Star Trek Sulu

Sulu looking forward with a concerned expression on his face. The interior of the Enterprise spaceship is the the background. White text arches on the right side.

The first and “Original Series” of Star Trek debuted in 1966 and ran, on NBC, for three seasons. The show was created by Gene Roddenberry, and was to be an American science fiction show, inspired by westerns. Not only did Roddenberry want to create a show that had plots that paralleled contemporary politics and conflicts, the show was also one of the first with a multiracial cast. The character Sulu was initially played by George Takei from 1966-1969. Sulu was created by Roddenberry as a representation of Asia in total, and as a symbol of peace in the Trek universe.  The name for the character, to avoid a specific nationality, came from the Sulu Sea, which touches many shores. Throughout the show Sulu is portrayed as having many physical hobbies such as gymnastics and fencing. For the majority of the series Sulu has the position of a helmsman but eventually becomes a commanding officer.