John Cho
John Cho brought a fresh new take on Mr. Sulu. This newer version of the character was far more gung-ho than The Original Series version, and Cho portrayed Sulu in all three Kelvin timeline films: Star Trek, Star Trek Into Darkness, Star Trek Beyond. His role was slowly reduced in each subsequent film, but Sulu remained powerful.
Cho’s shining moment as Sulu came in Star Trek (2009) when Kirk and Sulu must space-jump down to the Romulans’ drill on Vulcan and shut it down. Hand-to-hand combat is the only way to battle due to the drill rendering energy weapons obsolete.
That scene is one of the best in the Kelvin films. Sulu wields an incredibly cool and sophisticated foldable sword as he assists Kirk in fighting off the Romulans. It is the best fight scene we have yet to see for the character in any media, and it sets the tone for who this version of Sulu is. (Continued...)