star trek the kelvins

Star Trek: Kelvin Timeline explained

We've remodulated our tricorders to help you make sense of the Star Trek Kelvin timeline from the recent Star Trek movies.

Our Star Trek: Kelvin Timeline explained article is here to tell Spock from Spock.

How do you reboot a franchise that’s been around more than 50 years old and whose fan base is, shall we say, passionate about the accuracy of its canon? If you wipe the slate completely clean and start afresh, you lose the benefit of five decades of lore from which to draw inspiration and characters. If you keep the continuity, you’re shackled to decades of details from which you can’t escape. What can you do? If you’re Star Trek, you create the Kelvin Timeline.

The Kelvin timeline, or "alternate universe Trek", creates a new environment in which the events of the more recent Star Trek films (Star Trek, Into Darkness, Beyond) won’t contradict those that came before. It’s also how Spock ended up meeting himself. 

If you want to rewatch the new Star Trek movies, our Star Trek streaming guide will show you where to watch them all online. And if you're curious to see how the new movies stack up against the classics, check out our Star Trek movies, ranked worst to best article. Now, let's dive into the Star Trek Kelvin timeline.

Event One: Nero Travels Through Time 

According to Star Trek (2009), the planet Romulus was destroyed by a supernova in the year 2387. Ambassador Spock attempted to use "red matter", a substance so powerful that a single drop can destroy a planet, to save Romulus by destroying the supernova. He did indeed manage to destroy the supernova, but not in time to prevent the planet’s destruction. To make matters worse, both his ship, the experimental Jellyfish, and the Romulan mining ship Narada were pulled into the black hole’s wake and sent hurtling backwards in time. Spock emerged in 2258 while the Romulans landed in 2233. 

The Narada’s captain, Nero decides to use this opportunity to take out his grief on the organization he holds responsible for the ruin of Romulus and, by extension, the death of his family: the Federation. One of his first acts is to destroy the U.S.S. Kelvin, captained heroically to the very last minute by George Kirk, who lives just long enough to name his newborn son James.

And thus begins the Kelvin timeline. 

Spock, Meet Spock 

Jim Kirk grows up as a rebellious punk constantly trying to outrun his father’s long shadow. Christopher Pike sees something of value in him and urges him to join Starfleet, which he eventually does. Through a contrivance of events, he ends up aboard the Enterprise along with Spock, Bones McCoy, Uhura, and the rest of the Original Series crew. 

It’s now 2258 and Ambassador Spock emerges from the black hole just in time to be scooped up by Nero, who keeps the Jellyfish — and its cache of red matter — for himself while abandoning Spock on the frozen planet of Delta Vega. He wants Spock to bear witness as the Narada drills a hole into the center of Vulcan and releases red matter at the planet’s core. The Enterprise tries to stop him and fails, though they do manage to rescue Spock’s father, Sarek. Nero is eventually defeated, and Spock's young and old take a moment to reflect on their coexistence

Enter Khan, Exit Kirk 

Nero’s too-close-to-success-for-comfort attempt to destroy Earth shifts Starfleet’s ethos from one of discovery to one of protection. They still want to "seek out new life forms," but only to find out how dangerous they are. In Into Darkness (2013), Alexander Marcus, leader of the secretive Section 31, finds the SS Botany Bay, stuffed to the rafters full of augmented humans in cryostasis. He wakes one of them up — Khan Noonien Singh — and forces him to build weapons that Earth could use to defend itself against alien threats. 

Huge surprise, Khan betrays Marcus, exacting vengeance on various Starfleet targets. In doing so, he kills Kirk’s father figure Christopher Pike. Marcus tries to leverage Kirk’s hot-headedness by sending Kirk after Khan, who has fled to the Klingon homeworld of Kronos. He figures Kirk will kill, not capture, Khan, thus removing a threat and evidence of Marcus’ secret project.

Kirk goes off script and keeps Khan alive, much to the chagrin of Admiral Marcus, who tries to blow them all the heck up. The sacrifice that leads to victory happens just as in the original, except in the Kelvin timeline it’s Kirk who gives his life to save his crew. In the prime timeline, Genesis brought Spock back to life, but here it’s Khan’s blood that gets the job done.

That bit of ugliness behind them, the Enterprise receives its five-year-mission. You know the one.

Farewell to Spock 

In Star Trek: Beyond (2016), the Enterprise discovers the USS Franklin, a Federation ship that had been lost for decades. Here’s what’s fun about that: the Kelvin timeline doesn’t start until 2233. The Franklin disappeared before that, so it exists in both timelines, which means a different version of it could theoretically pop up in Star Trek media that doesn’t adhere to the Kelvin timeline. 

In Kelvin, however, the Franklin is half-buried after crashing into the surface of the planet Altamid. Few of its former crew remain, and those that do are unrecognizable, having been transformed by technology they’ve used to keep themselves alive. The Franklin’s captain, Balthazar Edison, now known as Krall, rejects Starfleet ideals of peace. He’s a soldier and he believes that he should be allowed to do what he does best. He returns to starbase Yorktown with the goal of commandeering it to launch an attack on the Federation, but first he’ll have to kill every living thing in residence. Kirk et al save the day, of course. 

This is also the point at which Ambassador Spock leaves the timeline due to the passing of the peerless Leonard Nimoy. Kelvin Spock had been planning to rejoin what remains of the Vulcan people, but instead chooses to honor his other self by remaining in Starfleet.

Crossover With the Prime Timeline 

Keeping track of the Kelvin timeline is important because there are still Star Trek properties operating in the prime timeline, such as Picard . However, there has been a little bit of crossover between the two. Picard takes place long after the titular character has quit Starfleet, and early on we discover the destruction of Romulus was why. 

Picard wanted to launch a rescue mission to save as many Romulans as possible before the detonation of the supernova, but Starfleet pushed back. He went forward with it anyway, but when his ships were decimated by a fleet of rogue synths, Starfleet gave up all rescue efforts. Picard resigned in disgust. Everything that happens after that — and therefore everything taking place in the show — is part of the prime timeline, despite being kicked off by Event One.

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Susan Arendt is a freelance writer, editor, and consultant living in Burleson, TX. She's a huge sci-fi TV and movie buff, and will talk your Vulcan ears off about Star Trek. You can find more of her work at Wired, IGN, Polygon, or look for her on Twitter: @SusanArendt. Be prepared to see too many pictures of her dogs.

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The Star Trek Kelvin Timeline Explained

In 2009, Paramount Pictures released Star Trek , the first film in what would become a new action-oriented trilogy to reinvigorate the franchise at the worldwide box office. Directed by J.J. Abrams and starring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, and Zoe Saldana, Star Trek introduced the world to new versions of classic characters like Kirk, Spock, and Uhura, and it took us back to their earlier days in Starfleet. This wasn't just another reboot, though. Thanks to the heavy sci-fi influence of the original series, this version of Star Trek was actually presented in the form of an alternate timeline, with its roots in events of the original universe and one of the franchise's original characters.

Later dubbed "the Kelvin timeline" because of its connection to a destroyed Federation starship called the U.S.S.  Kelvin , this alternate reality set the stage for three different Star Trek feature films, all of which remixed original series continuity in some form or another. Plus, in recent years, the inciting incident for this reality has become a jumping-off point for more stories in the Prime Star Trek reality, making it a major influence in two different universes. From its explosive origins to its broader implications, this is Star Trek 's Kelvin timeline, explained

The real-world origins of the Kelvin timeline

In the late 2000s, Star Trek was in need of a re-invigoration. The last feature film in the franchise, Nemesis , came out in 2002, and the prequel TV series,  Star Trek: Enterprise , went off the air in 2005, leaving the legendary sci-fi property without a major live-action media presence for the first time in years. Ultimately, Paramount Pictures decided the way to bring Trek back was a prequel film ... but not just a typical prequel. The film that would become 2009's Star Trek fell into the hands of screenwriters Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, who decided to use time travel to create an alternate reality that would both raise the stakes for their "prequel" concept of a younger Kirk and Spock and also allow them to take some creative liberties with the well-worn characters.

Speaking with Sci Fi Wire in 2009 , Kurtzman explained, "Yeah, the biggest thing I think we all hiccuped on, just conceptually, when Trek was presented to us was, 'Well, we know how they all died. We know what happened to them.' And when you know that, it's very difficult to put them in jeopardy in a way that feels fresh or original. How do you ever have real stakes to your characters?" Well, the answer was the introduction of an alternate reality that would link the new Star Trek film series to past canon, while also allowing filmmakers to go their own way.

The Kelvin timeline has its roots in tragedy

The story of Star Trek 's Kelvin timeline began in the Prime Star Trek universe in the 2380s , when it became clear that the Romulan sun presented a major danger not just to the Romulan Star Empire but to a whole quadrant of the galaxy. The sun was nearing the end of its life and would soon go supernova, which would in turn destroy Romulus and other nearby worlds. Desperate to save their people, the Romulans asked the United Federation of Planets for help.

When evacuation efforts failed, Spock — now an ambassador from his homeworld of Vulcan — intervened in 2387 with his own attempt to halt the supernova through the use of red matter. Spock was able to stop the supernova's expansion but not before Romulus was destroyed, something he'd promised he could prevent. Enraged, a Romulan mining ship captain named Nero sought vengeance, and he attacked Spock's one-man vessel with his own ship, the Narada . During the pursuit, both ships were pulled through the black hole left in the wake of the supernova, which sent them back in time.

The fate of the U.S.S. Kelvin

Unbeknownst to Nero, when the Narada was drawn into the black hole, the Romulan ship was sent back to 2233, more than 150 years in the past. But the dude was still very angry. Nero's rage then focused on the first Federation vessel he found, the U.S.S. Kelvin . As the Romulan vessel attacked, First Officer George Kirk took command of the Kelvin after the death of his captain, and he sacrificed the ship to protect the escape shuttles fleeing the area, including the one carrying his wife and newborn son, James Kirk. The Kelvin was destroyed, and Nero's reign of terror continued in what was now an alternate reality. 

As you've probably guessed, the Kelvin Ttmeline is so named because the destruction of the Kelvin is the event triggering the alternate reality. In the Kelvin timeline, life unfolds in a way that's quite recognizable for longtime Star Trek fans but with many differences interspersed throughout the universe. The starships look similar, for example, but the designs are altered in many ways, and the same is true of things like phasers, communicators, and Starfleet uniforms.

A different Kirk

In the Prime Star Trek timeline, James T. Kirk's path to captaining the U.S.S. Enterprise is noteworthy but very conventional. Kirk entered Starfleet in part because of his father, but George Kirk was still very much alive when he signed up, and once Kirk was a part of Starfleet, he spent quite a bit of time doing other things before joining the Enterprise , including a stint as an Academy instructor and serving on the U.S.S. Farragut .

In the Kelvin timeline, though, the absence of Kirk's father sent him off on a very different path, one with much less conviction and certainty early on. This version of James T. Kirk was a rebellious young man, joyriding in stolen cars as a teenager and getting into bar fights in his 20s. His Starfleet journey actually began when one of these fights was broken up by Captain Christopher Pike, a Starfleet officer familiar with Kirk's history and his father's heroism. Pike — who was also Kirk's predecessor as captain of the Enterprise in the Prime timeline, under very different circumstances — urged young James to do something with his life because his father sacrificed himself to make sure Kirk would live and accomplish something meaningful. Spurred on by Pike, Kirk joined Starfleet and eventually tricked his way onto the newly launched Enterprise  after cadets in the Academy were called into service to help battle Nero.

Now, there are two Spocks

While Nero arrived in the Kelvin timeline in 2233, Spock didn't actually emerge from the black hole until 25 years later, and he found the vengeful Romulan waiting for him. Nero captured Spock's ship, the Jellyfish , and left the Vulcan stranded on the icy planet Delta Vega, with the intention of making Spock watch his own homeworld perish just as Nero had to watch Romulus fall. Nero achieved this by drilling into Vulcan's core with his ship's machinery, then shooting red matter into it. Vulcan collapsed as the Kelvin timeline version of Spock attempted to evacuate as many of his people as he could. He was able to save his father but not his human mother, who fell just as they were preparing to beam back up to the Enterprise .

A short time later, Kirk was also marooned on Delta Vega by an irate Spock, who was acting captain of the Enterprise and had already discerned Nero was a time traveler. Here, Kirk met the Prime timeline version of Spock, who used a Vulcan mind meld to reveal to him the explanation for Nero's presence, including the destruction of Romulus and the black hole he journeyed through. Eventually, both Spocks met each other and attempted to rebuild Vulcan culture through their shared knowledge and experience. With Spock Prime's help — including the introduction of transwarp beaming to the Kelvin timeline — Kirk and Spock were able to make amends and defeat Nero before he could destroy Earth, cementing the dynamic of the Enterprise crew.

A warlike Federation

The sudden destruction of Vulcan and the losses in the Federation fleet during the battle with Nero, coupled with the growing hostility of the Klingons, spurred certain factions within Starfleet to seek a more militaristic approach to dealing with the future of the galaxy. In 2258 and 2259, Admiral Alexander Marcus went to great lengths to pursue this more warlike approach in secret, and he began exploring the galaxy for various resources to use for the defense of Starfleet. Marcus' search eventually led to the discovery of Botany Bay and a group of enhanced superhumans in cryogenic stasis.

Desperate to advance his cause, Marcus roused the leader of the group, Khan Noonien Singh, and held the rest of Khan's people hostage while Khan himself was forced to develop advanced weapons for the Federation under the secretive Section 31. This included the development of the Vengeance , a powerful new Federation warship, and a new advanced torpedo design that Marcus hoped to use against the Klingons.

Khan tried to smuggle his people out of Marcus' care by hiding them, still in stasis, in the torpedoes, but Marcus discovered this plan. Certain that the admiral had already killed his people, Khan set out to become a one-man vengeance machine and destroy the Federation from the inside.

The wrath of Khan

Operating under the name John Harrison, Khan staged successful attacks on Starfleet facilities that resulted in the death of Admiral Christopher Pike. After this attack, Marcus saw a path to killing his former hostage and covering up his military conspiracy at the same time. He dispatched Kirk and the Enterprise to capture "Harrison" on the Klingon world Kronos, believing Kirk would simply kill the terrorist as an act of revenge. This set Kirk, Spock, and the Enterprise crew on a new, alternate trajectory to a confrontation with their old Prime universe foe.

At fist, Harrison/Khan tried to present himself as an ally to Kirk and Spock before finally turning on them when he felt he could safely extract his still-living crewmates from their torpedoes. The resulting confrontation led to Kelvin timeline Spock seeking the advice of Spock Prime, who recalled the deadly consequences of battling Khan. In the Prime timeline, it was Spock who paid with his life before being revived. In the Kelvin timeline, though, it was Kirk who sacrificed his life in the battle with Khan. Fortunately, Spock was able to defeat Khan through some clever deception, and Dr. Leonard McCoy was able to use Khan's blood, which had strange restorative properties, to revive Kirk.

The clash with Krall in the Kelvin timeline

After the battle with Khan, the Enterprise crew in the Kelvin timeline set out for their own version of the five-year mission we saw in Star Trek: The Original Series , and three years into that mission, they encountered something interesting (particularly from our perspective as observers), something with a backstory that extended far back into the timeline, before the universes diverged.

In Star Trek Beyond , the Enterprise crew discovers the buried U.S.S. Franklin , a Federation starship that was lost decades earlier, in an era before the Kelvin incident diverged the timelines. That means that, since the alternate reality doesn't really split until 2233, the loss of the Franklin is something we can consider to exist in both timelines. What happens after that — including the Enterprise 's encounter with Krall, the mutated former captain of the Franklin  — is part of the Kelvin timeline only, which means another version of Starfleet could encounter the Franklin in the Prime universe and theoretically have a different outcome. It's an intriguing idea spinning out of the fun sci-fi adventure story that  Beyond offers.

Star Trek Beyond also offers another intriguing detail regarding the Kelvin timeline's Spock. Early in the film, he's considering leaving Starfleet to have a more direct role in redeveloping Vulcan culture. After learning that Spock Prime has died, though, he chooses to honor his alternate self's memory by remaining in Starfleet, as it's what Spock Prime was doing at the same age.

How the Kelvin timeline has impacted the Prime timeline

The Kelvin timeline of Star Trek is fascinating for a number of reasons, including the fact that it didn't have to exist this way at all. The writers of 2009's Trek film could have simply said, "We're starting over, but the other films and shows are all still there for you to watch." They didn't do that, instead leaning into the science fiction of it all. That means we have an inciting incident for the Kelvin timeline that also exists as a major, galaxy-altering event in the Prime timeline, and that means there are consequences for both realities.

For a long time, those consequences weren't directly explored in Star Trek live-action storytelling, but that changed with the 2020 series Star Trek: Picard . Set in the decades following Star Trek: The Next Generation , the series follows the latter-day adventures of Jean-Luc Picard , and it reveals that his departure from Starfleet was directly tied to the Romulan sun disaster. Though many in the Federation opposed it, Picard spearheaded a massive evacuation effort to get as many people off Romulus as possible in the years before the supernova, only to have his rescue fleet destroyed by a surprise attack from a group of rogue synths. Starfleet dropped the rescue effort entirely in the aftermath, and Picard resigned.

How Star Trek Connected the Kelvin Timeline to the Prime Universe

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The Star Trek universe encompasses over two dozen films and series spanning 57 years. There are real-world reasons the trilogy of films, beginning with 2009's Star Trek, separates the continuity. One of them was so that modern-day storytellers wouldn't be hamstrung trying to fit their stories into the canon. Yet, after the film series petered out and companies merged, they all connected.

Rather than simply trying to tell a prequel story or reboot the continuity entirely, writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman crafted a way to connect the film to what came before. Leonard Nimoy appeared as an older Spock in the film, despite Zachary Quinto playing a younger version of that character. The premise was that the Romulan Sun destabilized, and before Spock could save his alien cousins, the planet was destroyed. With the help of some sci-fi stuff called "Red Matter," Spock and a giant Romulan mining vessel captained by Eric Bana's Nero traveled back in time. When Kurtzman was eventually tapped to kick off the third wave of the Star Trek series , he stuck to what's known as the "Prime Universe" partly because of rights issues. Still, by the time Picard debuted, the Kelvin Timeline and Prime Universe were loosely connected.

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The Kelvin Timeline Is One of Many Alternate Realities in Star Trek

Between 2006 and 2019, CBS Television and Paramount owners Viacom were separate companies. While CBS retained the rights to Star Trek on TV, Paramount was able to hold on to the film rights thanks to the 2009 film. The characters and situations in the movies were off-limits for TV. When CBS and Viacom merged (again), all the rights to Star Trek were under the same corporate umbrella. While there are many alternate timelines and realities in Star Trek , they usually disappear by the end of a specific episode. The Kelvin Timeline persists , and the events in the Prime Universe that inspired it have been canonized. In the run-up to the 2009 film, IDW released a prequel comic series featuring many of The Next Generation characters. While things like Geordi La Forge building the Jellyfish ship may not be canon, the events mentioned in the film are.

When Picard debuted in 2020, one of the reasons he effectively retired from Starfleet was because of the destruction of Romulus. He organized a massive fleet to rescue the Romulan people, but an attack (orchestrated by Romulan spies) prevented it from happening. So, at the end of the 24th century, the planet Romulus is destroyed. This also means Spock disappeared into the alternate past, where he died, as mentioned in Star Trek: Beyond . However, what happened to him and Nero's ship is likely a mystery to Starfleet at that time. But it's not a mystery to the Starfleet of the future.

In the first episode of Star Trek: Discovery Season 3, the titular ship and her crew traveled 900 years into the future. By the end of that season, an operative from the shady intelligence agency Section 31, played by David Cronenberg of all people, revealed that an alien Starfleet officer from the Kelvin Timeline crossed into their timeframe. The uniform suggested they were from the mid-24th century, around the time of The Next Generation series . This officer revealed the major events of the Kelvin Timeline to the Starfleet of the Prime Universe. They are also aware of the Mirror Universe, where Michelle Yeoh's character was from.

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How Does the Kelvin Timeline Affect Star Trek Canon?

While The Kelvin Timeline is as canon as anything else in Star Trek , it doesn't apply to any other series. As a concept in big franchises, canon is more guidelines for the writers of future stories than for fans. It gives the universe consistency. In fact, even though Star Trek: The Animated Series isn't itself canon, many concepts introduced in the show became essential parts. This means the Kelvin Timeline is as much a part of the canon as the Mirror Universe. It is a separate reality with its own history or future, depending on the storytelling perspective. Still, the events of the Prime Universe mentioned in the films are canon and have affected the shows produced after the movies.

Unfortunately for the Kelvin Timeline, it is stuck in limbo. Should storytellers want to revisit it or perhaps do a big-old multiverse crossover like The Flash movie , it might become relevant. As it stands now, the Prime Universe is still the one Star Trek fans need to care about the most. For now, the three films released in the early 21st century are as Star Trek as it gets while remaining a little pocket universe for folks to enjoy on its own merits.

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The Kelvin Timeline of Star Trek

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Star Trek: Mapping Out the New “Kelvin” Timeline

Star Trek superfans are sticklers for canon. Star Trek’s official lore spans centuries, from obscure millennia past to the far-flung future of the 31st century. When J.J. Abrams and his production team set out to create a new version of Star Trek in the form of the 2009 film of the same name , they knew they had to address a daunting question. How could they reinvent iconic characters like Captain Kirk , Spock , and Dr. McCoy  without trampling on decades worth of lore?

The answer to that question is the most clever conceit of the current feature film series: Rather than violate canon or create a prequel to the original show, the production team decided to create an alternate reality .

That means the new films are not a reboot of the original Star Trek. Rather, they exist in a separate yet parallel universe to the six TV shows and 10 films that came before. It may seem like a small semantic shift, but it allayed any fears Star Trek fans had that Abrams would barge his way in and obliterate 40 years of existing Trek history.

Even better, Abrams and team actually created a fictional reason for this new timeline (known now as the Kelvin Timeline) to exist, then tied it directly to events that occurred in the original timeline (aka the Prime Timeline).

So how exactly did the Kelvin Timeline come about, and what’s happened since?

Romulus Is Destroyed (Prime Year 2387)

In the year 2387, almost 20 years after the events of The Next Generation , a supernova threatened the entire galaxy. In its path was the planet Romulus , the capital of the Romulan Star Empire . Spock, whose long Vulcan lifespan allowed him to live for over 100 years after Star Trek: The Original Series , promised to help the Romulans. Armed with a substance known as red matter that could disrupt the supernova, Spock took a Vulcan ship to Romulus — but it was too late. The supernova destroyed Romulus. Spock launched the red matter anyway to stop any further destruction.

A Romulan mining ship called the Narada , commanded by a Romulan named Nero , witnessed the planet’s destruction and found Spock. Nero, enraged by the destruction of his planet and the death of his pregnant wife, blamed Spock for what happened. Both the Narada  and Spock’s ship came too close to the black hole created by the red matter. They were both sucked in, with the Narada going in first.

And that’s where the Kelvin Timeline begins…

The Narada and the Kelvin (Kelvin Year 2233)

Over 100 years earlier, in 2233, the Federation starship U.S.S. Kelvin intercepted strange readings on the Klingon border. They went to the source of the readings and found the black hole, with the Narada  emerging from it soon after. The Narada immediately attacked the Kelvin , and Nero realized that he and his entire crew had gone back in time to the 23rd century. George Kirk , the first officer aboard the Kelvin , commanded his ship after the death of his captain.

At the same time, his wife Winona gave birth to a son: James Tiberius Kirk . Only minutes after the future Captain Kirk’s birth aboard an escape shuttle, the Kelvin was destroyed, taking George Kirk with it.

It was this event that sparked the beginning of the Kelvin Timeline. The destruction of the Kelvin didn’t happen in the timeline Nero came from. George Kirk lived to old age and watched his son become captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise . By virtue of Nero’s arrival and the ripple effect it caused, history would be very different in this new universe.

Nero, meanwhile, went into exile, having calculated that because of time displacement, it would not be another 25 years until Spock arrived from the future.

Kirk and Spock Begin (Kelvin Year 2258)

The young Kirk and Spock both began their lives in a new reality. Kirk, raised without a father, became rebellious and was often in trouble with the law in Iowa. Yet he was still gifted. The half-human Spock grappled with his emotions while growing up on Vulcan. He joined Starfleet and became first officer on the Enterprise , under the command of Christopher Pike . Kirk also joined Starfleet on advice from Captain Pike.

In 2258, Nero finally captured Spock Prime. Intent on revenge, Nero used red matter to destroy Vulcan . Starfleet sent an armada, crewed largely by available cadets from Starfleet Academy, in order to find out what was happening. The Enterprise , upon which Cadet Kirk had snuck on board after he was put on academic suspension, arrived late to find the armada destroyed. Nero spared the Enterprise only because he knew the young Spock would be aboard. Pike was captured by the Romulans, but not before he placed Spock in command and appointed Kirk as first officer.

A disagreement over what to do next led Spock to abandon Kirk on a snowy world near Vulcan. Kirk met Spock Prime there and learned about what happened in the other timeline. With the help of Montgomery Scott (Scotty), who was stationed at an outpost, Kirk transported back to the Enterprise and emotionally compromised Spock, forcing him to step down as acting captain. Kirk took command and led the crew to rescue Captain Pike and destroy the Narada . Pike was promoted to Admiral, while Kirk became captain of the Enterprise .

The new crew soon set out on their mission. By that point, the other classic characters of Leonard McCoy , Nyota Uhura , Hikaru Sulu , and Pavel Chekov also joined the crew throughout the course of the mission to stop Nero.

Starfleet’s Militarization (Kelvin Years 2258-2259)

After Vulcan was destroyed, Starfleet — under the command of Admiral Alexander Marcus — began searching distant quadrants of space. Their objective was to find anything they could use to strengthen Starfleet. Not only could that prevent a future disaster like Vulcan, but Marcus also believed that war with the Klingons was imminent. He wanted that war. He wanted to win it, and he believed he was the only one who could. The militarization of Starfleet had begun.

While searching, Starfleet discovered the Botany Bay , a 20th-century spaceship from Earth that carried genetically-engineered humans. These humans, known as Augments , were led by Khan Noonien Singh . Khan and his crew had been frozen in cryosleep since the 1990s, and Marcus awoke only Khan.

Under the new identity of Commander John Harrison, Khan was forced into working for Section 31 , a covert black ops group in Starfleet, to design new weapons and ships that could benefit from Khan’s savagery. Marcus used Khan’s crew against him, but Khan eventually placed them inside the torpedoes he had built and tried to smuggle them to safety. Khan was discovered, and he was forced to flee Starfleet alone.

Khan’s Wrath (Kelvin Year 2259)

Khan believed his crew was dead, so he set out for revenge against Marcus and Starfleet. He bombed a Section 31 base in London, prompting the fleet captains and their first officers to gather in San Francisco. Among those present were Pike, Kirk, and Spock. Kirk had lost command of the Enterprise after violating the Prime Directive , and he was reassigned to be first officer under Pike, who retook command of the ship. Khan attacked the officers and killed many of them, Pike included, giving Kirk his own thirst for revenge.

Khan found refuge on the Klingon homeworld, which was where Marcus — who wanted to use this as a pretext for war — ordered Kirk to take the Enterprise to kill “John Harrison” with the torpedoes Khan had designed. Instead, Spock convinced Kirk to capture “Harrison” and return him to Earth for trial. Kirk then learned that Harrison was really Khan.

Marcus soon arrived aboard an experimental starship called the Vengeance . Never intending for Kirk to make it away from the Klingon homeworld alive, Marcus fired on the Enterprise . Kirk and Khan teamed up to space jump from the damaged Enterprise to the Vengeance , which Scotty had snuck onboard earlier and disabled. There, they could capture Marcus and rescue his daughter, Carol Marcus , a member of the Enterprise crew.

Once aboard, Khan betrayed Kirk, killed Admiral Marcus, and demanded that Spock beam the Augment-filled torpedoes to the Vengeance . Once Spock did so, Khan returned the Enterprise crew members and opened fire. The Enterprise was critically damaged, but Spock played his trump card: He detonated the torpedoes in the Vengeance launch bay, after having Dr. McCoy remove the Augments while they were still on the Enterprise. The Enterprise nearly crashed before Kirk sacrificed his life to save the ship, while Khan crashed the dying Vengeance into the heart of San Francisco.

Spock, enraged at the death of Kirk, chased Khan through San Francisco. McCoy, meanwhile, realized that Khan’s blood had regenerative properties that could return Kirk to life. Uhura transported to San Francisco, where she convinced Spock to capture Khan instead of killing him. Kirk returned to life because of the blood, while Khan was placed into cryosleep once again. One year later, the refitted Enterprise was assigned a new journey: a five-year mission to explore where no one has gone before.

The Five-Year Mission (Kelvin Year 2263)

WARNING: Major Plot Spoilers for Star Trek Beyond Follow!

After spending so much time in deep space, the crew of the Enterprise  became listless. Even Captain Kirk, always the adventurer, thought things were getting a little too routine. A stop at a space station called Yorktown , though, gave them a new mission: rescuing a crew stranded on a planet cloaked inside a nebula . The Enterprise traveled to this strange new world only to be immediately attacked and destroyed by a crew of drone ships. Kirk was the last person to depart the ship, watching the saucer of the Enterprise crash onto the surface from his escape pod.

With most of the crew captured by the leader of the drone swarm, a mysterious alien warrior named Krall , Kirk and the others who weren’t captured regrouped and find their crewmates with the help of a stranded warrior named Jaylah . They ended up boarding the crashed remains of a 22nd-century starship called the USS Franklin , that disappeared in the early 2160s and was never heard from again. The crew repaired the Franklin , which Jaylah had been working on for several years after making the ship her home, and rescued the rest of their crew.

It was then that they learned the truth: Krall was actually Balthazar Eddison, the captain of the Franklin , who had used alien technology to keep himself alive — at the cost of extreme physical mutation. And he had a beef with the Federation: He was a soldier in the Xindi War and the Earth-Romulan War , who felt he was forgotten when peace was achieved and the Federation never rescued his crew. For a century, Krall searched for an ancient artifact known as the Abronath that could power a bioweapon from the planet, and he attacked the Enterprise once he learned it was aboard.

Flying the Franklin , Kirk and his crew followed Krall to Yorktown, where Krall intended to unleash the bioweapon against millions of Federation citizens. Kirk defeated Krall, who was sucked into space and killed. Through his dealings with Krall, who had a similar identity crisis, Kirk came to remember that being a starship captain was his first, best destiny, and that he lived for the adventure with his crew. The crew was given a new starship, the USS Enterprise-A , and they resumed their five-year mission to explore where no one has gone before.

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Published Aug 7, 2017

FIRST LOOK: The Art of Star Trek: The Kelvin Timeline

The Art of Star Trek: The Kelvin Timeline , due out December 5th from Titan Books, showcases behind-the-scenes production, dazzling costume and set designs, intricate concept art and on-set photography from Star Trek (2009) , Star Trek Into Darkness and Star Trek Beyond . Written by Jeff Bond, author of The Music of Star Trek and many other books, The Art of Star Trek: The Kelvin Timeline is the essential companion to the movies. StarTrek.com is pleased to share an exclusive First Look at images from the book.

The Art of Star Trek: The Kelvin Timeline will be available as a hardback that spans 192 pages. It will cost $39.95 in the U.S. and £29.99 in the UK.

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A friendly reminder regarding spoilers ! At present the expanded Trek universe is in a period of major upheaval with the continuations of Discovery and Prodigy , the advent of new eras in gaming with the Star Trek Adventures RPG , Star Trek: Infinite and Star Trek Online , as well as other post-57th Anniversary publications such as the ongoing IDW Star Trek comic and spin-off Star Trek: Defiant . Therefore, please be courteous to other users who may not be aware of current developments by using the {{ spoiler }}, {{ spoilers }} OR {{ majorspoiler }} tags when adding new information from sources less than six months old (even if it is minor info). Also, please do not include details in the summary bar when editing pages and do not anticipate making additions relating to sources not yet in release. THANK YOU

• Races and cultures
• Extragalactic races and cultures
• Non-humanoid species
• 1 Physiology
• 3 Preemptive strike
• 4.1 Body shells
• 4.2 Belt device
• 4.3 Multi-generational starships
• 5 External link

Physiology [ ]

The Kelvans' original form compared to humanoids is immense. An adult Kelvan was twice the size of an adult Klingon male. ( DS9 episode : " Time's Orphan ") The Kelvans also had an incredibly disciplined mind, which allowed them to operate each of their hundred tentacle-like limbs independently, but any Kelvan soldier worth his pay grade would have lost at least ten of them in normal combat. They also had hooked claws on their appendages, a blowhole, and a beak. ( TOS episode : " By Any Other Name "; TOS - Strange New Worlds 9 short story : " Gone Native ")

Culture [ ]

Kelvan society was based in order and discipline. They believed in their innate superiority, and deemed it the fate of lesser species to be conquered and ruled. Ruthless but practical, their goals were expressed in plain, civil terms lacking any indication of bloodthirst. As long as the obedience demanded by the Kelvan Code of Honor was upheld, their conquered subjects were treated with appropriate respect and given some bounded latitude. ( TOS episode : " By Any Other Name ")

Preemptive strike [ ]

Centuries ago, Kelvan scientists discovered that the rising radiation levels in the Andromeda Galaxy would make it uninhabitable by their species within 10,000 years. In response to this threat, the Kelvan Empire sent several multi-generational  starships  to the nearest galaxies. The explorer crews would spend several generations on their journey, and were ordered to search for new territories and to report on their suitability for conquest and occupation.

One of these Kelvan starships left Andromeda sometime in the 1960s , and reached the Milky Way Galaxy only 300 years later, in 2268 . However, the Kelvans were not aware of the galactic barrier surrounding the Milky Way, and their ship was destroyed in the crossing. A small group led by Rojan survived their ship's destruction and were able to reach a Class M planet where they adopted the humanoid form, believing it would be more suitable regarding the planet conditions.

With a false distress call, Rojan and his team were able to capture the USS Enterprise . Rojan's crew modified the  Enterprise  with Kelvan technology, permitting the starship to penetrate the galactic barrier, and began the long return voyage to Kelva .

Once the Barrier was successfully breached, Kirk and his senior officers began a systematic subversion of the Kelvans' mission by exploiting their weaknesses: their inexperience with the new sensations offered by their humanoid bodies. Kirk convinced Rojan that his new life as a humanoid could be experienced to the fullest on a world in the  Federation , and a robotic envoy to Andromeda could fulfill his mission by delivering a Federation peace proposal to the Kelvan Empire. ( TOS episode : " By Any Other Name ")

Technology [ ]

The Kelvans' technological knowledge after the launch of their multi-generation starships is unknown, but the technology possessed by Rojan's team when they made contact with the Enterprise was far beyond the Federation's abilities of that period.

Body shells [ ]

Kelvans were able to abandon their natural forms in favor of new bodies more appropriate to local environments. This process, which was described by Rojan as "encasing" themselves in "humanoid shells", also had the collateral effect of shifting Kelvan personalities toward a humanoid perspective as they experienced life with radically different physical senses. ( TOS episode : " By Any Other Name ")

Belt device [ ]

Kelvan belt devices

In their humanoid form, Kelvans carried a device worn on belts around their waist. With a touch, a Kelvan could immobilize multiple targets with a neural field that selectively neutralized nerve impulses to their voluntary muscles or, if necessary, the device could instantly "distill" a lifeform, suspending animation and encoding the target's physical form and personality into a compact dehydrated porous cuboctahedron solid, composed of the target's base minerals. The person could be reconstituted from their solid state at any time, but if the solid was damaged, the process could not be reversed. These belt devices had a central projector radiating from the planet surface. The projector was shielded by a metallic substance, similar to  diburnium , but considerably more dense and impervious to  phaser  fire. ( TOS episode : " By Any Other Name ")

Multi-generational starships [ ]

Kelvan multi-generational starships were capable of sustained life through the voids between galaxies, which offered no way to replenish their supplies. Their  propulsion systems allowed them to cross these distances in a very short period of time, considering that a  Constitution -class starship running at maximum warp would take thousands of years to complete the journey. They were also capable of traversing the Great Barrier, although being unaware of its existence, they lost their ship when crossing it. ( TOS episode : " By Any Other Name ")

External link [ ]

• Kelvan article at Memory Alpha , the wiki for canon Star Trek .
• 1 Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
• 2 Odyssey class
• 3 Typhon class

Star Trek: The Kelvin Timeline, Explained

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Star Trek first graced the small screen way back in the late 1960s, and since then it has been a staple in the science fiction adventure genre. Over the years it has not only come up with some of the most incredible depictions of what further lies ahead for mankind, but also influenced modern day technology . This all came to a rather disappointing stop, however, back in 2005 when the Star Trek: Enterprise went off the air, leaving a large void for the first time in years. Eager to bring Star Trek back into popular culture and re-invigorate the franchise Paramount Pictures set about creating not only a new, never seen before action adventure Star Trek film, but to create an entirely new timeline: The Kelvin Timeline.

Paramount wanted a prequel film, showing what led Captain James T. Kirk and the much loved, much memed, Spock to where audiences see them in The Original Series. Screenwriters Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci were hired to create this story, but they quickly ran into conceptual problems. Their biggest problem was that audiences already knew the story of these characters and what happens to them. Unless purely new people were watching the film, there would not be the same amount of drama or suspense, especially when they know how these characters die (and thus know that they don’t die in the new film). The other issue was that Kirk’s life before the events of The Original Series were not particularly film-worthy. That's not to say they were not interesting or exciting, but there wasn’t much canonically there to explore.

RELATED: Star Trek: The Klingon Language, Explained

Keeping to the canon was something Kurtzman and Orci were especially interested in. They had an opportunity to rewrite the story, make changes here and there that broke with the history Star Trek had established so well over the years. Instead, they decided to do something interesting, and use time travel to create a whole new timeline . With this device, they were able to incorporate new and fresh ideas and narrative, but left the original “prime” timeline in place. This is one of the main story elements of the 2009 film Star Trek , which starts in the year 2380 in, interestingly, the “prime” timeline. This is the same universe audiences know and love, the one that gave them heartbreaking moments on DS9 , and the enigmatically wonderful Captain Picard.

The Romulan sun is about to go supernova, which would destroy not only Romulus, but countless other nearby worlds. Cutting a long story short, Ambassador Spock used a red matter device to stop the disaster, but he failed to save the home world, leading him to be chased and attacked by a lone Romulan mining ship, the Narada, captained by a Romulan named Nero. This is where things start to get complicated. During the chase, the two get caught in the gravitation pull of a black hole, which flings them back in time to the year 2233, over 150 years in the past. Being a Romulan , Nero, despite his confusion, seeks out and attacks the nearest Federation ship, which just so happened to be the U.S.S. Kelvin, captained by none other than First Officer George Kirk — James T. Kirk's father. In an effort to save the countless shuttles escaping the destruction wrought by Nero, which included a shuttle containing the newborn James Kirk and his mother, George Kirk sacrifices his ship. As the Kelvin is destroyed, it sets about the start of the new timeline, named in honor of the ships' sacrifice.

From this point onwards, things follow a fairly similar chain of events to those who know the “prime” timeline, but things are all slightly different. Audiences are shown a different Kirk, one who is rebellious, and far away from the fairly conventional pre-enterprise Kirk mentioned earlier. Bar fights and stolen car joyrides are a few of his newfound hobbies, but as things progress, the old Kirk attitude comes through. Eventually he finds himself fighting alongside Starfleet (after a bit of fibbing) aboard the iconic USS Enterprise . Yet despite his similar trajectory, there are bigger differences in the wider universe. One of these, which came as a shock to many first time viewers, was that the 2009 film ended with the destruction of Vulcan by the hands of Nero as penance for the destruction of his own home world, having blamed Spock.

The similarities and differences continue into the second film Star Trek: Into Darkness where audiences are introduced (or perhaps re-introduced) to the one and only Khan Noonien Singh. In the prime timeline, Kirk is the one who awakens him from the cryogenic stasis, and starts a whole series of events that end in one of the best Star Trek films ever made, The Wrath of Khan. However, in the Kelvin timeline, it is Admiral Alexander Marcus who wakes Khan from his slumber.

After the destruction of Vulcan, Starfleet is no longer the same utopian Starfleet audiences have grown to know and love ( ignoring their problematic tendencies ) from the previous iterations into the franchise. It had adopted a much more militaristic persona, breeding warlike minds like that of Admiral Marcus. In secret, he blackmails the reawakened Khan to help develop powerful weaponry, as well as warships for the federation. Audiences are treaded to the same characters and baseline story, but from the perspective of an all new timeline.

The Kelvin timeline is rather hit-and-miss among fans of the Star Trek franchise. Some like to ignore its existence, but in a way that’s exactly what the writers wanted. They wanted to retell a story that everyone knew and do it differently, all without breaking the well-respected canon that fans have grown so attached to. Creating the Kelvin timeline was a stroke of genius in a way, and while not being directly linked to the “prime” timeline, the films have still influenced proceeding additions to the franchise. The destruction of Romulan, an event that the 2009 Star Trek states takes place ion the “prime” timeline, plays as major context to the events of 2020s Picard . The Kelvin timeline is a great example of how one small event can cause major ripples within the universe, changing events to near unrecognizable levels, all while producing four ( to count the upcoming 2023 film ) half-decent Star Trek films.

MORE: How Star Trek: The Next Generation Explored Blindness & Accessibility With Geordi LaForge

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Star Trek Trilogy: The Kelvin Timeline (4k UHD + Blu-ray + Digital)

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When the U.S.S. Kelvin is wrapped up in a temporal anomaly, the path of Starfleet and the future of the universe as we know it takes off in a new direction: the Kelvin Timeline. Up against the Romulans, the superhuman Khan (Benedict Cumberbatch), and the alien warlord Krall (Idris Elba), it’s all hands on deck for the U.S.S. Enterprise crew, led by the young and headstrong Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto), Uhura (Zoe Saldana), McCoy (Karl Urban), and Scotty (Simon Pegg). J.J. Abrams’s reboot of the classic franchise has received dozens of accolades, including an Academy Award. For devoted fans of the beloved benchmark sci-fi series, all three films now come together in the Kelvin Timeline Trilogy – a bold, new beginning and a must-have in anyone’s Star Trek collection.

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When the U.S.S. Kelvin is wrapped up in a temporal anomaly, the path of Starfleet and the future of the universe as we know it takes off in a new direction: the Kelvin Timeline. Up against the Romulans, the superhuman Khan (Benedict Cumberbatch), and the alien warlord Krall (Idris Elba), it’s all hands on deck for the U.S.S. Enterprise crew, led by the young and headstrong Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto), Uhura (Zoë Saldana), McCoy (Karl Urban), and Scotty (Simon Pegg). J. J. Abrams’s reboot of the classic franchise has received dozens of accolades, including an Academy Award. For devoted fans of the beloved benchmark sci-fi series, all three films now come together in the Kelvin Timeline Trilogy—a bold, new beginning and a must-have in anyone’s Star Trek collection.

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• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned)
• Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 0.7 x 7.5 x 5.4 inches; 5.93 ounces
• Item model number ‏ : ‎ BR59210931
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ 4K, Subtitled
• Release date ‏ : ‎ May 12, 2020
• Actors ‏ : ‎ John Cho, Simon Pegg, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana
• Dubbed: ‏ : ‎ Spanish, French, Portuguese
• Studio ‏ : ‎ PARAMOUNT
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B085HQNRJ3
• Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 6
• #377 in Action & Adventure Blu-ray Discs

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Star Trek: 10 Best Scenes from the Reboot Trilogy, Ranked

When Star Trek returned to big screens in 2009 with a brand-new cast, producers and directors, Paramount likely hoped it would spawn far more than three films. However, that movie, along with Star Trek Into Darkness and Star Trek Beyond were all that came from the big-budget reboot of Gene Roddenberry's universe. While the film series was controversial, there are plenty of great Star Trek scenes in the reboot trilogy. While rumors still linger that a fourth Star Trek film in the Kelvin Timeline is coming, it's been eight years since the crew of the bigger, chunkier USS Enterprise last took flight.

There are legitimate fan complaints, specifically in how the storytelling seems to eschew the hopeful, aspirational aspect of the future. Still, looking at the previous Star Trek films, they also tried to tell "feature size" stories, which meant action, space battles and, sometimes, terrible losses. The new cast didn't have the advantage of a television series preceding them, either. Still, the Star Trek reboot trilogy wasn't all misses, as there were some hits as well. This list breaks down some of the best scenes from the films that highlighted the bigger on-screen action and the quiet, character-driven moments that always made Star Trek so great.

George Kirk Takes Command of the USS Kelvin

Star trek, 2009.

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If any moment in the new trilogy of Star Trek films is important, it's the scene which gives the "Kelvin Timeline" its name . In the Prime Universe, George Kirk's son was born on Earth in Iowa. In the Kelvin universe, because of the Narada coming back in time, the USS Kelvin was dispatched to investigate. George Kirk was promoted to acting Captain when Nero killed the Kelvin's actual commanding officer. He had to oversee the ship's evacuation and buy them time to escape.

This scene is controversial for how it changes the Star Trek canon, but it's nonetheless a great scene. Chris Hemsworth is the young George Kirk and through his performance, audiences can infer how much of the Captain Kirk they knew came from his influence. It is also a quintessentially iconic Star Trek moment. A captain sacrifices everything, including his future with his wife and child, to do his duty and protect his crew .

Scotty Meets Jaylah After the Destruction of the USS Enterprise

Star trek beyond, 2016.

One area of complaint fans had about the Star Trek Kelvin Timeline movies was they did not truly embrace the exploratory side of this universe. In fact, the only true "first contact" viewers get to see is when Simon Pegg's Montgomery Scott first meets Jaylah (Sofia Boutella), the alien woman stranded on Krall's planet. It is an impeccable sci-fi action sequence, and Pegg's humorous take on Scotty works perfectly here.

Jaylah becomes an important part of the film, because she took control of the USS Franklin, the 22nd Century Starfleet vessel Krall was in command of when he was still Balthazar M. Edison (Idris Elba). This scene perfectly establishes the character as one who is eager to fight but not unwilling to make alliances . As far as first contacts in Star Trek go, there have certainly been worse ones throughout the various timelines.

Captain Kirk and Mister Spock's First Away Mission to Rescue Christopher Pike

Typically, a Star Trek away mission involves beaming down to some unknown planet and exploring. Since the first film in the Kelvin Timeline didn't offer much chance for exploration, the first away mission Captain James T. Kirk and Mister Spock went on together was a run-and-gun shootout with Romulans. The entire sequence is a meticulous action piece, with moments of camaraderie and levity where needed.

Despite Kirk and Spock being at each other's throats (literally in the scene where Spock relieves himself of command) this sequence provides some respite. While not yet good friends, the seeds of their eventual dynamic are visible here . From Kirk's cool end-around move from when Spock is doing the mind-meld to the banter on the Prime Universe Spock's Jellyfish ship, it's a taste of what will come. In another nod to The Original Series , Captain Kirk gets into an old-school fight with the hostile aliens. At least Chris Pine was able to keep his shirt on.

Mister Spock and Doctor McCoy Share a Sincere Moment

Star trek's new spock actors praised by leonard nimoy's son.

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In The Original Series and through all the films, the playfully hostile dynamic between Doctor Leonard McCoy and Mister Spock is a highlight. As Karl Urban evoked the late DeForrest Kelly with his performance, it was never better than when he was picking on Spock. After seeing Vulcan destroyed in the first film, Zachary Quinto's Spock was a softer touch than Leonard Nimoy's, at least at that age. Still, their banter was a highlight.

After the USS Enterprise was destroyed and crashed on Krall's planet, a sequence of scenes with McCoy and Spock showed the other side of their friendship. In the final moments before they were reunited with Kirk and Scotty, Spock and McCoy shared an important moment. Spock told McCoy that he cared about him, and the good Doctor was pleased he was in this "certain death" moment with his frienemy . At least, until Spock was beamed away.

James T. Kirk and Hikaru Sulu Fight on the Drilling Platform

The 2009 Star Trek film was the first time Gene Roddenberry's universe was realized on screen with a massive budget. This meant gigantic action sequences that other films never had the chance to pull off. One of the best was the fight on the Narada's drilling platform over the planet Vulcan. In a nod to The Original Series , John Cho's Hikaru Sulu went on the mission because of his skill with a sword, even though it was just fencing. He and Jim Kirk were air-dropped onto the platform in an effort save Vulcan.

While they weren't able to prevent the planet's destruction, this is still a great action sequence. S ulu is able to outsmart the Romulans, and he also saves Kirk . Similarly, Kirk's act-first-think-later heroism is on display after he dives off the platform to rescue Sulu as they both plummet to Vulcan's surface. It was a thrilling and fun sequence in the film, raising spirits before the heartbreak of watching Vulcan's destruction.

James T. Kirk Sees the USS Enterprise for the First Time

Star trek 2009.

In Star Trek: The Original Series and the films that followed, it became clear there was only one thing that Captain James T. Kirk ever truly loved. While the Kelvin Timeline failed the Enterprise as a character , it was still a spectacular starship. With the help of Michael Giacchino's rousing score, the moment that Jim Kirk, Doctor McCoy and, thereby, the audience first see the new USS Enterprise is a fantastic one. Even though she wasn't yet his starship, it's clear the moment Kirk first saw the Enterprise was still special.

The vessel's design was different than fans were used to, but it still maintained that iconic Matt Jefferies-created silhouette . While not the six-minute-long introduction the USS Enterprise received in Star Trek: The Motion Picture , this moment was still for the starship lovers in the audience. This version of the Enterprise was truly massive in scope and scale . While Star Trek fans have their favorites, there is no denying that the Kelvin Timeline Enterprise had an impressive debut in the movie.

Mister Spock Gives Captain Kirk a Pep Talk After the Enterprise Is Destroyed

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For USS Enterprise fans, Star Trek Beyond is a tough film to watch, since she is destroyed in the first act. However, as important as sci-fi's most beautiful starship is to Star Trek , the vessel isn't what made it last 60 years. The most important part of any story in this universe is the relationship between the characters, and the most important relationship is the one between Kirk and Spock. In a film that has both Kirk and Spock ready to leave Starfleet behind, the moment they are reunited on Krall's planet is everything that's special about this friendship.

It's fair to say the Kelvin Timeline films lacked much of the aspirational outlook on the future as the series. However, that doesn't mean those ideals weren't present at all. At their lowest point, with no working ship, a captured crew and Spock grievously injured, the movie distills Star Trek down to what it's always been. Spock tells Kirk that together they will do what they always do: find hope in impossible moments . It hearkens back to Star Trek III: The Search for Spock when McCoy tells Kirk that what he does best is "turn death into a fighting chance to live."

The Prime Universe Spock Meets His Kelvin Timeline Counterpart

Even if fans believe there is nothing about the new cast that was redeeming, the Star Trek reboot trilogy is special because it gave them Leonard Nimoy as Spock one last time . The Kelvin Timeline began because both Spock and the Narada were flung into the past. This meant that the Prime Universe's Spock was present in this new timeline. He gave the younger Jim Kirk the assistance he needed to achieve his destiny. Yet, one of the best scenes in the Star Trek trilogy is when he does the same for his younger counterpart. After all, he'd also just lost his planet and his mother, without the benefit of all the life experience the Prime Spock had attained over nearly two centuries of adventure.

The short scene began with the younger Spock mistaking the elder Spock for their father, Sarek. While every member of the new Star Trek cast faced pressure because of their iconic predecessors, only Zachary Quinto had to act opposite the person who defined their characters. It's a truly heartwarming scene because of the interplay of their performances, which is ironic given that it's between two emotion-lite Vulcans. Nimoy's Spock is every bit as sharp and witty as fans know, and Quinto's Spock is easily identifiable as a less refined version of that character .

The USS Enterprise Breaks the Prime Directive in the Coolest Way

Star trek into darkness, 2013, every enterprise captain in star trek, ranked.

There is no ship more venerated in Star Trek than the Enterprise, and many officers have served as captain, but how do they rank against each other?

The second film of the reboot trilogy, Star Trek Into Darkness , made many mistakes. Trying to remix the iconic Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan story was ill-conceived at best. Despite being a great actor, Benedict Cumberbatch was not the right casting choice to play a character named Khan Noonien Singh . Still, for all the downsides of this film, it's a fun watch nonetheless. One reason is because of the pitch-perfect opening scene in which Kirk, McCoy, Spock and Uhura (Zoë Saldaña) try to save a pre-warp alien species from an exploding volcano.

The scene is loads of fun. Kirk and McCoy's ill-fated run across the planet's surface to distract the locals is hilarious. Spock's part of the mission is equal parts classic Star Trek sci-fi technobabble and self-sacrifice . It's also the second-best reveal of the USS Enterprise in the Star Trek reboot trilogy. Seeing the ship emerge from the ocean is incredibly cool. It's completely understandable why the aliens would toss away their sacred scroll in favor of worshipping the impressive vessel that saved them from annihilation .

The USS Enterprise Arriving to Save Spock from the Narada

While this moment is technically part of the away mission in which Captain Kirk and Mister Spock save Christopher Pike, it deserves its own entry. Even with the big budget upgrade in the original series of films that began with Star Trek: The Motion Picture and finished with Star Trek: Nemesis , fans never got to see ship combat like this. As Spock prepares to collide with the Narada, he can't be certain it is not a suicide mission. Even though audiences know Spock isn't going to die, seeing the USS Enterprise arrive in the nick of time is thrilling .

Nero figures out the danger Spock poses to the ship, which is why he orders them to "fire everything." If the Red Matter in the ship's hold detonates , the Narada has no hope of survival. Watching the phasers obliterate the Narada's weapons is also thrilling, giving viewers a perspective on space combat they never had before. This is yet another moment where Michael Giacchino's score elevates what's on screen. The rousing Star Trek theme only adds to the triumph of this moment.

Star Trek, Star Trek Into Darkness and Star Trek Beyond are available to own on Blu-ray, DVD and digital, and streams on Paramount+ and PlutoTV.

The Star Trek universe encompasses multiple series, each offering a unique lens through which to experience the wonders and perils of space travel. Join Captain Kirk and his crew on the Original Series' voyages of discovery, encounter the utopian vision of the Federation in The Next Generation, or delve into the darker corners of galactic politics in Deep Space Nine. No matter your preference, there's a Star Trek adventure waiting to ignite your imagination.

Created by Gene Roddenberry

First Film Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Latest Film Star Trek: Nemesis

First TV Show Star Trek: The Original Series

Latest TV Show Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Cast Nichelle Nichols, Scott Bakula, Kate Mulgrew, Jonathan Frakes, Patrick Stewart, William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Avery Brooks, Deforest Kelley, James Doohan

TV Show(s) Star Trek: Animated, Star trek, Star Trek Voyager, Star Trek: Enterprise, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek Lower Decks, Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek: Prodigy, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Star Trek: Lower Decks

This Controversial New Sci-Fi Gaming Crossover Is Also a Historic First

Never give up. Never surrender. But do it boldly.

In 1999, one comedy film not only became one of the greatest sci-fi movies of a generation, but it also predicted the way in which we all think and talk about fandoms of all kinds in the 21st century. That film was Galaxy Quest , an obvious parody of Star Trek in which actors from a cult sci-fi TV show find themselves fighting for their lives in a real interstellar adventure.

And despite some excellent comics, and constant talk of a TV series reboot , fans of Galaxy Quest can’t get their hands on that much Galaxy Quest stuff. On top of that, there’s never been a Galaxy Quest game of any kind. Until now. But, this first appearance of Galaxy Quest in video game form comes with a catch: it’s attached to a “freemium” Star Trek mobile game.

Galaxy Quest hits Star Trek: Fleet Command

For a limited time, developer Scopley has launched an event in which characters and ships from Galaxy Quest can be earned as playable crew and starships in Fleet Command . Yes, this includes Jason Nesmith (Tim Allen), Laliari (Missi Pyle), Gwen DeMarco (Sigourney Weaver), and Alexander Dane (Alan Rickman). And most importantly, means players can, for the first time ever, command a version of the iconic Galaxy Quest ship, the NSEA Protector.

Designed by Industrial Light & Magic, most sci-fi fans agree that the NSEA Protector is one of the greatest Star Trek-ish ships to ever grace the screen, even though Galaxy Quest is not *technically* a Star Trek movie.

What is Star Trek: Fleet Command ?

Fleet Command is a free Star Trek game that takes a lot of work (or money) to get good.

Star Trek: Fleet Command was launched in 2018, a mobile game that has less to do with exploring strange new worlds and more to do with blowing up enemy starships and buying bigger and better versions of your own. And yes, it’s pretty hard to level up your ships and crew without a few in-app purchases, which makes the gaming experience somewhat contrary to the (mostly) currency-free future Star Trek imagines.

But for diehard Trekkies, you can’t write Fleet Command off completely. A ton of legacy actors from the franchise have done cool crossovers for the game, including LeVar Burton, Brent Spiner , Jonathan Frakes, Rainn Wilson, Sonequa Martin-Green, Alice Eve, and even Michelle Yeoh . And while the ads produced to announce those crossovers are arguably somewhat cooler than the actual game, there’s an old-school arcade space-battle aspect to Fleet Command once you get to the point where your ship doesn’t totally suck. (Which, again is hard .)

It also looks pretty amazing for a mobile game, and adding your favorite ships and crew is somewhat exciting, considering the game is now at a point where it includes literally all eras of Star Trek crossing over at once. Launched exclusively in the Kelvin timeline the game has, in recent years, expanded to include all various eras, which means it is the only Star Trek experience in which Chris Pine’s Captain Kirk can be on the USS Titan-A from Picard , alongside William Shatner’s Kirk from The Wrath of Khan . What Fleet Command lacks in gameplay mechanics, it admittedly does make up for in cool factor.

The Galaxy Quest crew as they appear in Fleet Command.

The crossover of Galaxy Quest ships and crew to Fleet Command is arguably the biggest stunt the game has pulled yet. You can’t really imagine characters from Spaceballs appearing in Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes , but that’s exactly what this is like. Curiously, this is the second major crossover between Star Trek and another sci-fi franchise within a mobile game in just the past few months. During San Diego Comic-Con 2024, the Trek mobile game Star Trek: Lower Decks: The Badgey Directive began featuring a crossover between Doctor Who: Lost in Time, while fans of both franchises are hopeful for a TV crossover, too.

Right now, there’s no reason to think that characters from Galaxy Quest will actually appear in a Star Trek upcoming movie. But then again, a few years ago, nobody thought you’d be able to fly the NSEA Protector in the Final Frontier either.

You can learn more about Fleet Command here .

• Video Games

Here’s How You Can Watch All 13 ‘Star Trek’ Movies for Free

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The Big Picture

• Stream all 13 Star Trek movies for free on Pluto TV.
• A new Star Trek movie in the works, set decades before the 2009 film with input from J.J. Abrams.
• The Starfleet Academy series set in 32nd Century will relaunch after Discovery 's events, featuring familiar Trek alums.

All Star Trek movies are beaming up to streaming service Pluto TV. The service will host all 13 theatrical Star Trek releases. You’ll be able to watch the crew from The Original Series , The Next Generation , and the crew from the Kelvin timeline. The channel is called Star Trek: The Motion Pictures Channel. As of Tuesday, it’s officially live. The channel featuring the 13 films will be available for a limited time. The world of Star Trek has been available, both movies and television series have been available on Paramount+ and, before that, Hulu and Netflix.

The following Star Trek movies are now available on the Pluto TV channel, for free:

Star Trek (2009)

• Star Trek Beyond
• Star Trek Generations
• Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
• Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
• Star Trek Into Darkness
• Star Trek: The Motion Picture
• Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
• Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
• Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
• Star Trek: First Contact
• Star Trek: Insurrection
• Star Trek: Nemesis

Where is Star Trek Boldly Going?

It was announced earlier this year that Simon Kinberg ( X-Men ) is slated to produce a Star Trek feature film for the big screen. According to THR, the film would be set decades before the 2009 Star Trek movie directed by JJ Abrams . The movie will still feature Abrams’ input. Back in May, THR reported that the film would explore the world of Star Trek in a time period much closer to our own, featuring the development of Starfleet and initial contact with alien life.

This will be in contrast to the upcoming Starfleet Academy series set in the 32nd Century, contemporary with Star Trek: Discovery . That show will feature Starfleet officials relaunching the Academy after the events of Discovery ’s five seasons.

Much of the main cast was announced for at this year's San Diego Comic Con , including Trek alums such as: Robert Picardo and Mary Wiseman reprising their roles as The Doctor ( Star Trek: Voyager) and Tilly ( Star Trek: Discovery .)

You can now watch the world of Star Trek 's movies for free on PlutoTV.

J.J. Abrams' 2009 movie Star Trek rebooted the iconic sci-fi franchise in a totally new timeline. When a Romulan ship travels back in time and alters the past, the lives of James T. Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto), and the future crew of the USS Enterprise are drastically changed. In this new timeline, the Romulan Nero (Eric Bana) sets out for revenge on Spock, setting off a chain of events that reshape the entire universe.

Watch on PlutoTV

Screen Rant

Star trek beyond ending & why no sequel 8 years later explained.

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Every Star Trek Movie In Chronological Order

Star trek 4 is “forever tainted” but simon pegg would love to do it, chris pine wants to make a lower budget star trek movie for star trek fans.

• Star Trek Beyond hinted at a new chapter for Chris Pine's USS Enterprise crew, leading to the awaited Star Trek 4 sequel.
• Kirk's heroism and friendship with Spock were key themes explored in Star Trek Beyond, setting up a new five-year mission.
• Despite delays, Star Trek 4 is in development, with hopes for a final chapter in J.J. Abrams' Kelvin Timeline saga.

Star Trek: Beyond 's ending left the door open for the further adventures of Chris Pine's USS Enterprise crew, but it's now 8 years later, and Star Trek 4 has yet to surface. Directed by Justin Lin, Star Trek Beyond , the third entry in the J.J. Abrams' produced Star Trek movies, stranded the USS Enterprise crew on the planet Altamid. Discovering an abandoned Starfleet vessel from a century earlier, it's revealed that the villainous Krall (Idris Elba) and his army are the mutated crew of the USS Franklin, and Krall has been plotting his revenge against the United Federation of Planets ever since crashing on Altamid decades ago.

While Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto) are considering their futures in Star Trek Beyond , there was never any indication that this was intended to be the final Kelvin Timeline movie. Feeling lost from his five-year mission, Captain Kirk applied to become Vice Admiral of the revolutionary new Starbase Yorktown. Meanwhile, the death of Ambassador Spock (Leonard Nimoy) has forced the younger Spock to consider leaving Starfleet and continuing Spock Prime's diplomatic work on New Vulcan. By the end of Star Trek Beyond , Kirk and Spock realize they belong aboard the USS Enterprise together and launch a new five-year mission. Nearly a decade later, audiences are still waiting for Star Trek 4 .

With 13 entries in the Star Trek movie series from 1979-2006, there are a couple of ways to watch the films chronologically.

Star Trek Beyond's Ending & How Kirk Beat Krall Explained

Kirk faced the ghost of the federation's past.

Krall had been tracking the USS Enterprise since it took possession of an ancient artifact that was the final component needed to complete the construction of the Abronath, a devastating ancient bioweapon . With the Abronath in his possession, Krall and his swarm set off for Starbase Yorktown to wipe out its inhabitants. Giving chase aboard the USS Franklin, Kirk, and the crew first had to weaken Krall's swarm. Spock and Doctor Leonard "Bones" McCoy (Karl Urban) beamed aboard one of the swarm ships to throw off their formation, allowing the Franklin to destroy the ships by using "Sabotage," Kirk's favorite Beastie Boys song , as a discordant and disruptive noise.

Krall was actually human, the embittered war veteran Captain Balthazar Edison.

With the Swarm destroyed, Captain Kirk discovered the truth that Krall was actually human, the embittered war veteran Captain Balthazar Edison. Krall had survived the destruction of the Swarm and still intended to use the Abronath by unleashing it into Yorktown's atmospheric regulator to wipe out all life aboard the space station. Kirk and Krall fought in the central atmospheric regulator, with the Enterprise Captain attempting to prevent Krall from unleashing the weapon. With help from Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott (Simon Pegg), Kirk was able to override the regulator and eject Krall, and the Abronath, into the vacuum of space.

Star Trek Beyond Launched The USS Enterprise-A

A new five-year mission begins when Star Trek Beyond ends

With the original USS Enterprise destroyed in the spectacular first act of Star Trek Beyond , Captain Kirk needed a new ship after saving Yorktown. The USS Enterprise-A is teased by Commodore Paris (Shohreh Aghdashloo) when she says that the only other ship capable of navigating the nebula near Altamid isn't near completion. With the Enterprise destroyed on Altamid, this new starship was presumably hastily renamed so that the Federation could retain its flagship.

Star Trek Beyond 's main cast spoke the franchise's fabled mission statement: "Space... the final frontier...

As the Enterprise crew gathered to celebrate Captain Kirk's birthday at the end of Star Trek Beyond , they looked out admiringly at their new starship - the USS Enterprise-A . The construction of the new starship appeared to signal the ongoing adventures of Kirk and the crew. However, to date, the new Enterprise hasn't been put through its paces on the big screen, as Star Trek 4 is perennially delayed by multiple behind-the-scenes issues.

Why Kirk Is Not Vice Admiral & Enterprise Crew Changes

Kirk passed on his promotion..

Captain Kirk's heroism guaranteed him the Vice Admiral position aboard the Yorktown, but he ultimately declined it. Echoing the advice Captain Kirk (William Shatner) gave to Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) in Star Trek Generations, Kirk decides that there's no fun in becoming a deskbound Admiral. Instead, Jim was revitalized by his experiences on Altamid and realized that it was an adventure and the chance to " fly" that he really wanted, not a promotion.

Spock, meanwhile, discovered an old photo of the Prime Universe USS Enterprise crew, considerably older than their Kelvin Timeline counterparts. Realizing that he had made friends for life with his Enterprise crew, Spock decided not to leave Starfleet for New Vulcan. Touchingly, Kirk and Spock never voice their doubts to each other, an unspoken acknowledgment of the mutual importance of their friendship.

Some Enterprise crew members were tragically killed during the fight with Krall, including Ensign Syl (Melissa Roxburgh) who hid the artifact for Kirk. However, Star Trek Beyond teases a potential addition to J.J. Abrams' Star Trek cast in Jaylah (Sofia Boutella). Kirk got the brave alien woman they met on Altamid fast-tracked into Starfleet Academy, suggesting that she may have returned as Ensign Jaylah in Star Trek 4 . Sofia Boutella wants to return as Jaylah if Star Trek 4 happens.

Star Trek Beyond Lost Leonard Nimoy & Anton Yelchin

Two tragic losses to the star trek family.

Leonard Nimoy's death in 2015 is acknowledged by the passing of Ambassador Spock in Star Trek Beyond . Even in death, Nimoy's Spock influenced Zachary Quinto's Kelvin Timeline Spock, as his personal effects revealed the lifelong friendships that his younger self had formed. It was a touching tribute to the legacy of Leonard Nimoy that also acknowledged Star Trek 's 50th anniversary when Star Trek Beyond was released in 2016.

Tragically, Anton Yelchin was killed in a freak motoring accident at his home a month before Star Trek Beyond 's theatrical release. It's for this reason that the movie ends with a dedication to Anton Yelchin, and Star Trek Beyond is a wonderful tribute to his portrayal of Ensign Pavel Chekov. Yelchin gets some great action sequences and comedy moments which he always excelled at as Chekov. Another tribute to Anton Yelchin was recently made with Star Trek: Picard 's President Anton Chekov (Walter Koenig).

Simon Pegg wants to return for Star Trek 4, but a USS Enterprise reunion wouldn't be the same after the tragic loss of Anton Yelchin.

Why Star Trek Beyond Hasn't Had A Sequel In 8 Years & Counting

Star trek 4 is redefining "development hell".

Paramount has mounted multiple attempts to produce Star Trek 4 since 2016 , with one possible version planning to bring back Chris Hemsworth as Lt. George Kirk in a time travel team-up with his son, Captain Kirk. Another Star Trek 4 idea by Quentin Tarantino was to be a cinematic adaptation of the Star Trek: The Original Series episode "A Piece of the Action", involving a planet whose society was inspired by 1920s Chicago gangsters. For whatever reason, neither of these projects got off the ground, though it's been suggested that pay disputes kiboshed the "Two Kirks" movie idea.

Chris Pine's Star Trek 4 plan hints as to why it's taken so long for a Star Trek Beyond sequel to surface. His reference to Paramount wanting Star Trek to compete with the big blockbusters of Marvel Studios is particularly telling. Although far from being a flop, Star Trek Beyond didn't perform as strongly at the box office as expected. Clearly, the various scripts drafted for Star Trek 4 haven't inspired much hope for big box office returns in the eyes of Paramount's studio heads. Ironically, the delays in getting a workable script that can compete with the Marvel Cinematic Universe led to director Matt Shakman departing the project for Marvel Studio's The Fantastic Four: First Steps .

Star Trek 4 is reportedly still in development, with a new screenwriter, Steve Yockey, working on a new adventure for Chris Pine's USS Enterprise crew. Star Trek 4 i s being billed as "the final chapter" of the saga J.J. Abrams began in Star Trek (2009), although not much more is known about its progress. Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, and their fellow actors have publicly stated their desire to return to Star Trek but the wait continues.

Chris Pine still hopes to return as Captain Kirk in Star Trek 4, and he has ideas on how to make his next Star Trek movie to please the fans.

Star Trek Beyond Influenced Star Trek On Paramount Plus

Modern star trek tv has j.j. abams' dna.

While Star Trek as a movie franchise appears to be in a state of flux, the streaming era has allowed Star Trek t o make a hugely successful return to TV. The DNA of J.J. Abrams' Kelvin Timeline movies is shared by these new Star Trek TV shows. It's telling that Star Trek: Strange New Worlds focuses on younger versions of Spock (Ethan Peck), Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding, and Kirk (Paul Wesley), who were arguably the main trio of Star Trek (2009) Also, Captain Pike's Enterprise is as sleek and cinematic as the one seen in the Star Trek movies.

Star Trek: Picard and Star Trek: Discovery have told huge movie-style stories across whole seasons.

Similarly, the uniforms worn by the crew in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds reflect the movie costumes worn by Chris Pine and his movie cast. While Strange New Worlds is episodic, shows like Star Trek: Picard and Star Trek: Discovery have told huge movie-style stories across whole seasons. If Star Trek Beyond is truly the end for Star Trek 's Kelvin Timeline, its legacy lives on in the franchise's TV renaissance. Star Trek on Paramount+ was made possible by the success of the Star Trek movies that proved there was still an appetite for Gene Roddenberry's vision.

Star Trek Movies Are Coming Back Without Star Trek 4

It's a new era for star trek movies.

Even without Star Trek 4, a new era is beginning for Star Trek movies. Directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi and starring Academy Award-winner Michelle Yeoh , Star Trek: Section 31 premieres in 2025 as the first Star Trek movie made for streaming on Paramount+. If Section 31 is the success Paramount+ and CBS Studios hope for, it opens the door not just for sequels but for more Star Trek streaming movies. New Star Trek streaming movies could be about myriad subjects , including, potentially, the hoped-for spinoff of Star Trek: Picard dubbed Star Trek: Legacy.

Star Trek movies will soon be both theatrical and streaming experiences aimed at different audiences.

Star Trek movies are also returning to the big screen thanks to director Toby Haynes, who is launching an Untitled Star Trek prequel movie that will reportedly start filming in late 2024 for a potential 2026 premiere. Said to take place mostly on Earth "decades before" J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movies, Haynes' Star Trek prequel is aimed at general audiences to appeal to those not steeped in Star Trek' s expansive canon. Star Trek Beyond rang in Star Trek' s 50th anniversary in 2016, but a very different kind of Star Trek movie looks to mark the franchise's 60th anniversary in 2026.

Star Trek Beyond

Not available