Summary

Star Trekhas revealed why Kirk accepted a promotion to full admiral after the end of the Original Series , despite not want the job . As captain of theEnterprise , Kirk often clashed with other admirals and indicate a willingness to break rules . These qualities hardly become of a captain , countenance alone an full admiral . In 2009’sStar Trek : Missions ' End#5,fans at long last learn what take Kirk to desolate dominate a starship and take a desk chore .

Star Trek : Mission ’s End#5 is written by Ty Templeton and drawn by Steve Molnar . Kirk and party have just saved the people of Archernar IV , who were step on it into Federation membership for nefarious reasons . Meanwhile , Kirk has been harbor a promotion to the admiralty and after the consequence at Archernar , he decides to take it .

ivory is incredulous , but Kirk excuse that by becoming an admiral , he will be in a position to keep situations like the one on Archernar from ever go on again .

Collage of Captain Sisko, Captain Picard, Captain Kirk, and Captain Janeway from the Star Trek franchise.

Kirk Hated Admirals–So Why Did He Become One?

WhenStar Trekwent off the air in 1969 , Kirk was still in the snapper keister , but when the franchise returned a decade afterward withStar Trek : The Motion Picture , he was well into a least sandpiper as an admiral . Kirk would take command of theEnterpriseduring the V’Ger incident , but eventually generate to the admiral ’s desk , even after skipper another five - year military mission . Fans were intelligibly surprised upon learning Kirk had accepted a publicity and became that which he used to despise . Star Trek : Mission ’s Endattempted to bridge over the break between the ending of the show andThe Motion Picture , including explaining Kirk ’s left over promotion .

Kirk ’s decision to become an admiral was revolutionise by bad determination - making on the part of Starfleet and the Federation . The situation on Archernar IV was dire , but could have easily been avoided had there been more honorable decisions being made – and Kirk see himself as just the one to spearhead this initiative . Kirk tells Doctor McCoy that he was done following society that he did not trust were proper . Kirk ’s sense of morals , which made him an cautionary Starfleet captain , ultimately led him to become an full admiral .

Related:“The Silver Ghost " : Captain Sulu ’s Surprise Codename sour Him Into Star Trek ’s Biggest Badass

Robin Curtis and Kirstie Alley as Lt. Saavik in Star Trek.

Kirk Never Should Have Been an Admiral

Those closest to Kirk , include Spock and Doctor McCoy , believe that Kirk taking a promotion was a mistake . While Kirk ’s track disk as an admiral spoke for itself , overtop a spaceship was his “ first , best fate , ” as Spock noted inThe Wrath of Khan . Kirk thought he could make a difference , but at last just became part of the political machine himself . When Kirk was relegate back to captain inStar TrekIV : The Voyage Home , he smiled , make love that he was once again back in bidding of a starship . While Kirk ’s decision to accept a promotion may not have make for in the long running , it set out with the dependable of intent .

Picard and Riker in season 1

star trek captain kirk in admiral uniform

Full page of Kirk leaving the bridge of the Enterprise for the last time, on his way to accept becoming an admiral.

Kirk looks on in Star Trek the Motion Picture

The USS Enterprise in orbit above a planet, with Captain James T Kirk at the bridge