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87-561: The series explores James T. Kirk 's life after the events of Generations (1994). Created by William Shatner, the novels were co-written by Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens , who were not credited until Captain's Peril (2002). Simon & Schuster never applied a series brand or name to the novels. The informal title or nickname for the series is "Shatnerverse" which was created by fans and later adopted by unofficial sources. Novels are organized by fans into three trilogies: "Odyssey", "Mirror Universe", and "Totality". The continuity within

174-516: A Shakespearean actor to invigorate the character, whose dialogue at times is laden with jargon. Not only did Shatner take inspiration from Roddenberry's suggestion of Hornblower, but also from Alexander the Great  – "the athlete and the intellectual of his time" – whom Shatner had played for an unsold television pilot two years earlier. In addition, the actor based Kirk partly on himself because "the fatigue factor [after weeks of daily filming]

261-492: A YouTube video expressing disappointment at not being approached for a cameo. Although Shatner questioned the wisdom of not including him in the film, he predicted the movie would be "wonderful" and that he was "kidding" about Abrams not offering him a cameo. Kirk also appears in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , which is set six years before the events of the original series . He first appears in

348-488: A "superhuman redeemer" who "like a true superhero ... regularly escapes after risking battle with monsters or enemy spaceships". Although some episodes question Kirk's position as a hero, Star Trek "never left the viewer in doubt for long". Others have commented that Kirk's exaggerated "strength, intelligence, charm, and adventurousness" make him unrealistic. Kirk is described as able to find ways "through unanticipated problems to reach [his] goals" and his leadership style

435-499: A USS Excelsior mission under Sulu's command. The novel Forged in Fire depicts an earlier USS Excelsior mission prior to Sulu's assuming command of the ship. The novelization of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home includes an encounter in 1986 San Francisco intended to be included in the final film but ultimately cut between Sulu and a young Japanese-American boy who asks, "What are you doing here, Uncle Hikaru?" After conversing with

522-518: A better teacher, colleague, and husband because he watched Kirk run the Enterprise ; Pausch wrote that "for ambitious boys with a scientific bent, there could be no greater role model than James T. Kirk". David A. Goodman commented that Kirk "has as much reality as possible for a fictional character." In 2012, IGN ranked the character Captain Kirk, as depicted in the original series, films, and

609-442: A big way". McDowell claims to have received death threats after Generations was released. In Star Trek (2009), screenwriters Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci focused their story on Kirk and Spock in the movie's alternative timeline while attempting to preserve key character traits from the previous depictions. Kurtzman said casting someone whose portrayal of Kirk would show that the character "is being honored and protected"

696-474: A decade after the original series had ended. Sulu was portrayed by George Takei in the original Star Trek series. John Cho took over the role of the character in the 2009 film Star Trek and its sequels, Star Trek Into Darkness and Star Trek Beyond . George Takei recalled Gene Roddenberry wanted the character to represent all of Asia, which symbolized the peace of the Trek universe in spite of

783-698: A hero for the ages". Although Kirk throughout the series becomes romantically involved with various women, when confronted with a choice between a woman and the Enterprise , "his ship always won". Roddenberry wrote in a production memo that Kirk is not afraid of being fallible, but rather is afraid of the consequences to his ship and crew should he make an error in judgment. Roddenberry wrote: [Kirk] has any normal man's insecurities and doubts, but he knows he cannot ever show them—except occasionally in private with ship's surgeon McCoy or in subsequent moments with Mr. Spock whose opinions Kirk has learned to value so highly. In Star Trek: The Motion Picture , Admiral Kirk

870-574: A large portion of the Farragut ' s crew, including his commanding officer, Captain Garrovick. Although the surviving Executive Officer disagreed, Kirk blamed himself for years for hesitating to fire his assigned weapons upon seeing the threat until a later encounter with the creature showed that firing immediately with conventional weapons would have been useless anyway. Kirk became Starfleet 's youngest starship captain after receiving command of

957-543: A meeting with the time-displaced Spock of the original timeline, who inspires Kirk to live up to his full potential after learning about the parallel version of himself and his accomplishments as Captain in the elder Spock's timeline. Jeffrey Hunter played the commanding officer of the USS Enterprise , Captain Christopher Pike , in the rejected Star Trek television pilot " The Cage ". In developing

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1044-636: A new flagship series set aboard the Excelsior (NCC-2000) under the command of Hikaru Sulu . Only one novel was published, marketed as part of The Original Series book line. The novel includes references to The Ashes of Eden (1995) and Collision Course (2007). James T. Kirk James Tiberius Kirk , commonly known as Captain Kirk , is a fictional character in the Star Trek media franchise. Originally played by Canadian actor William Shatner , Kirk first appeared in Star Trek serving aboard

1131-466: A new pilot episode, called " Where No Man Has Gone Before ", series creator Gene Roddenberry changed the captain's name to "James Kirk" after rejecting other options like Hannibal, Timber, Flagg and Raintree. The episode title may have been inspired by Captain James Cook , whose journal entry "ambition leads me ... farther than any other man has been before me" inspired the episode title, and became

1218-455: A positive light. Justman described him as "the antithesis of the so-called expressionless-unemotional-inscrutable Asian." In 2017, Screen Rant ranked Hikaru Sulu the 15th-most attractive person in the Star Trek universe. In 2018, CBR ranked Sulu the 17th-best Starfleet character of Star Trek . In 2018, TheWrap placed Sulu as 19th out 39 in a ranking of main cast characters of

1305-459: A rewritten ending. Despite the rewrite, Generations co-writer Ronald D. Moore said that Kirk's death, which was intended to "resonate throughout the Star Trek franchise", failed to "pay off the themes [of death and mortality] in the way we wanted". Malcolm McDowell , whose character kills Kirk, was dissatisfied with both versions of Kirk's death: he believed Kirk should have been killed "in

1392-590: A starship is [Kirk's] first, best destiny", dies at the end of Star Trek II . In Star Trek III: The Search for Spock , Admiral Kirk leads his surviving officers in a successful mission to rescue Spock from a planet on which he is reborn. Although Kirk is demoted to Captain in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home for disobeying Starfleet orders, he also receives command of a new Enterprise , the USS Enterprise -A (NCC 1701-A). The ship

1479-472: A student instructor. According to a friend, students could either "think or sink" in his class, and Kirk himself was "a stack of books with legs". Upon graduating in the top five percent, Kirk was promoted to lieutenant and served aboard the USS Farragut . While assigned to the Farragut , Kirk commanded his first planetary survey and survived a deadly attack by a bizarre cloud-like creature that killed

1566-481: A variety of ways, including collectible busts, action figures , mugs , t-shirts , and Christmas tree ornaments. A Kirk Halloween mask was altered and used as the mask worn by the character Michael Myers in the Halloween film franchise . In 2002, Kirk's captain's chair from the original Star Trek was auctioned for $ 304,000. In a 2010 Space Foundation survey, Kirk tied with cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin as

1653-435: A wiser Kirk and more emotional Spock." Library Journal also reviewed the audiobook version of Spectre , saying: "Shatner does his usual adequate job, offering a melodious reading with a hint of apathy." L.D. Meagher, whilst writing for CNN , said that Dark Victory was not for the casual fan to get into as it wasn't intended to be a standalone novel and needed to be read as part of the series. He thought though that fans of

1740-442: A younger Sulu in the 2009 film, though he is actually older than Takei was when he portrayed the role in the original series; Cho was 36 while Takei was 29. Cho also portrays Sulu in the 2013 sequel Star Trek Into Darkness , taking up the role of acting captain on the USS Enterprise when both Kirk and Spock were absent. At the film's climax Sulu admits to Kirk that he wouldn't mind being a captain, referencing his role as captain of

1827-473: Is "a fine, brash boy Kirk". Slate , which called Pine "a jewel", described his performance as "channel[ing]" Shatner without being an impersonation. Slate described Shatner's depiction of Kirk as an "expansive, randy, faintly ridiculous, and yet supremely capable leader of men, Falstaffian in his love of life and largeness of spirit". The Myth of the American Superhero refers to Kirk as

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1914-671: Is Chief of Starfleet Operations, and he takes command of the Enterprise from Captain Willard Decker . Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry 's novelization of The Motion Picture depicts Kirk married to a Starfleet officer killed during a transporter accident. At the beginning of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , Kirk takes command of the Enterprise from Captain Spock to pursue his enemy from " Space Seed ", Khan Noonien Singh . The movie introduces Kirk's former lover Carol and his son, David Marcus . Spock, who notes that "commanding

2001-401: Is a fictional character in the Star Trek media franchise. A member of the crew in the original Star Trek series , Sulu also appears in the animated Star Trek series , in the first six Star Trek movies, in one episode of Star Trek: Voyager , and in several books, comics, and video games. Originally known simply as "Sulu", his first name, "Hikaru", appeared in a 1981 novel well over

2088-519: Is a realization of that dream—going into space." He cited the masculinity of the character as being important to him, and spent two weeks fight training. Cho suffered an injury to his wrist during filming, although a representative noted it was "no big deal". James Kyson Lee was interested in the part, but because Zachary Quinto was cast as Spock, the producers of the TV show Heroes did not want to lose another cast member for three months. Cho portrays

2175-411: Is a solid one; however, it falters in its execution. However, Den of Geek wrote the "Shatnerverse" novels are "very goofy and self-indulgent", yet they are a fun continuation of The Original Series . Shatner's bluster "is part of his charm. It's exactly what makes James Kirk so fun". Star Trek: The Ashes of Eden is a 100 page, square-bound, graphic novel by Steve Erwin and Jimmy Palmiotti. Unlike

2262-477: Is anime voice actor Vic Mignogna , who also plays the role of Kirk. Rounding out the core cast is fellow voice actor Todd Haberkorn as Spock, Chris Doohan (son of the original Scotty actor James Doohan ) as Scotty, and as McCoy first author-producer Larry Nemecek , followed by voice actor Chuck Huber . It also co-starred Grant Imahara ( MythBusters ) as Sulu. The first episode, " Pilgrim of Eternity " (with Michael Forest reprising his role as Apollo from

2349-425: Is attacked by a Romulan ship from the future. In the film, George and Winona Kirk name their son James Tiberius after his maternal and paternal grandfathers, respectively. Although the film treats specific details from Star Trek as mutable, characterizations are meant to "remain the same" though with Kirk being initially portrayed as "a reckless, bar-fighting rebel" but who eventually matures. According to Pine,

2436-466: Is depicted as an orange tabby cat . The Kirk crater on Pluto 's moon, Charon , is named after the character. In addition to television, feature films, books, and parodies, Kirk has also been portrayed in non-canon fan fiction . The Star Trek: New Voyages fan production , known from 2008 until 2015 as Star Trek: Phase II , portrays the further voyages of the original Enterprise crew. The series' creators feel that "Kirk, Spock, McCoy and

2523-449: Is most "appropriate in a tight, geographically identical team with a culture of strong leadership." Although Roddenberry conceived the character as being "in a very real sense ... 'married' " to the Enterprise , Kirk has been noted for "his sexual exploits with gorgeous females of every size, shape and type"; he has been called " promiscuous " and labeled a " womanizer ". The Last Lecture author Randy Pausch believed he became

2610-590: Is ordered decommissioned at the end of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country . In Star Trek Generations , Captain Jean-Luc Picard finds Kirk living in the timeless Nexus, despite the fact that history recorded his death during the Enterprise -B 's maiden voyage, Kirk having fallen into the Nexus in the incident that caused his "death". Picard persuades Kirk to return to Picard's present to help stop

2697-830: Is revealed to be stored in stasis at the Daystrom Institute by Section 31 . Shatner has since written a series of novels featuring Kirk being brought back to life by a Borg -Romulan alliance to serve as an assassin against Picard, but he is restored to normal and returns to provisional active service in Starfleet, including opposing his Mirror Universe counterpart. In this series, Chris Pine plays Kirk, Zachary Quinto plays Spock, Karl Urban plays "Bones" McCoy, Simon Pegg plays Montgomery "Scotty" Scott , Zoë Saldana plays Nyota Uhura , John Cho plays Hikaru Sulu , and Anton Yelchin plays Pavel Chekov . The series takes place in an alternate course of events known as

Shatnerverse - Misplaced Pages Continue

2784-427: Is shown having many interests and hobbies, including gymnastics , botany , fencing , and ancient weaponry. In the episode " The Naked Time " (1966), Spock observes that Sulu "is at heart a swashbuckler out of the 18th century". The character is promoted to lieutenant commander some time before Star Trek: The Motion Picture , and to full commander by the time of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan . During

2871-400: Is such that you try to be as honest about yourself as possible". A comedy veteran, Shatner suggested making the show's characters as comfortable working in space as they would be at sea, thus having Kirk be a humorous "good-pal-the-captain, who in time of need would snap to and become the warrior". Changing the character to be "a man with very human emotions" also allowed for the development of

2958-468: Is taken from an omnibus edition originally planed as Science Fiction Book Club exclusive. Academy: Collision Course (2007) ties into The Ashes of Eden (1995). Novels set primarily in Star Trek 's Mirror Universe . Also known as the Captain Kirk or Captain's trilogy. Library Journal reviewed Avenger : "Shatner's team has created a compelling and satisfying morality play with

3045-405: Is the trim, soft-spoken chief of the Enterprise's Astro Science Department. Frequently it is his assessment of the conditions on unexplored planets that finally determines when and how they will be approached, or if they can be explored at all." However, throughout the rest of the series, he served as third officer and senior helmsman , holding the rank of lieutenant . Throughout the series, Sulu

3132-437: The Excelsior recalling a time on the original Enterprise when a transporter accident caused him to come back thirty years older and with a daughter, Alana. Demora also appears in this episode, as well as Hikaru's granddaughter (named Alana in his daughter's honour). Grant Imahara portrayed Hikaru Sulu in all 11 episodes of the fan film web series Star Trek Continues . The Lost Era novel The Sundered depicts

3219-524: The USS Excelsior in the original film series. In the third film, Star Trek Beyond , Sulu is portrayed as a gay man with a husband and daughter. Writer Simon Pegg and director Justin Lin made the decision as a nod to original actor George Takei, who had become a prominent LGBT rights activist since portraying the character in the original series. Takei disliked the idea, and attempted to persuade

3306-464: The USS ; Enterprise for a five-year mission, three years of which are depicted in the original Star Trek series. Kirk's most significant relationships in the television series are with first officer Spock and chief medical officer Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy . McCoy is someone to whom Kirk unburdens himself and is a foil to Spock . Robert Jewett and John Shelton Lawrence 's The Myth of

3393-775: The United Federation of Planets . In the TV show Scrubs , Turk wants to be married by a priest who looks like Sulu. The priest is actually played by Takei. Takei reprised the role of Captain Sulu in the PC game Starfleet Command 2 , released in December 2000. The introduction video features Takei, as Captain Sulu on board the USS Excelsior , describing the outbreak of an interstellar war between several galactic powers as part of his Captain's Log . Later updates to

3480-461: The starship USS Enterprise as captain. Kirk leads his crew as they explore new worlds and "boldly go where no man has gone before ". Often, the characters of Spock and Leonard "Bones" McCoy act as his logical and emotional sounding boards, respectively. Kirk has also been portrayed in numerous films, books, comics, webisodes, and video games. Kirk first appears in the Star Trek episode " The Man Trap ", broadcast on September 8, 1966, although

3567-564: The "Kelvin Timeline" that reveal different origins for Kirk, the formation of his association with Spock, and how they came to serve together on the Enterprise . Whereas The Original Series portrayed Kirk as having been born in Iowa, the Star Trek film portrays him being born on a shuttle escaping the starship USS Kelvin in an alternate timeline in which his father is killed when the Kelvin

Shatnerverse - Misplaced Pages Continue

3654-435: The 1979 song " Where's Captain Kirk? " by Spizzenergi , the 1982 rap song " Tough " by Kurtis Blow , and 1983's " 99 Luftballons " by Nena (both German and English versions). More recently, in the 2003 remix of 1998’s " That Don't Impress Me Much ", Shania Twain puts forth Captain Kirk as one of the unattainable ideals to whom her unappealingly haughty suitor apparently thinks himself equal. Kirk has been merchandised in

3741-403: The 2009 film Star Trek . J. J. Abrams was concerned about casting a Korean-American as the character, but Takei explained to the director that Sulu was meant to represent all of Asia on the Enterprise , so Abrams went ahead with Cho. Cho acknowledged that being an Asian-American, "There are certain acting roles that you are never going to get, and one of them is playing a cowboy. Playing Sulu

3828-409: The 8th smartest character of Star Trek . In 1985, Riverside, Iowa petitioned Roddenberry and Paramount Pictures for permission to "adopt" Kirk as their town's "Future Son". Shatner and Roddenberry approved the proposal. Paramount wanted $ 40,000 for a license to reproduce a bust of Kirk, but the city instead set a plaque and built a replica of the Enterprise (named the "USS Riverside "), and

3915-401: The American Superhero describes Kirk as "a hard-driving leader who pushes himself and his crew beyond human limits". Terry J. Erdman and Paula M. Block, in their Star Trek 101 primer , note that while "cunning, courageous and confident", Kirk also has a "tendency to ignore Starfleet regulations when he feels the end justifies the means"; he is "the quintessential officer, a man among men and

4002-505: The No. 6 most popular space hero. Captain Kirk has also been portrayed in feline form. First, anthropomorphically, in two episodes of the 1975 Filmation Saturday morning animated children’s series The Secret Lives of Waldo Kitty . The cartoon is based around the title character’s fantasies about being various heroic felines based on popular culture icons. Later came scientific illustrator Jenny Parks ' 2017 book Star Trek Cats , in which Kirk

4089-520: The Riverside Area Community Club holds an annual "Trek Fest" in anticipation of Kirk's birthday. Kirk has been the subject of a wide range of television spoofs that aired in many countries, including The Carol Burnett Show and KI.KA 's Bernd das Brot . John Belushi 's impression of Kirk for Saturday Night Live , which he described as his favorite role, was "dead-on". Jim Carrey has been praised for his satire of

4176-428: The Spock character. Shatner wrote that "Kirk was a man who marveled and greatly appreciated the endless surprises presented to him by the universe ... He didn't take things for granted and, more than anything else, respected life in every one of its weird weekly adventure forms". Shatner did not expect Star Trek to be successful, so when it was cancelled in 1969, he assumed it would be the end of his association with

4263-473: The actor has enough swagger "to be passable in the role". Cawley's portrayal was well-known enough at Paramount that a group of Star Trek: Enterprise writers called for Cawley's attention at a science fiction convention by shouting "Hey, Kirk!" at him while Shatner sat nearby. First produced in 2013, the 11 episode series Star Trek Continues also looked to chronicle the "lost seasons" of Star Trek: The Original Series . The series developer and producer

4350-476: The book series would be pleased with it. Publishers Weekly reviewed the audiobook version of Captain's Glory , writing: "Shatner ably embodies the voice of Kirk, but his characterizations of Picard, Riker, Worf and several others are mediocre and pale in comparison to the actors who created them." Screen Rant noted that the idea of placing Academy: Collision Course within Starfleet Academy

4437-629: The boy and learning his name, Sulu realizes that the boy is his great-great-grandfather. In another part of the novel as he borrows a helicopter to deliver the whale tank materials, it is revealed that Sulu is part Filipino , as he converses about the Philippine People Power Revolution which had just occurred earlier in 1986. Simon & Schuster Audioworks released three non-canon Captain Sulu Adventure s, featuring voice acting by Takei and various others, in

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4524-482: The character in a 1992 episode of In Living Color . Comedian Kevin Pollak is well known for his impressions of Shatner as Kirk. Kirk's memorable scream of "Khan!" in the 1982 movie Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan has become a pop culture icon in its own right, spawning internet memes and is widely parodied and paid tribute to. Kirk has been referenced in the lyrics of many pop songs . Early examples include

4611-593: The character in the 2009 Star Trek film, Star Trek Into Darkness (2013), and in Star Trek Beyond (2016). Paul Wesley portrays Kirk on the Paramount+ series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , set prior to Kirk's captaincy of the Enterprise. Other actors have played the character in fan-created media, and the character has been the subject of multiple spoofs and satires. James Tiberius Kirk

4698-541: The character is "a 25-year-old [who acts like a] 15-year-old" and who is "angry at the world", until he enrolls in Starfleet Academy basically after being 'dared' by Captain Christopher Pike. Kirk and Spock clash at Starfleet Academy, but, over the course of the film, Kirk focuses his "passion and obstinance and the spectrum of emotions" and becomes captain of the Enterprise . He is also aided by

4785-543: The character's first name in the novel The Entropy Effect . McIntyre derived the character's first name from The Tale of Genji . Although McIntyre was unaware at the time of any controversy surrounding her giving Sulu a first name, editor David Hartwell had to clear the name with Gene Roddenberry and Takei in order to assuage Paramount's objections. However, the name did not become canon until its mention in Star Trek VI . Peter David has written about making

4872-403: The film's production about the possibility of Shatner making a cameo appearance . According to Abrams, the production team considered ways to resurrect Shatner's deceased Kirk character, but could not devise a way that was not "lame". However, Abrams believed Shatner misinterpreted language about trying to get "him" into the movie as a reference to Shatner, and not his character. Shatner released

4959-591: The filmmakers to create a new gay character rather than revealing Sulu as closeted , saying, "Unfortunately, it's a twisting of Gene's creation, to which he put in so much thought." Pegg replied that he felt it was unfortunate that "the most inclusive, tolerant universe in science fiction" had never featured an LGBT character, but that revealing an existing character as gay avoided creating the impression of tokenism . Pegg also said that Sulu had never been closeted, but that his sexuality had simply never come up, and suggested that Roddenberry would have explored LGBT themes in

5046-605: The final episode of Season 1, portrayed by Paul Wesley , and appeared as a recurring guest in Season 2. In this series, the Enterprise has another captain, Kirk's predecessor Christopher Pike , who first appeared in " The Cage ". Other fellow crew characters from the original series, such as Uhura , Spock and Nurse Chapel are main characters in Strange New Worlds . According to Shatner, early Star Trek reviewers described his performance as "wooden", with most of

5133-526: The first and only student at Starfleet Academy to defeat the Kobayashi Maru test, garnering a commendation for original thinking after he reprogrammed the computer to make the "no-win scenario" winnable. Kirk was granted a field commission as an ensign and posted to advanced training aboard the USS Republic . He was then promoted to lieutenant junior grade and returned to Starfleet Academy as

5220-498: The first episode recorded featuring Shatner was " Where No Man Has Gone Before ". Shatner continued in the role for the show's three seasons, and he later provided the voice of the animated version of Kirk in Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973–1974). Shatner returned to the role for Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) and six subsequent films. American actor Chris Pine portrays a young version of

5307-527: The first five Star Trek movies, he serves as helmsman aboard both the USS Enterprise and USS Enterprise -A . He is promoted to captain and given command of the USS Excelsior three years before the events of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country . Star Trek Generations introduces Hikaru's daughter, Demora Sulu, whose origins are also depicted in Peter David 's canon novel The Captain's Daughter . John Cho portrays an alternate Sulu in

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5394-490: The franchise. Following Star Trek's popularity after its cancelation, Shatner went on to voice Kirk in the animated Star Trek series, star in the first seven Star Trek films, and provide voice acting for several games. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan director and writer Nicholas Meyer , who had never seen an episode of Star Trek before he was assigned to direct, conceived a " Hornblower in outer space" atmosphere, unaware that those books had been an influence on

5481-425: The game also included several bonus voice-scripted missions, that again featured Takei as Sulu. In scientific illustrator Jenny Parks ' 2017 book Star Trek Cats , Sulu is depicted as a Japanese Bobtail . Robert Justman , co-producer of the original Star Trek series, noted that Takei had previously played bad guys, but through Star Trek had become one of the first Asian actors to portray an Asian character in

5568-497: The mid-1990s: Transformations , Cacophany , and Envoy . The reference book Federation: The First 150 Years , by David A. Goodman , contains an audio introduction by Admiral Hikaru Sulu, indicating that at some point Sulu is promoted to admiral, although this is non-canonical. In the William Shatner Star Trek novels , it is revealed that Sulu is elected to an unprecedented three terms as President of

5655-445: The new Kirk in 2009 film Star Trek , as the number one top character of the Star Trek universe. In 2016, Kirk was ranked as the #1 most important character of Starfleet within the Star Trek science fiction universe by Wired magazine, out of 100 characters of the franchise. In 2018, CBR ranked Kirk the best Starfleet character of Star Trek, including later television series. In July 2019, Screen Rant ranked Kirk

5742-439: The no-win Kobayashi Maru scenario, which Kirk had cheated his way through, forces Kirk to confront death and to grow as a character. Both Shatner and test audiences were dissatisfied that Kirk was fatally shot in the back in the original ending of the film Star Trek Generations . An addendum inserted while Shatner's Star Trek Movie Memories memoir was being printed expresses his enthusiasm at being called back to film

5829-568: The numerous wars in the continent. Roddenberry did not want a nationally specific surname, so he looked at a map and saw the Sulu Sea in central Philippines . "He thought, 'Ah, the waters of that sea touch all shores'," the actor recalled, "and that's how my character came to have the name Sulu." In the book Inside Star Trek: The Real Story , the character's name is noted as a pun on the name of vice president of Desilu Studios, Herb Solow. Novelist Vonda McIntyre first presented " Hikaru " as

5916-545: The original series episode " Who Mourns for Adonais? ") was released in 2013. The second episode, " Lolani " (featuring guest star Lou Ferrigno ), was released in February 2014, and a third episode, " Fairest of Them All " was released in June 2014 and won a Burbank International Film Festival award for "Best New Media – Drama". Star Trek Continues also won a Geekie Award for "Best Web Series". On June 19, 2015, Episode 4 of

6003-758: The original series if he had had the opportunity. Takei reprised the role of Sulu, as part of Star Trek ' s 30th anniversary, in the Star Trek: Voyager episode " Flashback " aired in 1996. In the episode, Captain Sulu appears in Tuvok 's flashbacks of his time serving aboard the USS Excelsior , during events depicted in Star Trek VI . Sulu is also responsible for another future USS Voyager crew member ( Chakotay ) joining Starfleet . The non- canon fan production Star Trek: New Voyages episode "World Enough and Time" starred Takei as Captain Sulu on

6090-479: The production of Star Trek . Jack Lord was Desilu Productions ' original choice to play Kirk, but his demand for fifty-percent ownership of the show led to him not being hired. The second pilot episode was successful, and " Where No Man Has Gone Before " was broadcast as the third episode of Star Trek on September 22, 1966. William Shatner tried to imbue the character with qualities of "awe and wonder" absent from "The Cage". He also drew upon his experiences as

6177-423: The proposed pilot episode as Collision Course . A sequel novel, Trial Run , was announced in 2007 but was never published. In 2019, a new novel, Third Class , briefly appeared in bookseller listings but no official release date was announced. Collision Course ties into The Ashes of Eden (1995) and the graphic novel adaptation. Star Trek: Excelsior – Forged in Fire was planned as the introductory novel of

6264-535: The prose novel, Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens were credited as co-writers. No other Star Trek tie-in novel has been adapted as a graphic novel. Published by DC Comics . Star Trek: Deep Space Nine  – Millennium miniseries explores an alternate-timeline accidentally created by the crew of the Defiant . The series was partially adapted as The Fallen (2000), a third-person shooter video game developed by The Collective . An omnibus edition

6351-567: The rest should be treated as 'classic' characters like Willy Loman from Death of a Salesman , Gandalf from The Lord of the Rings or even Hamlet , Othello or Romeo . Many actors have and can play the roles, each offering a different interpretation of said character." James Cawley played Kirk in most of the ten episode Phase II series from its beginning in 2004 before replacing himself with actor Brian Gross. Wired observes that while Cawley's depiction "lacks Shatner's vulnerability",

6438-713: The role. Jimmy Bennett played Kirk in scenes depicting the character's childhood. The writers turned to material from the novel Best Destiny for inspiration as to Kirk's childhood. In preparing to play Kirk, Pine decided to embrace the character's key traits – "charming, funny, leader of men" – rather than try to fit the "predigested image" of Shatner's portrayal. Pine specifically did not try to mirror Shatner's cadence, believing that doing so would become "an impersonation". Pine said he wanted his portrayal of Kirk to most resemble Harrison Ford 's Indiana Jones or Han Solo characters, highlighting their humor and "accidental hero" traits. A misunderstanding arose during

6525-421: The series catch-phrase in the opening voice-over. The character is in part based on C. S. Forester 's Horatio Hornblower hero, and NBC wanted the show to emphasize the captain's "rugged individualism". Roddenberry had previously used the middle name of Tiberius for the leading character in his earlier television series, The Lieutenant , which was to feature several actors who would later go on to be part of

6612-455: The series is independent of other Star Trek book lines. Preserver (2000) was inspired by Shatner's experience following the death of his wife. The related novel, Collision Course (2007), was the launch title of a proposed Star Trek: Academy series but the planned sequels were canceled following poor sales. The books are organized into three unofficial trilogies. Numbering of the novels varies by language and market. The trilogy's name

6699-429: The series was posted and titled "White Iris". All eleven full episodes have been released as of December, 2017. In October 2021, Kirk's actor from The Original Series William Shatner flew to space aboard a Blue Origin sub-orbital capsule. At age 90, he became the oldest person to fly to space and one of the first 600 to do so. Hikaru Sulu This is an accepted version of this page Hikaru Kato Sulu

6786-520: The show's acting praise and media interest going to Nimoy. However, Shatner's mannerisms when portraying Kirk have become "instantly recognizable" and Shatner won a Saturn Award for Best Actor in 1982 for The Wrath of Khan . Star Trek II director Nicholas Meyer said Shatner "gives the best performance of his life" in The Wrath of Khan . The Guardian called Pine's performance of Kirk an "unqualified success", and The Boston Globe said Pine

6873-411: The show. Meyer also emphasized parallels to Sherlock Holmes , in that both characters waste away in the absence of stimuli: new cases for Holmes; starship adventures for Kirk. Meyer's The Wrath of Khan script focuses on Kirk's age, with McCoy giving him a pair of glasses as a birthday present. The script states that Kirk is 49, but Shatner was unsure about being specific about Kirk's age because he

6960-431: The suggestion to director Nicholas Meyer at the urging of Takei during a visit to the set. In some Japanese dubs, Commander Sulu's family name is changed to Katō . According to Bernardi, Sulu, being a Filipino noun and not a Japanese surname , would likely be unpronounceable by Japanese speakers as the language has no "l" sound distinguished from "r". Ojaste attributes this to a lack of effort at cultural accuracy by

7047-583: The villain Soran from destroying Veridian III's sun. Although Kirk initially refuses the offer, he agrees after realizing the Nexus cannot give him the one thing he has always sought: the ability to make a difference. The two leave the Nexus and stop Soran. However, Kirk is mortally wounded; as he dies, Picard assures him that he helped to "make a difference". Picard buries Kirk on the planet, however in Star Trek: Picard 's third season (2023), Kirk’s body

7134-486: The writers at the time in portraying a veritable Japanese character. However, in recent movies, it is only slightly changed; the name スールー (Sūrū, with long vowels) is used, rather than スル (Suru, with short vowels). Although the latter would be a closer transliteration of the name "Sulu", it might sound odd to Japanese audiences because "Suru" (する) with short vowels is the verb "to do" in the Japanese language . Hikaru Sulu

7221-454: Was "tricky", but that the "spirit of Kirk is very much alive and well" in Pine's depiction. Due to his belief that he could not take himself seriously as a leader, Pine recalled having difficulty with his audition, which required him "to bark ' Trek jargon'", but his charisma impressed director J. J. Abrams . Pine's chemistry with Zachary Quinto , playing Spock, led Abrams to offer Pine

7308-602: Was born in Riverside, Iowa , on March 22, 2233, where he was raised by his parents, George and Winona Kirk. Although born on Earth, Kirk lived for a time on Tarsus IV , where he was one of nine surviving witnesses to the massacre of 4,000 colonists by Kodos the Executioner . James Kirk's brother, George Samuel Kirk, is first mentioned in " What Are Little Girls Made Of? " and introduced and killed in " Operation -- Annihilate! ", leaving behind three children. Kirk became

7395-626: Was born in San Francisco , and is of Japanese heritage. His birthdate has not been established definitively, but the book Star Trek Chronology by Michael Okuda and Denise Okuda speculates that he was 29 at the time of the first season of Star Trek (as was the actor himself), putting his birth in the year 2237. He was shown as the USS Enterprise 's staff physicist in the pilot episode , " Where No Man Has Gone Before " (1966). An early Paramount press release described this initial conception of his character as follows: "Physicist Sulu

7482-424: Was hesitant to portray a middle-aged version of himself. Shatner changed his mind when producer Harve Bennett convinced Shatner that he could age gracefully like Spencer Tracy . Spock's sacrifice at the end of the film allows for Kirk's spiritual rebirth; after commenting earlier that he feels old and worn out, Kirk states in the final scene that he feels "young." Additionally, Spock's self-sacrificing solution to

7569-595: Was published in 2002. The miniseries is not directly linked to the Odyssey or Mirror Universe trilogies, however the Millennium novels include references to Spectre (1998). Star Trek: Academy was intended to be a new flagship series featuring a young Midshipman Jim Kirk . Star Trek: Academy was originally pitched as a new television series for UPN in 2003. Shatner and the Reeves-Stevenses rewrote

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