The Director, The Achiever, the Organizer
portrayed by Kirstie Alley
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, (and by Robin Curtis in ST:III &IV)
Most Vulcans are ISTJs. Call it youthful energy maybe, but Saavik seems more of an extraverted go-getter than most of her fellows, so I’ve typed her as an ESTJ. ISTJs and ESTJs do share the same functions, but in Saavik’s case, the first two are flipped. She’s still using her Vulcan sensibility and upbringing (Si), but it’s in service to her Starfleet career goals (Te).
(Note: I’m focusing this profile on the Kirstie Alley portrayal of Saavik from ST:II. I honestly have nothing against Robin Curtis, but her take on the character feels fundamentally different, maybe even like an INTP. Alley debuted the character and remains the face that everyone thinks of when they think of Saavik.)
Dominant Function: Extraverted Thinking (Te), “Organize the Experience”
Saavik likes to achieve and succeed. Her first complaint about the infamous Kobayashi Maru test is that, “There was no way to win.” It’s during that test that we see her command capabilities, and she very ably organizes the training crew to achieve her objective. When she asks Kirk if she can speak frankly with him, he replies, “Self-expression doesn’t seem to be one of your problems.”
Saavik makes the most of her opportunities on the Enterprise. She eagerly accepts the chance to lead the ship out of Spacedock when they first embark on their mission. She talks her way onto the Away Team when they arrive at Regula I. She straight up tackles David to keep him safe when the mind-controlled Captain Terrell starts firing his phaser. When Kirk leaves the bridge, he puts Saavik in charge.
Saavik bugs Kirk throughout the movie to tell her the secret of the Kobayashi Maru. She’s bothered by her failure and wants to know how he beat the test. When he finally reveals that he cheated, she’s disappointed: “Then you never faced that situation.” She doesn’t accept his “win” as legitimate.
Auxiliary Function: Introverted Sensing (Si), “Relive the Experience”
For all her ambition, Saavik prefers to make informed decisions. She carefully gathers data before delivering her orders during the Kobayashi Maru test (later, she re-runs the test in her head, trying to determine where she went wrong). She quotes regulations when they first encounter the Reliant—regulations which Kirk ignores, landing the whole ship in danger. He later tells her to always quote regulations to him.
Saavik’s training and discipline as a Vulcan shows up in her sensible, thoughtful, controlled demeanor. She even gets off a couple of “That is not logical” lines.
Saavik has built up a picture in her mind about the legendary James Kirk, and she’s surprised when she finally meets him that he doesn’t match her expectations. “He’s so – human,” she tells Spock. “Nobody’s perfect, Saavik,” Spock says.
Inferior Function: Extraverted Intuition (Ne), “Conceptualize From the Experience”
Saavik stays open to new opportunities to learn and to improve herself. She even makes up a fake regulation that she quotes to Kirk so that she can join the Away Team. She’s thoroughly fascinated by the possibilities of the Genesis Project.
She does, however, have a bit of trouble with humor—“It is not logical”—and she completely misses the code language Spock and Kirk use to communicate when Khan is listening. When Spock explains it to her, she’s a little astonished that her mentor lied—a very literal interpretation of speaking in code.
The biggest concept Saavik has trouble grasping is death. Not in the literal sense, as if she doesn’t believe she can die, but as a potential outcome in any endeavor. It’s why the Kobayashi Maru test bothers her so much. Kirk explains that the test is designed to teach that “How we face death is at least as important as how we face life.” It’s designed to be unwinnable, a possibility that Saavik, like Kirk, doesn’t like to consider.
Tertiary Function: Introverted Feeling (Fi), “Evaluate the Experience”
The Kobayashi Maru test requires its commander to make an ethical decision to save a stranded ship, despite the odds. Saavik takes this bait, proving that she is no more a heartless Vulcan than her mentor Spock. She even has a small, but revealing emotional reaction to the situation when she swears in the middle of the test.
Famously, Saavik’s most emotional moment comes at the end of the movie, when she sheds a single tear at Spock’s eulogy.
Heroes & Villains of MBTI 