larger than life, the monument of Spock was life size. According to legend, this had been at Spock's request, as he felt a larger than life depiction of him would not be logical. ( TOS - Legacy of Spock comic : " Part 4 ")

Alternate timelines and realities

A major tangent of the prime timeline was created in 2373 . Called the First Splinter timeline , this alternate reality 's Spock was an influential part of Federation politics and also the battle to stop the Devidian temporal apocalypse . ( Coda )

In 2269, the Romulans put their Second History project into motion, interfering in human history at a key moment, and ensuring that the United Federation of Planets never came into being. However the results were not what the Romulans intended. While the Federation did not exist in the timeline, the Vulcans were still powerful, and able to keep the Romulans in check. The Vulcans helped humanity get back on their feet following a devastating war.

Spock in this timeline was a Captain , and the commanding officer of the VSS ShiKahr , which was this timeline's version of the USS Enterprise . A number of people who served on board the Enterprise of the original timeline served on the ShiKahr , including Doctor Leonard McCoy and Montgomery Scott . James T. Kirk served on the ship as an Ensign , whose career was sidelined after he was convicted of murder while in the Academy. Additionally, Christopher Pike had served as a first officer under Spock on the ShiKahr until he was given his own command. Spock and the ShiKahr crew realized in 2269 that the Romulans had tampered in history, and he and James T. Kirk were able to stop Second History and return history to its original form. ( TOS novel : Killing Time )

Starfleet service record

• Personal log , Spock

Connections

Rank insignia.

Spock was portrayed in The Original Series as an officer with two specialties, as both the Enterprise first officer and science officer . To this end, he ended up wearing multiple uniforms over the years, as the different colored uniforms showed the different specialties.

As a science officer, Spock wore the blue tunic of a member of the sciences division in his first appearance in TOS episode : " The Cage ", but had already begun to work as an executive ( command division ) in his dual position as second officer , being third in command of the ship. By his next canon appearance in TOS episode : " Where No Man Has Gone Before ", Spock had been promoted to lieutenant commander and been made first officer of the Enterprise . To show this, he wore the verdant-gold tunic of a command division officer, even though he was still also the science officer. The uniform style of the era had no different sleeve insignia for any officer grade, so his rank stripes had not changed any by this point. In later appearances following TOS episode : " The Corbomite Maneuver ", he would switch back to his blue sciences uniform despite maintaining both the science and command positions.

The uniform style evolved into a slightly different tunic and rank stripe in the mid- 2260s with that episode, but with similar color codes, in that science officers still wore blue and commanding personnel still wore greenish-gold. Spock apparently could have worn gold but instead stayed with blue. At this point, an irregularity could be observed in Spock's uniform wear. He was referred to as a lieutenant commander for much of the first year of TOS , but he wore the insignia of a full commander. He was eventually promoted to commander and continued to wear that insignia, raising the possibility that he had received some kind of brevet or provisional promotion that became permanent, thus explaining his uniform insignia.

On at least one occasion, Gold Key Comics released an issue in their series of Star Trek comics where Spock wore the red uniform of the operations division , on the cover of TOS comic : " The Mummies of Heitius VII ". While it could be supposed that Spock could have held a third position as some sort of operations manager , it seems more likely this was a mistake based on foreign artists' unfamiliarity with the appearance of the television characters.

When Spock left Starfleet circa 2270 , the uniforms changed again, but to a similar variation. When reactivated as science officer and first officer in TOS movie : The Motion Picture , Spock's commander insignia was unchanged but worn on uniforms with color-coded patches. Spock's patches were orange to show his specialty in the sciences division, but as an executive officer he also could have worn white command division patches. When Spock was promoted to captain, he did wear the appropriate command division colors as of TOS movie : The Wrath of Khan , but he also ended up serving double duty as a science officer on occasions, meaning he very well could have opted for science services gray uniform patches, just as Scotty sometimes opted to wear a flight engineer's yellow uniform accoutrements after being promoted to captain.

Spock's Starfleet commission was inactive after his retirement following the Khitomer mission, but he was still held in reserve as an officer. By the era of the Dominion War, Spock was reactivated as an admiral. His uniform was not seen, but again, his dual divisions of service meant that he could have worn the red uniform shirt of a command officer or the blue shirt of a science officer.

Appearances and references

Appearances.

• ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 TOS comic : " Who's Who in Star Trek, Issue 2 ".

External links

• Spock article at Memory Alpha , the wiki for canon Star Trek .
• Spock article at Wikipedia , the free encyclopedia.
• Spock article at the Star Trek Timelines Wiki .
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Characters / Star Trek: The Original Series - Spock

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Played by: Leonard Nimoy

Dubbed in french by: régis dubos (tos), jacques harden (star trek: the motion picture), robert party (star trek ii, iv, v and vi), michel bardinet (star trek iii), marc cassot (kelvin timeline films), dubbed in latin american spanish by: josé lavat (tng), dubbed in brazilian portuguese by: márcio seixas (tos and tng), lauro fabiano (tos), garcia neto (star trek i to iii), luiz motta (star trek iv and v), appearances: star trek: the original series | star trek: the animated series | star trek: the motion picture | star trek ii: the wrath of khan | star trek iii: the search for spock | star trek iv: the voyage home | star trek v: the final frontier | star trek vi: the undiscovered country | star trek: deep space nine note  archive footage, "trials and tribble-ations" | star trek beyond note  photograph.

"'Fascinating' is a word I use for the unexpected. In this case, I should think 'interesting' would suffice." — Spock , "The Squire of Gothos"

Kirk's Number One and Science Officer. Spock was half-Human, half-Vulcan, and chose to completely embrace the latter aspect of his heritage; this caused him to clash frequently with Dr. McCoy . Spock was supremely analytical and would describe many things as " fascinating ;" he was the go-to man for unusual solutions...or ruthlessly pragmatic ones. He would, occasionally, let slip his more human feelings, but regarded any comparison with humanity to be insulting during the show's run. Despite the stark contrast in their personalities, Spock and Jim were very good friends (so much so that they inspired Slash Fic in 60's and 70's fanzines ). The character became so iconic that Nimoy put out an autobiography titled I Am Not Spock , although he later embraced the fanbase, writing another autobiography titled I Am Spock . He reprised the character in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek (2009) and its sequel Star Trek Into Darkness .

Click here for his own take on himself.

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Original Timeline

• Affectionate Nickname : More like pronunciation. In close moments, and especially in the first movie where Kirk is like an excited puppy seeing Spock again, he draws out his name into something that sounds like “Spaawk”.
• Always Save The Boy : He always gets that little bit more emotional when Kirk is in danger. He tries to play off pushing Kirk out of the way in “The Apple” and getting hit himself as “clumsiness”, but nobody bought it.
• Ambadassador : He later became an ambadassor for Vulcan and he's pretty handy in a fight.
• Ambiguously Gay : He hasn't shown an interest in women except when he a) was drugged, b) adopted the habits of his wild antecessors, and he has some quite ... questionable interactions with Kirk.
• Ambiguously Jewish : Many fans think that Spock is Jewish on his human mother's side as Leonard Nimoy is Jewish, not to mention that Winona Ryder (who played Spock's mom, Amanda Grayson, in the 2009 reboot) is Jewish as well. ( Jane Wyatt , who created the role back in '68, was Catholic.) On a related note, Nimoy adapted the famous Vulcan hand salute and its greetings "Peace and long life" and "Live long and prosper" from Jewish religious tradition. In addition, Celia Lovsky, who played the matriarch T'Pau in "Amok Time", was Jewish and had fled Nazi-occupied Austria with her husband, Peter Lorre . A running gag in some fan clubs was that Vulcans were Jewish. See Jewish Themes in Star Trek by Rabbi Gershom.
• Arranged Marriage : Betrothed by his family as a child. His intended bride had other ideas, and didn't mind sacrificing Kirk for them...
• Back from the Dead : In the third movie he is resurrected by an ancient Vulcan ritual.
• Badass Bookworm : Spock can (and does) use his vast knowledge in conjunction with fighting whatever enemy they're facing.
• Badass Pacifist : He tells the crew members during “The Galileo Seven” in no uncertain terms that he’s disgusted by human disregard for other life, but when anything has a chance of harming Kirk, he’ll show the same. Kirk : Well, there it is. War. We didn't want it, but we've got it. Spock : Curious how often you humans manage to obtain that which you do not want.
• Beware the Nice Ones : Spock is a vegetarian and a Technical Pacifist , but if you ever remove his emotional control or threaten Kirk , you're in trouble.
• Bizarre Alien Biology : Principally his green blood and the fact that his heart is where a human's liver would be. The latter enables him to survive being shot in the back with a flintlock rifle in "A Private Little War."
• Blue Blood : No, has nothing to do with his Alien Blood . It's not explicitly stated , but his father, Sarek, is a prestigious astrophysicist and Federation Ambassador (whose reputation among his notoriously xenophobic people was able to withstand his marriage to an "out-worlder"), and T'Pau , one of the most powerful people on Vulcan, officiates at (what should have been) his wedding. He also notes that the large estate where the ceremony takes place has been in his family for over two thousand years.
• Blue Is Heroic : Spock's blue uniform represents his coolness and rationality.
• Boomerang Bigot : Spock is half-human, but most of the time, he solely embraces his Vulcan heritage and is scornful of human ways. This was later explained via D.C. Fontana's Backstory due to his rocky relationship with his father and the Fantastic Racism he experienced whilst growing up on Vulcan. He mellowed in his later years.
• Borrowed Catchphrase : Has the most used catchphrases , so of course, he gets the most borrowed. Bones and Michael both use “fascinating”, and Kirk lampshades that he hates to use the word “logically”.
• Brutal Honesty : Asking Spock for his analysis can be a hazard. Vulcans obviously don't see any logic in tact or sugarcoating, so if asked Spock will give his opinion, regardless of how it may unsettle everyone else. Case in point, Gary Mitchell, who he points out is rapidly becoming a problem, a fact Gary soon agrees with. However, it can also be played for laughs, too. Kirk: Didn't think I had it in me, did you? Spock: (without missing a beat) No.
• But Not Too Foreign : He's half-human; while he usually acts fully Vulcan, his human side surfaces fairly often.
• Captain Ersatz : Spock's personality is an exaggeration of Roddenberry 's former boss, LAPD Chief William H. Parker.
• Catchphrase : "Fascinating," accompanied, of course, by a Fascinating Eyebrow . "Fascinating" got started because Nimoy asked director Joseph Sargent to help him in playing a non-emotional character while filming "The Corbomite Maneuver". Sargent told him "Be different. Be the scientist. Be detached. See it as something that’s a curiosity rather than a threat." Nimoy half-whispered the line as a reaction to the first sight of Balok's huge ship, and "a big chunk of the character was born right there."
• Character Development : During the series proper, Spock utterly refuses to show emotion, and makes no secret of his dislike for humans. During The Motion Picture , his mind-meld with V'Ger causes a profound shift in his viewpoint - logic alone is cold and barren. By the time of Wrath of Khan , he's mellowed out considerably, even going as far to wish Kirk "happy birthday", and in The Undiscovered Country , he no longer sees logic as the be-all-and-end-all. By the events of Star Trek (2009) , he's mellowed to the point where he tells his alternate younger self to sometimes "put aside logic" and "do what feels right".

• Star Trek: The Next Generation (two-episode guest appearance) and J. J. Abrams ' "Kelvinverse" films ( Star Trek (2009) , Star Trek Into Darkness and Star Trek Beyond ) (played by Nimoy).
• The same three "Kelvinverse" movies, which take place in an Alternate Universe where Everyone Went to School Together and a younger Spock (played by Zachary Quinto ) appears opposite a younger Kirk ( Chris Pine ).
• Star Trek: Discovery and its Spin-Off Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , which are prequels to TOS and feature a younger Spock (played by Ethan Peck ). The older Nimoy version (from the TNG guest spot) also appears briefly via archive footage.
• Character Tics : When he’s in a state, like crying in “The Naked Time” or dying in “Wrath Of Khan”, he’ll pull his shirt down, trying to affect some dignity.
• Chick Magnet : Kirk may be the one who goes down in history as a lady's man, but that doesn't mean Spock didn't get several gals looking his way, hoping to crack that icy Vulcan exterior. Pretty much all of them are doomed to failure.
• Constantly Curious : As his usual Catchphrase would suggest, he has an amused if detached interest towards almost anything, and is the only one not making fun of the space hippies in “The Way To Eden”.
• The Comically Serious : Given his lack of emotions and frequent misunderstandings , he's usually assigned with some funny scenes.
• Court-Martialed : In "The Menagerie," Spock gets put on trial for commandeering the Enterprise and taking it to a forbidden planet.
• The Creon : Spock is this, almost to the letter. He only takes command of the Enterprise once Kirk has been Kicked Upstairs , and gives it back almost immediately when the opportunity arises. And, being already a captain and in command of the Enterprise , Spock never gets his own commission; he keeps his position as first officer under Kirk for several more movies! He said many times, "I do not wish to command." Surprisingly, Spock's mirror-universe counterpart is exactly the same on this and even explicitly states his reasons (in "Mirror, Mirror") note  Namely that he preferred being "a lesser target" for Klingon Promotions .
• Cultural Posturing : Spock seldom lets pass an opportunity to condescendingly pontificate about the superiority of the Vulcan philosophy. In-series, this is largely why Bones (who, as his foil , is a passionate defender of humanism) "picks on" him so much and is able to get away with remaining sympathetic to audiences; wouldn't you get fed up with a co-worker constantly shoe-horning his political views into every conversation?
• Dark and Troubled Past : During "Journey to Babel", his mother mentions Spock was frequently bullied as a child, something "Yesteryear" expands upon.
• Deadpan Snarker : Apparently, there is nothing illogical about scathing sarcasm. Despite his claims to be above human pettiness, Spock frequently makes sarcastic quips or the " Really? " face.
• Defrosting Ice King : Even with the crew's massive Power of Friendship skills, it took Spock years to decide that emotions were not such a bad thing.
• Death Seeker : Like Kirk, he cares less about his own life than others (in his case, mostly… Kirk ) in a way that nobody believes is solely based on logic, and Bones calls him out for it in “Bread and Circuses”.

• Don't You Dare Pity Me! : He hates doing mind melds because it reveals too much about his own emotions.
• Emotion Suppression : He spends most of the original series trying to suppress emotions that he does in fact have. When he can’t, he tends to take it very hard.
• Fantastic Racism : A victim of this trope , as well as a perpertor towards anyone with emotions. He starts getting better about it after interacting with V'Ger.
• Forbidden Love : Even taking it completely platonically, when he feels friendship or love for Kirk he feels ashamed, and tries to purge all emotions partly because of him.
• While never shown, in "Amok Time," McCoy uses the fact that Spock hasn't eaten for three days in an attempt to convince Kirk that something is wrong, and Kirk dismisses it as simply being Spock in one of his contemplative phases.
• Another example is "The Paradise Syndrome," where Spock hardly eats for weeks while studying the obelisk.
• Four-Temperament Ensemble : Spock is the Melancholic. As a Vulcan (and the Enterprise's Science Officer), it's practically his job to be as detached, blunt and analytical as he can be. McCoy 's Id.-->
• Friendless Background : As demonstrated in the animated series , Spock never had any friends growing up because of the Half-Breed Discrimination on his planet.
• The Gadfly : Despite being overly serious and aloof most of the time, he does have a mischievous streak.
• Genius Bruiser : Besides having a formidable intellect, he has tremendous physical strength and can handle himself in a fight.
• Gentleman and a Scholar : While most definitely a scholar (being highly knowledegable on the cultures of other species), the gentleman portion varies and is often downplayed.
• Good Is Not Nice : He's rude, tactless, and cold-hearted (though he gets better later on), but he always has the best interests of the ship and crew in mind.
• Grandfather Paradox : In "Yesteryear" , Child-Spock only survives to adulthood because Adult-Spock travelled back in time using the Guardian of Forever to pose as a distant cousin and follow Child-Spock out on a Rite of Passage . Which Adult-Spock only knew to do because of the Delayed Ripple Effect caused by him not having (yet) gone back at the appointed time. note  "I hate temporal mechanics."
• Half-Breed Angst : When Spock was a boy, he was teased for being half-human and half-Vulcan (an alien species that suppresses emotions ) and didn't know which species to live the lifestyle of. Even though he chose the Vulcan way, his own father rejected him for choosing Starfleet over the Vulcan Science Academy and Vulcan society continues to ostracize him.
• Half-Human Hybrid : Spock completely embraces the non-human side of himself. As a child, the local children rejected him because of his human heritage.
• Heroic Seductress : Less touching and kissing, more dazzle them with logic and repressed yearning, but acts like one with a few women in season three. Kirk is a bad influence on him.
• Heroic Willpower : The Platonians try to have him crush Kirk’s skull in “Plato’s Stepchildren”, and it takes every ounce of strength he has to refuse it. Even then, he’s horrified, angry and on the verge of tears, and Kirk has to reassure that he’s okay.
• Hidden Depths : He'll never let it show, but several times it's hinted he's sitting on the occasional mass of self-loathing. Just for example, the end of "This Side of Paradise". Spock: We all have our own purgatories. Mine can be no worse than any others.
• Hidden Heart of Gold : Spock makes a point of keeping it hidden and gets very embarrassed when it's uncovered.
• Insult Backfire : McCoy : Spock, you are the most cold-blooded man I've ever known. Spock: Why, thank you, Doctor.
• Interclass Friendship : Kirk and Spock started their strong friendship when Kirk was captain and Spock still held a lieutenant commander's rank. This downplayed example disappears when Spock becomes first officer, but the second season replaces it with another, much more dramatic, gap — "Amok Time" and "Journey to Babel" state that Spock comes from an important clan and that his father serves as the Vulcan ambassador. Kirk comes from Iowa and had no apparent special status before coming to Starfleet.
• Jerkass to One : Poor Janice Rand, he passive aggressively makes fun of her when Kirk is seducing Miri, and the infamous accusation that she found “interesting qualities” in the version of Kirk that tried to rape her.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold : Spock is cold, rude, and tactless, but always has the crew’s best interests at heart and is clearly far less emotionless and cold-hearted then he appears to be.
• Killed Off for Real : Dies offscreen of natural causes (and at the age of 162) in Star Trek Beyond , due to Leonard Nimoy's own death .
• And tribbles, in spite of claims to being immune to their charms .
• Lack of Empathy : Is accused of it more often than he actually shows it, but it’s still more often a feeling he reserves for Kirk alone. Later, Bones is included, and by the movies, original and reboot, he’s telling other Vulcans that they need empathy as well as logic.
• Leitmotif : Gerald Fried's score for "Amok Time" (which also introduced the famous " Star Trek fight music") featured a recurring motif for Spock, a quite expressive, sorrowful tune played adagio with the main melody line provided by a bass guitar note  played by Barney Kessel - to represent Spock's deeply felt, but repressed, emotional state. The show's frequent reuse of previously recorded music allowed this piece to become a de facto leitmotif for Spock as it was often used in his big "emotional" scenes (for lack of a better word) throughout the second and third seasons.
• Love Is a Weakness : Tells Kirk in “The Naked Time” that when he feels friendship for Jim he feels ashamed, with all the Ambiguously Gay metaphors that implies. Enemies will often use Kirk against him, or vice versa.
• Living Emotional Crutch : As early as “The Enemy Within”, Bones and other crew members are sending him to see if the captain is okay, and in the movies, Kirk is more wrecked at Spock dying than any possibility of his own death.
• Living Legend : Invoked in "Amok Time" when T'Pring informs Spock that he has become a legend among the Vulcans, and that she has no desire to become the consort of a legend. His status only grows through his efforts to achieve a lasting peace with the Klingons, and his subsequent ambassadorial career. In the later shows, he is depicted as Legendary in the Sequel even though he is technically still alive throughout the franchise (including into the reboot continuity) .
• Ludicrous Precision : Will often give time estimates down to the second and can complete large exponential multiplications in his head.
• Lying by Omission : Used several times. The later instances are call-backs to the first, from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , where Spock informs Captain Kirk by communicator that "going by the book, like Lieutenant Saavik, hours would seem like days" before reporting that the Enterprise would need two days to have secondary power restored... "By the book, Admiral". After Kirk's away team gets stranded on Regula I by Khan: Kirk: (opening communicator) Kirk to Spock, it's two hours, are you ready? Spock: Right on schedule, Admiral. Saavik: (Soon after, on the Enterprise ) I don't understand. We were immobilized. Captain Spock said it would be two days. Kirk: Come, come, Lieutenant. You of all people go by the book: "If communications are being monitored during battle..." Saavik: "...no uncoded messages on an open channel." (turns to Spock, astonished) You lied . Spock: I exaggerated.
• Mayfly–December Friendship : At two hundred years old, a Vulcan might still have a number of years left. Humans can live a few decades past one hundred, but it's clearly old for them, meaning Spock is doomed to outlive all his human friends.
• Trying to meld with the injured mother Horta in "The Devil in the Dark" reduced him to a screaming, agonized mess.
• In hindsight, trying to mind meld with the vast, living computer of V'Ger was not Spock's most sensible move ever. He screams in pain from the sheer sensory overload, and comes out the other side seeing that logic is no longer the be-all and end-all.
• Minored In Ass Kicking : Especially when you realize that Vulcans are extremely strong compared to humans.
• Momma's Boy : Cries over never telling his mom he loved her, and has a far better relationship with her than his father, though his efforts to be more Vulcan do put the occasional strain on things.
• Mysterious Past : Downplayed , as there have been plenty of glimpses into his personal history, but Spock as a character has a reputation for reticence, especially when it comes to his family. It comes as a shock even to his best friend, Jim Kirk, that his father is Sarek, that he is betrothed to another Vulcan, or that he has a half-brother. (In Sybok's case, Spock doesn't even mention his relationship until after Sybok had hijacked the Enterprise and thrown them in the brig.) Discovery continues this tradition by giving him another sibling that he never talks about unless absolutely necessary. It's anyone's guess if there are still others.
• The scene from "Amok Time" where he realizes that Kirk wasn't Killed Off for Real, and greets him with a loud and happy "JIM!"
• He gets another moment in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country when Valeris, his protege, is revealed to be the conspiracy's mole aboard the Enterprise. She has a phaser drawn on him, and when she refuses to shoot, he slaps it out of her hand with a clear look of anger on his face. Then, in one of the most Squick-filled scenes of the entire franchise, he proceeds to Mind Rape her right on the bridge in front of God and everybody. Pushing this man's Berserk Button is nigh-impossible, but if you do, you're in for a world of hurt. (So is he — his expression as he invades her mind looks like he's being forced to eat razor blades.)
• Number Two : Spock is this as well as the science officer. Chronologically, all subsequent first officers in franchise history serve as First Officer without additional responsibilities; shows set chronologically prior to TOS usually have the First Officer pulling double duty, suggesting that this was a 22nd- and 23rd-century custom that fell out of fashion in the 24th century. Spock also starts a tradition of the Number Two having divided loyalties between their role as Starfleet officers and an outside influence - Kira to Bajor , Chakotay to the Maquis , and T'Pol to Vulcan (again)
• Old Master : In the reboot movies, and to Saavik and Valeris. The latter doesn’t work out so well.
• Only Friend : Uhura in “The Man Trap” calls Kirk the closest person Spock has to a friend (Kirk’s a lot more extroverted, but the feeling is more than mutual), and he’s either frequently emotional when Kirk is in danger, or goes Straw Vulcan to cope with it.
• O.O.C. Is Serious Business : Towards the end of his bio, Spock, who has always tried to be logical even with emotional pain, permits himself one illusion in his life… refusing to admit that Kirk is dead.
• Parenthetical Swearing : Often when delivering a Stealth Insult .
• Poor Communication Kills : A few Spock-centered episodes deal with the man being unable (or unwilling) to convey what’s wrong: in “Amok Time”, Spock is unwilling to tell Kirk that he’s going through a process that requires him to go home to Vulcan or it’ll kill him while in “Journey to Babel”, his estrangement to Sarek nearly kills the man as he’s needed to save his life.
• Pragmatic Hero : Spock is willing to risk or even sacrifice his life and the lives of other crew members if it means getting the majority of the crew and the Enterprise to safety. He's also not above keeping secrets from his friends or deceiving them if it's for some logical greater good.
• Platonic Life-Partners : In Nichelle’s stories, and in multiple bios, he and Uhura become very good friends, as she too hides a messy mind under a professional exterior.
• Rank Up : At some point prior to the movies, he achieved the rank of Commander.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni : Spock is the stoic, logical Blue to McCoy 's passionate emotional Red.
• Resurrection Sickness : He figured on being able to come back, but the actual process leaves him disconnected from his former friends, and with more than a few screws not properly tightened. It takes months for Spock-as-was to return, and in the mean time Kirk has to deal with his best friend acting like a total moon unit, to say nothing the hell about his grasp of swearing.
• Rubber-Forehead Aliens : Though in his case, he is a rubber- eared alien and half human.
• Running Gag : His "inability to lie," despite repeatedly proving otherwise.
• Sarcastic Devotee : There are few people who are as loyal to Kirk as Spock is, but that doesn't protect the captain from his snarky wit.
• Science Hero : As the Enterprise's First Officer and Science Officer, Spock is this. He's regularly called on to fix communicators and other forms of technology. He's also performed biological analyses on aliens encountered by the crew ranging from light-sensitive parasitic aliens that induce pain and a galaxy eating amoeba. Not to mention that one time he woke up in the middle of his own operation and instructed McCoy on how to reconnect his brain to his body.
• Smart People Play Chess : Three-dimensional chess, that is.
• The Smart Guy : Genius-level intellect, impossibly knowledgable and scientific. Being half-Vulcan helps.
• Sour Outside, Sad Inside : An important factor in being Vulcan is not that you can’t feel emotion, but that you deeply repress all of it. Spock in particular has a lot of self-loathing and masks it by infuriating everyone with logic and snarkiness.
• The Spock : He's the Trope Namer , natch. In a crisis, the solutions he offers are usually rational in service to the overall mission, if a little cold-blooded at times.
• The Stoic : Most of the time he chooses to embrace his Vulcan heritage and do his best to restrain his emotion, relying on logic.
• Straw Vulcan : At times. It tends to come out the most (or its opposite, being overly emotional) when Kirk is in danger and he's trying to keep a level head.
• Stubborn Mule : Because he’s had to prove himself to both Vulcans and humans. Kirk and Amanda bond over Like Father, Like Son in “Journey To Babel”.
• Subordinate Excuse : Spock's friendship with Kirk may be an explanation for why Spock continues to serve as Kirk's first officer even after he is promoted to Captain himself.
• Super-Strength : His Vulcan heritage makes him three times stronger than a human. Roddenberry specified that Vulcan is a large planet with a heavier gravity. (Most Vulcans we see are played by tall, slim actors rather than Heavyworlder types, so there might be other factors.)
• Takes Ten to Hold : In Operation: Annihilate! , Spock goes ballistic. It takes three Enterprise crewmen to subdue him due to his Vulcan side's Super Strength.
• Tall, Dark, and Snarky : Spock is one of the taller members of the cast, considered good-looking in and out of universe, and one of the series' greatest Deadpan Snarkers .
• Tantrum Throwing : His tendency to take out his overwhelming emotions out on the furniture was lampshaded in Star Trek: Ex Machina , as he’s struggling with feeling too much after V’ger, and takes a walk because he doesn’t want to smash up his room.
• Tranquil Fury : See Momma's Boy . In that scene his voice is relatively calm, but anyone can tell that he is outraged.
• True Companions : His friendship with James Kirk is the stuff of legend both in-universe and out; in another time he goes out of his way to make sure to foster that friendship.
• Token Non-Human : He's the only regular in the cast who is visibly nonhuman. (The animated series averted this since there was no make-up budget in the way.)
• Tragic Hero : Always caught between two worlds, his Vulcan heritage and humanity, and ultimately dies alone, long after Kirk is gone and all his other friends.
• Troll : Despite his outwardly serious demeanor, Spock often finds ways to subtly mock or annoy people who he has disdain for or wants to needle for whatever reason, often so carefully that they may not realize he's doing it.
• To Kirk, to the point where it’s more important than his father dying when the captain is stabbed, and Kirk has to convince him he’s alright.
• It’s similar for Pike, as “The Menagerie” is the first time in thirteen years that Spock has ever disobeyed one of Pike’s orders for his own good, and manipulates both Kirk and Bones while doing it.
• Verbal Tic : His endless permutations of the word "logic," and his unfailing ability to fit them into sentences, border on this.
• Vitriolic Best Buds : With McCoy . That Spock considers him a close friend is established beyond all doubt in "Amok Time," when he invites him, along with Kirk, down to Vulcan to witness a ceremony which is deeply private and personal to Vulcans. Tellingly, McCoy is deeply touched (and tells Spock in all sincerity that he would be honored), but not at all surprised.
• "Well Done, Son" Guy : Zig-zagged. Spock's angsty relationship with his distant father is one of his core, defining motivations - but he rarely lets it show in public. Deep down his father actually does care about him, but he disagreed with Spock's decision to join Starfleet instead of the Vulcan Science Academy (as part of his half-breed angst, Spock felt the Science Academy wasn't as tolerant of him as the multi-species Starfleet).
• What the Hell Is That Accent? : Subtle, but the clipped tones and unusual vowel pronunciations ("sen- sores " note  sensors , " trahns -porter" note  transporter and " ahns -er" note  answer among others) are an affectation on Leonard Nimoy 's part, meant to approximate how an alien in the future would speak English as a second language. As a result of Spock's outsize influence on the later franchise, many subsequent Vulcan portrayals have also borrowed these quirks, creating the impression of a Vulcan "accent" (for lack of a better word).
• Who Wants to Live Forever? : Being a Vulcan, he outlives all of his friends. The novelisation of “Generations” has Bones getting upset about this on his behalf, saying there’s no katra for humans.
• The Worf Effect : Any enemy that can hold Spock in a fight is deemed a formidable adversary.
• You Called Me "X"; It Must Be Serious : He only calls Kirk "Jim" in two circumstances - when for some reason he's acting seriously out of character , or they're in absolutely dire straits.

Ambassador Spock

• Horrible Judge of Character : Trusting Senator Pardek proved to be rather illogical for Spock in hindsight.
• I Choose to Stay : Even knowing Romulus knows he's there and are not terribly receptive to his idea of peaceful reunification, Spock remains behind to help shepherd the process along anyway.
• I Regret Nothing : Asked by Data about the way his life has gone, he says he regrets nothing. Data points out this is a human expression.
• Not So Stoic : When he mind-melds with Picard, getting to see that part of his father Sarek that was shared with the captain during their previous meld, Spock almost bursts into tears. Even before this while Spock seems to react to the news of his father's death with indifference, it becomes clear that he's not as stoic about it as he makes it first look - expressing his regret at never mind melding with his father.
• Older and Wiser : Approaching his mid-100s, but still Spock, and with the benefit of several decades more wisdom. Mostly.
• Revenge by Proxy : Things start off tense between him and Picard anyway, but after some arguing Spock realizes he's just treating Picard as a substitute for finishing the arguments with his father.
• Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right! : After how badly negotiating peace with the Klingons almost went, Spock is unwilling to risk anyone's life but his own when it comes to the unification of Vulcans and Romulans.
• The Spock : Trope Namer . Doesn't stop him from being out-Spocked by Data himself, though.

Lieutenant Spock

Played by: Ethan Peck , Leonard Nimoy note  Archive footage, "Unification III"

Appearances: star trek: discovery.

• Berserk Button : It turns out that Spock despises Michael Burnham's attempts at trying to bear the weight of her varying traumas, seeing it as incredibly selfish of her.
• Child of Two Worlds : He is born of a Vulcan father and an Earth mother. From his father's side comes a sense of logic, and those famously pointy ears. From his mother's side comes an equally strong sense of emotion, and a case of dyslexia.
• Disability Superpower : Gabrielle Burnham believes that his dyslexia allowed him to comprehend her existence.
• Disowned Sibling : Spock refuses to acknowledge Burnham as his sister, and has rebuffed any attempts at reconciliation with her for years. While it seems to boil down to some very hurtful things she said to him as a child as part of a misguided attempt to protect his family, he makes it clear that argument was just one of many instances that led him to see her as a selfish human being, shouldering the blame for tragedies she went through just to make herself feel important. He only backs off when Burnham learns the truth about her parents' deaths, and admits that Spock was right about her flaw.
• Exact Words : When questioned by Admiral Cornwell about the details of his escape from Starbase 5, he points out that he did not escape; he voluntarily committed himself because he believed he was not in his right mind about the Red Angel. When the seven signals he drew appeared, he was convinced he was not insane, and thus saw no reason to stay committed when he could leave as he pleased.
• By virtue of serving on the Enterprise , Spock is already a well-known name in the Federation, even if he has yet to fully become the iconic Vulcan. That said, it's Downplayed compared to Captain Pike, or the Enterprise herself.
• By the 32nd Century, Spock is revered on Nivar (the reunited Vulcan and Romulan homeworld) for having accomplished the impossible and bringing two old enemies together.
• Forgiveness : He finally forgives Michael for the things she said to him as a child when she learns the truth about her parents, and admits Spock was right about her savior complex. After that, he's much nicer to her, if still a bit sarcastic.
• Frame-Up : Control, Section 31's rouge A.I., frames Spock for murdering his doctors at Starbase 5 as part of a plan to gain access to the Sphere Data Discovery has onboard, wanting to use it to evolve and wipe out all sentient life in the galaxy.
• The Ghost : Is not seen in person during the first half of Season 2, up to "Light and Shadows" — but pretty much all the regular (and several recurring) characters are looking for him.
• Go Mad from the Revelation : The knowledge he gained from mind-melding with the Red Angel caused this, along with a Heroic BSoD . It takes Burnham bringing him to Talos IV to sort him out.
• Half-Breed Discrimination : Subjected to this by the Vulcans. Apart from the people trying to blow up the family, Spock was also given no support for his dyslexia (which he inherited from Amanda) and was not considered to be Vulcan enough for the Expeditionary Force to accept him and Michael. Calling him a half-breed is also how Michael decided to keep him away from her after her school was bombed.
• Hero of Another Story : Along with Captain Pike and the rest of the crew of the Enterprise .
• Important Haircut : He shaves off his beard and assumes his iconic look from the original series after making his peace with Michael.
• It's All My Fault : When he's ripping into Michael for her It's All My Fault attitude, one of his arguments is that their family was already a target for the extremists because of his existence, not her.
• Jerkass Has a Point : His continuous rebuffs of Burnham's attempts at reconciliation for years were rather "human" of him, to say the least; his scathing tear-down of his sister was even more so. Yet Burnham herself admits that Spock wasn't wrong about her savior complex being selfish, which she admits when she learns the truth about her parents. Many years later, Burnham tells Book that Spock called her out on this very flaw, and admits he wasn't wrong.
• Kick the Dog : During his "The Reason You Suck" Speech towards Burnham, he brutally picks apart the trauma of losing her parents, nearly dying at the hands of the Vulcan Logic Extremists, and blaming herself for causing the war with the Klingons, because he sees those actions as selfish attempts at making her feel more important. It leaves Burnham in tears when he storms out of the room...but she also comes to realize later that he had a point.
• "L" Is for "Dyslexia" : Or L'tak Terai , as the Vulcans call it, which he inherited from Amanda. Sadly, the Vulcans didn't think he was worth their time in trying to help him overcome due to his half-human heritage, and he had to work with it on his own.
• Not So Stoic : Spock prides himself on being Vulcan, and TOS would make a point of him often disparaging his human shipmates for letting their emotions get in the way of their duties. But for all that stoicism, Spock has a very deep sense of loathing towards his adoptive sister for trying to shoulder burdens he feels is selfish of her to bear; when she tries to check in on the status of his mental health, he just tears into her for what he sees is Burnham yet again trying to make herself feel important.
• Pet the Dog : A small one, albeit buried under a very harsh "The Reason You Suck" Speech , but Spock implies to Burnham that he doesn't hold her at fault for starting the Klingon-Federation War.
• Rank Up : Specifically averted; he has yet to be promoted to become the Enterprise 's first officer.
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech : Spock, in one of his rare moments of losing emotional control, absolutely tears Burnham down for trying to shoulder the well-being of his mental health on herself, seeing this as yet another attempt at trying to make herself feel important after she lost her parents.
• The series reveals Spock apparently enjoyed drawing as a child, and continued drawing as an adult, something not seen in previous portrayals.
• More is revealed about Spock's relationship with his father with the added context of Michael Burnham. It wasn't simply a disagreement over Spock's choice to pursue a career in Starfleet that caused their long estrangement, as TOS implied. Sarek chose, without telling anyone , to give Spock an opportunity to join the Vulcan Science Academy instead of Michael. But Spock wasn't as interested and ultimately declined admission, whereas Michael was crushed at being rejected. Sarek couldn't bring himself to tell the truth and carried the guilt of this mistake for years, his relationship with both of his children suffering as a result.
• Saved by Canon : Spock faces little danger to his well being, since he has a long, storied career ahead of him until he winds up in the Kelvin Timeline.
• Seriously Scruffy : Has grown a beard, in contrast to his later portrayal in TOS; this is implied to likely be a result of his Sanity Slippage leading up to the Red Angel crisis. He shaves it off when he gets back on the Enterprise full-time.
• Time-Shifted Actor : Played by Ethan Peck, as he is younger than his initial portrayal by Leonard Nimoy in the Original Series.
• The Needs of the Many : Of course . He joins in Pike in trying to get Michael to open the airlock on Airiam, and in the next episode holds the away team at gunpoint to stop them from resucitating Michael before the Red Angel arrives because they're trying to prevent the destruction of all sentient life in the galaxy.
• This Is Unforgivable! : When Michael was nearly killed by Vulcan Logic Extremists and tried to run away from Sarek's home to protect his family, she told Spock (who was trying to run away with her) that he was a "weird little half-breed" and she didn't want him in her life. Spock acknowledges that this was a misguided attempt to protect him, but that he's not going to absolve her because it hurt him deeply. He later reveals that he finds her savior complex incredibly selfish, and has refused to reconcile with her on those grounds alone. Eventually, he does forgive her—both after she admits he was right about her self-burdening and after he acknowledges how much hurt she's been through since.
• Took a Level in Jerkass : Spock responds to Michael's attempts to reconnect by saying incredibly hurtful things (eg, that he was wrong to have loved her, or that her unresolved guilt issues are actually an arrogant moral flaw), along with passive-aggressive remarks about The Reveal when they conclude she's the Red Angel. He finally eases off when she learns the truth about her parents.
• Took a Level in Kindness : At least towards Michael. After spending nearly 20 years refusing to forgive her for the things she said to him as a child (not in the least because he thought that she was just trying to make herself feel important), the revelation of what happened to her parents and Burnham's own admission that Spock's criticisms of her were correct led him to forgive her. From then on, he was far more sympathetic to her plights, much more supportive as a brother, and openly encouraging of her (although with that tinge of brotherly sarcasm).

Hologram Spock

Played by: leonard nimoy (archived audio, "kobayashi").

A holographic representation of Spock appears as part of the Kobayashi Maru simulation on the holodeck of the U.S.S. Protostar .

For tropes relating to his appearance there, along with the other holograms, see, Star Trek: Prodigy .

Played by: Ethan Peck

Appearances: star trek: strange new worlds.

• Be Yourself : Spock tells T'Pring that this is the reason he enjoys his work at Starfleet so much - on Vulcan he had spent his time proving his Vulcan-ness, and any deviation was seen as proof he did not belong. In Starfleet, he's "quite simply, Spock" to everyone, who accept him as he is and have no preconceived notions about him.
• While he himself has a mixed attitude to being half-Vulcan and half-human, he utterly loathes any insinuation that this is in any way a hindrance or even "disability" to being Vulcan. In particular because the not-so-veiled insults are all an insult against his mother.
• On a more humorous note, he gets irked with Sam Kirk not cleaning up his messes during the science department's meetings. When Spock is temporarily turned human, he has to be physically restrained to keep him from beating the crap out of Sam.
• His estrangement with his father has always been a touchy subject for him. When T'Pring's mother says that Sarek is actually right to not accept his decisions, Spock, who was temporarily human at the time, had to excuse himself to the restroom and scream in a towel to avoid lashing out at them.
• The Comically Serious : The show gets much humor out of Spock's constant stoic, deadpan reaction to everything.
• The Confidant : He's this to Captain Pike, with the captain telling Spock about his vision of the future and his fears over how it will affect him in the present.
• Doomed by Canon : Not him, but his romance to T'Pring, as the audience knows it will fall apart by "Amok Time". By the end of episode 5 of season 2, it's effectively over.
• Do I Really Sound Like That? : When turned human in "Charades", the gals of the bridge crew give him instructions on how to sound more "Vulcan", imitating him in the process. His response is to ask if he does truly sound like that. Their response? Yes. Totally.
• Fantastic Racism : On Vulcan, there were very few who were accepting of him due to his human heritage, and had to constantly prove himself as one of them. Being in Starfleet has allowed him to relax.
• Fatal Flaw : Internally, he fears his two sides being at constant war with one another are this, as he has a nightmare of the two halves engaging in a traditional Vulcan duel that his Vulcan side handily wins.
• "Freaky Friday" Flip : While trying to strengthen his relationship with T'Pring, the two somehow accidentally swap bodies during a Vulcan ritual—and the timing couldn't have been worse, as a group of ambassadors who are prospecting joining the Federation need to speak to him, while T'Pring needs to meet up with a client to discuss rehabilitation. M'Benga is able to undo it.
• Hidden Depths : Spock takes up cooking lessons from Captain Pike during his spare time.
• Humanity Ensues : His Vulcan half is removed during "Charades" when he's injured in a shuttlecraft accident, and a group of advanced aliens who have no idea about his mixed DNA make him fully human (since Nurse Chapel was in that same crash). It makes for terrible timing, since he has to put himself through a very grueling Vulcan marriage ceremony with his extremely racist future mother-in-law , and his emotional sensations are through the roof.
• I Owe You My Life : He deduces that Captain Pike's recent actions in "A Quality of Mercy" saved his life, though he's not sure how. With this debt of gratitude, Spock repays it by the time of "The Menagerie" by taking the crippled Pike to Talos IV to allow his old Captain to live out his days in peace.
• Major Injury Underreaction : When his genetic alterations fade in the pilot, he states in his usual flat tone "Captain I feel unbearable pain", to Pike's confusion. Subverted later as when his alterations finally vanish he curls over and lets out a loud scream.
• Made of Iron : After Hemmer's funeral, an angry Spock slams his fist into one of the Enterprise 's hulls, yet his fist is none the worse for wear.
• Momma's Boy : Despite temporarily losing the Vulcan half of his biology, he is still willing to go through all of the condescending engagement practices performed by his fiance's mother, but when his human side (i.e. his mother's side) is called a "handicap", it is the absolute last straw for Spock.
• Mr. Fanservice : In his first appearance in this show, Spock is shown half-naked, ready to have sex with T'Pring when Pike interrupts him. Pike: Spock... are you naked?
• Never Be Hurt Again : Starts on the path to becoming the Spock of the Original Series on these grounds, after Chapel unintentionally dumps him in a spectacularly cold fashion, in public, via musical number, when he gave up following logic for a relationship with her.
• In "Children of the Comet", Spock lets out a burst of laughter after he's able to communicate once he's able to move the asteroid off its planet-destroying path. This prompts Pike to ask him if he's okay.
• In "Spock Amok", while in his betrothed's body, he decks a prospective client of hers because he hates humans , and was chewing into Spock!T'Pring for bringing Nurse Chapel along for support. Admittedly, T'Pring deems this logical.
• When facing the Gorn hatchlings in "All Those Who Wander", he is forced to release his emotional control for a moment, entering an Unstoppable Rage that leaves all those who witness it perturbed. Even hours later at Hemmer's funeral Spock's visibly not shaken off the rage, something Chapel picks up on, and follows him out of concern.
• Being turned human in "Charades" actually starts to freak out his comrades. He nearly tears Sam Kirk to a pulp for not cleaning up his mess during the science staff meeting, the rest of the senior staff are visibly uncomfortable with him laughing out loud while they socialize in the bar, and Pike's a little disturbed to see Spock binging on bacon.
• A time-travelling Boimler and Mariner, being only familiar with Spock's historical reputation, are terrified by Spock doing things like smiling and laughing.
• After being dumped by Chapel in "Subspace Rhapsody", and singing a song about how much it hurts, Spock actually looks on the verge of crying.
• Parental Issues : Not on speaking terms with his father, Sarek, due to his decision to join Starfleet rather than the Vulcan Science Academy.
• Persona Non Grata : His half-brother Sybok is currently serving a sentence in a rehabilitation colony for rejecting traditional Vulcan teachings, setting the stage for when he emerges in search of God himself. In true Spock tradition, he doesn't talk about him until the situation becomes relevant.
• Rank Up : Spock, a Lieutenant in his last appearance in Star Trek Discovery, has been promoted to Lieutenant Commander as of the first episode of Strange New Worlds. He will hold this rank for the rest of the series, before being promoted to full Commander early in the first season of TOS.
• Saved by Canon : In "A Quality of Mercy", Pike tries to warn the cadets of the fate that awaits them in the training accident when he meets one of the two he didn't save. A future version of Pike appears and shows his younger self that if he does that, the events of "Balance of Terror" play out with the Federation once again at war with the Romulans, and Spock being subjected to the same fate meant for Pike. As a consequence, Spock's work to reunify Vulcan and Romulus never happens, and millions die. Not wanting to trade Spock's life for his own, the Vulcan is spared from a gruesome future...largely because his death comes in another timeline , while his mission will succeed by the 32nd Century .
• Ship Sinking : Spock ends up attempting a relationship with Chapel, but the relationship barely gets off the ground before Chapel's hoped for fellowship trip and a musical reality attaching itself to the Enterprise crashes it .
• The Spock : He's slowly growing into the Trope Namer he will become by Kirk's time. Though he does have some trouble reining in his emotions, Spock is still the most logically minded of the Enterprise crew. An alternate version of him in "A Quality of Mercy" has fully embraced this, though he sadly doesn't get to experience things like his Prime self would. Ultimately, a combination of Boimler's big mouth and Chapel's very public dumping pushes him into this angle.
• Unstoppable Rage : Displays this when fighting the Gorn hatchling and letting go of his emotions. Unfortunately, Spock can't easily rein it back in once he's done, at least till Chapel gives him a Cooldown Hug .
• You Are Better Than You Think You Are : Gives a speech to Pike about the knowledge of his death, telling him that such knowledge will allow him to be a better captain in the time he has left.

Novelverse Spock

    Novelverse 

• All the Other Reindeer : After he becomes more openly emotional in Ex Machina , other Vulcans start treating him like he's some sort of disgusting freak. One officer even requests a transfer rather than be on the same ship as him. Spock, meanwhile, points out how very emotional they're being.
• "Forgotten History" shows him in the transitory state between the original series and where he is during The Motion Picture , deciding it's maybe time to really get around to finishing the Kohlinar.
• "Ex Machina" is all about Spock coming to terms with the events of The Motion Picture , and becoming who we see in Wrath of Khan , reconciling logic and emotion (and hopefully, without going off his nut like Sybok).
• Coitus Ensues : To solve the issue of him and an alternate T'Pring being connected to one another, which lasts for several days. Her commander, a Vulcan, recognizes what's going on and covers for them.
• Contrasting Replacement Character : An interesting way around in The Captain's Oath , with Kirk's previous XO, who is an Andorian, and every bit as boisterous as that suggests. Kirk starts to become the Kirk of the show thanks to contrasting against Spock's sheer Spockness. (Though funnily enough, the two actually get along perfectly fine, being very similar in a lot of ways.)
• Doppelgänger Gets Same Sentiment : Apparently the Vulcan psychic link applies even with alternate versions of a person, so Spock finds himself having to deal with a very baffled alternate T'Pring wondering why the hell she's suddenly going into pon-farr around him.
• Exact Words : Technically speaking, he and T'Pring are working on a way to facilitate communication and improve their efficiency. Together. Alone. For several days.
• It Runs in the Family : The Enterprise relaunch novels have appearances from Spock's Vulcan great-grandfather and great-grandmother, and he quite clearly gets several traits from them.
• Loophole Abuse : The Prime Directive applies to alternate universes too. Of course, Spock isn't interfering. He just happens to show the T'Pring of an alternate universe his copy of the Kishara, and just happens to tell her where Archer found it in his timeline. Hardly his fault if she goes looking for the one in her universe and happens to find it, is it?
• Moment Killer : "The Captain's Oath" shows the moment Kirk first sees the Enterprise bridge. Spock, ever the wet blanket, proceeds to ruin it. This is how they first meet.
• Not Quite the Right Thing : His reasoning for taking the Kohlinar? After all the times he lost control of his emotions during the last five years, he figured maybe it was best he do something about that, lest he hurt his friends (aww). Unfortunately, he chose to leave with the most perfunctory of goodbyes when Kirk had just been in an extremely public court martial and could've maybe used some support .
• Not So Above It All : As a sign of his development, at the climax of "Ex Machina" he zaps the Big Bad , and takes a moment to make a private in-reference while doing it, plainly for his own amusement (since the guy he's zapping won't get it).
• Psychic Link : At the start of "Ex Machina", he's still got a connection with V'Ger, which is beginning to fade as it goes higher up in the cosmos. But they're still connected enough for it to assist him at the climax.
• Saying Too Much : During a conversation with Bones, he comes within a hair's breadth of mentioning Sybok, but then clams up.
• Trauma Button : Of course, being a Vulcan, he won't let it show, but McCoy notes the antagonism from other Vulcans is going to hit close to home for someone who was bullied as a child.

Kelvin Timeline

Commander spock.

Played by: Zachary Quinto

Dubbed in french by: adrien antoine, dubbed in brazilian portuguese by: guilherme briggs, appearances: star trek | star trek into darkness | star trek beyond.

• Adaptational Personality Change : This Spock's emotions tend to be a bit closer to the surface than the original.
• Adorably Precocious Child : Justified . He was raised since birth to control his emotions, so he was surprisingly mature as a child.
• All of the Other Reindeer : Heavily implied given how he was verbally harassed by his classmates as a child and the Vulcan Council made insensitive comments about his human heritage.
• Badass Adorable / Pint-Sized Powerhouse : Lil' Spock. Beats up a teenager twice his size for calling his mother a "human whore".
• Badass Bookworm : The single biggest example after John Harrison and a brilliant science officer to boot.
• Badass Teacher : An instructor of Starfleet before joining the Enterprise .
• Battle Couple : Spock and Uhura when they're fighting Klingons on the war-world of Qo'noS, and when Spock battles Harrison in the climax, Uhura quickly beams in to help.
• Big Ol' Eyebrows : Zachary Quinto 's trademark huge eyebrows are shaved down, but are still pretty big in comparison to Spock Prime.
• Bothering by the Book : Spock is always good for exposition, but his field tactics are too cautious and he lacks Kirk's instincts. He represents the new-style administrative Starfleet which Pike wants to smother in the crib.
• Brainy Brunette : One of the most intelligent beings in the franchise.
• The first movie has Spock learn to embrace his human and Vulcan heritage .
• The second movie has him learn that while his duty and the rules that come with it are important, he shouldn't throw his life away because of them.
• The third has him dwelling on his mortality given the death of Spock Prime , and balancing his friendship with his Enterprise crewmates with the needs of the Vulcan people.
• Child of Two Worlds : Of humans and Vuclans, which is lampshaded by his father.
• Commanding Coolness : His rank in Starfleet is Commander.
• Crazy Jealous Guy : Or at least that's what Bones thinks when Spock says he gave Uhura an easily-trackable Vokaya amulet. Spock: Lt. Uhura wears a Vokaya amulet which I presented to her as a token of my affection and respect. McCoy : ...You gave your girlfriend radioactive jewelry? Spock: Its emission is harmless, Doctor, but its unique signature makes it very easy to identify. McCoy : ...You gave your girlfriend a tracking device? [ Beat , as everyone gives Spock an uncomfortable look] Spock: ... That was not my intention.
• Deadpan Snarker : Any humor he has is more of the subdued variety. McCoy : [after Spock has Kirk marooned] My God, man, you can at least act like it was a hard decision! Spock : If crew morale can be better served by my roaming the halls weeping, then I will gladly defer to your medical expertise.
• Defeat Means Friendship : After Kirk out-gambits him into resigning his command of the Enterprise , the two begin to develop a friendship.
• Determinator : Star Trek Beyond showed that even with life-threatening injuries, he was not going to be on the sidelines. He beamed down to the camp because he knew Uhura was being held captive there and even volunteered to help fend off Krall's drones. McCoy is deeply annoyed because it means he's drafted into the action to ensure Spock's injuries don't get worse.
• Deuteragonist : The films not only focus on Kirk's maturity as a Captain, but also Spock's emotional development.
• Double Consciousness : He's constantly torn between his human and Vulcan sides. He usually adheres to the latter, only reverting to the former if he loses emotional control.
• Endearingly Dorky : Especially around Uhura. He has quite a few with Kirk and McCoy as well, the latter of whom bickers non-stop with Spock over Vulcan logic and the preferred irrationality of humans.
• Exact Words : Uses these to devastating effect against Khan .
• Fantastic Racism : A victim of this from his fellow Vulcans, owing to his human heritage.
• Fascinating Eyebrow : Naturally, as this is a portrayal of the trope codifier.
• The Fettered : Like all Vulcans, Spock uses logic to keep tight control of his emotions, but he still has them, and his half-human parentage has perhaps made them stronger than those of his peers. Cause him to lose control of his emotions, such as by insulting his mother , causing the death of his best friend , or threatening his girlfriend , and you are in for a world of hurt .
• Fire-Forged Friends : He and Jim had to be this first, though.
• First-Name Basis : with both Kirk and Uhura. Once in Beyond with McCoy .
• Freudian Trio : The stoic, logical superego to Kirk's id and McCoy 's ego.
• Forgot About His Powers : Notably averted, considering how often it has been forgotten by franchise writers that Vulcans are canonically only little less strong than Augments. Spock basically goes into Super Mode during his Roaring Rampage of Revenge against Harrison, breaking out everything in his arsenal including enhanced strength, the Vulcan nerve pinch and even telepathically attacking while they grapple!
• Geeky Turn-On : Tie-in material shows Spock practically gushing over Uhura's incredible intellect. It was her beating him in a 3D chess game that made him certain that she had won his heart.
• Genius Bruiser : A brilliant science officer, and he can quite easily beat the snot out of you if you manage to piss him off.
• Good Is Not Soft : Quite willing to kill every crewmember aboard Nero's ship by sucking them into a black hole to save Earth. Admittedly, they had destroyed Vulcan beforehand .
• Half-Human Hybrid : His mother was Amanda Grayson (human) and his father is Sarek (Vulcan).
• Headbutt of Love : With Uhura in the first movie, right after they kissed on that transport pad he tenderly leaned his forehead against hers and whispered 'I will be back', and it's the cutest thing ever.
• Heterosexual Life-Partners : With Kirk, to the point that Spock gets jealous when Kirk accepts Carol Marcus as a second science officer on-board the Enterprise . Spock Prime goes to incredibly risky lengths in order to preserve the natural development of the galaxy's greatest bromance.
• Implacable Man : While running down Khan in the finale of Into Darkness .
• Interspecies Romance : He (half-human, half-Vulcan) and Uhura (human). And he was a product of one.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold : Applies only in the first movie. While Spock can come across as aloof, cold, and insensitive, his heart is always in the right place. And he deeply values those closest to him.
• The Lancer : Shares this role with McCoy . While Spock is ruled by logic and following protocol, Kirk is ruled by doing what he thinks is rights even if it means breaking the rules.
• Lawful Stupid : On occasion, he'll go into this length. Subverted in the sequel (excluding the Cold Open ) where he constantly cites various regulations in contradiction to Kirk and is totally right most of the time; for example, reminding Kirk that they shouldn't just execute Harrison with missiles as everyone has a right to a trial.
• Manly Tears : When he finds Kirk dying from the radiation, though he got better .
• Military Maverick : He joined Starfleet after learning that the Vulcan elders of the Vulcan Science Academy thought his mixed parentage a disability .
• Minored in Ass-Kicking : He usually finds physical conflict beneath him. However, his Vulcan physiology also means he can kick the crap out of just about anything unfortunate (or unwise) enough to be in his path.
• Momma's Boy : He had a close relationship with his mother. Making her death even harder.
• My Future Self and Me : When interacting with Spock Prime, his Older and Wiser counterpart from the Prime timeline.
• Nerd Action Hero : Has the smarts and the brawn.
• Nice Guy : In the sequels. While he's usually aloof and stoic, Spock is still an amicable fellow.
• When Spock was a child, one bully got the taste of his anger. The other bullies are so scared of Spock they can't do anything but watch even if they are more in number and bigger than him.
• Kirk provokes him into one in the first to reveal that he has been "emotionally compromised" by witnessing the destruction of his homeworld and death of his mother and is thus not fit for command .
• To Khan at the end of the sequel, though he needs a phaser-wielding Uhura to slow Khan down first.
• This is only the second time in the character's screen history where unprovoked emotion has ever overcome his logic.
• Number Two : Second in command on the Enterprise .
• One Head Taller : Uhura needs to stand on her tiptoes or wear tall boots in order for her and Spock to kiss. (Zachary Quinto is 6'3" and Zoe Saldana is 5'7".)
• The novelization mentioned that his tone suggested a distinctly human digital gesture the Vulcans wouldn't recognize .
• Red Oni, Blue Oni : The logical, task-orientated Blue Oni to Kirk's brash, rule-breaking Red Oni.
• Relative Button : Do not accuse Spock of never loving his mother. He nearly murdered Kirk when the latter said as such. Hell, just don't say anything about his mother. The bully from early in the movie learns this the hard way and the head of the science academy who called her a "disadvantage" was lucky to escape with all his limbs intact. To be fair, Kirk was intentionally trying to push the button to show that Spock was emotionally compromised and thus unsuited to be the ship captain, and he succeeded.
• Revenge Before Reason : When he and Khan are fighting and he eventually gets the upper hand, Spock starts to kick the crap out of Khan, almost beating him to death. This almost stops Kirk being revived, and only Uhura's influence calms him down .
• Rubber-Forehead Aliens : The only things "alien" about him are his pointy ears. The distinct shape of his eyebrows may also count since they seem to be the norm for Vulcans, though strictly speaking, odd eyebrows aren't impossible to find in humans.
• Sarcastic Devotee : Loyal to Kirk, though also quite willing to snark at him at every turn. Spock: I would cite regulation, but I know you will simply ignore it.
• Say My Name : Spock gets his moment in Into Darkness , as a loving Shout-Out to a certain other movie . "KHAAAAAAAAAAN!"
• Shell-Shocked Veteran : Kirk is completely right about him being "emotionally compromised" by the destruction of Vulcan. From that point forward, Spock has exhibited much less emotional control than Spock Prime did; in this sense, Nero completely succeeded in making Vulcans no different from Romulans.
• Single Woman Seeks Good Man : Gender-flipped. In the tie-in book , "The Assassination Game", Spock states that the quality he admires most in Uhura has is her heart.
• The Smart Guy : He offers logical choices to Kirk and has been known to be very brilliant, as well as being a nerd and speaking Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness . This makes him stand out as the smart guy on a team of doctors, engineers, and other highly intelligent officers.
• The Spock : Well, he is the Trope Namer in a way, as the reboot continuity and the original exist in the same universe.
• The Stoic : Adheres to logic and the suppression of emotions.
• Sugar-and-Ice Personality : Stoic to all but his mother, Uhura and, later, Kirk.
• Super-Strength : As a Vulcan, he's considerably stronger than most humans and can even match a genetically enhanced superhuman if he needs to. Enough so that he can fight toe-to-toe with a Super-Soldier .
• Student/Teacher Romance : He was Uhura's Advanced Phonology instructor before they became an item.
• Tall, Dark, and Handsome : Has black hair, is tall, and known to be handsome by his fanbase.
• Tall, Dark, and Snarky : Plus, he has the snark that comes up from time to time.
• Troll : The Kobayashi Maru is a rescue simulation exam designed by him to be absolutely unwinnable by design. He claims its purpose is for potential captains to experience and understand fear, but Kirk and McCoy don't really buy into that explanation, especially considering that you can't even pass the class without passing the exam.
• Ungrateful Bastard : Kirk goes as far as to defy the Prime Directive to save Spock's life. Spock repays him by having him demoted. Although, in Spock's defense, he assumed that Kirk would be honest in his account of the incident.
• Unstoppable Rage : Once his breaking point is reached, not even a complete Badass capable of taking down an entire platoon of Klingons can stand up to him for long. Looking at you, Khan .
• Vitriolic Best Buds : Just like the Prime timeline, him and McCoy . In Beyond he's honestly baffled that McCoy ever thought they weren't friends.
• "Well Done, Son" Guy : This is how Spock behaves towards his father.

Spock Prime

Dubbed in French by: Marc Cassot

Dubbed in brazilian portuguese by: jomeri pozzoli, appearances: star trek | star trek into darkness.

• Ambadassador : Still referred to as "Ambassador Spock" by the ship he designed.
• Batman Grabs a Gun : That one rare exception mentioned? Telling the younger Spock about Khan, the man who in the Prime Timeline was responsible for his original death.
• Big Damn Heroes : Saving Kirk from an enormous monster that was seconds away from devouring him.
• Character Death : Passes away of old age shortly prior to Star Trek Beyond . He was 161.
• Cool Old Guy : He flew a starship into a supernova and managed to ensure that the young Kirk and Spock would become friends.
• Dare to Be Badass : He pushes Kirk into taking command of the Enterprise so that he can stop Nero's rampage.
• Fantastic Racism : In the Countdown tie-in comic, he is shown to suffer some of this from more conservative Vulcans both for being a Half-Human Hybrid and for his embrace of emotion and support of Vulcan-Romulan reunification, or at least improved Vulcan-Romulan relations.
• Forced to Watch : Nero exacts revenge upon Spock by leaving him marooned on Delta Vega helpless to prevent the destruction of Vulcan, just as Nero was helpless to save Romulus.
• Godzilla Threshold : While normally he wouldn't reveal information about the Prime Timeline to his Alternate Self , having sworn a vow not to do so, Khan is so dangerous that he makes an exception.
• Hypocrisy Nod : He acknowledges that his ordinary farewell, "live long and prosper", would be rather self-serving when told to his younger counterpart.
• Insistent Terminology : In the Countdown comic, whenever he is referred to as the Vulcan Ambassador to Romulus, he is quick to make the correction: He is the Federation Ambassador to Romulus. There is also a Vulcan Ambassador, who generally declines to involve himself much with Romulan society .
• The Mentor : He acts as a wise old mentor to both Kirk and the younger Spock.
• Metaphorically True : He implies to Kirk that "universe-ending paradoxes would ensue" if the younger Spock became aware of his existence, motivating Kirk to form the lasting friendship that they shared in the prime timeline. Spock : You lied. Spock Prime : Oooh, I... I implied.
• My Future Self and Me : When interacting with his younger counterpart.
• My Greatest Failure : It's subtle, but Spock clearly considers the destruction of Romulus in the Prime Timeline to be this. He also blames himself for Nero destroying Vulcan in the new timeline, as vengeance for what he perceived as Spock's "betrayal". Spock Prime: Billions of lives lost, because of me , Jim. Because I failed.
• Nice Guy : All those years of embracing emotion have really done him well.
• Older and Wiser : Spock is 157 years old by the time he arrives in the altered timeline, and shares his wisdom with Kirk and the young Spock.
• Personal Effects Reveal : In Star Trek Beyond , it's revealed that among his few possessions in the Kelvin universe was a picture with his TOS crewmates (circa Star Trek V ).
• Reasonable Authority Figure : Moreso than Pike in a couple aspects. See Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right! .
• Real Life Writes the Plot : Leonard Nimoy passed away in 2015 due to a pulmonary disease related to chronic smoking. Spock Prime was thus Killed Offscreen , and news of his death drive much of his alternate universe counterpart's story in Beyond since the Vulcans need someone to replace him, and young Spock is a pretty obvious choice to fill his shoes .
• When he is contacted in Into Darkness , he says that he does not wish to share too much information in order to preserve the timeline, but when he hears that Khan is involved in a war with the Enterprise , he promptly gives Spock the advice they need to win .
• This is also his reasoning in supplementary material as to why he helped the Romulans out in the first place, as Vulcan was uninterested in aiding them, and why he promptly (to the best of his abilities, sadly ) left to help Romulus of his own accord instead.
• The Stoic : Oddly enough, to a much lesser degree than most other Vulcans, as he admits to being quite saddened by the destruction of his homeworld, not that anybody could blame him for that. He also tells younger Spock to loosen up a little. He's also visibly sad in Into Darkness when Kelvin!Spock asked him what he was supposed to do with Khan, as he's remembering the fact he had to die .
• Subverted Catchphrase : Invoked when saying farewell to his younger counterpart, complete with lampshade hanging. Spock Prime : Since my customary farewell would appear oddly self-serving , I shall simply say...good luck.
• Star Trek: The Original Series - James Tiberius Kirk
• Characters/Star Trek
• Star Trek: The Original Series - Khan Noonien Singh

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Spock was a Starfleet science officer and ambassador who rose to fame as first officer of the U.S.S. Enterprise in the 23rd Century and Vulcan ambassador to Romulus in the 24th Century .

• 2.1 Missions formerly involved
• 3 Missions mentioned
• 5 External links

History [ | ]

Spock was born in 2230 , as son of renown Vulcan diplomat Sarek and his Human wife Amanda Grayson . In 2249 Spock decided against studying at the Vulcan Science Academy, pursuing a career in Starfleet instead.

By 2254 he was assigned to the U.S.S. Enterprise . Spock would go on to become the longest serving officer aboard the Enterprise - serving under the command of Captains Pike, Kirk and Decker until finally commanding the ship itself during the 2280s. He would go on to serve on the Enterprise -A until its decommission.

In 2368 Spock supported a movement on Romulus to reunite the Vulcan and Romulan people. D'Tan was among those he instructed. In 2387 Spock disappeared shortly after the Hobus supernova and the destruction of Romulus.

Leaving for Romulus in 2368

Meeting with Romulan leadership

Missions involved [ | ]

Spock on the bridge of the U.S.S. Enterprise in 2270

Missions formerly involved [ | ]

Missions mentioned [ | ].

Notes [ | ]

Leonard Nimoy at Cryptic Studios in 2009, recording lines for Star Trek Online .

• Spock's voice is provided by Leonard Nimoy , who also portrayed the character on screen.
• Spock's ultimate fate in the Kelvin Timeline following his disappearance in 2387 has not been acknowledged in-universe. Though there is little way for this knowledge to make its way to the original timeline's characters regardless, the real-life reason for this was Cryptic 's Star Trek license originally only allowing content to be based on the movies prior to Star Trek (2009) , thus preventing any references to the film's contents beyond the fate of Romulus. Cryptic has since been able to adapt content from the three Kelvin Timeline films, though Spock's true fate remains unelaborated.
• Spock was the first main character of The Original Series to appear in Star Trek Online . However, during the initial release of “Past Imperfect” only his voice was heard and he never appeared on screen. This was changed with the release of Season 8.5 on 30 January, 2014.
• Spock narrates the opening cinematic, as well as the level-up congratulations for Federation players. With the exception of the Romulan Republic , Delta and Gamma Quadrant sectors, he also provides the narrations for all Alpha and Beta Quadrant sector areas. A [ Data Recorder ] containing all sector space narrations can be obtained as a mission reward from “Diplomatic Orders” .
• After the death of Leonard Nimoy, the actor who portrayed Spock, memorial statues of Spock were erected on Vulcan and New Romulus . Black flags were also displayed on Earth Spacedock , First City , and New Romulus Command during a week of mourning from March 5 through 12, 2015.

External links [ | ]

• Spock at Memory Alpha , the Star Trek Wiki.
• Spock at Memory Beta , the non-canon Star Trek Wiki.
• 2 Playable starship
• 3 List of canon starships

Spock's New Starfleet Rank Brings an Original Series Death Full Circle

• Spock's new Starfleet rank brings his journey full circle, as he returns to being a science officer aboard the Defiant.
• Spock's predecessor, Gary Mitchell, also played a role in the recent god war and Mitchell's death sparked a galaxy-wide conflict.
• Spock's new role as a science officer allows him to study the ex-Borg drone Hugh and gain valuable information for the Federation.

Warning: contains spoilers for Star Trek: Defiant #8!

Spock’s new Starfleet rank brings an original Star Trek death full circle. Spock was an integral part of the franchise’s recent god war, helping Captains Sisko and Worf turn back Kahless’ rampage. Now, as the dust from Day of Blood settles, Spock has seemingly returned to Starfleet for the first time in decades in Star Trek: Defiant #8, in a role he knows very well. There are echoes of the past in Spock’s new rank as well.

Star Trek: Defiant #8 is written by Christopher Cantwell and drawn by Mike Feehan. Worf and the crew of the Defiant are given a new mission by Starfleet, as bounty hunters bringing in the galaxy’s worst criminals. Spock takes his leave of Worf and company, However, as Worf is ready to set off, Spock comes aboard, requesting a position as science officer. Worf is surprised, but Spock explains that the ex-Borg drone Hugh, who is one of their targets, may contain valuable information about the galaxy. Spock notes the Borg have far surpassed the Federation in astronomical studies, and it represents a grand opportunity for study.

Spock Has Come Full Circle

Across Star Trek’s 57-year history, Spock has held a variety of roles. He began as a science officer aboard the Enterprise under Captain Pike and later Kirk. When Kirk took command of the ship, his First Officer was Gary Mitchell, one of his best friends. Thanks to exposure to mysterious energies at the Galactic Barrier, Mitchell became a god-like being that Kirk had to take care of. Upon Mitchell’s death, Spock was promoted to First Officer. From there he became a captain, an instructor at Starfleet Academy and later an ambassador. Spock joined Worf and the rebel crew of the USS Defiant to help stop Kahless.

Spock's Predecessor Played a Role in the God War Too

Ironically, Gary Mitchell also played a huge role in the god war. As revealed in last year’s Star Trek #400, Mitchell actually survived his encounter with Kirk. Fans learned that Mitchell had grown and progressed, becoming far more benevolent. He was also powerful enough to create entire star systems. Unfortunately, Mitchell’s time was cut short as he was one of the first victims of Kahless and his God-Killer Array. Mitchell’s death lit the flame of a war that nearly burned the galaxy.

Related: Star Trek Just Confirmed Spock's Starfleet Rank is Basically a Lie

And just as Gary Mitchell’s first “death” set the stage for Spock becoming the Enterprise’s second-in-command, his second passing has brought the Vulcan back to Starfleet. While Spock will not be the Defiant’s First Officer, he will be its science officer, making this a sort of homecoming for him. Spock was not only an exemplary First Officer, but he served capably as science officer as well. Spock is correct: Hugh could provide the Federation with a wealth of information, and there is no one better to study it than Spock. Spock’s new Starfleet rank has brought this Star Trek icon full circle.

Star Trek: Defiant #8 is on sale now from IDW Publishing!

Spock's Entire Backstory Explained

When it comes to Star Trek laymen, Captain James T. Kirk gets all the love. But die-hard Trekkies are all about Spock. 

Where Kirk was a space-faring brawler with a galactically large libido, Spock was a character after the typical nerd's own heart. The half-Vulcan Starfleet officer could disable an opponent with a well-placed pinch, but he was much more likely to use deductive reasoning and logic to sort out his problems. Couple that fan favorite with Leonard Nimoy's incredible gift for conveying the emotions of a pathologically logical outsider, and it's no wonder that Spock has endured for as long as the fictional universe itself. 

The constant allure of Trek and each generation's desire to return to Starfleet's endless story-generating capabilities means there are always greenhorns and redshirts coming to Trek for the first time. With decades of lore to digest, getting a grip on a character like Spock can be difficult. So, we've put together a bit of a primer on a character who's lived long and prospered throughout Trek 's many incarnations.

To understand Spock, you've got to understand Vulcans

When any newcomer first starts watching Star Trek , their first question is probably, "Why does Spock look like that?"

Well, Spock is half-human, half-Vulcan, and he was born on the planet Vulcan (pictured) in the 23rd century. The Vulcans, along with the humans of Earth, are one of the four founding groups of the United Federation of Planets, so Spock grew up in a civilization under the sway of this intergalactic government. His mother was a human schoolteacher who came from Earth and lived on Vulcan with Spock's father, Sarek. The couple met and fell in love while Sarek was performing his duties as a Vulcan ambassador to the Federation. With both parents dedicated to the public good, Spock's eventual career path as a space-traveling peacekeeper for the Federation makes a good bit of sense, though that decision was far off from Spock's early years in the city of ShiKahr. In fact, given how poorly he was treated as a young boy, it's a wonder the drive for civil service survived.   

As a child, Spock was an outsider

Spock had an incredibly difficult time in his childhood , being roundly mocked and ridiculed for his half-human heritage on the almost entirely homogeneous planet of Vulcan. The Vulcan children around him liked to provoke him and then ridicule him for responding emotionally, a faux pas in the logic-based society of Vulcan. Spock's father had a full-blooded Vulcan son named Sybok, and Sarek initially looked at his half-human son with barely disguised revulsion. Through considerable effort, Spock would come to suppress his emotions in the Vulcan way, while his fully Vulcan half-brother would become a revolutionary against the cold logic of his people, due to a deep-seated belief in the concept of Heaven. 

Becoming his indefatigably logical self took time and work, however, and Vulcan schoolchildren were more than willing to make his job harder. As if that wasn't enough, Spock suffered from dyslexia. He inherited the condition from his mother's side of the family, and she worked extensively with Spock to teach him how to read and avoid further stigmatization. 

Spock proved himself as a young boy

Spock didn't take long to reach his limit. He was unusually emotional for a Vulcan, and the insistent prodding only made it worse. As such, Spock had a chip on his shoulder from a very early age, hoping to prove his doubters wrong and fully belong in Vulcan society. Vulcan's harsh code of logical living and extreme belief in problem-solving permeated every aspect of their society, including their rituals that marked the beginning of adulthood. 

For example, every young Vulcan had to go through the kahs-wan , a ritual that required young Vulcans to live in the desert for ten days without food, water, or weapons. The Vulcans believed that such self-reliance was a bulwark against getting too soft and that it provided a connection to the planet's ancient warrior past. Spock took the test for the first time at the age of seven, pushed to get it over with due to his treatment by full Vulcans. But he very nearly died in an attack by a large mountain lion, only being saved by his pet I-Chaya . His companion animal was badly mauled by the beast's venomous claws, and Spock had to decide whether to fight to save it or let it die. 

Given the agony that I-Chaya was feeling, Spock felt that he should let his friend die, though it caused him great pain. At that moment, Spock dedicated himself to the Vulcan way of thinking. He would follow the teachings of the Vulcan philosopher Surak, who preached logic and emotional control as the foundation of a life well-lived.

How Vulcans adopted logic and reason

In spite of their mistreatment of a young and moody Spock, Vulcans weren't always so dedicated to reason. Much like Earth, they spent centuries at war with one another. They developed atomic weapons around the time of 300 AD , and war threatened all life on their planet. In this time, the philosopher Surak created a monastery in the Vulcan desert and began teaching that all the world's ills were due to a failure to suppress emotion and think logically. His followers began to spread his message throughout Vulcan where it was met with open hostility from certain groups. Yet another war raged between adherents of Surak's logic-first worldview and people who believed in the rule of emotion. An atomic blast in one of these wars killed the philosopher, turning him into a martyr. 

Eventually, the logicians won out, with holdouts leaving Vulcan to go and found the Romulan Empire , a noted enemy of the Federation throughout Star Trek 's run. Other Vulcans became nomads who took a heretical stance toward Surak's teachings that would eventually line up with Spock's life. They felt that controlling emotion didn't mean outright suppression but rather allowing yourself to feel and then tamping it down. 

Spock's complicated relationship with his sister

Centuries after the logic-based "Time of Awakening," the emotions of early Vulcans had been largely forgotten. This led Spock's own father to view his son's weakness for the illogical with contempt. And though he did his best to hide it, it was clear from Spock's actions that he could tell how his father thought of him. He would act out even after taking his test of maturity, disappearing into the wilderness for days at a time without telling his father where he went. 

Around the same time, his family adopted a fully human daughter after two visiting scientists died on Vulcan. The curiously named Michael Burnham came to live with them, and Spock instantly felt attached to this new outsider. He followed the older girl around, even as her presence on the planet stirred up danger. Extremist believers in Vulcan philosophies began to target Burnham, and she tried to run away so that her new family wouldn't be harmed in any planned attack. 

While trying to find her, Spock was visited by a spirit he called "the Red Angel," which told him where to find Burnham. This inexplicable paranormal event would have a lasting impact on Spock, as it fell outside of the realm of his logical beliefs and still accurately led to Burnham. However, when Spock found his sister, Michael deliberately insulted him, taking aim at his most vulnerable attributes in order to keep him away from her and out of danger. Their relationship never recovered. 

A momentous decision and a dysfunctional family

Spock's relationship with his father became even more strained after Michael graduated from the Vulcan Science Academy. She attempted to join Vulcan's analogue to Starfleet, the Vulcan Expeditionary Group (VEG), and caused a minor scandal. No non-Vulcan had ever served, but out of respect for Spock's father, the VEG brass let the decision rest with him. However, if they allowed Burnham in, she would be the only member of his family to serve in the VEG. So, Sarek had to choose between a place for Spock or his adopted human daughter. 

He chose Spock. 

Unfortunately, his son didn't want to be a member of the VEG. He declined in order to attend Starfleet Academy on Earth, hoping to become a scientist on a Federation space vessel. Squandering the honor that his father set aside for him broke their already tense relationship, and neither man spoke to the other for 18 years. 

Spock winds up on the Enterprise

Spock left the Starfleet Academy as a distinguished student of computers, and he was assigned to the Enterprise under its then-commander Christopher Pike. Spock served the commander well, helping to get him off of the planet Talos IV after their landing party was attacked by the freaky looking Talosians. And even though he'd suffered a leg injury in a previous mission, Spock managed to help a captured Commander Pike and the rest of the landing party back on to the Enterprise . 

Interestingly, the Talosians made use of a weapon that tricked their adversaries via projected visions. While the cool and calm Spock made no mention of it to his shipmates, he believed that they might be the same species as the Red Angel that he'd encountered as a child. Along with Pike, he filed a report that urged the rest of the Federation to steer clear of the Talosians ... while personally noting that he would return. 

The time he 'turned' on Starfleet

Spock took a vacation from Starfleet at the end of a war between the Klingons and the Federation. He'd been on duty for five straight years at the time, but rather than return home to Vulcan, the science officer opted for a bit more research. The encounter on Talos had been gnawing at his brain, and he had to know if they were the source of his seemingly illogical visions. Against the Federation's own orders, he personally went to Talosian space. 

He came across a " Red Angel " and found out that they were merely advanced humanoids wearing suits whose technology was beyond current comprehension. He attempted a Vulcan mind-meld with the advanced alien and saw visions of the destruction of all major Federation planets in the future. The super-advanced humans he thought were angels had moved beyond experiencing time in a linear fashion, and the effect on Spock broke him mentally. 

His logical and ordered brain couldn't deal with the jumble of non-linear time. He had enough composure to check himself into a psychiatric hospital, but he awoke in a confused state and knocked his doctors unconscious with a Vulcan nerve pinch. The attack on Federation doctors made Spock a criminal, and Starfleet began tracking him down. He hid out on Vulcan, being protected by his mother as his condition worsened. 

Spock returns to the fold

After hiding out on Vulcan, Spock was barely cognizant and just kept repeating a jumble of numbers and several tenets of Surek's logical principles. Eventually, his family realized he was spouting the coordinates of Talos IV but in a disordered way due to his dyslexia. They took Spock there and convinced the Talosians to heal him. In order to keep him from snapping back into the experience of non-linear time, all members of the Enterprise were banned from ever mentioning the name of his sister.

Spock continued to serve on the Enterprise , getting in over 11 years of experience on the bridge of the famed ship. He stayed on even after Commander Pike was promoted, and Spock became an officer under Captain James T. Kirk. In fact, the Vulcan was on board the Enterprise when they became the first Federation members to encounter Romulans in over 100 years. Because of Romulans' shared history with the Vulcans, Spock looked considerably similar to the hostile aliens. At least one Starfleet officer believed that Spock might be an enemy agent, but his continued exemplary service and selflessness put these fears to rest. 

Kidnapping Pike

Spock became a fugitive one more time during his service to Starfleet. He was attempting to help his former captain live out his best possible life on the world that caused them both so much trouble. See, Commander Pike had been permanently disabled, left in a semi-vegetative state in a body-encompassing wheelchair that only allowed him to communicate via beeping. But because of the Talosian ability to create false realities, Spock believed he could give Pike a full life by taking him to the planet and allowing them to create an illusion for him. 

Unfortunately, visiting Talos IV was entirely forbidden for Federation members. So, Spock kidnapped Pike and took control of the Enterprise , piloting the stolen ship toward an illegal visit. Though his actions were criminal, Spock was able to convince Kirk to allow the transport of Pike. The former commander was beamed down to the planet to live out his life in a peaceful vision, and the charges against Spock were dropped.

Spock almost became a monk

At the end of another five-year stint on the Enterprise , Spock felt himself fraying at the edges. He'd moved far from his belief in logic, and now, he believed he should return to Vulcan to live the life of a Surakian monk. He retired from Starfleet and joined a monastic order to complete a revered process on Vulcan known as kolinahr . It was a years-long training that was meant to purge adherents of all emotion to reach a state of pure logic. 

Spock had completed most of the stages of the process, only to fall just short of the final level of logical enlightenment. See, just as he was about to reach his final plane of logic, he detected an impossibly powerful threat in the galaxy and reacted to it emotionally. As his attempt to achieve kolinahr was ruined, he felt that the Federation was in grave danger and returned to Starfleet. 

Spock's feelings were correct. The Earth was facing down the possibility of being destroyed by the V'ger, a life form the size of Earth's entire orbit, capable of generating more power than thousands of starships. With Spock's help, the Enterprise crew discovered that V'ger was an extremely advanced creature built around a Voyager space probe that was attempting to establish contact with humanity. Starfleet captain Will Decker sacrificed himself to meld with V'ger and keep it from destroying Earth in its attempts. As a result, the creation evolved into a higher plane of existence and disappeared. 

Spock makes the ultimate sacrifice

After the whole incident with V'ger, Spock was promoted to captain, and he became a professor for Starfleet. He trained prospective cadets on a decommissioned version of the Enterprise . This peaceful life of running simulations and keeping young would-be officers in line was agreeable to Spock, but his old buddy, James Kirk, chafed at the idea of being away from the frontier. And right about then, that's when things started to get exciting.

During a routine training run with Starfleet cadets, the Enterprise was set upon by an old rival. Khan Noonien Singh, a genetically enhanced ex-dictator, had broken free of his space exile. The former prince of a centuries-old regime on Earth that believed in eugenics, Khan was a superhuman with incredible cunning and strength. He hoped to use a machine that could terraform an entire planet to forcefully create a new home for himself and his abandoned soldiers, and he also hoped to kill his arch-enemy, Kirk.

However, as the two enemies were facing off, Spock ceded control of the Enterprise to Kirk and ultimately gave his life to save the ship in the course of their battle with Khan. He exposed himself to a deadly level of radiation to work on the vessel and keep it from imploding, with his irradiated corpse being inadvertently launched onto a newly formed planet that resulted from the terraforming machine's explosion. 

The Vulcan becomes a space diplomat

After the terraforming machine was destroyed, its life-forming waves soaked a nearby planet, which, luckily, is where Spock's body ended up. As a result, Spock was brought back to life, though he lost a lot of his memories and intellect. He trained quickly to get himself back to the level of an experienced officer and eventually became a diplomat for Federation interests. Though Vulcans were logical and rule-followers by nature, Spock frequently leaned toward his human side. He used his advanced reasoning abilities and his willingness to flaunt the rules to broker deals between the Federation and its greatest enemies. 

During his time as a representative of the Federation, he created treaties between the United Federation of Planets and the Klingons. At the time, the Federation believed that they couldn't overcome their differences with the Klingons, assuming the warrior race was too violent to become an ally. However, Spock was able to push for a truce and end two centuries of conflict between the two empires. He also attempted to create peace between the Romulans and Vulcans, doing so entirely in secret and without Federation backing. He was unsuccessful. 

The death of Spock

Spock died of natural causes in the year 2263. Of course, his life was anything but normal, due to various deaths, wormhole-assisted time travel, and alternate realities. After all, the original Spock was born in 2230, died in 2285, was revived, and eventually died in an alternate reality 161 years after he was born. And how did he wind up there? Well, Spock attempted to stop the Romulan sun from exploding with the help of "red matter," but he failed. As a result, the sun obliterated the Romulan homeworld and created a black hole, sucking up both Spock and his Romulan enemy, Nero.

The two were sent back in time, thus creating a parallel dimension known as the Kelvin Timeline . Here, Prime Spock helped his younger Kelvin counterpart defeat Nero and deal with a new version of Khan Noonien Singh. But all good things — including good Vulcans — must come to an end, and Spock eventually passed away in this alternate timeline. Still, the character continually pops up in new installments in the Star Trek  franchise . It's likely that Spock will be around as long as we continue to make Star Trek properties. Though he'd hate it, we're too emotionally attached to let him go. 

Star Trek: How Spock’s Characterization Has Evolved Over The Years

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Star Trek was — and still is — one of the most influential television and movie franchises of the 20th century. It was birthed as a television series in 1966 to a great deal of fanfare and acclaim. It became such a popular franchise that its hardcore fans earned a name for themselves: "Trekkies."

The intellectually savvy and often quirky franchise continues to be one of the most pioneering in television and movie history. Sometimes subtly and sometimes overtly, the original series was very progressive on the American civil rights front. The show’s cast was multiracial, one of the first of its kind. Star Trek: The Original Series , featured the first multiracial kiss on television in 1968. Star Trek is also known for its quirky and well-rounded cast of characters. Perhaps the most interesting of these characters is Spock, the half-human, half-Vulcan member of the starship USS Enterprise.

RELATED: Star Trek Characters Who Deserve Their Own Spin-offs

Spock’s rank on the USS Enterprise grew from Ensign all the way up to Ambassador in his tenure in all Star Trek properties. He is best known for being a highly logical character, highly intelligent and more than capable of his assigned duties on the USS Enterprise. However, there is more than one iteration of Spock. Though he is arguably the most recognizable character from Star Trek lore, he has seen something of an evolution over the years.

The Concept of Spock

Spock’s original concept is not what average Trekkies or even the general public think of when they picture him today. Producer Gene Roddenberry knew he wanted Spock to be part alien and part human . However, he originally envisioned Spock to be reddish in hue with pointy ears, to appear devilish. He thought this would be a great juxtaposition to Spock’s actual nature, therefore subverting the expectations an audience would form based on visuals. The idea of Spock being reddish in color was later scrapped, though the pointy, elf-like ears remained.

Roddenbery was also drawn to Spock’s emotion-sparse nature. This was a way for the character to embrace his non-human (or Vulcan) side. Though the turn towards the logical would prove a strength for Spock that his fully human companions lacked, Spock did have one weakness: a feverish curiosity for anything alien in nature. Spock’s propensity for logic was an immediate draw for actor Leonard Nimoy, who would go on to portray Spock from 1966 to 2013 on various Star Trek projects.

Early Years on Star Trek: The Original Series

On Star Trek: The Original Series , Spock was the First Lieutenant on the USS Enterprise . He performed various duties, which ranged from manning the bridge and serving as an on-board leader to more lowly duties.

In Star Trek lore, Vulcans do their best to shy away from emotions. They view them as a weakness, or even distasteful. Spock’s great intelligence and half-Vulcan genetics served him well on the USS Enterprise. His position on the deck of the USS Enterprise was at its computer, where Spock could use his vast intellect for the betterment of the ship and its mission.

Greater Exploration of Spock’s Vulcan Side

The premiere of the second season of Star Trek: The Original Series depicts Spock as undergoing something of a Vulcan blood fever . The only remedy is a ritual mating act on the planet Vulcan. It was believed that if Spock did not engage in this mating act, he would be dead within eight days. This was one of the first instances of the show exploring the Vulcan side of Spock's biology.

Spock was also capable of the Vulcan "mind meld." This act would allow Spock to sort of enter the mind of a being or entity so as to better understand its nature and motives. This would, however, make Spock reveal more of his inner self than he wished to, ironically sometimes revealing his more human side.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture and Subsequent 20th Century Films

In Star Trek: The Motion Picture , Spock has ceased to be a member of Starfleet and the USS Enterprise. Instead, he has returned to the planet Vulcan to undergo the Vulcan discipline of Kolinahr. In Kolinahr, Vulcans are able to purge themselves of all emotion.

Over the course of the next several films, Spock endures quite a bit. He becomes the commanding officer of the USS Enterprise . Additionally, he is killed off at the end of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, only to be resurrected in the next film. Generally, the movies cannot explore Spock in the same way Star Trek: The Original Series did simply because of the pacing of movies compared to television shows; however, he remains an essential character throughout.

Spock in the 21st Century

Interestingly, Leonard Nimoy had some sway over who would portray Spock in 2009’s Star Trek film. He highlighted Zachary Quinto, suggesting that the actor had the "look" of Spock and could comprehend the character’s complex inner workings.

Leonard Nimoy returned as "Spock Prime," the original, older Spock in 2013’s Star Trek: Into Darkness . The actor had designs on returning for the 2016 film, but unfortunately passed away prior to its production. In that film, the younger Spock touchingly mourns the loss of "Spock Prime" in a bit of a meta nod to both Spock and Leonard Nimoy. Spock was recast once again in 2019 for Star Trek: Discovery ’s second season, this time by actor Ethan Peck.

Spock has had a tremendous impact on pop culture’s zeitgeist, particularly with the phrase, “Live Long and Prosper.” Trekkies and mainstream fans alike will see Spock return in 2023’s Star Trek film , where they will see how his character continues to evolve.

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Spock's Rank?

Discussion in ' Star Trek - The Original & Animated Series ' started by cblmc1296 , Jul 17, 2011 .

cblmc1296 Commander Red Shirt

Once again, my aging gray matter is doing me in. There was a time when I would have known the answer to this. Is it ever established through any dialog, voice-over, or on-screen graphic that Spock's rank is Commander? I ask because in the earliest first season episodes he wears Commander's braids but in Court Martial (which was produced about halfway through that season and aired almost two thirds of the way through) the Star Base 11 computer identifies his service rank as Lt. Commander. I've always prided myself on "in-universe" knowledge but I'm getting senile. Help! Thanks! :-) \\//_ LLAP  

Wingsley Commodore Commodore

In Year 2's "Amok Time" the unseen voice of Vulcan Space Central responds to Kirk's hail, and asks "Is Commander Spock with you?" Nobody corrected the Vulcan. Other than that, the two references from Year 1, ("Court Martial", which you already mentioned, and also "Tomorrow is Yesterday," when Kirk first introduces Lt. Cmdr. Spock to Capt. Christopher) both seem to suggest Spock was still a "lite commander" until some point shortly thereafter. Looks like another CDST (Contradictions and Discontinuity in STAR TREK) goof, probably the result of poor planning on the part of the show's staff.  

scotpens Professional Geek Premium Member

Obviously, sometime between seasons one and two, Spock got a promotion.  

scotpens said: ↑ Obviously, sometime between seasons one and two, Spock got a promotion. Click to expand...

BillJ The King of Kings Premium Member

I'm pretty sure he's referred to as 'Commander' in The Enterprise Incident .  

What about during his recitation in the self-destruct sequence in "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield"? Does Spock invoke his rank then? Does anyone have it handy on tape or disc?  

Wingsley said: ↑ What about during his recitation in the self-destruct sequence in "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield"? Does Spock invoke his rank then? Does anyone have it handy on tape or disc? Click to expand...

So, from this, we can assume that Spock may have started out under Kirk as a LCDR, and may have been subsequently promoted to full CDR by "Amok Time". I have no idea why Spock was not promoted earlier. Could it be that Spock was not the XO at the beginning of the show? It's not clear to me who was the XO in "Where No Man...", and Spock identifies himself as "second officer Spock" in "The Enemy Within" (or was it "The Man Trap"?). This, to me, leaves wiggle room to allow someone unseen to have served as XO early on in Kirk's five-year-mission before Spock took on the duties of "first officer".  

Wingsley said: ↑ So, from this, we can assume that Spock may have started out under Kirk as a LCDR, and may have been subsequently promoted to full CDR by "Amok Time". I have no idea why Spock was not promoted earlier. Could it be that Spock was not the XO at the beginning of the show? It's not clear to me who was the XO in "Where No Man...", and Spock identifies himself as "second officer Spock" in "The Enemy Within" (or was it "The Man Trap"?). This, to me, leaves wiggle room to allow someone unseen to have served as XO early on in Kirk's five-year-mission before Spock took on the duties of "first officer". Click to expand...

We're probably just looking at a technicality here. The paperwork hadn't caught up to the promotion. Spock was promoted to Commander and wears commander's stripes but officially the paperwork hasn't been approved so he is still technically a Lt. Commander.  

cblmc1296 said: ↑ Wingsley said: ↑ So, from this, we can assume that Spock may have started out under Kirk as a LCDR, and may have been subsequently promoted to full CDR by "Amok Time". I have no idea why Spock was not promoted earlier. Could it be that Spock was not the XO at the beginning of the show? It's not clear to me who was the XO in "Where No Man...", and Spock identifies himself as "second officer Spock" in "The Enemy Within" (or was it "The Man Trap"?). This, to me, leaves wiggle room to allow someone unseen to have served as XO early on in Kirk's five-year-mission before Spock took on the duties of "first officer". Click to expand...

CoveTom Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

Also, keep in mind that someone referring to him as "Commander Spock" does not preclude the possibility of him actually being a Lieutenant Commander. It seems fairly common for the Lieutenant Commander rank to be shortened to just Commander in conversation in Starfleet, and I believe I remember hearing that was true of the modern U.S. Navy as well. For another example of this, Picard and others frequently referred to Data as "Commander Data" even though his rank was Lieutenant Commander.  

CoveTom said: ↑ Also, keep in mind that someone referring to him as "Commander Spock" does not preclude the possibility of him actually being a Lieutenant Commander. It seems fairly common for the Lieutenant Commander rank to be shortened to just Commander in conversation in Starfleet, and I believe I remember hearing that was true of the modern U.S. Navy as well. For another example of this, Picard and others frequently referred to Data as "Commander Data" even though his rank was Lieutenant Commander. Click to expand...

BillJ said: ↑ cblmc1296 said: ↑ Wingsley said: ↑ So, from this, we can assume that Spock may have started out under Kirk as a LCDR, and may have been subsequently promoted to full CDR by "Amok Time". I have no idea why Spock was not promoted earlier. Could it be that Spock was not the XO at the beginning of the show? It's not clear to me who was the XO in "Where No Man...", and Spock identifies himself as "second officer Spock" in "The Enemy Within" (or was it "The Man Trap"?). This, to me, leaves wiggle room to allow someone unseen to have served as XO early on in Kirk's five-year-mission before Spock took on the duties of "first officer". Click to expand...

cblmc1296 said: ↑ Not to throw a monkey wrench into the works but Kirk does refer to him as Science Officer in WNMHGB. More CDST I suppose. eh? Click to expand...

^ I suspect that the early reference to "second officer" was actually meant to imply second-in-command and that particular writer just got the term mixed up. I believe Spock was intended to be the first officer from the time of WNMHGB forward. The only case where he wasn't was in The Cage. But, obviously, since what made it on screen was "second officer," there could be someone else who was first officer at that point.  

Wingsley said: ↑ Sooooooo... at that point Spock was regarding himself as the "second officer", not the first. This leaves a little wiggle room for someone else (unseen) to be serving as the Enterprise's XO. Also note: during Year 1, Kirk repeatedly refers to Spock as "Science Officer", obviously Spock's primary title. Click to expand...

Hmmm... all rather confusing. FWIW, Dagger of the Mind was shot (as well as broadcast) prior to both The Galileo Seven and Court Martial . So, I would say in-universe his log entry in sickbay is the first definitive indication that he is First Officer. One does have to wonder what the producers had in mind with the references to "Second Officer" such as in The Enemy Within (which was produced and aired before any of the other three I mentioned.  

I would not be surprised if the "second officer" remark was a flub, a bit of poor writing by someone who didn't realize what it meant. Logically, a "second officer" would be third-in-command. So, your line-of-succession would be starting with the captain, then the "first officer" (XO, or "exec" as Kirk called it in TMP), and then "second officer". Throughout most of the series, it appeared that Kirk was, of course, the captain, followed by Spock as first officer, and then Scotty would be the second officer. Things were confusing in "Where No Man..." Kirk naturally was the CO, and then it wasn't clear if Mitchell was the XO or Spock or maybe Kelso. Interestingly enough, Kirk's log entry upon leaving Delta Vega mentioned that Mitchell was a LCDR. Go figure.  

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Who Would Win Week

It’s spock against riker in a battle of star trek seconds-in-command.

They both lived long in their Trek timelines, but who prospered?

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Share All sharing options for: It’s Spock against Riker in a battle of Star Trek seconds-in-command

They were both first officers of the U.S.S. Enterprise — separated by time, but not by duty. But for some reason, rarely does anyone think to compare Mr. Spock and Commander Riker. Until now.

Ever since Jean-Luc Picard took the helm of the Enterprise-D and set out for Farpoint Station (it was Stardate 41153.7, but late September 1987 to us on Earth) people have agonized over whether he was a “better” captain than James T. Kirk. Indeed, for those of us old enough to remember, it felt like the primary topic of conversation on the early internet , as evidenced by The Simpsons ’ first ever reference to the World Wide Web .

Typically, when talk left the center seat, the next point of comparison was between The Original Series ’ Spock and The Next Generation ’s Lieutenant Commander Data. It makes sense. Story-wise, they serve a similar function: They are the geniuses that are clutch to the ship’s survival, but forever on the periphery. Spock, of course, is the half-Vulcan, tamping down his emotions in favor of cold logic, and Data is an android of such superior (though never quite explained) design that even the sniveling Commander Maddox agrees he is sentient. Both characters were immediate fan favorites (and remain so) and the formula was repeated again in later series, with Odo on Deep Space Nine and Seven of Nine on Voyager . (Much has been written about Star Trek’s groundbreaking neurodivergent representation, even if some of the creators claim to have been unaware that that was what they were doing.)

Even though Starfleet is not a military organization it does follow a chain of command. Spock and Riker function as equals and, if they ever were to be on opposing sides, one must wonder: who would win? Let’s break the competition down by category.

Gene Roddenberry and his team of writers and producers pulled a reversal while dreaming up The Next Generation . Picard, while certainly a badass when he needs to be , was intentionally created to be a more cerebral response to Kirk. In essence, Riker has many of the qualities of the O.G. captain. He’s the sequel series’ man of action (and that action isn’t just with his phaser on an away mission.) Mr. Spock, while handsome in his own way, is far from a muscular hunk. He’s thin, and even stoop-shouldered at time. So to look at them you’d think Riker could knock him out cold.

Vulcans — even half-Vulcans — have a different physical makeup than humans. There’s the green blood, the inner eyelid, the ability to thrive in high heat and low oxygen environments, and, key to this discussion, tremendous physical strength. What’s more, there’s that handy little move known as the Vulcan nerve pinch that’ll take down just about anyone in a few seconds.

Advantage: Spock

This one is a little tougher to pin down. Yes, Riker was known for wooing women all across the galaxy, even while maintaining an emotionally mature post-physical relationship with his imzadi , Counselor Troi. (On what other television show did you ever see a man who was truly happy when his best friend, an ex-lover, was having great sex with another man? Only on TNG !) To this day, the warm, bearded smile of the Enterprise-D’s first officer is a champion of memes and reaction GIFs.

But when Mr. Spock and his Luciferan lewks hit the airwaves in the late 1960s, it was a revolution for people attracted to “different” looking people. Indeed, much to the chagrin of William Shatner, his supposed sidekick Leonard Nimoy soon received more fan mail than the first guy on the call sheet. Spockophilia was a key, driving force in the early fan culture of Star Trek, and one can make the case that the commonly found pursuit of “shipping” has its roots right there on the tips of his pointy ears.

Advantage: Draw

Musical talent

William Riker is the only interstellar jazz trombonist I can think of. (And Jonathan Frakes really does play the instrument; he’s on a Phish album, and has an RIAA certified Gold Record in his home to prove it.)

Mr. Spock, however, plays something no human ever plays, at least not that I’ve seen: the Vulcan lute.

His rare public jamming on said instrument was a way for the emotionally insecure genius to connect with the rest of his crew, and show a more playful side (especially with Lieutenant Commander Uhura’s improvised lyrics). Plus the damn thing looked so cool.

Weird siblings

Mr. Spock is a child of two worlds. His mother, Amanda, is human. His father, Sarek, is a Vulcan ambassador. (That he also bears a striking resemblance to a Romulan Commander who died in battle against Captain Kirk is irrelevant.)

For years it seemed as if the solitude he exuded meant he also had no siblings, but this was actually not the case. In Star Trek V: The Final Frontier we learned of an older half-brother, Sybok, who would later become a charismatic, quasi-religious leader and, ultimately, bad news. Fans don’t like to talk about Sybok much, but there’s always one or two dudes who dress like him at conventions, to a round of jeers.

Later still, we learned of an adopted older sister, Michael Burnham, the central character in Star Trek: Discovery . This relationship, quite frankly, might have been born out of ill-conceived creative choices by the since-dismissed Discovery showrunner Bryan Fuller (the story of Disco ’s curious first season has never fully been told) but once Ethan Peck sank his teeth into the role of Spock, they managed to make it work . We’ll see more in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds later this year.

But none of Spock’s family history could ever match Will Riker’s “brother,” Thomas Riker. The noble adventurer (out there still?) is accepted to be Will’s sibling, but he’s actually a clone created by a transporter accident. Several disquieting years, to put it bluntly, set him on a different path — he joined the Maquis, and caught the eye of Major Kira. So he isn’t really a duplicate . He is, thanks to some serious sci-fi, his own man, with similarities and differences to the Enterprise’s first officer: truly, a brother.

Advantage: Riker

Both Spock and Riker (and Kira and Chakotay and T’Pol and Trip Tucker and Saru) are fiercely loyal to their captains. And they both demurred when opportunities came to helm their own ship (for Spock in Wrath of Khan , for Riker in the episode Best of Both Worlds ), realizing that they best suited the Federation’s needs (and maybe their own) by standing by their man. These fellas would never, ever be anything but forthright and honest.

Most of the time.

There is the case of The Original Series ’s two-parter “The Menagerie” and the Next Generation episode “The Pegasus”. In both examples, our seconds-in-command withheld so much information that they basically lied to their captains. But they had a good excuse. They were serving out the wishes (and a previously made promise) to earlier captains. I suppose both Kirk and Picard took heart to know that, years down the line, they could call on these guys to have their back.

Post-first officer careers

After serving aboard the Enterprise, Will Riker eventually did take command of a starship: the U.S.S. Titan. He also married Counselor Deanna Troi.

The end of Star Trek: Lower Decks season 1 emphasized that he’s still out there, saving the day at the last minute. Same with the end of season 1 of Star Trek: Picard .

Spock, on the other hand, took the more cerebral route, as might be expected. After a stint back on Vulcan and an aborted attempt to complete his Kolinahr training, Starfleet (and the friendships he forged their) called him back to the Federation. After working as a professor at Starfleet Academy, he followed his father’s path as an ambassador. He even went rogue, going underground to try and bring peace between Vulcan and Romulus (and eventually chatting with Data, a scene that still sends nerds into paroxysms of glee to this day.)

He was also the conduit, from a story-perspective at least, between the Prime Universe and the Kelvin trilogy, which brought us one great movie ( Star Trek Beyond ), one very good movie ( Star Trek ), and one catastrophe so bad it makes the adventure with Sybok seem less horrible ( Star Trek Into Darkness ). In that regard, Spock proves himself, again, to be a family man.

So the math has it. One need not have Vulcan logic to see: Spock beats Riker.

But hopefully he’s learned enough from Captain Kirk to pull a Kobayashi Maru and change the rules so that they don’t have to fight in the first place.

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10 unmistakable spock character traits in star trek.

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20 Best Episodes Of Star Trek In TV History, Ranked

After star trek iii, spock’s mind was saved by…his mirror universe counterpart, every starship enterprise & discovery saucer separation in star trek.

Spock was a linchpin character that helped define Star Trek  and everything that followed. He was the half-human/half-alien who helped bridge the audience's gap between worlds and sell the franchise's message of exploration, unity, and knowledge. His character traits were strong, and they made Spock what he was in the minds of Trekkers the world over.

RELATED: 10 Reasons Why The Star Trek Kelvin Timeline Should Continue

As a Vulcan dedicated to the pure pursuit of logic, Spock was bound to step on a few toes when dealing with other races and shipmates. Yet, he stuck to many of these character traits until the very end, and it helped turn him into a cultural icon within the ranks of not just Starfleet, but countless other galactic worlds.

His Devotion To Logic

Vulcans view logic as the ultimate form of existence, and a lot of this can be traced back to their early history as a violent, passionate race. It almost became their undoing, which is why the Vulcan culture adopted a religious philosophy of pure logic. Many viewed this as a pendulum shift in the opposite extreme direction, and there was merit to that claim.

Spock might have used emotion to save the day , but he was determined to live a path of logic, just like any other Vulcan. However, that was especially difficult, given his half-human bloodline. Still, he was determined to complete the ritual known as Kolinahr, the purging of all emotions from the mind, to attain a state of pure, unadulterated logic.

His Arrogance

Vulcans were widely regarded by many species besides just humans as being arrogant and boastful. Indeed, a lot of this had to do with Vulcan culture, which did place a lot of emphasis on logic, while nitpicking the flaws of other cultures who didn't think as they did.

Spock was no exception. While he was careful not to alienate people on purpose, Spock had real trouble being humble, and that turned off a lot of people. Had he exercised a bit more finesse, he may have attracted more to his side.

His Sarcasm

Spock was not quite the soulless automaton that many considered him to be, and part of that might have had something to do with his split half-human heritage. While "logical" in itself, his sarcasm was pointed and effective. He'd often use it to discourage his enemies and gain the upper hand.

Other times, his sarcasm stemmed from frustration with those around him. Though he went through life missing many a joke, Spock was nevertheless capable of giving as good as he got ... at least in his way.

His Banter With Dr. McCoy

One of Spock's most entertaining character traits was his incessant banter with Dr. McCoy, whom he viewed as both a close friend and a frustrating rival. Indeed, McCoy hated much of what Spock stood for, particularly his seeming nonchalant ambivalence towards matters of great importance.

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The two would exchange humorous barbs designed to insult one another, but it was usually Spock who landed the heftier blows. In truth, Spock may have enjoyed all the banter as a means of bonding with his crewmate. After all, Spock did bestow his consciousness on McCoy, shortly before he died in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

His Loyalty To Captain Kirk

While Spock was loyal to the mission, first and foremost, he often put this behind him wherever Captain Kirk was concerned. His loyalty to the Captain was meme-worthy , even in times of great disagreement. This was especially odd, given Captain Kirk's inherent emotional passion, which Spock often regarded as illogical, and counterproductive.

Spock saw something in Kirk that others missed. While many in Starfleet viewed him as a prime candidate for the position of Admiral, Spock realized that his first, and greatest strength was that of a starship Captain. In his own words, "Anything else is a waste of material."

His Insatiable Curiosity

The mysteries of science and space have long fascinated Spock, which is one of the reasons he entered Starfleet, much to the chagrin of his father. As a science officer on board the Enterprise, Spock was optimally suited to discover strange new worlds and civilizations.

When the dangerous V'ger entered Federation space, Spock could not resist the urge to mind-meld with it, in an attempt to learn about its awe-inspiring creation. It was through Spock that the Enterprise crew learned what they were dealing with, and were able to properly broker peace with it.

His Compassion

Spock's logic isn't quite as cold as many people think, and he's demonstrated this over and over again. While he does agree with certain philosophical claims, such as "the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few," he never looks at any race or people from the point of view of a numbers game.

It was Spock himself who suggested that the Federation open up diplomatic relations with the highly influential Klingon Chancellor Gorkon , following the disaster on the moon Praxis, near their homeworld. This, despite massive hostilities between the two, and the desire of many in Starfleet to see the Empire brought to its knees.

His Diplomatic Personality

Spock may view emotion as an obstacle in the path of greatness, but that hasn't stopped him from being an effective diplomat. It's yet another trait he shares with his father Sarek, a man who has presided over multiple diplomatic missions throughout his time within the Federation.

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While not as renowned as his father, Spock made a name for himself as a diplomat, often by bucking established trends and norms. For instance, he traveled to Romulus in his quest to reunite the Vulcans and the Romulan people, even at the cost of looking like a traitor to the Federation.

His Intelligence

Spock is extremely gifted in terms of intelligence, and knowledge. His mind is purely scientific, and he applies that knowledge in ways that benefit not just the Federation, but other worlds as well, including hostile ones. Spock views science as a tool for the betterment of all, and he's honed his mind in preparation.

Whether it's a scientific theory, mathematical excellence, or the highest echelon of philosophy, Spock is stuffed to the brim with knowledge. He has been shown to get along well with Lieutenant Commander Data, as the two are quite similar in many respects, including this one.

His Charisma

As far as Vulcans go, Spock is one of the most charismatic, a trait he may have inherited from  his father, the legendary Sarek . Though half-human, Spock is arguably more Vulcan in almost every way, and as such, he can't rely on his human side to help him win friends or the respect of others.

Yet, Spock's combination of character traits helped propel this one to the forefront. He's widely regarded across many worlds as being one of the most charismatic Starfleet officers in history, and his confident, stalwart personality probably has a lot to do with it.

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10 Best Spock Episodes of 'Star Trek: The Original Series,' Ranked

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Early in 1964, when former cop-turned-television-producer Gene Roddenberry was developing the Science Fiction/Western-in-space series concept that would become Star Trek, he had an idea for a highly intelligent alien character, possibly green or reddish, and with pointed ears. He asked Gary Lockwood , star of Roddenberry's short-lived series The Lieutenant (and who would appear in the second Star Trek pilot, "Where No Man Has Gone Before") who should play the role. Lockwood suggested Leonard Nimoy , someone they had both worked with on The Lieutenant series. Although actors Michael Dunn ( The Wild, Wild, West ), and Deforest Kelley (who would go to play Dr. Leonard McCoy in Star Trek ) was briefly considered for the role, but it appeared that Nimoy was always Roddenberry's first and only choice for the role of Mr. Spock.

And what a great choice it was. Nimoy defined the complex character of the half-Vulcan, half-human Science Officer of the Starship Enterprise, compelled by his devotion to Vulcan logic yet struggling with human emotions, giving him such touches as the "Live Long and Prosper" hand gesture (drawn from his own Hebrew culture), the Spock nerve-pinch, and the Vulcan mind-meld. Initially a background character for the first episodes of the series, Spock was so popular that local television stations began asking the NBC network for "Spock-centric" episodes. This Spockmania, as it was called, provided the impetus for some of the best episodes the series ever produced and put Star Trek on the road to becoming the enduring franchise it is today.

Star Trek: The Original Series

10 "dagger of the mind", season 1, episode 9.

On a routine supply run to Tanatalus V, a planet where the criminally insane are sent for "humane treatment" by renowned psychiatrist Dr. Tristan Adams (James Gregory), a man, boards the Enterprise demanding asylum. After subduing him with a Vulcan nerve pinch, Spock brings him to sickbay, where he reveals himself to be Dr. Adams' assistant, Simon van Gelder. Adams claim that self-testing of an experimental treatment device known as a "neural neutralizer" is responsible for his assistant's agitated state and sends Kirk down to the planet to investigate.

In sickbay, van Gelder warns Spock that Kirk and his landing crew are in danger. But when he tries to explain the dangers of the neural neutralizer, he convulses in pain, prompting Spock to mind-meld with van Gelder. Through his mind, Spock discovers that the device empties the mind of thoughts, leaving patients with an overwhelming sense of loneliness which Adams uses to control their minds. Spock assembles a security team to rescue Kirk and the crew. This episode marked the introduction of Spock's mind-meld ability and, combined with the Vulcan neck pinch (introduced earlier in the season's episode 5, "The Enemy Within"), clearly illustrates Spock's formidable power.

9 "The Menagerie, Part One"

Season 1, episode 11.

The only two-part episode of the original series, "The Menagerie" explored the earlier years of the U.S.S. Enterprise and Spock's relationship with his former commanding officer Captain Christopher Pike ( Jeffrey Hunter) by making extensive use of footage from the original Star Trek pilot, "The Cage" Roddenberry's production team had been falling behind in delivering episodes of the show, so to catch up he decided to use the pilot footage and a framing story to create two episodes in the time it would take to produce one. The result provided a compelling backstory for both the U.S.S. Enterprise and Spock, which has resonated over the years and is the main plotline in Paramount Plus's Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , where Ethan Peck as Spock and Anson Mount as Pike bring new insights into the characters.

In Part One, Spock convinces Kirk to travel to Starbase 11, claiming he's received a message from Captain Pike who wishes to communicate with him. Paralyzed by a recent accident, Pike can only communicate with yes or no answers through a brainwave-controlled device, Revealing to Pike a plan he has made despite Pike's repeated 'no' signals, Spock beams Pike up to the Enterprise , commandeers the ship, and sets it on a course for the planet Talos IV. When Kirk and Starbase 11 commander Mendez give chase in a shuttlecraft, he beams both officers aboard and turns himself in for mutiny, demanding an immediate court-martial hearing.

8 "The Menagerie, Part Two"

Season 1, episode 12.

Part Two mainly centers on the story told in "The Cage" pilot, which Spock provides as video evidence at his court-martial hearing. 11 years earlier, the Enterprise under Pike's command arrives at Talos IV, where Pike, Spock and crew beam down in response to a distress call from a ship presumed lost many years ago. They find a beautiful woman named Vina, the only survivor of the crashed ship, and the Talosians, an alien race that can create reality distortion fields, turning reality into illusion. A Talosian named the Keeper kidnaps Pike, putting him in a cage and subjecting him to numerous illusory "experiments" with Vina in hopes that the two will breed and create a race of slaves that can repair the damaged surface of their planet. Through Pike's actions, they discover that humans' hatred of captivity makes them unsuitable for the plan, which the Talosians must abandon. Knowing that this will mean the end of their species, they beam Pike, Spock, and the crew back to the ship. Although Vina and Pike have developed a relationship, her beautiful appearance is another illusion created by the Talosians after crash-related injuries left her disfigured. She elects to stay among them and live her illusion.

Back at the court-martial, the video transmissions end and the Talosian Keeper appears on-screen, explaining that the court-martial was a plan Spock created to buy time to get PIke back to Talos IV. The Talosians have offered to provide him the illusion of a normal life with Vina. After getting approval from Starfleet, Kirk allows the transfer of Pike to the planet. Both episodes highlight Spock's loyalty, his willingness to break the rules to help people he cares about, and his sense of self-sacrifice, all of which would continue to be major themes for the character throughout the series and the movies, notably in Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan.

7 "The Galileo Seven"

Season 1, episode 16.

Spock's leadership abilities and relationships with his fellow crew members are tested under extreme circumstances when he leads a scientific team (including Dr. McCoy and Chief Engineer Scotty) aboard the shuttlecraft Galileo on an ill-fated mission. Sent to investigate a mysterious star cluster known as Muraski 312, the shuttle is soon pulled off course. Spock makes an emergency landing on Taurus II, a dark planet in the center of the Muraski cluster. Two crew members scout the area and discover its inhabitants are a race of aggressive giants. After killing one of the crew members and sending the other racing back to the shuttle, the giants appear to be on the attack. Spock makes a rare miscalculation, deciding to try frightening the creatures away rather than killing them, which results in the other crew member's death.

Spock's mistake causes dissension among the ranks, fearing his Vulcan lack of emotion makes him incapable of having empathy for his crew. When Scotty finds a workaround to get the shuttle off the planet, Spock prepares them to leave, but his crew demands a proper burial for their fallen comrades. Logic suggests this is not a good idea, but Spock gives into their need to honor their friends. During the ceremony the giants attack, Spock is rescued from near-death and launches the shuttle in a hail-mary pass that gets them beamed back aboard the Enterprise before the Shuttle is destroyed. In this episode, Spock sees the consequences of a "logic-only" approach when leading emotional human crew members and becomes aware that a balance is needed to be an effective leader.

6 "This Side of Paradise"

Season 1, episode 24.

This episode gives viewers a rare glimpse of Spock's tender, romantic side.

The planet Omicron Ceti 3 has become bathed in Berthold rays, a kind of radiation that humans cannot survive for more than a week. Fear for the safety of a Federation colony living on the planet prompts Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and a landing crew to beam down and check in on them. They find the colonists alive and healthy thanks to a strange flower whose spores provide them with perfect health, protection from the radiation, and a sense of complete euphoria and joy.

An old flame of Spock's, Leila Kalomi (Jill Ireland) is among the colonists and when exposed to the spores, he is able to show her the kind of love that he couldn't when they met 8 years earlier on Earth. With the spores' effects spreading through his crew and upending their ability to perform their duties and follow orders, Kirk finds a way to destroy the spores and restore order among his crew. When he does, of course, Spock's romantic interlude comes to a bittersweet end. When Kirk asks about his experiences on the planet, he replies "I have little to say about it, except that for the first time in my life . . . I was happy".

5 "The Devil in the Dark"

Season 1, episode 25.

This episode showcases how Spock's mind-meld ability allows him to break through communication barriers and establish empathetic connections with aliens and other species in a way that humans and other races might miss. Kirk, Spock, and McCoy are sent to a mining colony that has requested help in finding and stopping a creature that has been killing mine workers and destroying mining equipment by secreting a corrosive substance.

They encounter a Horta, a creature with the appearance of molten rock, and phaser it, breaking off a piece of it before it burrows into a rock wall. An examination of it confirms that the secretion it uses to travel through rock is the same secretion that has killed the miners. They find the Horta inside a cave filled with thousands of silicon nodules. When the creature exhibits no aggression, Spock attempts a mind-meld which leads to an understanding that the silicon nodules are its eggs and that the Horla has been protecting them from destruction by the miners so that she can repopulate her dying species. This information allows Kirk and crew to show the miners how to live peacefully with the Horta and even engage them in digging tunnels for them. A very Star Trek message of co-existence and mutual understanding, exemplified by Spock.

4 "Amok Time"

Season 2, episode 1.

Kicking off the second season of the series, this episode expands the Spock character by introducing his home planet Vulcan, and essential elements of their culture and mythology which will be revisited throughout the franchise, such as the mating ritual of pon farr. It also introduces the character of T'Pring, Spock's betrothed, who becomes an important part of both the spin-off series Enterprise and Strange New Worlds.

Spock is exhibiting strange behavior onboard the enterprise as a result of biological urges related to pon farr . He explains the mating ritual to Kirk and tells him he needs to return to Vulcan and marry T'Pring, or he will die. Ignoring Starfleet orders, Kirk gets him to the church on time, only to find that T'Pring has found another love and no longer wishes to marry Spock. She invokes the Vulcan challenge of kal-if-fee in which Spock must battle a champion of her choosing. She chooses Kirk, and the two engage in a "fight to the death". Widely considered to be one of the best episodes of the franchise, it also has the distinction of bringing the Vulcan salute, "Live Long and Prosper", into the canon and pop culture.

3 "Journey to Babel"

Season 2, episode 10.

The episode adds even more to the legend of Spock by bringing in his parents, Sarek (Mark Leonard) and Amanda (Jane Wyatt). Sarek represents Spock's Vulcan side, and is cold and disapproving of Spock's decision to ditch the Vulcan Science Academy to join Starfleet. Amanda represents Spock's human side. Warm and caring, she hopes to heal the rift between father and son.

The Enterprise is escorting a tense group of Federation ambassadors to the planet Babel for a conference when one of them is assassinated. Sarek becomes the prime suspect and, under questioning, suffers a cardiovascular event, leading to him needing a blood transfusion from Spock. However, before the procedure can happen, Kirk is stabbed by one of the ambassadors, putting him out of commission and forcing Spock to take command of the Enterprise. Spock is torn between his duty as a Starfleet officer and helping to save his father's life. Amanda begs him to put his father's life first.

2 "The Enterprise Incident"

Season 3, episode 2.

This episode explores Spock's relationship with the Romulans, a mysterious race that shares a common ancestry with Vulcans but who are enemies of the Federation. Kirk, Spock, and McCoy engage in an elaborate ruse to gain access to a Romulan ship and steal a Romulan cloaking device, an instrument that allows any starship to fly undetected in space.

When Spock declares Kirk to be insane when they are confronted by a female Romulan commander, Kirk is hustled off to the brig. Impressed by and attracted to Spock, she tries to convince him that Starfleet humans have shown little regard for his abilities by not giving him command of his own ship, and that if he were to come to the Romulan side, he would be treated much better. Spock plays along, eventually being invited to dine with her in her quarters. As intimacy grows between them, Spock secretly uses his communicator to guide Kirk to the location of the cloaking device. The episode started a long connection between Spock and the Romulans, which would culminate with his appearance in a two-part episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation called "Unification."

1 "All Our Yesterdays"

Season 3, episode 23.

In the penultimate episode of the original series, Leonard Nimoy gives perhaps his finest performance as Mr. Spock as he gradually succumbs to his emotional self. On the planet Sarpedion, Kirk, Spock, and McCoy encounter a time portal known as the Atavachron, When Kirk goes through the portal, Spock and McCoy follow and are transported back 5,000 years to Sarpedion's ice age.

They are befriended by a beautiful woman named Zarabeth ( Mariette Hartley ). Spock increasingly begins to display uncharacteristic emotions, angered by McCoy and falling in love with Zarabeth. As it turns out, the trip back in time has caused him to revert to the ways of ancient Vulcans, who indulged in barbarism and were ruled by their emotions. Spock is forced to give up his relationship with Zarabeth when it's discovered he will die if he doesn't return to his own time. The beautiful relationship between Hartley and Nimoy tugs at the heartstrings, and hints at the depths of emotion Spock struggles with every day.

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• Science Fiction

Fleet admiral

• View history

In Starfleet , fleet admiral existed as a separate rank, but was also used as a title awarded and referring to officers wearing insignia of vice admiral or admiral, such as Fleet Admiral Shanthi . ( TNG : " Redemption II ")

While decorating to entertain Khan Noonien Singh aboard the USS Enterprise in 2267 , Leonard McCoy commented that the ship must be expecting a fleet admiral for dinner. ( TOS : " Space Seed ") In 2384 , two unnamed fleet admirals served as Justices at Starfleet Headquarters . ( PRO : " Supernova, Part 2 ")

• 1 Fleet admirals
• 2.1 Background information
• 2.2 External links

Fleet admirals [ ]

• Krell , a Klingon admiral

The following admirals wore the insignia for the fleet admiral rank:

• Brett Anderson
• Robert April
• Bill , Commander in Chief
• Bob , Chief of Staff
• Kirsten Clancy , Commander in Chief
• Alexander Marcus ( alternate reality )
• Morrow , Commander, Starfleet
• Elizabeth Shelby
• Zus Tlaggul , Space Command Representative
• Charles Vance , Commander in Chief

The following admirals were referred to as fleet admirals but wore the rank insignia for vice admiral :

• Alynna Nechayev

Appendices [ ]

Background information [ ].

First mentioned in TOS : " Space Seed ", the first fleet admiral seen on screen was Fleet Admiral Morrow in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock .

Robert Blackman 's production notes during Star Trek: The Next Generation described this rank as "5 Starfleet Admiral, gold framed bar w/5 dots." [1] (X)

The Star Trek Encyclopedia , 3rd ed., p. 210-211 labeled this rank as "fleet admiral" referring to the late 2270's-2350's uniforms , and "fleet admiral, five star" referring to its use on 2350s-2370s , late 2360s-early 2370s , and 2370s uniforms .

Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 2, Issue 10 , p. 99, mistakenly identified the late 2270's-2350's admiral insignia as the fleet admiral insignia.

A deleted scene from TNG : " The Inner Light " would have established a Fleet Admiral Gustafson who was at the time assigned to Starbase 218.

External links [ ]

• Fleet admiral at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• Fleet admiral at Wikipedia
• 1 Daniels (Crewman)
• 2 Jamaharon

How To Tell A Star Trek Character's Rank At A Glance: Rank Pips Explained

This post contains  spoilers for the premiere of "Star Trek: Lower Decks" season 4.

At the beginning of the fourth season of "Star Trek: Lower Decks," the four main characters Boimler (Jack Quaid), Mariner (Tawny Newsome), Tendi (Noël Wells), and Rutherford (Eugene Cordero) are each promoted from the lowly rank of ensign to the only slightly-less-lowly rank of lieutenant junior grade. They still don't have much clout on the U.S.S. Cerritos, but at least now they no longer have to sleep in a hallway. One can see their promotions right away as, on their collars, they wear one solid pip and one empty pip. That, any Trekkie will instantly tell you, is the configuration for a lieutenant junior grade.

It should be noted that "Star Trek" has, since its inception, used extant naval ranks to designate Starfleet officers. Just like in the real United States Navy, officers start at the rank of ensign, then work their way up through lieutenant junior grade, then lieutenant, then lieutenant commander, then commander, then captain, before moving into the various ranks of admiral. "Star Trek" often makes reference to admirals and sometimes vice-admirals. There is also an occasional fleet admiral, the highest rank in both the Navy and in Starfleet. "Star Trek," to my recollection, has never referred to a real admiral, either lower half or upper half. Perhaps by the 22nd century, those ranks will be abandoned. 

To command a starship, one typically has to bear the rank of captain, as we know from Kirk, Picard, Sisko, Janeway, Archer, Freeman, Pike, etc. Although it is not a requirement, a starship's first officer traditionally holds the rank of commander (Riker, Chakotay, Ransom, etc.). 

We're going to do a deep dive into Starfleet ranking, so strap in for some extremely nerdy deep cuts. 

The pips ranking system on "Star Trek" wasn't adopted until the days of "Next Generation," but they are the clearest, so it's a good place to start when educating one's self on Starfleet's chain of command. 

Petty officers wear one empty pip on a starship. These are the enlisted members who didn't attend Starfleet Academy. Engineers, security personnel, yeomen, and the like are petty officers and take orders from the lowest-ranking Academy graduate officers on the ship. If one looks into expanded universe lore, one can find a hierarchy of Starfleet petty officers. There are master petty officers at the top, chief petty officers directly underneath, and several ranks below them. Those ranks, however, are rarely discussed on "Star Trek."

As mentioned above, ensigns wear one full pip, as seen on Wesley Crusher's collar above. Lieutenants junior grade wear one full pip and one empty pip. Lieutenants wear two full pips, and lieutenant commanders wear two full pips and one empty pip. 

Commanders wear three pips, because it is a difficult rank to achieve. 

Captains wear four pips, and are typically given the promotion when they are put in command of a starship. It's understood that only one captain lives on a starship at any given time. 

Admirals have their own ranking system, with solid pips surrounded by boxes.

Commodores (an honorary title) have one boxed pip, rear admirals have two, vice admirals have three, regular admirals have four, and fleet admirals have five. "Star Trek" only deals with admirals from time to time, however, and characters who achieve that rank are often presented as villainous or unduly ambitious; Trekkies have been trained to be suspicious of admirals . 

Other rank insignias

The premise of "Star Trek: Voyager" took a single Federation starship and slung it clear across the galaxy with a group of rebel Maquis members on board. Rather than keep the Maquis in the brig for the 70 years it would take the U.S.S. Voyager to return to Earth, Captain Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) assigned them ranks and made them part of the crew. Because these characters had not been to Starfleet Academy, however, they were given only provisional field ranks, a status reflected in their rank pips. 

One can see the rank of Chakotay (Robert Beltran) in the photo above. He wears an elongated, rounded-edged bar with diagonal stripes. The coloration on the stripes corresponds to the open and closed pips of more traditional ranks. One can be a provisional ensign all the way up to a provisional captain. It's understood that these ranks are temporary. On the latest season of "Star Trek: Lower Decks," the character of T'Lyn (Gabrielle Ruiz) bears a provisional rank as she is an exchange officer from a Vulcan ship. 

In some alternate future timelines (and this is "Star Trek," so there are plenty of those), the franchise's costume designers moved the rank pips from uniform collars to the communicator badges on their chests. Rather than little circular pips, their badges bore one to four elongated stripes behind the familiar Starfleet delta symbol. 

Trekkies caught onto the pip ranking system pretty quickly, and many of us learned all about naval ranks through "Star Trek." The original series, however, was a little more oblique about visual ranking systems. It used to be a code stitched onto officer's sleeves. 

The history of rank insignias

In the picture above, one can see the way ranks used to work on the original "Star Trek." Captain Kirk (William Shatner) had no rank on his collar, but wavy golden stripes around his wrist. Looking around at the crew, one found the following system: ensigns had no stripes on their wrists, while lieutenants junior grade had single "dashed" stripes. Lieutenants had a single solid stripe, and lieutenant commanders had a solid stripe and a dashed stripe (as seen on Scotty above). 

Commanders (see Spock) had two solid stripes and captains (see Kirk) had two solid stripes with a dashed stripe in between them. The stripes were gold, giving the uniforms a pleasingly garish touch. 

The "Star Trek" movies made the ranking code even more oblique. Rather than deal with a series of easily readable pips or stripes, the uniforms seen in "Star Trek II" through " Star Trek VI " bore a formal over-the-shoulder strap that rested on the wearer's right shoulder. Whatever pin you saw affixed to that strap corresponded to the officer's rank. Sadly, there was no intuitive way to discern what that rank might be. Ensigns, for instance, wore a small v-shaped pin. Lieutenants junior grade wore two funnel-shaped pins. Lieutenants wore an hourglass-shaped pin, and lieutenant commanders wore an elongated pennant-like shape with a single stripe through it. Commanders wore the same shape but with two stripes. The captain got to be fancy and wore a pin with three stripes, but also a pair of pointy arrowhead-like symbols affixed to it. 

Only deep-cut Trekkies can suss out the differences. 

That ranking system is an aberration, though. In the early days of "Star Trek: Enterprise" and the latter days of "Star Trek: Picard," the pip system is solidly in place. 

Star Trek’s Most Infamous Retcon Looks Quaint Today

Don’t worry, Spock was only mostly dead.

When Paramount greenlit a third Star Trek film the day after the second one opened in 1982, there was really only one goal: bring back Spock, whose noble sacrifice at the end of The Wrath of Khan sent shockwaves throughout pop culture. It was an audacious and emotional demise that fit perfectly with the operatic melodrama of Nicholas Meyer’s film. In fact, it was so dramatic, it felt incomplete without Spock’s grieving friends carrying out a daring, Federation-defying, friendship-first mission to take advantage of cosmic convolutions and resurrect him.

Spock’s blend of calming reason and alien strangeness defined Star Trek more than any captain; he sees the galaxy differently than his crewmates, both with scientific acumen and a curiosity about his own imaginative inabilities. The character was carefully balanced by placing contrasting personalities around him, so it’s fitting that his absence in 1984’s The Search for Spock , directed by Leonard Nimoy, feels like a loss of galactic proportions.

Kirk (William Shatner) and the crew of a battered Enterprise arrive at Spacedock in mourning, and it’s not long before Spock’s father, Sarek (Mark Lenard), confronts Kirk over his decision to jettison Spock’s body onto Wrath’s newly formed Genesis planet. He tells Kirk that Spock’s “katra,” in effect his spirit, needs to be laid to rest with his body back on Vulcan, and they both learn that Spock transferred his katra to Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley), which explains why Bones keeps breaking out in an eerie Leonard Nimoy impression for most of the film.

Admiral Morrow (Robert Hooks) won’t let Kirk return to Genesis, so Kirk and his crew steal the Enterprise for an unsanctioned mission to honor their truest friend while trying to avoid the Klingon Bird of Prey hunting down Genesis’ secrets. While it’s named after Spock, this is as pure a Kirk film as we ever got, and the conviction and charm that Shatner channels in every scene makes him a winning hero to root for. “Kirk, you do this, and you’ll never sit in the captain’s chair again,” Morrow warns seconds before the Enterprise jets off, and Shatner’s face shows how much this warning steels Kirk’s resolve to buck authority and save his comrade.

For all its heart-on-sleeve, swashbuckling emotions, The Search for Spock had a tepid reception, and amid the original run of Trek movies, even the reappraisal of Robert Wise’s The Motion Picture feels more full-bodied. The effects are creaky, the stakes less gripping, and the film turns to sentiment and spirituality with such zeal that it’s jarring to watch Vulcan mysticism win the day. But most egregiously, The Search for Spock revolves around a massive retcon of the bold move the series had just made.

But retcons mean something different today than they did in 1984, and there are many reasons why Search for Spock feels clean-cut and contained compared to other canon kerfuffles. Back then, there was only one Star Trek timeline and one batch of characters moving through the galaxy in a strictly linear fashion. There were no overlapping continuities like we’d see in the ’90s, where events from The Next Generation should have (but didn’t) impact Deep Space Nine , and continuity errors began to creep in.

Unlike The Search for Spock, which only introduced fashion errors.

In addition, Spock’s resurrection, achieved by a Vulcan ritual to meld his Genesis-reanimated body with his Bones-inhabiting katra, only has repercussions for Spock. The convoluted process can’t be replicated for anyone else on death’s door. It’s a far neater change than hoping audiences will quietly forget that warp speed is destroying the fabric of space .

The severity of any retcon is tied to the scope and function of a franchise. Trek continuity is now considered valuable to executives, and while the series has always deified its old stories and characters, today’s motive to protect canon feels more cynical. Like an antique sports car, classic Trek must remain untouched to maintain its financial value. The introduction of the alternate Kelvin Timeline in Star Trek, the 2009 reboot movie, felt like an attempt to give the new cast a chance out of the original’s spotlight, but it just affirmed the idea that The Original Series had to be honored, never challenged.

A franchise is easier to sell if it has a strict sense of cohesion and uniformity, and Search for Spock reminds us of a simpler relationship between creatives and audiences. It’s a wish-fulfillment exercise that centers the deep social bonds between the Enterprise crew that now supersedes their Starfleet duty, as they risk just as much as Spock did in trying to bring him back. There’s a rich romanticism that outshines any misgivings about the impermanence of dramatic storytelling choices. The Search for Spock excels not because it says Spock cannot die, but that Star Trek’s characters wouldn’t let him.

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Published May 31, 2024

Robin Curtis Looks Back at Star Trek III: The Search for Spock For Its 40th Anniversary

Curtis on portraying Saavik, being directed by Leonard Nimoy, and more!

StarTrek.com

Forty years ago this weekend, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock inherited the monumental task of picking up the tale of Admiral James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and the U.S.S. Enterprise crew following Spock's tragic death in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan . Written by Harve Bennett and directed by Leonard Nimoy himself, the film dealt with the aftermath of the battle with Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalban), the evolution of the newly-created Genesis Planet, and Kirk's unsanctioned jaunt to bring Spock's body and katra — a Vulcan’s living spirit — to be reunited on Mount Seleya.

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

Complete with Christopher Lloyd's portrayal of a ruthless Klingon commander named Kruge, the original Star Trek series' cast's signature camaraderie, and an adventurous spirit, the third Star Trek film welcomed Robin Curtis to the role of Lieutenant Saavik, the Vulcan officer who accompanied Kirk's son Doctor David Marcus (Merritt Butrick) during his expedition to the Genesis Planet. Curtis was kind enough to speak to StarTrek.com and help us celebrate The Search for Spock 's 40th anniversary by reflecting on her time as Saavik and the rare experience of playing a Vulcan while being directed by Leonard Nimoy.

Four decades later, and Robin Curtis recollects that her respect for Nimoy as a director and collaborator was established the instant they met. "Right out of the gate, I could express nothing but praise for working with him, and it's only gotten better over time. Like good wine, my experience with him has aged well," remarks Curtis. "I look back with such fondness at his sensitivity, his respect for other actors, his ability to orchestrate the existing cast — his fellow coworkers for so many years — and newcomers like myself and Christopher Lloyd."

During her audition for the role of Saavik, Curtis had the unique distinction of hearing Nimoy's insight into what an actor can do to truly become a Vulcan. "Mr. Nimoy took such a lovely, intuitive approach to directing. He said, 'Vulcans have 1,000 years of wisdom behind the eyes,'" says Curtis of Nimoy's early advice regarding the Vulcan nature. "When I was given the role, he told me I should look in the mirror [and practice] talking without using my face to express what I was saying. Being so still and so contained near about did me in, and I thought I was failing so miserably at it that I was going to be fired. I didn't feel the innate knack or confidence that I was nailing it."

The challenge of assuming a Vulcan disposition weighed even more heavily on Curtis' shoulders when placed in context with her desire to deliver an excellent performance. "I was as serious as a heart attack on the set! I didn't speak until I was spoken to, which is totally unlike my normally sociable self. I was very earnest, wanting to show and demonstrate that I was grateful for this part. I wanted to do a good job and hit it out of the park," adds Curtis, who sensed that Nimoy appreciated her devotion to the film and her role as Saavik, as well as her overall work ethic and approach to acting.

In spite of her doubts, Curtis had her morale boosted by a pact she made with the director. "I shook his hand on my very first day of filming, and I said, 'Mr. Nimoy, you seem to think I know what I'm doing. And I need to tell you I do not.' And he said, 'Robin, I will take you every step of the way. I will never take you out on the end of a limb and leave you there.' I said, 'Deal.' And we shook hands on it, and he fulfilled that promise in each and every scene," declares Curtis.

Curtis also attests that there were certain scenes which were easier to approach and more straightforward than others. Those involving Saavik and weighty emotions demanded more scrutiny and attention. For example, while holding Saavik, Kirk's son David Marcus, and a reborn Spock hostage on the Genesis Planet, Kruge ordered one of his soldiers to kill a prisoner in order to demonstrate his conviction toward acquiring the Genesis Device. The sentence was inflicted upon David, and Saavik was forced to report the death to the man's father. "That [moment] filled me with anxiety and dread. How could I possibly say that with the Vulcan demeanor?"

Those complexities also rang true on the other end of the emotional spectrum. With a rapidly aging Spock overwhelmed by the urges of the pon farr , or the Vulcan time of mating, Saavik guided him through the intimate process. This scene, with its close contact and affectionate hand gesture, represented another significant Vulcan hurdle to overcome. "The reverence and enormity and profundity of pon farr , and going into this cave with Spock," begins Curtis. "We came to the set with no sense of what that would look like. [Young Spock actor] Stephen Manley and I were both a little trepidatious about what Lenoard was going to have us do. What would a Vulcan love scene or Vulcan foreplay look like? In fact, I've only just learned recently that the simple gesture that Leonard introduced us to that day, the notion of [the characters] joining their fingers, was originally introduced by Spock's mother and Sarek in the television series."

Behind-the-scenes of Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

Of course, having pioneered the Vulcan temperament for nearly 20 years by the time The Search for Spock entered production, Nimoy was singularly suited to answer questions about such delicate matters. Whether dealing with Saavik's reaction to David's death, the intimacy of pon farr , or any of Curtis' other scenes, Curtis recalls Nimoy's valuable input. "He would take me aside before every scene, and we'd sit down at the edge of the set on the platform, and I'd say the lines. He would moderate me no differently than we do with our cars with the radio volume. I was so grateful for that," shares Curtis.

Shifting her focus to her overall impression of their professional association, Curtis conveys her appreciation for Nimoy's leadership on the film before admitting she does have one slight regret. "I absolutely love the man. Loved him as a person, loved him as a director, and I'm sorry that I was too shy to even hint or suggest that we would have a friendship outside the realm of the shoots themselves."

While their friendship was largely limited to the production itself, the director did leave an indelible impact on Curtis' personal life. "Leonard Nimoy was aware that my father was battling cancer at the time, and it wasn't looking good," notes Curtis. "The best thing I remember about Star Trek is that it was a colossally beautiful distraction from the agony we were feeling as a family. Leonard Nimoy reminds me of my dad, and they were the same age. And [Nimoy] was so sensitive and kind about the idea that Star Trek was such a gift and a bright light for my family in a time of suffering. Ultimately, my dad lived long enough to see the movie. I went home to be at the Riverside Mall in Utica, New York, with my neighbors and family, and my dad made it to the movie theatre. I will always be grateful for that."

Curtis' thankfulness extends to the many fans who regularly compliment her for her tenure as Saavik in The Search for Spock and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home . "I'm flabbergasted at the multitude of ways that [Star Trek] has enriched my life. My heart explodes over the tenacity of the fans and how the franchise only gets better and richer. People are very generous and sentimental about [ The Search for Spock ]. They understood it was part of a triumvirate [of films]," observes Curtis. Referring to her final on-screen moments in The Voyage Home , in which Saavik and Amanda Grayson remain behind on Vulcan, Curtis jokes, "What did she and [Amanda Grayson actor] Jane Wyatt get up to? [ laughs ] What happened with the pon farr ? Did she end up being pregnant? I think the fans were just as curious as I was."

Perceiving her connection with the fans as a gift, Curtis contemplates an unexpected phone call she received from a medical facility in Cleveland, Ohio. A young man who she had once met at a convention had been taken off of dialysis and given only two weeks to live. The staff member contacting Curtis informed her that the man's last wish was to share a meal with her. "I had shown him some kindness at a convention in Ohio in the '90s, and he remembered," reveals Curtis, who didn't hesitate to make the five-hour drive to Cleveland that very same day. Before leaving, Curtis advised the caller, "You tell him I'll be there for dinner, and I wouldn't miss it for the world." Arriving Friday evening, Curtis spent every waking hour of that weekend with the fan. After departing on Sunday, they talked each day until he passed the following week. "That was a gift to me, and I like to think maybe a small gift to him," explains Curtis, noting that their connection has endured via her ongoing friendship with the fan's aunt.

The Search for Spock clearly meant a lot to those who watched it repeatedly, but Curtis' own perception of the movie has evolved since its release. "I saw the film at the time and then never saw it again for so many years. My memory of it was that it was depressing [ laughs ]," confesses Curtis. "The fact of the matter is, everything dies. Genesis dies, the ship dies, Kirk's son dies. Spock comes back to life, but he starts out dead [ laughs ]." As was the case for many of us, the pandemic changed everything for Curtis. "We were all in our houses and seeking connection. I felt like I needed to go back, so I rewatched [ The Next Generation two-parter] 'Gambit,' and I rewatched the movie. And I thought, 'This is funny!' There's a lot of good parts in this film that aren't depressing. I don't know why I had that impression stuck in my brain, but maybe it's because my involvement was very serious. Everything I had to do dealt with great disappointment and loss and tragedy."

Looking back, Curtis cites Sarek's mind meld with Admiral Kirk as her favorite scene, describing the sentiment behind the characters' interaction, the cinematography, and the close up of the actors' faces as "gorgeous." Though she felt the mood on the set of The Voyage Home was more joyful and playful — after all, she still has Polaroids of herself making funny faces with Walter Koenig, George Takei, Kirk Thatcher, and other cast and crew, Curtis maintains fond memories of working on The Search for Spock . "The cast were so generous and classy with me, and they understood the weight upon my shoulders as the newcomer. They were reassuring. I remember Walter Koenig told me to keep a journal. And of course, like a jackass, I didn't listen. [ laughs ]," jests Curtis. "Now, I wish I had kept one."

The Search for Spock 's conclusion exuded hope and wonder, as Spock's body and katra were reunited in a ceremony on Mount Seleya. Following his resurrection, Spock passes by each crew member in attendance, eventually finding himself embraced by the group. Although a glance between Spock and Saavik was fleeting, much preparation went into that moment. "[Nimoy] approached me before the scene and asked, 'How would you feel if you were to suddenly come upon somebody that you loved or were intimate with on a New York City street? How would you imagine that?' In the matter of a split second, so many thoughts went through my mind," says Curtis. "First, what a personal question to ask. Then I felt tenderness, embarrassment, sentimentality, nostalgia, and vulnerability all at once. I looked up at him, then looked down. He said, 'That’s it!' And I thought, ' Oh, okay, I love you! ' It is so lovely and simple when a director does that. No arm wrestling had to happen, he just asked me a simple question and I got [the scene]."

As for The Search for Spock 's ending, when Spock's friends crowd around him on Vulcan, Curtis recollects that she and the other cast members were given a general direction to "be encouraged by that moment and confident that his katra had been restored. Sometimes we don't work those moments out, and it's all on the fly. It was very much off-the-cuff." Whether meticulously planned or inspired by the moment, these scenes combined to create a film that has stood the test of time and established itself as a crucial installment in the pantheon of Star Trek stories.

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Jay Stobie (he/him) is a freelance writer, author, and consultant who has contributed articles to StarTrek.com, Star Trek Explorer, and Star Trek Magazine, as well as to Star Wars Insider and StarWars.com. Learn more about Jay by visiting JayStobie.com or finding him on Twitter, Instagram, and other social media platforms at @StobiesGalaxy.

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Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

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

• Leonard Nimoy
• Gene Roddenberry
• Harve Bennett
• William Shatner
• DeForest Kelley
• 263 User reviews
• 94 Critic reviews
• 56 Metascore
• 1 win & 7 nominations

• (as Frank Force)

• Trainee Foster

• 'Mr. Adventure'

• Admiral Morrow

• Spock...Age 9
• Spock...Age 13

• Spock...Age 17
• Spock...Age 25

• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Did you know

• Trivia In the opening credits, there is a six-second-long pause between William Shatner and DeForest Kelley 's names, where Leonard Nimoy 's name would normally be. It's only one second between each of the other names.
• Goofs [27:49]When Kirk checks the video logs to find the keeper of Spock's katra, the timestamp reveals that Spock melded with McCoy on stardate 8128.78. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) begins on stardate 8130.3.

[Witnessing the destruction of the Enterprise]

Kirk : [1:15:58] My God, Bones... what have I done?

McCoy : What you had to do, what you always do. Turn death into a fighting chance to live.

• Crazy credits Leonard Nimoy is credited as director in the opening credits, but is not included in the cast list. There is a long gap between the names of William Shatner and DeForest Kelley , which lasts for the length of time Nimoy's name would have been displayed.
• Alternate versions Some network broadcasts are noticeably truncated. In particular, the scene where Kruge destroys the female mercenary for looking at the Genesis information is deleted. The scene ends instead with the two characters expressing love for each other. The scene where McCoy refers to "that green-blooded son-of-a-bitch" is also censored.
• Connections Edited from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
• Soundtracks Theme From Star Trek (TV Series) by Alexander Courage

User reviews 263

• Jun 30, 2002
• How long is Star Trek III: The Search for Spock? Powered by Alexa
• If Genesis resurrected Spock, why couldn't it do the same for David?
• Why was the captain of the Grissom so shocked, and for that matter, the crew of the Enterprise surprised when the Klingon Bird Of Prey decloaked? They knew about cloaking technology. They learned about it in The Enterprise Incident (#3.2) on the original series
• Why does Star Trek III look cheaper than Wrath of Khan yet cost more?
• June 1, 1984 (United States)
• United States
• StarTrek.com (United States)
• Star Trek III: In Search of Spock
• Occidental College - 1600 Campus Road, Eagle Rock, Los Angeles, California, USA (near the end, stairs and fountain on planet Vulcan)
• Paramount Pictures
• Cinema Group Ventures
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• $17,000,000 (estimated)
• $76,471,046
• $16,673,295
• Jun 3, 1984

Technical specs

• Runtime 1 hour 45 minutes
• Dolby Surround 7.1

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