37 Years Later, Star Trek Retconned Captain Kirk's Lore Again

Image via Paramount Published Sep 22, 2026, 6:00 AM EDT Annie Banks is a Rotten Tomatoes–approved critic, and CBR editor and writer specializing in anime, comics, and superheroes. Her work has also appeared in Collider and The Mary Sue, where she covered pop culture, fandoms, and entertainment trends. A lifelong fan whose love for storytelling began with Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Annie blends critical insight with genuine passion for geek culture, from sci-fi to K-pop. Sign in to your CBR account This article contains spoilers for "The Sesquipedalian Gambit," featured in IDW's Star Trek 60th Anniversary Special. While celebrating sixty years of changing science fiction history forever, Star Trek has changed a long-standing piece of canon that involves one of the series' most iconic characters. Star Trek has been no stranger to exploring sociopolitical on an alien level, introducing new concepts of races of species decade over decade. In the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “Samaritan Snare,” audiences first meet the Pakleds. Despite their attempt to intimidate those aboard the Enterprise, it's made clear that the Pakleds aren't as intelligent as they want to be. Fol...