My 10 Favorite Star Trek Movie Quotes

“Beam me up, Scotty.” Actually, this exact phrasing of the famous Star Trek quote was never said in any of the original episodes. But because of its fame, even someone who’s never seen a Star Trek episode will know where it’s from. It’s the embodiment of all things Trek.

“He’s dead, Jim.” Said by Doctor McCoy (DeForest Kelly) several times throughout the series, this is a favorite Star Trek quote because it symbolizes Doctor McCoy’s all-too-human (to Spock) nature. McCoy always delivers the “He’s dead, Jim” line with deep melancholy, reminding us of the soft side of his nature and the difficult aspects of his profession.

“Live Well and Prosper.” Always accompanied by the traditional Vulcan sign, Spock (Leonard Nimoy) and other Vulcans made this famous movie quote only second in popularity to “Beam me up, Scotty.” The customary Vulcan phrase reminds of the peaceful nature of Vulcans and their humanity (but don’t let Spock hear you say that). And it reminds us that even though they are supposedly non-emotional beings, even they have a sincere desire for others’ happiness.

“A Miracle Worker”

KIRK: Mr. Scott. Have you always multiplied your repair estimates by a factor of four?

SCOTTY: Certainly, sir. How else can I keep my reputation as a miracle worker?

Said in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, this great movie quote reminds fans why they love Mr. Scott (James Doohan). He loved the Enterprise over everything else that nothing could keep him from fixing her, even when the whole crew only had one minute to live. In Trouble with Tribbles, he even chose to start a fight over an insult to the ship, rather than over an insult to his Captain.

“Illogical.” Perhaps one of the most frequently said words in all of the Star Trek: The Original Series canon, this movie quote personifies Spock. Logic satisfied him, and illogic fascinated him.

“You may find that having is not so pleasing a thing as wanting. It is not logical, but it is often true.” Said by Mr. Spock in “Amok Time,” this great Star Trek quote proves that although Spock was often ruled by logic, he was also intelligent enough to discern truth.

“I’m a doctor, not a…” Even though Dr. McCoy often shows his softer side, he never fails to remind Star Trek fans that he’s not far from a grumpy old man. He loved to complain, and would do so whenever a job required of him something more than basic medicine. He was a doctor after all, not a bricklayer, moon shuttle conductor, psychiatrist, or even an escalator.

“It’s a Russian invention.” Chekov (Walter Koenig) was introduced to Star Trek: The Original Series in the second season, and one of his most endearing qualities is his pride in his Russian heritage. Everything was Russian to Chekov, from scotch to the Cheshire Cat. But he was dedicated to Captain Kirk, proven in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home when he sleepily replied, “Name, Chekov… Pavel. Rank, [smiling at Captain Kirk] Admiral.” Another great movie quote.

“Captain, I’m frightened.” It was the sixties, so Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) was still very much portrayed as the delicate female, and always admitted in a soft voice that she was afraid of whatever was coming to destroy them. In the Star Trek movies however, she became much more self-confident, as shown when she recited the great movie quote “I’m not gonna do anything about it. You’re gonna sit in the closet,” in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.

“If you’re gonna get nasty…”

KIRK (to McCoy): Now you’re starting to sound like Spock.

MCCOY: If you’re gonna get nasty I’m gonna leave.

It wouldn’t have been Star Trek without the verbal sparring and strange friendship between McCoy and Spock. They cared for each other, but didn’t always like each other. This last Star Trek quote epitomizes what all the great Star Trek episodes and movies were about: great characters, fun plots, and memorable movie quotes.