Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan Quotes

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Source: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

Speaker: James Kirk

"Of all the souls I have encountered in my travels, his was the most human."

Of my friend, I can only say this. Of all the souls I have encountered in my travels, his was the most human.

Context

This line was spoken by James T. Kirk (played by William Shatner) in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, directed by Nicholas Meyer (1982).

Spock's funeral at the end of Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan is definitely an occasion to bust out the tissues with the Starfleet logo. Spock has just sacrificed his life to save the Enterprise, as well as the newly terraformed planet of Genesis, and his friends and crewmates have come to honor him.

And it's fitting that Captain Kirk gives the eulogy. They had so many differences, but these two men really cared about each other. Wrath of Khan is all about their friendship, and this scene neatly wraps a bow around it.

The line about Spock being "the most human" is super meaningful because his half human/Vulcan physiology is the reason why he could stay in the radiation chamber longer. However, Spock's humanity doesn't come from his DNA, but his willingness to sacrifice himself for his friends.

Cue the sad bagpipe songs and tears.

Where you've heard it

This is a quote that people like to pull out when they talk about how awesome Star Trek is. Isn't it great that a show about spaceships and aliens can touch on universal themes, like mortality and humanity? On a more serious note, many Star Trek fans also used this quote to eulogize Leonard Nimoy, the actor who played Spock, when he passed away in 2015.

Pretentious Factor

If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.

This quote is filled with genuine emotion, not pretentiousness, especially after Leonard Nimoy's passing.