Franchises often help us understand the pain of loss. Shows like WandaVision have been praised for their exploration of grief and the anguish that exists there. But other franchises have also explored the feelings that surround death and grief. One of the biggest science fiction franchises of all time is known for quite a few poignant moments exploring what death can bring to those who are left behind. That franchise is Star Trek and trying to figure out the best approach to loss is hard because each of the franchise’s iconic series has had moments that are worth talking about.
There are captains known for their moments of clarity for their crew (and the audience), like Sir Patrick Stewart’s Captain Jean-Luc Picard. Characters like Data (Brent Spiner) often toy with the idea of death because he, as an android, is afraid he’ll never understand what makes humans so special. But the quote that truly is the most beautiful exploration of grief and death comes from Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) himself when Spock (Leonard Nimoy) has sacrificed himself to protect the crew of the Enterprise after a run in with Khan (Ricardo Montalban).
The quote itself comes from Captain Kirk in The Wrath of Khan and is as follows: “We are assembled here today to pay final respects to our honored dead. And yet it should be noted that in the midst of our sorrow, this death takes place in the shadow of new life, the sunrise of a new world; a world that our beloved comrade gave his life to protect and nourish. He did not feel this sacrifice a vain or empty one, and we will not debate his profound wisdom at these proceedings. Of my friend, I can only say this: of all the souls I have encountered in my travels, his was the most… human.”
It Is the Most Memorable Star Trek Story
The Wrath of Khan has become the most iconic storyline in all of Star Trek. Kirk and his crew are facing off against Khan, a man who wants revenge of Kirk for what has happened to his people. Khan Noonien Singh is such a figure throughout Star Trek that even shows like Star Trek: Strange New Worlds explore his rage with his ancestor, La’an Noonien Singh (Christina Chong). And the film, as a whole, is arguably the one Star Trek property that people can reference easily when talking about the franchise. But there is something special about the final moments between Nimoy’s Spock and his best friend, James T. Kirk that makes Kirk’s goodbye so poignant.
Two friends who defied the odds together are alone, Spock locked in a room that is slowly killing him while Kirk can only watch helplessly. Spock tells him that it is only logical that this happens because “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one.” The same moment was mirrored in Star Trek Into Darkness from 2013 with Chris Pine’s Kirk trying to sacrifice himself. Spock (Zachary Quinto) watched as Kirk almost died but saved him. Famously, Spock is brought back to life in The Search for Spock using the Genesis device so his death is not a done deal moment in the franchise. We have plenty more of Spock after The Wrath of Khan.
Still, it doesn’t dismiss or diminish the power of this scene and Kirk’s mourning for his friend. Kirk calling Spock human is, in many ways, a long time coming because Spock did fight often with his human side in comparison to his Vulcan ways. He was taught that Vulcans do not feel and his human side challenged his logic and his ability to deny that. Still, when it mattered, Spock sacrificed himself for the crew and called it a logical decision. In reality, it is his most human moment. He is willing to do what it takes to save his friends and that means he cares so deeply for them that he will make the logical and emotional decision to protect them. That’s the beauty of Spock and the glorious pain in Kirk’s speech for his friend at the end of The Wrath of Khan.
