It'll Hurt, But Star Trek Fans Need to Know Sulu's Reaction to Captain Kirk's Death

It might hurt a little, but Star Trek fans need to know Sulu’s reaction to the death of Captain Kirk. After Kirk’s story came to an end in 1994’s Star Trek: Generations, there was hardly any follow-up on-screen. How the surviving Enterprise crew members took the news of Kirk’s death was left up in the air, but in 1998’s Star Trek: Unlimited #8, fans learn of Sulu’s reaction.

In the story “The Veteran,” written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning and drawn by Tom Morgan, Sulu, investigating rumors of Kirk’s death, travels to a mysterious planet. He meets the Klingon Kang, who has also come seeking Kirk, only to get revenge. The two work through their differences, and learn that Kirk is indeed dead.

They then encounter a Gorn captain who had been bested by Kirk, and they must work to deescalate the situation.

The solution they achieve honors Kirk’s legacy as a peacemaker and explorer.

Captain Kirk's Final Fate Was A Huge Star Trek Mystery, Until Generations

Star Trek Gave Little Follow-Up to Captain Kirk's Death

Star Trek: Generations both kicked off a series of The Next Generation films, and put to bed one of the franchise’s (then) greatest mysteries: the final fate of Captain Kirk. Star Trek: The Next Generation checked in on several Original Series luminaries: Doctor McCoy appeared in the show’s pilot episode. Sarek, Spock and Scotty also showed up throughout The Next Generation’s seven seasons, providing vital links between two crucial Star Trek eras. Yet even then, there were still loose ends left dangling, including what happened to Captain Kirk.

Star Trek: Generations provided the answer. In the film’s opening sequence, set during the Enterprise NCC-1701-B’s maiden voyage, Kirk seemingly perished while trying to save the ship. In reality, he became stuck in an extradimensional “Nexus” while over 80 years passed in the outside world. Captain Picard freed Kirk from the Nexus, and the two teamed up to stop the evil Doctor Soran. During the fight, Soran killed Kirk, and his body was seemingly left behind on Veridian III. While fans know the body eventually ended up in a Section 31 facility, the immediate reactions were left unknown.

Sulu's Reaction to Kirk's Death Honors the Captain's Legacy

Captain Kirk Helped Sulu Become a Legendary Captain In His Own Right

While Star Trek fans may never know how McCoy, Scotty or others reacted to Kirk’s death, “The Veteran” shows how Sulu took the news. At the story’s beginning, Sulu still believes the official story: that Kirk died on the Enterprise-B. Yet Sulu was hearing rumors that he might have survived, and went looking for him. This raises interesting questions about how Starfleet handles classified information: that not even a high-ranking legend like Sulu knows exactly what happened to his former Commanding Officer. Kirk’s final fate may be on a “need to know” basis.

Upon learning of Kirk’s final and true death, Sulu reflects on the captain’s legacy. After his tour of duty aboard the Enterprise, Sulu became captain of the Excelsior, and by the 24th century, he is as legendary as Kirk and Spock. Sulu was an excellent captain in his own right, and no doubt this was due to Kirk’s influence. “The Veteran” acknowledges this, and the story then presents Sulu with a tough situation that he must reason his way out of. Sulu’s solution, one stressing teamwork and finding common ground, would have made Captain Kirk proud.

Captain Kirk is one of Star Trek’s biggest heroes, and his influence on galactic history cannot be understated. In addition to fostering the principles of freedom and understanding, he mentored many officers, some of whom would go into command positions themselves. Sulu was one of them. Sulu owes Captain Kirk a great debt for his career, and “The Veteran” acknowledges this fact. Sulu goes looking for Kirk, and instead of finding his friend, he is instead reminded of the Captain’s legacy. Sulu’s reaction is bittersweet and poignant, and needs to be seen by all Star Trek fans.