12 Star Trek Characters Who Changed The Most

2. Spock

Old Spock Star Trek
Paramount Pictures

Spock presents an interesting challenge to anyone trying to keep track of the journeys that he has been on. Certainly, his story is the most often told in Star Trek with Leonard Nimoy, Zachary Quinto and Ethan Peck all delivering excellent, yet differing, performances.

Nimoy is the archetypal Spock and the archetypal Vulcan, providing the template for all Vulcans to follow. His growth from cold logician to warm friend, travelling through death and back, is the spine of the Original Series and the first six films. There are few viewers who don't at least choke up at the words 'I have been, and always shall be, your friend.'

His move into the Kelvin universe films allowed for a continuity with the prime universe, while also allowing Quinto to deliver a new, younger Spock. Together, they make for opposing ends of a spectrum, though both are far more emotional than the Spock that dominated the main bulk of stories. However, it works. Their meeting on Earth brings Spock's story somewhat full circle, allowing that relationship with Kirk and the Enterprise to begin again.

Peck's Spock is closer in tone to early Nimoy, yet still with shades of emotion that come through the colder exterior. His relationship with both Burnham and Pike forms the heart of the second season of Discovery, making us very excited to see which direction the character goes in for Strange New Worlds.

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Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"