36 Iconic Captain Kirk Quotes For Star Trek Fans
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James T Kirk is one of the most iconic characters from the 'Star Trek' media franchise, he first appeared in 'Star Trek: The Original Series', serving as captain of USS Enterprise.
He leads his team on a mission to explore new worlds and planets as he says, "boldly go where no man has gone before." He leads his team from the front and sometimes takes risks to get what he set out for.
Captain James T Kirk and 'Star Trek' became a cultural phenomenon through the decades. It inspired many fans to create spin-offs too.
The 'Star Trek' franchise and the series, movies, several spins off, and animated series have a cult following. When the original Captain James T Kirk breathes his last, he says, “Oh my,” an expression which says how he feels about passing away from this world to another.
After William Shatner, the role was recently reprised by Chris Pine from 2009 to the present. Pine’s portrayal could be seen as a bit reckless, but he is a go-getter and plays the role with aplomb.
If you like this article of Captain Kirk quotes, you could also read Captain Picard quotes and Spock quotes.
Famous Captain Kirk Quotes from Star Trek
When he talks about getting into the Warp speed, Captain James T Kirk sometimes said, "Ahead warp factor one". Many such Captain James T Kirk quotes are spread across the Star Trek Franchise and have become a part of the people’s everyday language.
Let’s read some of the best Captain Kirk quotes to Scotty and some other 'Star Trek' quotes.
1. “How we deal with death is at least as important as how we deal with life.”
- Captain James T Kirk.
2. “They used to say that if man was meant to fly, he’d have wings. But he did fly. He discovered he had to.”
- Captain James T Kirk.
3. “Genius doesn’t work on an assembly line basis.”
- Captain James T Kirk.
4. “Without freedom of choice there is no creativity. The body dies.”
- Captain James T Kirk.
5. “You know the greatest danger facing us is ourselves, an irrational fear of the unknown. But there’s no such thing as the unknown — only things temporarily hidden, temporarily not understood.”
- Captain James T Kirk.
6. “Intuition, however illogical, Mr. Spock, is recognized as a command prerogative.”
- Captain James T Kirk.
7. “We’re human beings with the blood of a million savage years on our hands! But we can stop it. We can admit that we’re killers . . . but we’re not going to kill today. That’s all it takes! Knowing that we’re not going to kill — today!”
- Captain James T Kirk.
8. “It’s a mystery. And I don’t like mysteries. They give me a bellyache, and I got a beauty right now.”
- Star Trek, Season One: The Man Trap.
9. Captain James T. Kirk: “You suspect some danger?”
Mr. Spock: “Insufficient facts always invites danger, Captain.”
Captain James T. Kirk: “Well, I’d better get some facts.”
- Star Trek, Season One: Space Seed.
10. Capt. Kirk: “Bones, you ever hear of a doomsday machine?”
Dr. McCoy: “No, I’m a doctor, not a mechanic.”
- Star Trek, Season Two: The Apple.
11. James T Kirk: “If Spock were here and I were there... what would he do?”
McCoy: “He’d let you die.”
- 'Star Trek'.
12. “Let me explain what’s happening here. You are a criminal. I watched you murder innocent men and women. I was authorised to end you, and the only reason why you are still alive is because I am allowing it...So shut your mouth!”
- Captain James T Kirk.
13. “There will always be those who mean to do us harm. To stop them, we risk awakening the same evil within ourselves. Our first instinct is to seek revenge when those we love are taken from us. But that’s not who we are."
- Captain James T Kirk.
14. "We are here today to re-christen the USS Enterprise and to honour those who lost their lives nearly one year ago. When Christopher Pike first gave me his ship, he had me recite the Captain’s Oath.
Words I didn’t appreciate at the time. Now I see them as a call for us to remember who we once were and who we must be again. And those words?
Space... the final frontier. These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise, her five-year mission to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilisations. To boldly go where no one has gone before.”
- Captain James T Kirk.
15. James T Kirk: “Vice Admirals don’t fly, do they?”
Commodore Paris: “No. They don’t.”
James T Kirk: “No offence Ma’am, but... where’s the fun in that?”
- 'Star Trek'.
16. “Conquest is easy. Control is not.”
- Captain James T Kirk.
17. “Love sometimes expresses itself in sacrifice.”
- Captain James T Kirk.
18. “There’s another way to survive — mutual trust and help.”
- Captain James T Kirk.
19. “I haven’t faced death. I’ve cheated death. I’ve tricked my way out of death and patted myself on the back for my ingenuity; I know nothing.”
- 'Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan'.
20. “... the prejudices people feel about each other disappear when they get to know each other.”
- 'Elaan Of Troyius'.
21. “Perhaps man wasn’t meant for paradise. Maybe he was meant to claw, to scratch all the way.”
- 'This Side Of Paradise'.
22. “Leave bigotry in your quarters; there’s no room for it on the bridge.”
- 'Balance of Terror'.
23. “Our species can only survive if we have obstacles to overcome. You remove those obstacles. Without them to strengthen us, we will weaken and die.”
- Captain James T Kirk.
24. “What is a man but that lofty spirit, that sense of enterprise, that devotion for something that cannot be sensed, cannot be realized but only dreamed, the highest reality?”
- Captain James T Kirk.
25. “We prefer to help ourselves. We make mistakes, but we’re human–and maybe that’s the word that best explains us.”
- Captain James T Kirk.
26. “One of the advantages of being a captain, Doctor, is being able to ask for advice without necessarily having to take it.”
- Captain James T Kirk.
Funny Captain Kirk Quotes
There are many discussions about Captain Kirk’s leadership style. It is said that Captain James T Kirk was a hands-on leader who made sure his team was safe and always won against the bad guys.
He understood how to lead by example. In a spin of the series 'Star Trek: The Next Generation', Jean Luc Picard was the USS Enterprise captain from 1987. Let’s read some more quotes by Captain Kirk.
27. “Risk is our business. That’s what this starship is all about. That’s why we’re aboard her.” - Captain James T Kirk.
28. “All I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by. You could feel the wind at your back in those days. The sounds of the sea beneath you, and even if you take away the wind and the water it’s still the same.
The ship is yours. You can feel her. And the stars are still there, Bones.”
- Captain James T Kirk.
29. “Worlds may change, galaxies disintegrate, but a woman always remains a woman.”
- Captain James T Kirk.
30. “I don’t believe in no-win scenarios.”
- Captain James T Kirk.
31. “The odds are against us and the situation is grim.”
- Captain James T Kirk.
32. “A meeting is an event where minutes are taken and hours wasted.”
- Captain James T Kirk.
33. Mirror Spock: “One man cannot summon the future.”
Captain James T. Kirk: “But one man can change the present.”
- 'Star Trek'.
34. “We’re a most promising species, Mr. Spock, as predators go. Did you know that?
I don’t. Not anymore. And maybe in a thousand years or so, we’ll be able to prove it.”
- Captain James T Kirk.
35. “I have to take him back inside myself. I can’t survive without him. I don’t want to take him back. He’s like an animal. a thoughtless, brutal animal. And yet it’s me. Me!”
- Captain James T Kirk.
36. Captain James T. Kirk: “You’d make a splendid computer, Mr. Spock.”
Spock: [taken aback] “That is very kind of you, Captain!”
- 'Star Trek'.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly quotes for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for [Captain Kirk quotes for Star Trek Fans], then why not take a look at Battlestar Galactica quotes or [Babylon 5 quotes].
main image credit: berni0004 / Shutterstock.com
second image credit: lev radin / Shutterstock.com
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Bachelor of Arts specializing in English and Drama, Master of Arts specializing in Performance: Design and Practice
Luca DemetriouBachelor of Arts specializing in English and Drama, Master of Arts specializing in Performance: Design and Practice
Experienced in writing and sub-editing, Luca holds a Bachelor's in English Literature and Drama from the University of Birmingham, where he served as the culture editor at Redbrick Paper. He is currently pursuing a Master's in Performance: Design and Practice at the University of the Arts in London, showcasing his passion for the arts, performance, and history. With a keen interest in traveling, Luca enjoys exploring new cultures and experiencing diverse perspectives.
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