5 best moments from Anton Yelchin’s time in Star Trek

Anton Yelchin would’ve been 33 years old today.

It’s never easy to talk about an actor who’s passed away, but there’s always a sense of acceptance. We accept people passing away when they hit a certain age. It’s not easy, by no means, but at least we can fall back on the old trope of “at least they lived a long life.” That’s not the case for Star Trek’s Anton Yelchin, who passed away in 2016 at just the age of 27.

Yelchin died tragically, from an automobile accident outside of his home. The young thespian was brilliant on the big screen, and when he got cast in Star Trek to play Pavel Chekov, he quickly became one of the fanbase’s most favorite actor/character combo of the rebooted Star Trek era.

So today, on what would’ve been his 33rd birthday, we’re taking a look at five great moments from his time in the Star Trek franchise. He wasn’t given much to do in the three films, but in the moments he had, he showed brightly.

Five of the best moments of Anton Yelchin’s time in Star Trek

Fighting with the computer

It was a subdued moment but one that makes me chuckle every time I see it. Chekov has to access the ship’s computer by putting in his authorization code verbally, but the ship is super biased against Russian accents, so Chekov has to over-annunciate his V’s just to make a simple announcement. It’s that subtle humor, alongside Sulu leaving the “parking brake on” that made the cast very endearing.

I can do that!

Chekov in the 2009 Star Trek film is just a young lad, all of 17 years old. His youthful exuberance was on full display when the wunderkind realized he could in fact beam Kirk and Sulu back to the Enterprise during a free fall. While it’s a tense scene, it really shows off how enthusiastic he is about his job.

Checkov saves Kirk and Scotty

We made mentioned before that the biggest issue with Yelchin’s time in Star Trek was how limited it really was in the grander scope. That doesn’t mean he didn’t have his moments, like when he saved Kirk and Scotty from falling during the Enterprise’s malfunction during the events of Into Darkness. It’s a simple moment, but one that really shows his dedication.

Chekov, the ladies’ man

In the films, Chekov isn’t really given much outside of dialogue but one of the nice things of Star Trek: Beyond is that they make Chekov a bit of a ladies’ man. Most fans will remember him explaining the origins of Scotch to an alien, but many may not realize that he had another romantic interaction with an Orion officer early in the opening moments of the movie. A shirtless member of the crew is kicked out by a woman, and if you look closely enough, you can tell it’s Yelchin. It was a neat little moment that gives his character a bit more depth. A man suave enough to get a girl, but not nearly enough to keep one.

Checkov and Kirk in Beyond

While Kirk got all the good one-liners, the way the two played off each other was fantastic. It really did highlight how much chemistry Yelchin had with just about anyone he played off of. It made for some really entertaining stuff, especially when the two are bickering about what the shape of a specific part is that Kirk is aiming at. It’s worth going back to watch.