Star Wars and Star Trek are often compared, but which is better, and why are the two pitted against each other so often? With the original series of Star Trek airing in 1966, 11 years before the release of the first Star Wars movie, it is less familiar with younger generations. In addition to this, Star Trek’s peak was primarily in the 1990s, which was often called its “Golden Age.” Star Wars, however, was initially popular in the late 1970s, but gained a lot of popularity in the 2000s with the release of prequel and sequel trilogies. 

To many, Star Wars has been a consistently good franchise to watch, no matter the episode. It is so successful because it has created an entire new world that includes new terminology and concepts never heard of before. It is a galactic battle that spans three different generations, in a fight between good and evil. Families can come together and appreciate the movies, as the quality of the productions has remained consistent throughout the years. Although the quality and cinematics have certainly gotten better from the 1970s to the early 2000s, the plots have remained equally intriguing and heartfelt.

Star Wars has a lot going on at once, with the little moments being a small part of the bigger problems at hand within each episode. These moments all happening at once ensure that the viewer is at the edge of their seat the entire time. 

“[What I like about Star Wars is] the depth of it, there’s a lot happening at the same time,” FHS junior Ahaan Pillai said. “Star Trek’s just not as modern, and it feels kind of lackluster compared to Star Wars.”

Star Wars can be something to enjoy and experience at any age for all ages. Each of the characters’ stories have a lot to them, which anyone can empathize with and relate to.

“[Star Wars] lets people project what they want onto the various characters,” ASB and World History teacher Jeff Kakes said. “The characters are pretty relatable especially for a young kid that’s dreaming about the future.”

Star Wars is filled with action and unexpected plot twists that take anyone by surprise, while Star Trek remains much more mundane.

“Star Trek is fine,” Kakes said, “It just doesn’t have the action and adventure and excitement that Star Wars brings in. It’s like watching, in general, an action movie versus a drama. Star Trek tends more to the drama, and especially as a kid, I was much more about the action.”

Although Star Trek and Star Wars are both very popular cinematic experiences, there is a clear difference in which is superior. Star Wars has better acting, filming and its plot is much more sophisticated. It creates characters that viewers can relate to on a personal level, something that other productions fail to do, especially Star Trek.