The cast of Star Trek: The Original Series have become cultural icons, but the ultimate fates of some of the crew members of the original USS Enterprise are clearer than others. TOS debuted in 1966, a consistent ratings underdog with a cult following. After its cancelation after season 3, the show went into syndication and eventually became a pop culture phenomenon. After a few failed attempts to revive the series, TOS was revived in 1979 for the big screen with Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
The Star Trek: The Original Series movie franchise would prove to be highly successful, spanning a half dozen films over 12 years. Those films featured older, wiser versions of the series' beloved characters, most notably James T. Kirk (William Shatner) himself. The final TOS film, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, didn't offer a ton of information about the ultimate fates of the crew, but further media would explore what happened to most of Kirk's officers.
8 James T. Kirk
One of Starfleet's most decorated officers, Captain James T. Kirk was on the verge of retirement as Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country began. Kirk would be forced to reconcile with his feelings of resentment and hatred toward his old enemy, the Klingons. By the end of that film, Kirk's ship, the USS Enterprise-A, was decommissioned, and his retirement effectively began.
Kirk made his final canonical appearance in Star Trek Generations. After seemingly sacrificing himself on the maiden voyage of the USS Enterprise-B, Kirk found himself pulled into the interdimensional ribbon called the Nexus. Kirk was pulled out of the Nexus nearly 80 years later by Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) to assist him in saving the planet Veridian III. Kirk died on that mission, but that may not be the end of his story - Star Trek: Picard season 3 revealed that Section 31 recovered Kirk's body, which was still in stasis as of the early 25th century on Daystrom Station.
7 Spock
The legendary Vulcan had arguably the most interesting later life of any of the Star Trek: The Original Series characters. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) resigned from Starfleet shortly after the events of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, becoming the Federation Ambassador to Romulus with the intention of eventually reunifying the Romulans and the Vulcans. Spock was still attempting to make that mission a reality decades later in the Star Trek: The Next Generation two-part episode "Unification."
When a devastating supernova threatened to wipe out several star systems, Spock took it upon himself to resolve the calamity. He was able to dissipate the effects of the supernova, but not before Romulus was destroyed and Spock himself was pulled into the alternate reality known as the Kelvin timeline. Spock helped establish a new Vulcan colony in the wake of Vulcan's destruction, and eventually died peacefully of natural causes in Star Trek Beyond.
6 Dr. Leonard McCoy
The cranky, caustic Chief Medical Officer aboard the USS Enterprise, Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy (Deforest Kelley) was, along with Spock, Captain Kirk's most trusted confidante. A bit older than his comrades, Bones had retired from Starfleet by the time of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, but was pulled back into action by Kirk. While it seemed he was destined for retirement again at the end of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, Bones would remain in Starfleet for a surprisingly long time.
Bones made his final canonical appearance in the first episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, "Encounter At Farpoint." An incredibly old Admiral at this point, Bones is given a tour of the USS Enterprise-D by Lieutenant Commander Data (Brent Spiner). After some mild insults that he'd likely lob at Spock in his prime, Bones gave Data and the new vessel his blessing.
5 Montgomery Scott
Montgomery Scott (James Doohan) was the USS Enterprise's trusted Chief Engineer for decades. Captain Kirk always relied on Scotty to deliver technical miracles, a job he was usually up to. Scotty enjoyed a drink and a good time, but he was also a brilliant and devoted Starfleet officer in his own right.
On his way to a retirement colony, Scotty's ship crashed on the surface of a Dyson's Sphere. Scotty survived by storing himself in a transporter buffer, where he was discovered decades later by the crew of the USS Enterprise-D. After having an adventure with Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton), Scotty was loaned one of the Enterprise-D shuttles, free to explore the galaxy however he saw fit before enjoying retirement.
4 Hikaru Sulu
Hikaru Sulu (George Takei) was the USS Enterprise helmsman for the majority of Captain Kirk's tenure as commanding officer. A smart, loyal officer of few words, Sulu was one of Kirk's most trusted bridge officers. Sulu was promoted to Captain of the USS Excelsior by the time of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, one of the few Star Trek: The Original Series characters not eyeing retirement in that film. Sulu would go on to a storied career as Captain of the USS Excelsior, in many ways equaling Kirk's status as a Starfleet legend. His ultimate fate remains unknown, but he's an important part of Starfleet history.
3 Pavel Chekov
Ensign Pavel Chekov (Walter Koenig) joined the cast of Star Trek: The Original Series in season 2 to inject some youthful energy into the show and acknowledge the Russians' then-noteworthy success in the ongoing 1960s space race. He was defined by his wide-eyed enthusiasm and penchant for flirting with his fellow officers. He remained a part of Captain Kirk's bridge crew until the USS Enterprise-A was decommissioned. Not much is known about Chekov himself after that, but Star Trek: Picard revealed his son, Anton Chekov (Walter Koenig), would become the Federation President in the early 25th century.
2 Nyota Uhura
Lieutenant Nyota Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) was a groundbreaking character when introduced in Star Trek: The Original Series. She was likely the only Black woman in any sort of position of authority on television in the late 1960s. Her kiss with Captain Kirk in "Plato's Stepchildren" was the first interracial kiss on American television, a revolutionary moment. Uhura remained the USS Enterprise's Communications Officer through the entire series and all six movies, though later franchise developments would confirm she would go on to success as a Captain herself, even eventually serving with a very young officer named Jean-Luc Picard.
1 USS Enterprise-A
After the destruction of the original USS Enterprise in Star Trek III: The Search For Spock, Captain Kirk and crew were granted a new ship, the nearly identical USS Enterprise-A. That ship was initially plagued with technical problems, though would recover enough by the time of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country to thwart a Klingon conspiracy. After the ship was decommissioned, it was relocated to the Federation Fleet Museum, where it remains on display with other legendary Starfleet vessels. It remains the most significant surviving aspect of the Star Trek: The Original Series crew and their story.