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Star Trek is one of the most popular sci-fi media franchises. It first appeared with the television series of the same name in September 1966. Since then, the television series, movies, and characters have become iconic and have carved their name in the pop culture phenomenon.
One of those iconic characters is Spock. He is the science officer and first officer of the starship USS Enterprise. The half-Vulcan and half-human character is one of the most beloved and important characters of the franchise. His logical mind and unusual way of showing his friendship and care for Kirk are some of the most loved and revered moments of the franchise. While several actors have played the character, Leonard Nimoy is the most renowned as Spock due to his appearance in the original series and the movies.
Here is a list of 10 such moments of Spock that we can’t get over.
1) The Vulcan Salute
Star Trek: The Original Series Season 2 is iconic for many reasons. One of them, and the most important one, is the appearance of the Vulcan Salute. Devised by the popular actor Leonard Nimoy, known for playing the character of Spock in the original series and several Star Trek movies, the salute first appeared in the first episode of Season 2, titled Amok Time.
In an interview with The New York Times, Nemoy described the salute as a ‘double-fingered version of Churchill’s victory sign.’ Since its appearance, the salute, alongside Spock’s line ‘Live long and prosper,’ has become iconic and part of the pop culture phenomenon.
2) Spock mind-melding with a whale
In the film Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, the crew of the Starship Enterprise travel back in time to the 20th century in search of humpback whales to save the Earth in their present time.
To achieve the goal, Spock and Kirk visit an aquarium where they find two humpback whales named George and Gracie. As Spock is still dealing with his resurrection, he enters the tank and swims along with the whale to establish mind-melding, without asking permission, which gets them in trouble. Although a funny scene, it still highlights Spock’s Vulcan abilities as he communicates with the whales to convince them to go with them to the future and save the Earth.
3) Spock saves Kirk’s life after falling from a mountain
Another humorous incident is from the opening sequence of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. In the scene, Kirk decides to climb the El Capitan, a granite rock in Yosemite National Park. Spock, meanwhile, is observing him, somewhat bemused by Kirk's thrill-seeking nature. Spock, using his levitation boots, hovers mid-air near Kirk, and they indulge in light-hearted banter when Kirk’s hand slips, and he begins to fall.
In a dramatic moment, Spock saves Kirk’s life by catching him just before he hits a huge rock.
4) Spock’s death scene
One of the most emotional moments for both Kirk and the audience arises in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. In one of the most heartbreaking scenes, Kirk and Spock are separated by a glass wall, and Kirk is unable to help his dying friend.
However, even in his last moments, Spock first asks if the ship is out of danger and later confesses about not taking the Kobayashi Maru test. He asks Kirk not to grieve for him and tells him that he will always be his friend. Spock’s sacrifice to save the crew and his friendship moments with Kirk is one of the most emotional moments of the franchise.
5) Spock’s Resurrection
Spock's return in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock is a pivotal moment that brought joy to fans. His conversation with Kirk, asking if they were friends as told by his father, and Kirk being emotional about his friend’s resurrection is one of the most important moments. In the scene, Spock asks Kirk why he came back for him. To which Kirk replies that he would have done the same for him and also repeats his line from his final moments that the needs of the few outweigh the needs of many.
Spock then recalls his last moments and repeats his question, asking Kirk if the ship is out of danger and then about always being his friend. Lastly, he recalls Kirk’s name and hesitatingly says, ‘Your name is Jim,’ which gives Kirk and the viewers a glimpse of hope that the old Spock is still there.
6) Spock attacks Kirk
In the 2009 Star Trek film directed by J. J. Abrams, to prove Spock is not suitable to lead the mission to combat Nero, Kirk starts to provoke Spock. He tells him that he doesn’t feel any emotion. His inability to feel any emotions when his mother is killed and when his planet, Vulcan, is destroyed makes him unfit to lead.
In a rare moment of displaying emotions, Spock attacks Kirk, revealing the internal struggles that he has been dealing with. The scene reveals the immense grief he has been hiding due to his Vulcan heritage.
7) Spock meets Spock Prime
In J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek, the younger Spock, played by Zachary Quinto, and the older one, referred to as Spock Prime (Leonard Nimoy), meet because of the creation of alternate timelines. In this heartfelt scene, he provides guidance and advice to a younger Spock. He tells him to keep his logic aside and do what he feels is right. Lastly, he wishes him good luck with his iconic Vulcan salute.
8) Spock asks Spock Prime about Khan
In Star Trek Into Darkness, Spock asks Spock Prime about Khan Noonien Singh, the villain who was the reason Spock had died. As Spock Prime vowed to not reveal anything valuable that could alter Spock’s future, he doesn’t reveal that Khan is the reason Spock might die.
However, he does warn him about Khan’s capabilities and that he won’t hesitate to kill any of them and not take him lightly. This conversation is crucial as it helps young Spock and the crew understand the gravity of the situation and prepare for the challenges ahead.
9) Homage to the original glass wall scene
The glass wall scene was the most emotional scene of the Star Trek franchise. In the film Star Trek Into Darkness, a similar scene appears where instead of Spock, Kirk enters the glass chamber to repair the warp drive. The scene mirrors the original, with a poignant exchange between Kirk and Spock, highlighting their deep friendship.
The scene is an homage to the original scene where Spock dies while saving the crew and is one of those rare moments where Spock doesn’t hide his emotions.
10) Spock fights Khan
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In Star Trek Into Darkness, there's a memorable and intense fight scene between Spock and Khan. It is one of the most iconic moments because, in the original movies, Khan is the reason Spock dies. In the 2013 film, Kirk dies because of Khan, enraging Spock to fight his most formidable villain and bring back Kirk.
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