Every Version Of Star Trek's Spock, Ranked

"Star Trek" is, without, question one of the greatest science fiction franchises ever, thriving on screen and in our hearts since 1966.
Trek" entered pop culture in a way few others could, with phrases and iconography that have become part of our shared lexicon. But what really makes the series stand tall is its characters; legends of television and film that transcend genre. Among the greatest characters that "Star Trek" has ever seen is Mr. Spock (originated by Leonard Nimoy), the steadfast science officer who served under Captain Kirk (William Shatner) on the original "Star Trek" series — and later under Captain Pike (Anson Mount) on "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds."

Spock also appeared on "Star Trek: The Animated Series" and in six feature films, not to mention the J.J. Abrams-produced trilogy in the 2010s. Half human and half alien, Mr. Spock is a man of duality, often struggling to balance his human side with his logical Vulcan nature. A more complex character in "Star Trek" you may struggle to find. He even offers a fascinating backstory. Later "Trek" spin-offs often tried to copy that formula: Characters like the analytical android Commander Data (Brent Spiner), the misunderstood Odo (Rene Auberjonois) on "Deep Space Nine," and the half-Borg Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) on "Voyager."

There have been multiple versions of Mr. Spock over the years. Some hail from parallel worlds, others are different interpretations by other actors, and each Spock has their own unique appeal. If you've ever stopped to wonder how they stack up, well, you're in luck — we've done the dirty work and ranked every version of Mr. Spock, from worst to best.

If there's an alternative version of Spock to be found in "Star Trek" that we almost want to forget, it's Spock Two, from the "Star Trek: The Animated Series" episode "The Infinite Vulcan." We say almost because, as silly and farcical as this version of Spock might be, there's still something charming about the episode (and the goofy Saturday morning cartoon itself) that makes it hard not to love.

The episode, written by Leonard Nimoy's "Trek" co-star Walter Koenig — who wasn't a member of the show's voice cast — sees the Enterprise visiting the planet Phylos, where they discover an Earth scientist from the 20th century named Dr. Keniclius (James Doohan), who somehow survived the Eugenics Wars and fled to outer space. On Phylos, Keniclius has used genetic science to create an advanced, giant-sized clone of himself that towers over the Enterprise crew. And with his advanced technology, he clones Spock to create Spock Two, a 50-foot-tall copy of the Enterprise's resident Vulcan, and he copies Spock's mind to put into it — with plans to create a vast army of additional clones to conquer the galaxy. Eventually, Kirk convinces Keniclius to cease his evil scheme, but Spock Two remains on Phylos — alive and well.

Also voiced by Leonard Nimoy, Spock Two doesn't get much to do before Kirk and crew save the day. But as goofy as it sounds, "The Infinite Vulcan" is somehow officially canon, supported by the reappearance of Spock Two's corpse in a "Star Trek: Lower Decks" Easter egg. 

One of the best aspects of the prequel series "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" is how it incorporates different genres — from horror and romance to action and comedy — in the classic tradition of the franchise. When it embraces comedy, it does so with aplomb. Often, and perhaps ironically, its best comedic stories involve the stoic, overly serious Mr. Spock (Ethan Peck), including the Season 2 episode "Charades," which sees Spock's DNA altered to remove his Vulcan genes — making him fully human.

This Spock, with no Vulcan logic and no pointed ears — is a naive, childlike version of his regular self. And the ordeal comes at the absolute worst time, as his betrothed, T'Pring (Gia Sandhu), is visiting the ship with her parents for an important Vulcan ceremony necessary to gain approval for their planned wedding. T'Pring's parents already don't approve of Spock's half-human nature, meaning Spock, T'Pring, and Spock's visiting mother, Amanda (Mia Kirshner), must go to great lengths to hide the fact that Spock is temporarily human.

A madcap romp of comical proportions, "Charades" is a standout installment that proves Peck can be as funny as he is dramatic. It shows the audience a different side to the ordinarily emotionless Vulcan, revealing that underneath, he's far more than the often surly, somber normal self. It adds multiple layers to Spock, and provides a rich canvas for Peck to explore.

Prior to 2009, there was only one leading actor to ever play Mr. Spock in live-action, so when it was announced that director J.J. Abrams was planning to recast the role for his "Star Trek" reboot film, fans were understandably nervous. Trekkies needn't have worried, because fan-favorite "Heroes" star Zachary Quinto snagged the role after campaigning for months, and beating out several other stars for the part. Quinto was quickly embraced by fans in the role, offering new aspects to the pointy-eared, green-blooded Vulcan.

Appearing in all three "Star Trek" films produced by Abrams, this version of Spock isn't just younger than Leonard Nimoy's version, as seen in the original "Star Trek" series, he's also a more disgruntled, sometimes even bitter man who has yet to come to terms with his human half. He has an open dislike for James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) for most of their first adventure, and is followed by the weight of the destruction of his homeworld at the hands of the time-traveling villain Nero, played by Eric Bana.

The biggest departure we see from Quinto's version of Spock, compared to Nimoy, is the character's more emotional side. This Spock even gets involved in a romantic relationship with fellow officer Uhura (Zoe Saldana). Expressing anger and frustration more than Nimoy ever did, Quinto's Spock is more open with his feelings, and struggling with his Vulcan stoicism. It's a very different version of Spock, but one that works well for the rebooted film series.

Several actors from "Star Trek" appeared in multiple roles in the original series thanks to the episode "Mirror, Mirror," which saw Captain Kirk traveling to an alternate reality where up was down, black was white, and Spock had a goatee. This so-called and sometimes confusing "Mirror Universe" was very different from the world we knew: Here, there was no United Federation of Planets, but a Terran Empire run by humans, who subjugated alien races — including the Vulcans. 

This version of Mr. Spock is a loyal officer under the command of Kirk's Mirror Universe counterpart, but the arrival of James T. Kirk from the 'Prime Timeline' makes him rethink his role — both on the Enterprise and as an officer in the Terran Empire. Seeing Kirk, from a reality where humans view alien cultures as their equal in the Federation, puts Mirror Spock in the position of reevaluating everything he knows, and Prime Kirk urges him to lead a revolution against his Terran oppressors. 

Decades later, in a storyline in "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," we would learn that Mirror Spock indeed led that revolution and helped reform the Terran Empire. In the end, however, this led to the subjugation of the human race at the hands of a combined alliance between the Klingons and Cardassians, as Spock's reformed Empire proved too weak against their combined powers.

Played once again by Leonard Nimoy, Mirror Spock may have a sinister-looking goatee. But, just like his Prime Timeline counterpart, he's a man of deep moral conviction who wants nothing less than peace and equality for everyone in the galaxy.

Recasting Mr. Spock for the J.J. Abrams reboot film was hard enough, but at least there was the justification that, no matter how difficult it might be for fans to accept a new actor in the role, it technically wasn't the same character. Abrams' primary Spock hailed from a parallel reality. The same was not true of Ethan Peck's version of the character introduced in Season 2 of "Star Trek: Discovery," and who moved on to star in the spin-off series, "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds." Peck had to fill the boots of Mr. Nimoy as a "true" younger version of Mr. Spock.

Though he didn't get much to do on "Discovery," Peck spread his wings on "Strange New Worlds." Even though the actor himself was certain he'd fail as Spock, he proves himself a worthy successor. Like Quinto, he plays a younger Spock with a bit more emotion, a man still torn between his human and Vulcan halves, and still experimenting with how much of each he displays. With a certain Nimoy-like charm, he even gets involved in an intra-ship romance, this time with Nurse Christine Chapel (Jess Bush). Their on-again/off-again romance is a major part of the series, and a pivotal plot point in the evolution of Spock's character.

Because "Strange New Worlds" allows Peck to play the character for years, fans have gotten to see different sides to the character that even Nimoy never experienced. From a lighthearted, sometimes even playful side, to his a, serious side when things go wrong, it's a new look for Mr. Spock. It's also one that's only possible because of Peck's ability to effectively channel Nimoy's Spock and inject him with a new life all his own.

There was never any question which version of Mr. Spock would be in our top spot. No disrespect to Zachary Quinto or Ethan Peck, but Leonard Nimoy's version of the character is, factually, the most iconic, the most influential, and, ultimately, our most beloved Mr. Spock. When he first appeared in the original 1966 "Star Trek" series, he was unlike any other character audiences had seen on TV — a mostly emotionless alien whose strange, pointy-eared appearance belied a warmth that would have been hard for any other actor. Nimoy became a guide for this type of role for all who would follow (like Brent Spiner and Data).

Stoic without being robotic, seeming unfeeling while still possessing a sly sense of humor, Mr. Spock was a science fiction trailblazer. So beloved was he that when "Star Trek: The Next Generation" wanted a legendary character to guest star, it was Nimoy they turned to. The result was the two-part episode "Unification." 

Nimoy was once again called on when J.J. Abrams wanted to connect his films to the original series, with Nimoy playing a major role in the 2009 reboot. Because Nimoy's Spock isn't just the best Spock, he might be the most beloved character in all of "Star Trek." While William Shatner might be the face of the series for many "Trek" fans, Spock is the character that most embodies the franchise: A man of two worlds, looking to find peace and prosperity within himself while fighting for what's right. Spock fought to live up to the Federation's greatest ideals, becoming the embodiment of everything Starfleet stood for. That made matter to worlds far beyond his own — especially ours.