The author and poet Saru Singhal once said, "Character is standing tall and guiding others," which though he couldn't always see it, perfectly describes Commander Saru on Star Trek: Discovery. The tall, willowy, and extremely empathetic Kelpien has undergone one of the most impressive journeys of self-discovery on the series, finding a way to serve both the interests of Starfleet and his people with distinction, a feat which mirrors other human-adjacent characters like Commander Data and Mr. Spock.
Saru has often been a voice of reason for the turbulent Michael Burnham, as well as two different Starfleet captains under which he's served. Only after the events of Season 2 did Saru seem to take the advice of his own wise words, and cast aside his fear in favor of challenging his conviction.
"My whole life, I have never known a moment without fear."
When viewers first meet Commander Saru in Season 1, he's a fastidious officer who is ruled by caution and fear. As a result, he has crippling self doubt that makes him second-guess his decisions, making it difficult for him to ever envision himself in command.
As he memorably explains to Michael Burnham after they get to know one another, this wariness isn't just a coping mechanism but a survival instinct of the Kelpien race. In just a few words, Saru's character is imbued with so much sadness and regret.
"Affirmative, Captain. Very tough. So much so that many find me simply unpalatable."
In Emperor Phillipa Georgiou's timeline, Kelpiens are bred for livestock and slavery, a step below even their hunted — but agrarian — existence on Kaminar. When she encounters Prime Universe Commander Saru, she's shocked to find him much more sure of himself than his stunted counterpart in the Mirror Universe.
In her timeline, the expression a "Scared Kelpien is a Tough Kelpien" implies that Kelpien fear taints their meat, which Georgiou enjoyed as a delicacy. When she asks if Saru has gotten "tougher" in his timeline, he fires back this amusing quip.
"This is an enemy we will only defeat by striking first."
By the end of Season 2, Discovery's mission wasn't going to plan and even Captain Pike was having doubts about the fate of not only the ship, but the rest of the universe. Decisions he and his crew would be forced to make concerning Control's subterfuge and the Red Angel would have a ripple effect that would alter the tide of Federation conflicts in every quadrant.
In a surprising turn of character, Saru offered the most succinct and prudent advice with this line, proving that he was no longer a Kelpien whose entire identity was based on fear and paralyzing indecision.
"I saw hope, in the stars. It was stronger than fear. And I went towards it."
The Short Treks episode "The Brightest Star" is a biographical episode of Saru's teenage years on Kaminar, the Kelpien homeworld. His natural curiosity overrides his fear of the deadly Ba'ul, and he's able to use their technology to communicate with Starfleet officer Phillipa Georgiou.
When most Kelpiens looked at the stars they saw only something to be afraid of, but Saru wondered what possibilities glittered among them. He eventually accepted Georgiou's offer to leave Kaminar and join Starfleet, vowing one day to return and help his people realize their full potential.
"Be extremely subtle, even to the point of formlessness. Be extremely mysterious, even to the point of soundlessness."
A voice of reason on the ship, Commander Saru is sought out by many members of the crew for advice, including Lieutenant Tilly who, when faced with a particularly precarious mission, received these words from the erudite Kelpien.
Phillipa Georgiou, shocked to learn a Kelpien was quoting Sun Tzu's "The Art Of War," completed the phrase, "Thereby you can be the director of your opponent's fate." She was truly surprised a Kelpien of all aliens was so well-read.
"I may not have all the answers; however, I do know that I am surrounded by a team I trust."
After assuming command in the absence of Captain Lorca, Captain Saru assembled his bridge crew to make a rousing speech. The ordinarily timid Kelpien mustered his courage to explain that although he was born to sense fear, he trusted his crew, and had every confidence they would continue to serve with a standard of excellence.
Saru didn't know if he was ready to sit in the captain's chair, but he knew that even if that was the case, he couldn't let down a crew that wouldn't let him down. He would remain captain until Commander Pike took over in Season 2.
"Despite speaking 94 languages, there are times when words are not enough."
Michael Burnham and Commander Saru become incredibly close in Season 2 when, fearing his life will soon be over due to the onset of Vahar'ai, he requests that she catalog his personal logs since joining Starfleet so that the Kelpiens can bypass the Prime Directive and understand they are capable of his accomplishments.
He has trouble explaining to her that it's in his nature to hide and submit as a Kelpien, and that despite learning "94 languages" he hasn't spoken his own since leaving Kaminar, for fear of exposing how different he is from everyone around him.
"My ganglia remain unconvinced."
Saru's threat ganglia may have been holding him back from becoming the daring Starfleet officer he needed to be, but they often ensured he was an astute member of Discovery's crew who could be counted on for a thorough analysis of a situation.
When Michael Burnham, a known mutineer, was first brought onboard the ship, Saru was polite to her, even going so far as to call her a "valuable asset." As soon as Captain Lorca granted her a position in the crew, Saru's threat ganglia were heightened, leading to this iconic phrase. Luckily his ganglia, like his mistrust of Burnham, were unwarranted.
"Before we can care for others, we must care for ourselves."
Though Saru could be condemned for being overly cautious, when he was given command in Season 1, he learned that sometimes he would be forced to make difficult decisions and that while an unenviable task, it was necessary if he wanted to prove himself a leader.
A common airline safety instruction tells passengers that they shouldn't put on another passenger's oxygen mask unless they themselves have secured theirs, implying a person isn't any help to someone else if they haven't made sure they're competently prepared to render aid. Saru's spin on it makes it one of Star Trek: Discovery's most sagacious adages.
"In Feeling Less Like You Were, You Are More Like Who You Were Meant To Become."
In Season 2, Saru underwent the Vahar'ai, a transformation the Kelpiens go through at the end of their life cycle. On Kaminar, he would have prepared to be culled for the consumption of the predatory Ba'ul, but onboard the USS Discovery he was able to undergo the Vahar'ai and realize it wasn't a true death but a metamorphoses.
His threat ganglia, which had governed his mindset all his life, fell away to reveal darts at the base of his head. He realized that he didn't have to be afraid anymore and that even though it was unfamiliar, the change presented a way of life he never thought possible. This line, meant to assuage his own doubts, was an affirmation that resonated with everyone aboard the ship.