Every Version Of Star Trek's Captain Kirk, Ranked

Ellen Ripley, Luke Skywalker, Doctor Who — the science fiction genre has given us some memorable characters over the decades. While many prominent names are thrown around by fans, one that often finds its way into any conversation about popular sci-fi characters is James T. Kirk. Introduced in the original "Star Trek" series back in the 1960s, Captain Kirk went on to become a cultural phenomenon.

While he was first portrayed by William Shatner, who was cast after the first "Star Trek" pilot failed, Kirk has been played by several actors. He has also appeared in tie-in novels, comic books, video games, and more, as well as other areas of popular culture. He's even popped up in shows like "Futurama" and "Robot Chicken" – and, thanks to his many appearances and portrayals over the years, Kirk has evolved considerably.

Like any character played by multiple actors, each fan has their favorites. Some prefer the original Kirk, while others have appreciated his portrayal in series like "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds." Of course, determining which Kirk actor is the best is subjective. These actors all took on the role in live-action projects, and they've been ranked based on performance, fan appreciation, and their overall impact on the franchise.

It's always fun to see an actor play a familiar character in an entirely new way, and that's where the "Star Trek" Mirror Universe comes into play. Over the years, the Mirror Universe has expanded significantly, but it all began in the Season 2 episode "Mirror, Mirror." In the episode, a transporter malfunction sends Kirk (William Shatner), McCoy (DeForest Kelley), Scotty (James Doohan), and Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) into a parallel universe. They find this alternate reality to be antithetical to their own, and there's no Federation. In this universe, Kirk is a despotic, cruel leader, and Spock (Leonard Nimoy) has a goatee, so you know he's evil.

Meanwhile, evil Kirk finds himself off the ISS Enterprise and on the USS Enterprise, where Spock has no facial hair at all. Shatner clearly has a lot of fun playing Kirk as evil, and it's still fascinating to watch to this day. His time on the USS Enterprise is comparatively brief compared to what the audience sees in the Mirror Universe, where Shatner has to play the good guy pretending to be the bad guy. "Mirror, Mirror" is one of the best episodes in terms of seeing Shatner's range in playing the same character multiple ways, and it's easily one of the best from the original series. The event was later referenced in an episode of "Deep Space Nine."

Throughout the original "Star Trek," William Shatner played Captain Kirk, but that changed in the series finale. In Season 3, Episode 24, "Turnabout Intruder," the opportunity to play Kirk fell to Sandra Smith. The episode involves the Enterprise responding to a distress call on Camus II, where the landing party meets Dr. Janice Lester (Smith), one of the scientists working on the site's archaeological expedition. Kirk and Lester went to Starfleet Academy together, so it should be a happy reunion. Instead, Lester pulls a "Freaky Friday" on her former classmate, swapping bodies with Kirk.

Kirk desperately tries to convince his allies that he's not Lester, while she does the opposite as Kirk. She doesn't do this because she thinks it's a fun idea. Her body swap is done because she's frustrated that, as a woman, her ability to advance in her field is diminished. This episode came out in 1969, we should add — "Star Trek" has never shied away from tackling important social issues.

Ultimately, it wasn't the swan song that people hoped for — in fact, "Turnabout Intruder" received a lot of hate from "Star Trek" fans. That's a real shame, as Smith plays Kirk very well here. Despite the reception, there's no denying that Smith's portrayal of Kirk is exceptional and a true standout performance from the original series. Smith's Kirk is an excellent example of playing a gender-swapped character, and Shatner's take on Lester is equally fun to watch.

When "Star Trek: Discovery" opened the door for the original USS Enterprise to return, fans knew the cast had to bring their A-game. The original cast is beloved, and the one introduced when the Enterprise shows up doesn't disappoint, though Kirk wasn't on board. During this period, Kirk is a young officer serving aboard the USS Farragut, and while he's not present in "Discovery," he is a main character in "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," though prior to his ascendency to the captain's chair.

The Kirk of this period is one fans hadn't seen previously, as the events of "Strange New Worlds" take place six years before "Star Trek." He's young and he's somewhat brash (as you'd expect), but he knows his role, and Paul Wesley imitates William Shatner's Kirk-esque swagger to perfection. It's no easy task living up to a legend, and Shatner's charisma was certainly a major factor in why fans love the character. Fortunately, Wesley was clearly paying attention.

While Wesley's take on Kirk is new and fresh, it's also an homage to the original. He entered "Strange New Worlds" as a lieutenant, but Kirk will of course go on to become one of the most important figures in Starfleet history, and it's clear that Wesley's performance is building up to this. He has a reputation to live up to, and while the character is entirely ignorant of this, the audience and the actor playing him are not, which makes Wesley's performance all the more fascinating to watch.

The Kelvin timeline arose from J.J. Abrams' franchise reboot, which began with the 2009 film "Star Trek." The Abrams films restructured the timeline through a single cataclysmic event: the destruction of the USS Kelvin. This altered James T. Kirk's entire life story, as his father dies on the day he's born in the film's opening battle. When he grows up and attends Starfleet Academy, Chris Pine is in the driver's seat, and he handles the role incredibly well.

Pine's charm comes through in his performance, but so too does Kirk's penchant for not believing in no-win scenarios. There are only three films from the Kelvin timeline, but what's interesting is that Pine took the role during a dearth in the franchise. The last "Star Trek" series, "Enterprise," had ended in 2005 due to low ratings, so it had been four years since anyone touched a "Star Trek" project. And, of course, Kirk wasn't in "Enterprise," which takes place almost a century before his era.

All of this allowed Pine to make the role his own, and he did just that. You can see this in his performance, which comes off as unrestrained and wholly committed to bringing the character back to the silver screen. While he incorporated William Shatner's bravado into playing Kirk, Pine managed to carve out a unique version of the famous Starfleet captain, and his turn as Kirk is remembered fondly by an entirely new generation of fans.

While several actors have portrayed Kirk, none can beat the one who made him a household name. William Shatner commanded the Enterprise to the end of the original series run and in seven feature films. His final turn as Kirk was in the 1994 movie "Star Trek Generations," in which he gives Kirk the kind of send-off that only Shatner could have pulled it off. His ability to chew the scenery to just the right level is a trait of both the actor and the character, making the two inseparable in popular culture.

Shatner is loved around the world for his performances as Kirk. As the actor got older, his character also matured in fun and interesting ways. That has a lot to do with the writers, but it's also a big part of how Shatner played Kirk. For an actor who's been at it since 1951 with more than 250 credits to his name, it says something that Shatner is best remembered for playing Kirk. Long after the franchise moved on from his time leading it, Shatner remained the person most associated with it, and it's unlikely anyone will ever beat the original Captain James T. Kirk at his own game.