Star Trek: 10 Hated Characters You Grew To Love

8. Sybok

Star Trek Sybok
Paramount PIctures

A laughing Vulcan is a far more divisive thing than many might expect. So, when Lawrence Luckinbill grinned his way onto the big screen as Sybok in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, it was not without cries of confusion from the audience. 

The fifth film in the franchise would of course go on to receive fairly dismal critical and audience reviews upon release. However, this came at the cost of Sybok's reputation, something that is distinctly unfair. Thankfully, the years have been kinder to Sarek's other son.

Based as he was on TV evangelists, Sybok is nothing but charming and engaging. Luckinbill then manages to help him rise above his shady inspirations and, for a moment, one can almost believe there's merit to his search for god.

Sybok has been teased in Strange New Worlds, which feels like the franchise is listening to the audience who miss the smiling-but-logical Vul-hippie. It's time to bring him back. 

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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"