Summary

Star Trek ’s James T. Kirk was a youthful valet de chambre when he became Captain of the USS Enterprise , but in the Kelvin Timeline of J.J. Abrams’Star Trekmovies , Kirk gets his packaging a lot fasterthan he does in Star Trek ’s Prime Timeline . inclose inStar Trek : The Original Seriesin 1966 , William Shatner portrayed the original Captain James T. Kirk , who was the hero ofStar Trek : TOSfor 3 seasons before he starred in 7Star Trekmovies from 1979 - 1994 . Chris Pine took over the character of Captain Kirk in Abrams ' reboot movie , which resulted in a successfulStar Trektrilogy from 2009 - 2016 .

In the annals of Starfleet , the five - class deputation of Captain Kirk and the Starship Enterprise is fabled . Along with Mr. Spock ( Leonard Nimoy ) , Kirk ’s Enterprise boldly explored the final frontier , induct legion First Contacts with novel mintage , and economise the galaxy on several occasions . At the end of his five - twelvemonth military mission , Kirk was promoted to Admiral and became Chief of Starfleet Operations . However , Admiral Kirk yearned to be on the span of his beloved Enterprise . Star Trek : The Original Series ' movies chronicle Kirk ’s journeying to stay in the center tooshie . This resulted in hisdemotion back to Captain , the rank James Kirk preferredand would hold back until his end inStar Trek Generations . But how honest-to-god was James T. Kirk when he became Captain of the Enterprise in bothStar Trektimelines ?

William Shatner ’s best lines as Captain James T. Kirk show his phylogeny through each episode in the Star Trek movies featuring the TOS cast .

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How Old William Shatner’s Kirk Was When He Became Enterprise Captain

Kirk was the youngest starship Captain in Starfleet

InStar Trek ’s Prime Universe ’s canon , James T. Kirk was born on March 22 , 2233 , in Iowa , and he joined Starfleet Academy in 2252 . Cadet Kirk entered the Command Training Program ( where he infamously cheated to beat theKobayashi Maruno - profits scenario ) , and he serve aboard the USS Republic , where Ensign Kirk was promoted to Lieutenant . Kirk became an instructor at Starfleet Academy before he joined the gang of the USS Farragut , where Kirk became the young First Officer in Starfleet in 2259 . In 2265,Kirk was promoted to Captain and assumed program line of the USS Enterprise at the singular old age of 32 .

Lt . James T. Kirk becoming Starfleet ’s youngest First Officer at 26 years old beat the record set by his own Fatherhood , Lt . George Kirk .

William Shatner ’s Kirk ’s Star Trek TV Shows & Movies

Bella Ramsey as Ellie in the Last of us Season 2 Pointing a Gun in the basement of a hospital

Chris Pine ’s Kirk ’s Star Trek Movies

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 Generations

Star Trek ( 2009 ) , Star Trek Into Darkness , Star Trek Beyond

Cassian in Andor Season 2

How Old Chris Pine’s Kirk Was When He Became Enterprise Captain

Kirk went from Cadet to Captain in one mission

William Shatner ’s Kirk had nothing on the improbably meteoric hike of his Kelvin timeline doppelgänger becauseChris Pine ’s Kirk became Captain of theEnterpriseat 25 ! As escort in J.J. Abrams’Star Trek(2009 ) , Kirk was born in outer infinite when hisfather , Lieutenant George Kirk(Chris Hemsworth ) , was kill during the USS Kelvin ’s encounter with the clip - traveling Romulan , Nero ( Eric Bana ) . Kirk grew up in Iowa , but it was a opportunity encounter with Captain Christopher Pike ( Bruce Greenwood ) in a cake in 2255 that leave Jim to enlist in Starfleet . 3 years afterward , Cadet Kirk stowed by aboard the USS Enterprise and earned his Captaincy by saving Earth from Nero .

Chris Pine ’s James T. Kirk was bear on January 4 , 2233 , in the Kelvin Timeline - 3 months before William Shatner ’s Kirk ’s birth .

It may seem like Kirk jumped directly from Cadet to Captain inStar Trek2009 , butJames actually stand up through the ranksthroughout the film . Before Pike beamed over to Nero ’s ship , he shocked the crew by upgrade Kirk to Acting First Officer to serve alongside Acting Captain Spock . This intend Kirk received an instant theatre of operations promotion to the impermanent membership of Lieutenant . Kirk subsequently tricked Spock into ill-treat down from command due to being emotionally compromised from the destruction of Vulcan .

Star Trek Captain Kirk Shatner Pine age

Kirk then promoted himself to Acting Captain and teamed with Spock to lead the go-ahead . After the successful defeat of Nero , Starfleet formally elevate Kirk to full Captain , and James assumed dictation of the Enterprise lighten the hurt Captain Pike . But considering theevents ofStar Trek(2009 ) ’s master story only lasted the span of a few days , Kirk was still just 25 when he went from Cadet to Lieutenant to Captain at warp speed .

When William Shatner & Chris Pine’s Kirks Became Captain Of The USS Enterprise-A

There’s an even greater age gap

InStar Trek Beyond , which took place in 2363 in the Kelvin Timeline , theStarship Enterprise was destroyed andChris Pine ’s Captain Kirk take for granted instruction of the USS Enterprise - A at the historic period of 30.In comparison , William Shatner ’s Captain Kirk was 53 in 2286 when he draw the Enterprise - Aat the end ofStar Trek IV : The Voyage Home . So , it seems nearly everything about J.J. Abrams ' variation of James T. Kirk was designed to consistently stick Shatner ’s version to the lick .

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Can Show How Kirk Becomes Enterprise Captain

Kirk’s promotion in the Prime Timeline hasn’t been depicted

Star Trek : Strange New WorldsintroducedLieutenant James T. Kirk ( Paul Wesley ) , the young rendering of William Shatner ’s Kirk in the Prime Timeline . Lt . Kirk is about 26 years honest-to-goodness inStrange New Worlds ' era ( 2259 onward ) , and James was promote to First Officer of the USS Farragut inStrange New Worldsseason 2.It ’s potential thatStrange New Worldscould finally end by depicting James T. Kirk ’s furtherance to Captainand his inheriting the USS Enterprise from Captain Christopher Pike ( Anson Mount).Star Trek : Strange New Worldshas already shown Kirk ’s first merging with Lt . Spock ( Ethan Peck ) and Ensign Nyota Uhura ( Celia Rose Gooding ) , and the Prime Timeline ’s Lt . Kirk becoming Captain Kirk could be a pivotalStar Trekevent audiences will finally see .

Star Trek : The Original Series , Star Trek : Strange New Worlds , and J.J. Abrams’Star Trekmovies are available to pour on Paramount+ .

Star Trek : The Original Seriesmovies are streaming on Max .

Star Trek - Enterprise A revealed

Paul Wesley Kirk Strange New Worlds

Star Trek: The Original Series