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Star Trek has delivered stories of many Enterprise captains over many decades, but Captain Christopher Pike in particular returns to audiences’ screens again and again. Captain Pike appeared in the unaired pilot for Star Trek: The Original Series, in which he played a proto-Captain Kirk figure who led the first version of the Enterprise crew. The character didn’t continue as a part of the crew, but joined its canon history. As a result, Christopher Pike became one of the most foundational people in the history of the Star Trek universe. The character’s actions, personality, and relationships have had resounding effects throughout the franchise.

Captain Pike has been portrayed consistently in modern Star Trek shows, where he proves himself to be a selfless leader. In Star Trek: The Original Series, Pike is just a tragic figure from Spock’s past who needs palliative aid. In subsequent shows, his name was just one of many on a list of veteran heroes of Star Trek’s Federation. Recent portrayals, however, have shown Pike in action as the man who inspires Spock, Kirk, and a legion of Starfleet personnel to follow in his footsteps.

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Captain Pike was first set up as a heroic figure in Star Trek: The Original Series, season 1, episodes 15 & 16, “The Menagerie, Part I,” and “The Menagerie, Part II.” Pike was the captain of The Enterprise before Kirk, and made an impression by being fearless, intelligent, and caring towards his subordinates. In the original series, the paired episodes show Spock’s court-martial for subverting orders in order to help Pike. Much earlier in the timeline, in Star Trek: Discovery, season 2, episode 10, “Through the Valley of Shadows,” audiences see the reason for Spock’s loyalty. Pike receives his life-changing injuries because he sacrifices himself to save a batch of Starfleet cadets, which defines him as a hero. This sets the standard for Kirk, and shows the kind of leadership that Spock considers worthy of his devotion.

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Pike’s impact in the Prime timeline is measured mainly in his relationships, especially with Spock and the Discovery crew. In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Pike and Spock build their mutual trust through several missions together, and create a lifelong friendship. In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, season 1, episode 10, “A Quality of Mercy,” Pike is visited by a future version of himself that averted the disaster that paralyzes him. Pike has the chance to save himself from a great deal of pain, but he learns that doing so would threaten Spock’s life. Pike says:

“The universe is telling me that some fates are inescapable, and even if I could get out of mine, it might just fall to somebody else.

In Star Trek: Discovery, he similarly chooses to withhold information from Starfleet Command so that the crew of the Discovery can escape to the future without fear of reprisal. These actions set in motion galaxy-altering events, and prove that he earns the loyalty of his people.

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Pike also appears in Star Trek’s rebooted Kelvin timeline, where his main role is to be the mentor of a young version of Jim Kirk. His impact on Kirk in this timeline is remarkably similar to Pike’s impact on Spock in the Prime timeline, as the character’s commitment to the Enterprise and his work with Starfleet leaves an indelible impression on both of them. The Kirk of the Kelvin timeline is motivated to break the rules to avenge his father-figure, just as Spock of the Prime timeline is urged to subvert orders to help his own. Pike has a brief but significant interaction with another alternate-timeline Kirk in Strange New Worlds, showing how he works with Spock and Kirk in every universe.

The clearest indications of Pike’s lasting legacy are the references to his name and work, which pop up in almost every series. In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, season 6, episode 26, Captain Sisko is awarded the Christopher Pike Medal of Valor, which he receives for his exemplary leadership during Operation Return in the Dominion War. Pike is also referenced in Deep Space Nine, season 3, episode 23, “Family Business,” when a Federation planet named Cestus III is revealed to have a town called ‘Pike City.’ Star Trek: The Next Generation, season 3, episode 22, “The Most Toys” also name-drops Pike by featuring an Enterprise-D shuttle craft named ‘Pike.’ Beyond this, he is mentioned by many officers as being among the best of Starfleet’s captains, much like Kirk, April, and Archer.

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Despite Pike’s brutal fate, his heroism and compassion are remembered for centuries after his death, and in many ways transform Starfleet for the better. In Strange New Worlds, season 1, episode 7, Pike’s crew call him a “boy scout” due to his perfect record of service and seemingly effortless competence. He is known for being the standard of greatness in Starfleet even before he saves a group of cadets from certain death, meaning his legacy is well-founded.

Pike is a key character within Star Trek, and his leadership influences the people around him as well as the generations that follow him. The character set the stage for Captain Kirk and provided Spock with a background that showed he was more than an emotionless follower of rules. Pike has a whole history to play out in Strange New Worlds, and it will definitely show fans why he’s remembered so fondly for so long.

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