Summary

• Spock died at the age of 55 in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan due to radiation poisoning.
• Spock was resurrected in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock and continued to serve in Starfleet.
• In the alternate Kelvin timeline, Ambassador Spock died at the age of 161 in Star Trek Beyond, following the death of Leonard Nimoy.

Here's how old Spock (Leonard Nimoy) was when he died, which happened twice and in two different Star Trek realities and timelines. The quintessential Star Trek character, Mr. Spock was portrayed by the late Leonard Nimoy from 1966 to 2013. Although many actors have played Spock at different ages, most notably Zachary Quinto in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movies and Ethan Peck in Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Nimoy's Vulcan is the singular legend who embodies the best qualities of Star Trek.

The half-Vulcan/half-human Spock was born on January 6, 2230. After graduating from Starfleet Academy, Ensign Spock was assigned to the USS Enterprise under the command of Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) in 2250. Spock remained aboard the Enterprise for the rest of his Starfleet career, most notably serving as both First Officer and Science Officer alongside his best friend, Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) from 2265 onward. Spock left Starfleet for a time to pursue the Vulcan Kolinahr discipline but he rejoined the Enterprise in Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Afterward, Spock was promoted to Captain and commanded the Enterprise when it was turned into a Starfleet Academy training vessel. Spock ceded the Captain's chair to Admiral Kirk when their old adversary, Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalban), stole the planet terraforming Genesis Device.

Spock's First Death In Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

"Remember."

The events of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan took place in 2285: Khan and his genetically-engineered followers commandeered the USS Reliant and used the Genesis Device to exact revenge on Admiral Kirk. When both starships were damaged following a pitched battle in a nebula, a suicidal Khan detonated the Genesis Device to kill Kirk. With no time to don a contamination suit, Spock repaired the Enterprise's radioactive warp core, allowing the starship to escape the explosion and the resulting formation of the Genesis Planet. Tragically, the heroic Vulcan succumbed to radiation poisoning. Spock was 55 years old when he died in Star Trek II, which is relatively young considering Vulcans can live up to 200 years old. Spock's father Sarek (Mark Lenard), for example, was 203 when he died in 2368 during Star Trek: The Next Generation season 5.

I have been and always shall be your friend. Live long and prosper.

However, Spock was resurrected by the Genesis Planet; his rebirth involved him aging from an infant back to his 55-year-old self by the time Kirk and the Enterprise crew reunited Spock with his katra (his Vulcan soul) in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. Returning to Starfleet, Spock served alongside Captain Kirk aboard the USS Enterprise-A until their final mission in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, where they ensured galactic peace between the Klingon Empire and the United Federation of Planets. Afterward, Spock left Starfleet and became a Federation ambassador. In the 24th century TNG era, Spock was secretly living on Romulus and attempting to negotiate the reunification of the Vulcan and Romulan people.

How Spock Ended Up In J.J. Abrams' Star Trek Kelvin Timeline

Spock time-traveled and entered an alternate reality

As seen in Star Trek 2009, Ambassador Spock's tenure on Romulus is the key to the events that created the alternate Kelvin timeline and led to the ultimate fate of the Vulcan legend. When the Romulan sun went supernova in the 2380s, Spock tried to use red matter to stop it but he was sent back in time to the 23rd century. The alternate Kelvin timeline was created by the arrival of Spock's enemy Nero (Eric Bana) in 2233 when the Romulan destroyed the USS Kelvin. Spock arrived 25 years later, in 2258, and aided the younger version of Spock (Zachary Quinto) and Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) in defeating Nero. Trapped in the past and in an alternate timeline, Ambassador Spock decided to help repopulate Vulcan, which Nero destroyed in his rampage.

A year later, the younger Spock contacted Ambassador Spock for advice on how to defeat Khan (Benedict Cumberbatch) in Star Trek Into Darkness. This was Leonard Nimoy's final performance as Spock.

Spock's Second Death In Star Trek Beyond

Leonard Nimoy's real-life death happened in 2015

As a result of the real-life death of Leonard Nimoy in 2015, Ambassador Spock's death was written into 2016's Star Trek Beyond. The elder Spock died off-screen on New Vulcan on January 2, 2263. Ambassador Spock was 161 when he died in the Kelvin timeline, although his final death chronologically happened 12 years before his original Prime timeline death in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. The United Federation of Planets in the Prime timeline also had no knowledge that Spock time-traveled and died in an alternate reality; he was considered missing in 2387 during the Romulan supernova crisis.

Star Trek: Discovery season 3 established that the Temporal Wars made the Federation aware of the Kelvin Timeline's existence, hinting that they also could have learned the fate of Ambassador Spock.

Spock Is Alive & Well In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

It's doubtful Star Trek will kill Spock again.

Leonard Nimoy's beloved incarnation of Spock is gone, but the younger version of the Vulcan lives on with Ethan Peck's portrayal in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Peck plays the younger version of Nimoy's Spock in Star Trek's Prime Timeline, unlike Zachary Quinto's Spock who lives a different life in an alternate reality. Just like Star Trek: Discovery's reintroduction of Lt. Spock established that he has an adopted sister, Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green), Strange New Worlds deepens the past and history of Leonard Nimoy's Spock, especially regarding his relationships with T'Pring (Gia Sandhu) and Nurse Christine Chapel (Jess Bush).

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 depicted the canonical first meeting between Lt. Spock and Lt. James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley), the beginning of their lifelong friendship. Indeed, it was Ensign Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) who introduced Spock to Kirk, laying the foundation of what would become the legendary crew of the USS Enterprise in Star Trek: The Original Series. With Spock having died twice in the Star Trek movies in two different timelines and realities, it's doubtful Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will kill off the Vulcan a third time.

Star Trek: The Original Series movies are streaming on Max.

Star Trek: The Original Series and J.J. Abrams' Star Trek 2009, Star Trek Into Darkness, and Star Trek Beyond are streaming on Paramount+.