Captain James T. Kirk was technically an Admiral inStar Treklonger than he wasCaptain of the Enterprise- unless one countsStar Trek Generations. Introduced inStar Trek: The Original Series, Kirk was the first Starfleet hero to command the Starship Enterprise audiences met. Though there have been other Enterprise Captains since, and a few retconned before Kirk, William Shatner’sStar Trekicon is still best known as Captain Kirk instead of Admiral Kirk.
Star Trek: The Motion Picturerevealed that after theUSS Enterprise’s historic five-year missioninStar Trek: The Original Series, Captain Kirk was promoted to Rear Admiral and named Chief of Starfleet Operations. Yet Kirk yearned to be back in his beloved Enterprise’s Captain’s chair, and he engineered events to achieve that goal. Admiral Kirk commanded the USS Enterprise until he was demoted back to Captain. Afterward, Kirk spent the remainder of his life and Starfleet career as Captain, andJim’s time as Admiral Kirk seems more like an asterisk.
Kirk Was A Starfleet Admiral Longer Than He Was Enterprise Captain
Chronologically, James T. Kirk held the rank of Rear Admiral longer than he was a starship Captain. Kirk became a flag officer in 2270 upon completion of theUSS Enterprise’s five-year mission. Kirk remained Admiral until he was demoted at the end ofStar Trek IV: The Voyage Home, in 2286. This meansKirk was Admiral for 16 consecutive yearsbefore he resumed his Captaincy, this time on the USS Enterprise-A.
15 Best Star Trek Episodes & Movies Of William Shatner’s Captain Kirk
William Shatner’s Captain James T. Kirk remains an iconic figure of popular culture, and these 15 Star Trek episodes and movies illustrate why.
Comparatively, James T. Kirk was originally Captain for 5 years. Kirk became Captain of the USS Enterprise in 2265, taking over forCaptain Christopher Pike(Jeffrey Hunter/Anson Mount). After his demotion from Admiral, Kirk remained Captain for another seven years, until his presumed death on the USS Enterprise-B in 2293, as seen inStar Trek Generations' prologue. Therefore, counting both stints together,James T. Kirk was Captain for a combined 12 years.
Kirk Was Technically A Captain For Much Longer Thanks To Star Trek Generations
Thank The Nexus For Kirk Living Into The 24th Century
Star Trek Generationsmuddies the waters as to how long James T. Kirk was actually Captain. When Kirk was caught in the Nexus, the other-dimensional space ribbon plunged him outside normal space and time. Kirk left the Nexus with Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and arrived in the 24th century in 2371 - 78 years after Kirk vanished from the 23rd century. Therefore,adding his time in the Nexus, Kirk was Captain for a total of 90 years.
How Long Jean-Luc Picard Was A Star Trek Captain Is Mindblowing
Captain Jean-Luc Picard was a starship captain long before Star Trek: The Next Generation began, making his Starfleet career an incredibly long one.
Of course, had Captain Kirk lived through theend ofStar Trek Generations,he wouldn’t feel like he was Captain for 90 years. Thanks to the bizarre nature of the Nexus, Kirk reckoned he was only in the fantasy realm for a few minutes before Captain Picard arrived and talked him into helping save Veridian III. To Kirk, it was still 2293, and he was just aboard the USS Enterprise-B commanded by Captain John Harriman (Alan Ruck).
Why Kirk Is More Famous As A Captain Than As An Admiral
History Remembers Kirk As Captain Of The Enterprise
Just as Admiral Picard’s son, Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers), told his father that"history remembers you with one less pip,“inStar Trek: Picardseason 3,James T. Kirk is forever best known as Captain Kirk and not Admiral Kirk. 79 episodes ofStar Trek: The Original Seriesthat have been airing on television constantly for nearly 60 years, and threeStar Trekmovies, depict Jim as Captain Kirk. By contrast, Admiral Kirk was only known as such in fourStar Trekmovies.
Kirk’s own preference and sense of self is his 12 years as Captain of the Enterprise.
Admiral Kirk also has"lost years"that haven’t been fully recorded byStar Trekcanon. As alluded to inStar Trek Generations, Admiral Kirk retired from Starfleet at some point afterStar Trek: The Motion Picturein the 2270s. Kirk lived in a rustic home in Idaho and raised horses with a woman named Antonia before he grew restless and chose to return to Starfleet in 2383, leading into the events ofStar Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.Ultimately, Kirk’s own preference and sense of self is his 12 years as Captain of the Enterprise and not his 16 years as Rear Admiral and Chief of Starfleet Operations.
