William Shatner Pays Tribute to ‘Star Trek’ Co-Star Walter Koenig: “Deeply Saddened”

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William Shatner is remembering his Star Trek co-star Walter Koenig following Koenig’s death at 90.

On Tuesday, Shatner took to X and wrote that he was “deeply saddened to learn of Walter Koenig’s passing.” Koenig’s representative announced that he died Sunday of natural causes at his home in North Hollywood.

Shatner and Koenig starred together on Star Trek: The Original Series, which ran for three seasons from 1966 to 1969. Shatner played Captain James T. Kirk throughout the series, while Koenig joined in season two in 1967 as Ensign Pavel Chekov. The two also appeared together in many of the Star Trek films.

“Although we did not know each other well away from the set, we shared the later seasons of the original Star Trek series and the six films that followed,” Shatner wrote. “What I observed, and what so many fans have expressed over the years was a man who genuinely loved the Star Trek community. At conventions, Walter was rarely content to remain behind a signing table. He preferred to be among the people who had kept Star Trek alive for so many decades.”

I am deeply saddened to learn of Walter Koenig’s passing.
Although we did not know each other well away from the set, we shared the later seasons of the original Star Trek series and the six films that followed.
What I observed, and what so many fans have expressed over the…

— William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) October 27, 2026

Shatner concluded: “That kind of genuine connection is rare, and it will be remembered by everyone who came into contact with him.”

Fellow Star Trek castmember George Takei, who played Hikaru Sulu throughout all three seasons of the original series, also paid tribute to Koenig.

“Walter was more than Chekov. He was a writer, a teacher, a thoughtful man and a loyal friend. To the fans who loved him for so many years, thank you. He loved you too,” Takei wrote on Facebook Monday. “Rest well, my dear friend. Keep navigating a steady course.”