A lot of iconic sci-fi heroes exist but captain James T. Kirk from Star Trek is by far one of the most loved ones. He was the first Star Trek captain who set a high line for all those who came after him. His approach to leading his ship was refreshingly different as Kirk liked to occasionally live dangerously. At the same time, he was a capable leader of his crew and he befriended many of them, most notably his first officer Spock and chief medical officer doctor McCoy.

Of course, the original Captain Kirk, William Shatner, didn’t play the part forever. When the time came to cast a younger version of Kirk for the 2009 Star Trek movie, the role went to Chris Pine. From there on, the fans continue to wonder which actor playing captain Kirk did the best job.

10 William Shatner: He Was The First

Just like Leonard Nimoy made the character of Spock his own, so too did William Shatner. Without him, Kirk wouldn’t become as popular among the audience. William Shatner has played in many different movies and TV shows but it was Star Trek that brought him true stardom.

He reprised his best-known role multiple times, for example when he voiced Captain Kirk in Futurama or when he appeared alongside Captain Picard in Star Trek VII: Generations (1994).

9 Chris Pine: He Introduced Kirk To The Modern Audience

Despite the popularity of the original Star Trek series, many people weren’t familiar with it – and as such, with Captain Kirk’s existence. Chris Pine and the renewed Star Trek film franchise reintroduced Kirk to the younger audience. And just like in the case of William Shatner, the films wouldn’t be what they are without Chris Pine.

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8 William Shatner: More Emphasis On Romance

Even though Shatner’s Captain Kirk was busy leading his spaceships, he still found the time to romance beautiful women all over the galaxy. His relationships usually didn’t last long but they portrayed the Captain in a more relaxed light and were often fun, but sometimes a bit tragic too when Kirk had to say his goodbyes to someone he liked.

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Kirk’s romances also allowed the creators to later work with the character of his son David who’s missing from the new movies.

7 Chris Pine: He Had A Striking Sense Of Humor

Both versions of Captain Kirk are funny but Chris Pine got the chance to throw around funny quips more often. Possibly because his James Kirk was younger than William Shatner’s when he became the captain of the Enterprise.

Kirk’s sense of humor didn’t often sit well with those around him – such as his first officer Spock, portrayed by Zachary Quinto – but it made the audience laugh on more than one occasion. Especially when Kirk argued with those around him, be it Spock, Uhura, or his good friend Leonard “Bones” McCoy (played by Karl Urban).

6 William Shatner: He Broke Rules And Taboos

It might not seem like much to the modern audience but back when Star Trek: The Original Series first premiered, it broke the rules and conventions of its times in more than one way. And William Shatner’s Captain Kirk played a big part in it.

Not only did he lead a crew filled with people of different nationalities and ethnicities but he was also the first Caucasian man who participated in an interracial kiss on TV when he kissed Nichelle Nichols’ Uhura. It’s quite possible that without Kirk, today’s TV would be very different.

5 Chris Pine: He Revealed More Of His Pre-Captain Years

By the time the audience gets to meet Wiliam Shatner’s James T. Kirk, he’s already a captain. And while he does his job well, it’s as interesting to watch how Kirk studied and became a captain, as well as what led to him leading the Enterprise and its crew.

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The new movie series gave Kirk an even better chance to evolve and he used it well. Kirk starts out as a somewhat irresponsible and rebellious young man and he goes on to become a somewhat irresponsible but brilliant ship captain.

4 William Shatner: The Evil Kirk

Long before Chris Pine’s Kirk met Leonard Nimoy’s Spock and learned that there could be multiple versions of the same people, William Shatner’s Kirk came to the same realization. It happened in one of the best Star Trek: The Original Series episodes called Mirror, Mirror that later served as a source of inspiration for other stories in newer Star Trek shows.

When Kirk and a part of his crew ended up in a mirror universe occupied by their evil counterparts, the evil version of Kirk appeared on the normal, good Enterprise. It was a lot of fun to see another side of Kirk, who he could have been under very different circumstances.

3 Chris Pine: Youthful Enthusiasm

Both actors did an amazing job portraying Captain Kirk. However, Chris Pine managed to make his Kirk different enough from William Shatner’s so that it wouldn’t come across as a cheap copy. Pine’s Kirk was full of youthful enthusiasm compared to Shatner’s more mature Kirk. That made it easier to sympathize with him since he had to find his way in life like so many young people do these days.

2 William Shatner: Kirk’s Relationship With Spock

One of the most memorable parts of the original Star Trek series is the iconic friendship between Kirk and his first officer Spock. Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto as Spock also had a strong dynamic in the movies but they were nowhere close to Shatner and Leonard Nimoy. Possibly because the series took a lot of time to establish the friendship between the two heroes and how they were willing to break all rules for each other.

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In fact, they were so close that many fans were even convinced that there was something more than a close friendship between Kirk and Spock. It also helps that for many years, William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy were friends in real life as well.

1 Chris Pine: William Shatner Approved Of The New Captain Kirk

In the end, what speaks well for Chris Pine’s performance as Captain Kirk is that the original Kirk, William Shatner, approved of Pine playing Kirk. Shatner commented in one of his interviews that he saw the J. J. Abrams’ Star Trek movies and enjoyed them very much. And as for his words on Pine, he called him young, handsome, and talented. Those all sound like a pretty good endorsement.

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About The Author


Kath Leroy
(523 Articles Published)

Kath Leroy is a writer at Screen Rant. She also publishes in a number of Czech magazines. She works as an actress and appeared in feature films, short films, as well as TV series. Kath has loved movies, TV, and literature ever since she was a child and her father first played Star Trek for her. Since she has a background in writing genre fiction and screenplays, Kath enjoys fantasy, sci-fi, and superhero films and shows above all – however, she likes to watch films of all genres.

Visit Kath Leroy’s blog for her articles about culture, acting life as well as other topics, follow her on Twitter and on Instagram as @girlartistgeek or contact her directly at [email protected]

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