William Shatner joins George Takei in mourning Walter Koenig amid feud
Shatner and Takei, who played Captain Kirk and Hikaru Sulu on 'Star Trek,' having been feuding for decades
Published October 28, 2026
William Shatner is mourning his Star Trek costar Walter Koenig after his death at age 90, shortly after fellow costar George Takei also paid tribute.
Koenig, who played Pavel Chekov on the original Star Trek television series, passed away at his North Hollywood home on Sunday, October 25. Shatner, who led the series as Captain James T. Kirk, broke his silence two days later in an Instagram tribute.
“I am deeply saddened to learn of Walter Koenig’s passing,” he wrote, noting that they “did not know each other well away from the set.”
READ MORE: Walter Koenig's cause of death revealed
“What I observed, and what so many fans have expressed over the years, was a man who genuinely loved the Star Trek community,” Shatner continued, praising Koenig for his humility and dedication to Star Trek fans.
“My condolences to his family, his friends, and the countless fans whose lives he touched,” he concluded.
Shatner’s message comes after George Takei, who played Hikaru Sulu, also paid tribute to Koenig, who was closer to Sulu than Shatner in real life.
“Walter and I met on the bridge of the Enterprise in the 1960s, and we stayed friends for nearly six decades,” Takei wrote, revealing that Koenig was the best man at his wedding to Brad Altman in 2008.
As the Star Trek community mourned this great loss, fans urged Shatner and Takei to resolve their decades-long feud. “Whatever beef you and George have, you gotta make up man. You guys are all that remain,” one fan commented under Shatner’s tribute as another agreed, “It would be nice to see” them put their differences aside.
Shatner and Takei’s feud remains one of Hollywood’s most enduring feuds. Although Takei had great admiration for Shatner when he first joined Star Trek, that admiration quickly faded due to what Takei described as Shatner’s “ego.”
Meanwhile, Shatner has accused Takei of dragging out the feud and using it for publicity.
READ MORE: William Shatner hits out at George Takei after he blases his space expedition
