10 Huge Revelations From Star Trek: Khan

5. Sulu's Anger But Dedication To Duty

Star Trek The Undiscovered Country Captain Sulu
CBS Media Ventures

Captain Hikaru Sulu suffered at the hands of Khan Noonien Singh twice. From his point of view, Khan's death was no tragedy, nor had he any real interest in exploring what drove the man who tried to kill him. Sulu was the one tasked with shunting the Enterprise up to maximum speed after Spock's sacrifice and he was present at the funeral of that great man.

So, when Dr Lear petitions Starfleet to declassify Kirk's logs with the aim of proving the man guilty of condemning Khan, Sulu is incensed. The last thing that he has any interest in doing is vindicating the madman who killed so many of his colleagues. 

However.

While Sulu's anger is evident throughout his appearances in Star Trek: Khan, so to is his sense of duty and the difference between right and wrong. He may have agreed to take Lear to Ceti Alpha V to disprove her theory, but he does take her. He volunteers the Excelsior for the mission, even staying for longer than a ship might normally remain in orbit of a dead planet. 

He comes into mild conflict with Ensign Tuvok over Lear's investigation, ordering the young Vulcan to keep tabs on her. Clearly, he is not happy about any of this - but as shown, he allows Lear to complete her work, no matter the personal cost. He may be human but Hikaru Sulu remains a stalwart Starfleet officer. 

Contributor
Contributor

Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"