Any true Star Trek fan is acutely aware of the iconic Hikaru Sulu. Sulu was the helmsman of the starship Enterprise during the era of James T. Kirk and Mr. Spock. Although he was often a side character who rarely left the bridge in Star Trek: The Original Series, Sulu was still a beloved due to his naturally charismatic nature.
Hikaru Sulu was also a groundbreaking character. Star Trek is known for placing minority characters front and center, and Sulu was no exception. As an Asian character holding down a main role in the 1960s, Mr. Sulu was a role model. And the original actor portraying him, George Takei, brought a depth to the role that only he could. The character’s torch has since been carried by John Cho in the Kelvin timeline films. Both are synonymous with the character, but let's compare our beloved Mr. Sulu actors all the same.
George Takei
George Takei was the original and most recognizable Sulu actor. Takei’s version of Sulu could be found on the bridge most of the time, and the show’s writing emphasized Sulu’s chops for flying a starship. Takei’s deep voice and convincing peer into the viewscreen ahead of him brought Sulu to life in a way that only Takei ever will.
The Original Series films provided more depth to Sulu. By the time Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country came out, Sulu had been promoted to captain and given command of the USS Excelsior. In that film, Sulu is portrayed as an equal to Captain Kirk, who helps save the day at the Camp Khitomer peace conference.
We even got another glimpse of Sulu in the captain’s chair during the Star Trek: Voyager episode "Flashback." Most recently, Takei took up the mantle of the Excelsior's commander once again in the podcast Star Trek: Khan. In the audio drama, Takei's Sulu defends the actions of his former captain, James T. Kirk, who exiled Khan and his people on Ceti Alpha V.
Takei was able to bridge the gap between the younger Sulu and the older version of the same character seamlessly. Through it all, Sulu’s calm nature and soft eyes were always prevalent. Now, let's examine John Cho's portrayal of the character. (Continued...)