Captain James T. Kirk and Lieutenant Nyota Uhura met the same way in two different Star Trek universes. Captain Kirk (William Shatner) and Lt. Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) voyage through the stars together for decades in Star Trek: The Original Series and the first six Star Trek movies. J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek (2009) depicted how James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and Nyota Uhura (Zoe Saldana) met in the alternate Kelvin timeline.

14 years after Star Trek (2009), Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 finally depicted the first meeting between Lt. James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley) and Ensign Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) in Star Trek‘s Prime timeline. Strange New Worlds is a canonical prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series where Wesley and Gooding play the younger visions of the Kirk and Uhura originated by William Shatner and Nichelle Nichols. However, TOS and J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek‘s first meetings between Kirk and Uhura share a common ground.

Kirk & Uhura Met In A Bar In J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek & Strange New Worlds

One Bar Meeting Was More Violent Than The Other

In Star Trek (2009), James T. Kirk and Nyota Uhura meet in a bar, as do Kirk and Uhura in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds‘ Prime timeline. In Star Trek (2009)’s alternate Kelvin timeline, Uhura is a Starfleet Cadet who meets Jim Kirk in a bar in Iowa. Kirk hits on the attractive young cadet, which draws the ire of her classmates. Soon, Kirk is outnumbered in a violent bar fight that’s broken up by Captain Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood). Kirk and Uhura’s first meeting happens in 2255 in Star Trek’s Kelvin timeline.

In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Kirk and Uhura’s bar meeting happens under very different circumstances in 2259 or 2260. Newly arrived on the USS Enterprise, Lt. James T. Kirk spots a forlorn Ensign Uhura in the starship’s bar, the Port Galley. Uhura assumes the Lieutenant is hitting on her and rebuffs him. Later, after hallucinating and punching Jim in the face, Uhura gets Kirk’s help to solve the mystery of her frightening visions. With their friendship forged, Uhura introduces Kirk to Lt. Spock (Ethan Peck), his future best friend.

Star Trek 2009 & Strange New Worlds Have Different Reasons For Kirk & Uhura’s Loyalty

Kirk & Uhura Have A Different Relationship In Star Trek’s Prime And Kelvin Timelines

Lt. Uhura remains loyal to Captain Kirk in Star Trek‘s Prime and Kelvin timelines but for different reasons. The common denominator is that Kirk is Captain of the Enterprise and Uhura serves under him. But in Star Trek (2009), Kirk and Uhura were peers who shared a common frustration: Commander Spock (Zachary Quinto). Kirk and Spock were hostile to each other at first before working together to defeat Nero (Eric Bana) forged their bond. Uhura was in a relationship with Spock and endured the challenges of romance with a Vulcan, which mirrored Kirk’s attempt to befriend Spock.

Kirk’s heroism in
Star Trek
(2009) earned Uhura’s loyalty, although she occasionally disagreed with his leadership.

In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Lt. James T. Kirk earned Ensign Uhura’s trust. Kirk believed Nyota’s emotional distress because she was being haunted by her late mentor, Lt. Hemmer (Bruce Horak). Kirk helps Uhura realize her hallucinations are messages from aliens who live in the deuterium and are being killed by a Starfleet refinery overseen by the Enterprise. Uhura realized Kirk was a compassionate and loyal friend, and this set the stage for what becomes a decades-long friendship aboard the Starship Enterprise.

How Kirk & Uhura’s Relationship Evolves In Star Trek

Kirk And Uhura Stay Friends For Decades

J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek trilogy only depicts five years of Captain Kirk and Lt. Uhura serving together on the USS Enterprise (plus their first meeting three years earlier), but James and Nyota have an unbreakable friendship. Uhura helped Spock stop Khan Noonien Singh (Benedict Cumberbatch), whose genetically engineered “super blood” resurrected Kirk when Jim died saving the Enterprise at the end of Star Trek Into Darkness. Kirk returned the favor and led the rescue of Uhura and the Enterprise crew from Krall (Idris Elba) in Star Trek Beyond.

In Star Trek: The Original Series, Lt. Uhura serves as Captain Kirk’s Communications Officer during their five-year mission aboard the USS Enterprise. Uhura returns to her post alongside Kirk in the first six Star Trek movies, as well. Kirk and Uhura share a kiss in the Star Trek: TOS episode “Plato’s Stepchildren,” which was the first interracial kiss in Star Trek. While Kirk and Uhura are never romantic with each other, they both dedicated their lives to the Starship Enterprise and selflessly saved the galaxy together on countless occasions.

What Happens Next To Kirk & Uhura In Strange New Worlds And Star Trek 4

Kirk Has A Different Love Interest In Strange New Worlds

Ensign Nyota Uhura and Lt. James T. Kirk didn’t directly interact with each other when Kirk returned to the USS Enterprise for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds‘ musical episode. However, Kirk will be part of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3. Perhaps James will seek Nyota’s counsel regarding his potential love interest, Lt. La’an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong), which would complicate Kirk’s relationship with his pregnant girlfriend, Carol Marcus. Uhura could even help Kirk understand Lt. Spock better in Strange New Worlds season 3.

It would be fascinating to see how the middle-aged Kirk and Uhura have changed in Star Trek’s Kelvin Timeline.

Star Trek 4 has been mired in development hell for nearly a decade, but there would be a huge difference between Captain Kirk and Lt. Uhura if the next J.J. Abrams-produced Star Trek movie gets made. Kirk and Uhura would be in their 40s in Star Trek 4, their ages appropriate to the real ages of Chris Pine and Zoe Saldana, and the amount of time passed since the end of Star Trek Beyond. As much fun as seeing a young Kirk and Uhura is in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, it would be fascinating to see how the middle-aged Kirk and Uhura have changed in Star Trek‘s Kelvin Timeline.