Spock's Vulcan Father Ambassador Sarek, Explained

Star Trek ’s Ambassador Sarek ( Mark Lenard ) was not always a nifty beginner to his son , Spock ( Leonard Nimoy ) , but he became one of themost influential Vulcansof all time . Despite Sarek ’s unbending adherence to Vulcan system of logic , he fall in passion with and marry a human woman refer Amanda Grayson ( Jane Wyatt ) . With a Vulcan father and a human female parent , Spock felt caught between two worlds onStar Trek : The Original Series . Ambassador Sarek require his boy to squeeze his Vulcan side and reject human emotion , but this did not total of course to Spock .

Sarek and Amanda first appeared inStar Trek : The Original Seriesseason 2 , installment 10 , " Journey to Babel , " when they traveled to a group discussion aboard the USS Enterprise of Captain James T. Kirk ( William Shatner).Throughout his long career as a Vulcan Ambassador , Sarek helped negociate numerous treatiesand aided in the initial peace talks between theUnited Federation of Planetsand the Klingon Empire . In addition to Spock , Sarek and Amanda also raisedSpock ’s older half - pal , Sybok(Laurence Luckinbill ) , and his surrogate sister , Michael Burnham ( Sonequa Martin - Green ) .

Ambassador Sarek & Amanda Only Appeared In One Episode Of Star Trek: The Original Series

Sarek Also Appeared In the Final Four TOS Films

Although Spock ’s father was reference a handful of times , the onlyStar Trek : The Original SeriesepisodeSarek and Amanda appeared in wasTOSseason 2 ’s " Journey to Babel . " Before Sarek and Amanda ’s visit to the Enterprise , Captain Kirk was unaware that the well - known Ambassador Sarek was Spock ’s founding father . Sarek barely acknowledged his son on the Enterprise , much to the vexation of his married woman . When another one of the visit dignitaries was found murdered , Sarek became the main defendant . While being interrogated , Sarek suffered a heart blast and require immediate surgery .

Spock ’s human mother Amanda and his Vulcan father Sarek have been play by several worker across the Star Trek franchise .

After Spock donate blood to save his father ’s biography , the two reconciled and remained on good terminal figure throughout theStar Trekmovies . After Spock ’s death at the end ofStar Trek II : The Wrath of Khan , Sarek traveled to Earth to convince Admiral Kirk and his crew to recover Spock ’s eubstance from the Genesis Planet . Sarek right conceive that Spock had put hiskatra(Vulcan soul ) into one of his friends , although he trust it had been Kirk rather than Dr. Leonard McCoy ( DeForest Kelley ) . Sarek later assist in negotiations between the Klingons and the Federation inStar Trek : VI : The Undiscovered Country , encouraging Benjamin Spock to initiate dialogue for a Federation - Klingon Alliance .

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Sarek & Spock Had A Complicated Relationship

Spock Spent Much Of His Adult Life Estranged From His Father

When Sarek and Amanda visited the Enterprise inStar Trek : The Original Series , Spock had not seen his fatherin many twelvemonth . The two had become alienated after Spock choose to attend Starfleet Academy rather than the Vulcan Science Academy . Sarek wanted Spock to follow in his footstepsas he had followed in his father ’s footstep , and he broke off contact with his Word around 2250 . Spock had much in usual with his founder , and their stubbornness and pridefulness kept them from reconciling . Still , Sarek deal deep about his son and after expressed regret for not read his love more instantly .

Sometime before Spock ’s birth ( and presumably before he get married Amanda ) , Sarek fathered a son constitute Sybok with a Vulcan princess .

InStar Trek III : The Search for Spock , Sarek encourage Admiral Kirk and his gang to reunify Spock’skatrawith his body , openly admitting that his"logic is uncertain where [ his ] son is come to . “Later in life , Sarek feel way to show his love for Spock , butfather and son could have conciliate much rather if they had simply talked to one another . After Spock became an ambassador , another rift formed between him and his forefather over issues regarding the Cardassians andSpock ’s dream of Vulcan and Romulan reunification . On his deathbed , however , Sarek reasserted his love and admiration for his Word .

Sarek Returned & Died In Star Trek: The Next Generation

Mark Lenard Reprised The Role Of Sarek In 2 TNG Episodes

InStar Trek : The Next Generationseason 3 , episode 23 , " Sarek,“the now senior Ambassador Sarek visited the USS Enterprise - cholecalciferol of Captain Jean - Luc Picard(Patrick Stewart ) . Sarek intended to attend a public security league between the Federation and the Legarans , but his undiagnosed Bendii Syndrome soon began affecting Enterprise crew member . As his emotion became more unstable , Sarek ’s second human married woman Perrin(Joanna Miles ) intimate that Picard brain meld with her hubby to temporarily bear the load of his emotions . Sarek was then able-bodied to see the league , while Picard feel years of Sarek ’s write - up emotion .

Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry wanted Star Trek : The Next Generation to stand asunder from TOS , but 5 classic part still appeared in TNG .

During his nous meld with Picard , Sarek admitted his regret that he was unable to show his love to Spock , Amanda , and Perrin . InTNGseason 5 , episode 7 , " conjugation , Part I,“Picard visited the ailing Sarek while look for the lose Ambassador Spock . Sarek informed Picard that Spock form a friendship with a Romulan Senator named Pardek ( Malachi Throne ) and was working to form a dialogue with the Romulans . Sarek call back Spock ’s optimism was illogical and lamented that his son never listen to him . presently after Picard left Vulcan , he received news that Sarek had give away .

Sarek & Amanda Both Shaped Star Trek: Discovery’s Michael Burnham

Michael Had A Complicated Relationship With Her Foster Brother, Spock

With the premier ofStar Trek : Discoveryin 2017 came the revelation that protagonist Michael Burnham had been parent on Vulcan by none other than Sarek ( James Frain ) andAmanda ( Mia Kirshner ) . After Klingons defeat Burnham ’s parents , Sarek and Amanda fill her in as their wardand raised her alongside Spock ( Ethan Peck ) and , possibly , Sybok , as well . Michael then became the first human to attend the Vulcan Science Academy , sweep up the ordered way of the Vulcans .

Star Trek : Discovery ’s Captain Michael Burnham is a fellow member of two families and she has relative in two different eras of Star Trek .

Sarek choose Spock over Michael to conjoin the Vulcan Expeditionary Group , but Spock subsequently decided to join Starfleet instead . Sarek helped Burnham land a place aboard the USS Shenzhou under the command ofCaptain Philippa Georgiou ( Michelle Yeoh).Unlike Spock , Michael keep a relatively close kinship with her foster Padre , regularly seeking advice from the Vulcan Ambassador . While Sarek was working with Starfleet to end the Federation - Klingon War , a logic extremist attempted to assassinate him , but he was later deliver by the USS Discovery .

Custom image by Ana Nieves

Sarek initiated a mind combine with Michael when she was badly injured as a child , leaving a small-arm of hiskatrainside of her psyche .

InStar Trek : Discoveryseason 2 , Sarek discovered that Amanda had helped hide a mentally peaked Spock on Vulcan and convinced his married woman to turn Spock over to Starfleet . After Burnham and the USS Discovery traveled to the distant future , Sarek affirm never to speak of her or her ship . again . Since his creation , AmbassadorSarek has become one ofStar Trek’smost fascinating and darling characters , only made more interesting by his complex relationship with Spock and Michael Burnham .