Summary
- Captain Kirk, the ladies’ man of Star Trek, used seduction to get his way with humans and aliens alike, but his relationships never lasted.
- From Marta to Dr. Taylor, Kirk had both romantic and platonic female friendships, each unique in their own way on the USS Enterprise.
- Kirk’s charm saved the crew’s life, but also led to tragic romances like with Miramanee, as he navigated love among the stars.
Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) was known as a ladies’ man, and he had quite a few love interests during his time on Star Trek: The Original Series. Never afraid to use seduction as a method of getting his way, Captain Kirk was romantically involved with humans and aliens alike, though none of his relationships ever worked out long-term. Frequently visited by previous loves while captaining the USS Enterprise, Kirk’s romantic past was never far behind him, and it got him into trouble as much as it helped him. Even as he got older, Kirk never stopped trying to charm nearly every woman he came across.
In many episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series, Captain Kirk encountered a new woman that he tried to put the moves on. No matter which actor was playing Kirk in Star Trek, the Captain’s outgoing and seductive personality was a quintessential trait of the character. While he was known as a seducer, there were characters such as Marta the Orion (Yvonne Craig) and the shapeshifter Martia (Iman) who attempted to use his sexuality against him, though they were rebuffed. Alternatively, not every female friendship Kirk had was romantic, as his relationship with Dr. Gillian Taylor (Catherine Hicks) proved in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.
16 Eve McHuron (Karen Steele)
Star Trek: The Original Series, Season 1, Episode 6 – “Mudd’s Women”
Eve McHuron was one of the most tragic characters in Star Trek: The Original Series. As seen in TOS season 1, episode 6, “Mudd’s Women,” McHuron was given the Venus Drug to enhance her physical beauty and sent by the huckster Harry Mudd (Roger C. Carmel) to seduce Kirk. She realized she was being used and couldn’t overcome the actual feelings she had begun to develop for the captain, thus putting her at odds with her employer. She did not end up with Kirk, though she did find a much nicer marriage arrangement that allowed her to leave Harry Mudd behind for good.
The character of Harry Mudd (now played by Rainn Wilson) also appeared in one episode of Star Trek: Short Treks and two episodes of Star Trek: Discovery.
15 Helen Noel (Marianna Hill)
Star Trek: The Original Series, Season 1, Episode 9 – “Dagger Of The Mind”
Captain Kirk and Dr. Helen Noel’s relationship started professionally, but the events of Star Trek: TOS season 1, episode 9, “Dagger of the Mind,” perverted them. Kirk and Noel were introduced at a ship function, and though they danced together, there was no outward sign of a relationship brewing. However, when investigating the penal colony on Tantalus, the mind probe was used to try to hypnotize Kirk, and the romantic feelings he had for Noel were used against him. Though the episode features one of the best Captain Kirk quotes, the events of “Dagger of the Mind” soured the potential relationship between these two characters.
14 Lenore Karidian (Barbara Anderson)
Star Trek: The Original Series, Season 1, Episode 13 – “The Conscience Of The King”
Desperate to protect her father from his previous crimes, and with an unquenchable desire to perform, Lenore Karidian used Captain Kirk as a pawn in her deadly scheme. Star Trek: The Original Series season 1, episode 13, “The Conscience of the King,” saw Kirk’s questionable romantic interest completely blind him in a time of crisis. As Lenore continued to eliminate witnesses to her father’s crimes, Kirk was unwilling to suspect his new love and was oblivious to the fact that he was being used. Kirk was usually good at balancing his duty and his romances, but the episode “The Conscience of the King” showed a rare exception.
13 Areel Shaw (Joan Marshall)
Star Trek: The Original Series, Season 1, Episode 20 – “Court Martial”
Star Trek: The Original Series season 1, episode 20, “Court Martial,” was symbolic in that it allowed one of Kirk’s former lovers to prosecute him in an important trial. Despite their history, Attorney Areel Shaw was a class act and was fair and balanced to Kirk as he was grilled for the negligent death of a crew member. Their former relationship had ended on a positive note, and the two actually shared a romantic kiss on the bridge of the Enterprise after Kirk was acquitted. The brief reunion and friendship showed the softer side of Kirk.
12 Edith Keeler (Joan Collins)
Star Trek: The Original Series Season 1, Episode 28 – “The City On The Edge Of Forever”
Captain Kirk’s ill-fated time romance with Sister Edith Keeler broke his heart. During the events of the legendary Star Trek: The Original Series episode “The City on the Edge of Forever,” Keeler befriended Kirk and Spock after they were trapped in the 20th century in one of Star Trek’s best time travel stories. Kirk and Keeler developed a legitimate connection, but he had to let her die in order to preserve the timeline and save the universe. All of Kirk’s romantic relationships ended at some point, but none ended on such a tragic note.
The Guardian of Forever time portal that sends Kirk and Spock back in time reappears in Star Trek: Discovery season 3, which posed a humanoid named Carl (Paul Guilfoyle).
11 Marlena Moreau (Barbara Ann Luna)
Star Trek: The Original Series Season 2, Episode 4 – “Mirror, Mirror”
Though they never got together in Star Trek’s Prime universe, Kirk’s adventure in an alternate timeline in TOS season 2, episode 4, “Mirror, Mirror,” opened the door for another romance. In the Prime timeline, Marlena Moreau was a lieutenant in the science department aboard the USS Enterprise, but in the Mirror universe, she was the captain’s woman.Star Trek‘s Mirror universe’s history was filled with dark alternatives to the real world, and Mirror Moreau realized that the Kirk she saw in the episode was not her captain. Nevertheless, she still helped him maintain control of the ship and eventually get back to the correct universe.
10 Janet Wallace (Sarah Marshall)
Star Trek: The Original Series Season 2, Episode 12 – “The Deadly Years”
Not all of Captain Kirk’s former lovers were necessarily still enamored with him. For example, Dr. Janet Wallace, from Star Trek: The Original Series’s “The Deadly Years,” was a professional scientist with no time for his shenanigans. The pair had previously dated but split on amicable terms, and Wallace’s brief return to the Enterprise allowed her to assist Dr. McCoy in finding a cure for the aging disease that had struck the senior staff. Considering Kirk’s hit-or-miss reputation with women on Star Trek, his previous relationship with Wallace actually came in handy.
9 Shahna (Angelique Pettyjohn)
Star Trek: The Original Series Season 2, Episode 16 – “The Gamesters of Triskelion”
Captain Kirk’s charm was a strong asset that came in handy on numerous occasions, and in Star Trek: TOS season 2, episode 16, “The Gamesters of Triskelion,” it saved the crew’s life. Caught on a strange planet and forced to perform as gladiators, Kirk and crew were instructed by drill thrall Shahna who was in charge of their training. Charmed by the mercy that Kirk showed her, the Captain took advantage of her affections and was able to escape. Kirk took on Shahna in a duel, which eventually freed all the thralls, but he rejected her when she expressed interest in joining him on the Enterprise’s five-year mission through the final frontier.
8 Kelinda (Barbara Bouchet)
Star Trek: The Original Series Season 2, Episode 22 – “By Any Other Name”
The Kelvan aliens only appeared in Star Trek: The Original Series season 2, episode 22, “By Any Other Name,” but their unique species offered an intriguing plot and a chance for Kirk to work his magic once again. Kelinda was one of the Kelvans who took a humanoid form and seized the Enterprise, but her lack of knowledge of human emotions made Kirk’s seduction easy. Though she knew he was charming her in order to get his way, she was intrigued by the new sensation and did not resist him. Kirk’s actions caused a rift in the Kelvan society, and his skills as a romantic actually helped save the ship.
7 Miramanee (Sabrina Scharf)
Star Trek: The Original Series Season 3, Episode 3 – “The Paradise Syndrome”
Miramanee was a native woman on the planet Amerind who actually married Captain Kirk in Star Trek: The Original Series season 3, episode 3, “The Paradise Syndrome,” because she believed him to be a powerful god. Kirk suffered from amnesia during the episode and lived among the native peoples as a tribal leader, taking Miramanee as his wife. Ignoring the problematic aspects of the episode, Kirk’s partnership with Miramanee was one of his most successful pairings, though he was not of a sound mind at the time.
6 Elaan (France Nuyen)
Star Trek: The Original Series Season 3, Episode 13 – “Elaan of Troyius”
Though Star Trek was a progressive series for the 1960s, many of Kirk’s problematic romantic entanglements wouldn’t pass muster in the modern day. “Elaan of Troyius,” is a prime example of that idea, as the plot made Kirk look like a macho stereotype while demeaning its female lead. While instructing Elaan on how to be a proper lady, Kirk inevitably seduced her, but their enemies-turned-lovers relationship was obviously not going to last. The episode established that Elaan’s tears were capable of causing any man to fall deeply in love with her, but Kirk somehow resisted their effect and sent her on her way.
Model and actress France Nuyen appeared alongside William Shatner in several projects, including the 1973 made-for-television movie The Horror at 37,000 Feet and a 1974 episode of the Kung Fu television series.
5 Rayna Kapec (Louise Sorel)
Star Trek: The Original Series Season 3, Episode 19 – “Requiem for Methuselah”
Keeping with the Star Trek tradition of Kirk being the most irresistible man in the galaxy, TOS season 3, episode 19, “Requiem For Methuselah,” showed that he was even appealing to non-living beings. When he wasn’t violating the Prime Directive, Kirk often got sidetracked on missions by the attentions of a pretty woman, and in Rayna Kapec he discovered his newest distraction. However, Kirk eventually learned she was a robot, and his affection for her was used to teach her emotions. It worked out in the end, though, because her newfound love for Kirk inspired Rayna to go against the wishes of her creator and help free the Enterprise crew.
4 Janice Lester (Sandra Smith)
Star Trek: The Original Series Season 3, Episode 24 – “Turnabout Intruder”
Dr. Janice Lester was another one of Captain Kirk’s many former lovers who returned in Star Trek: The Original Series, but their second stint together was anything but romantic. Appearing in Star Trek season 3, episode 24, “Turnabout Intruder,” Lester took over Kirk’s body in a fit of rage at her being passed over for a command position in Starfleet. While she was justified in her anger at Starfleet’s sexism, the episode was nevertheless a bad look for Star Trek as it also came off as sexist and represented women as overly emotional and jealous.
3 Carol Marcus (Bibi Besch)
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
While Kirk was out “gallivanting around the galaxy,” Dr. Carol Marcus raised his son, David (Merritt Butrick), unbeknownst to the legendary captain. Appearing in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Dr. Marcus reunited with her former lover after being attacked by Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalbán) and his men. Unable to keep the secret any longer, she revealed David’s parentage to the shock of both Captain Kirk and his son. Showing herself to be the maturer of the two, Dr. Marcus understood that Kirk’s lifestyle wasn’t conducive to raising a child and kept that burden to herself. Kirk got away with a lot in Star Trek, but it all caught up with him in The Wrath of Khan.
Carol Marcus also makes an appearance in J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek Into Darkness, played by Alice Eve. In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Paul Wesley’s James Kirk mentions Carol as his pregnant, on-again, off-again girlfriend, but the character has yet to appear.
2 Antonia (Lynn Salvatori)
Star Trek Generations
As revealed in Star Trek Generations, James Kirk met Antonia in 2282 while he was out horseback riding in Idaho. The two lived together in a small cabin in the woods for two years, before Kirk decided to end the relationship and return to Starfleet. When Kirk was pulled into the mysterious Nexus realm after his supposed death in 2293, he was given the opportunity to change history and marry Antonia. He initially chose to marry Antonia and remain with her, until Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) arrived in the Nexus and showed Kirk it was all an illusion.
1 Lt. La’an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong)
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
La’an Noonien-Singh, a descendant of the infamous Khan Noonien-Singh (Ricardo Montalban), serves as the Chief of Security on the USS Enterprise of Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. In Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 3, “Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow,” sparks fly between La’an and an alternate universe Captain Kirk when they travel back in time to the 21st century. Their brief relationship ended in tragedy, however, when Kirk was killed. La’an later met the Prime Universe version of Lt. James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley), and while he acknowledged the chemistry between them, he revealed his relationship with Carol Marcus. Whether or not Kirk and La’an ever embark on a relationship in the main Star Trek timeline, their connection remains undeniable.
