Introduction
Media and goods come in a wide variety of formats. Star Wars and Star Trek both originated as motion pictures. Both include galaxies and unique animals. Star Trek and Star Wars are two series that, while technically distinct from one another, are sometimes mistaken as having similar content. The common first section of the titles is the primary cause of people’s confusion between the two. Additionally, both films cover space travel-related stories, making it difficult for people who are unfamiliar with either to distinguish one from the other. But if you listen carefully, you will notice that the stories are very dissimilar from one another. One of the key distinctions between Star Trek and Star Wars is that the former is a science fiction drama while the latter is a science fiction fantasy. It’s noteworthy to notice that both were made available as films.
Star Trek Vs. Star Wars
Contrary to popular belief, Star Trek and Star Wars are very distinct from one another in practically every way. One of the key distinctions that has been made is that Star Wars is a science fantasy whereas Star Trek is science fiction. The conflict between good and evil, which is portrayed as having taken place in a distant galaxy long ago, is given significant weight in Star Wars. Star Trek, on the other side, depicts the exploits of both humans and aliens within the Star fleet. The ‘Force’, which is regarded as ubiquitous energy, is one of the most significant aspects of Star Wars. The power to control this “Force” is demonstrated in some of the characters. The supernatural abilities of a character with the element of “Force” include mind control, telekinesis, precognition, and clairvoyance. Conflicts and political elements can be seen in Star Trek, which can be seen as a parable for the realities of modern culture and peace, authoritarianism, imperialism, economics, sexism, class conflict, racism, human rights, and feminism are a few of the topics that are addressed in Star Trek. George Lucas created Star Wars and took inspiration from the 1940s Flash Gordon adventure serials. On May 25, 1977, the first Star Wars movie was released. On the other hand, Gene Roddenberry’s first Star Trek, which debuted in 1966, was a US television program. In any case, the first Star Trek movie came out in 1979. Star Trek’s philosophy is built on a progressive and egalitarian mentality whereas Star Wars is centered on an elite and authoritarian philosophy.
Difference Between Star Trek and Star Wars in Tabular Form
| Parameters | Star Trek | Star Wars |
| Media Type | Video games, comic books, television series, and films. | TV films, comic books, video games, and television shows. |
| Genre | Fantasy or science fiction drama | Science fiction (Space Opera, Military Sci-Fi) |
| Country of Origin | United States | United States |
| Debut | Star Trek: The Original Series (1966 TV series) | Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977 film) |
| Most Recognized Characters | Spock, Starfleet Captains, Khan | Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, Han Solo, C-PO, R2-D2 |
| Theme Music Composer | Michael Giacchino, Alexander Courage, Jerry Goldsmith, and various other composers. | John Williams |
| Means of Transportation | Various Spacecraft, Warp Drive (FTL), and Transporters | Various Spacecraft, Hyperspace (FTL) |
What is Star Trek?
Star Trek, which debuted as a television show, typically follows the same basic plot structure: an upright crew is put in situations that present moral dilemmas, which are frequently allegories of contemporary social and political crises. Imperialism, war and peace, racism, class conflict, feminism, and human rights are some of the topics explored. Captain Kirk, Spock, Scotty, Uhura, and Pavel Chekov are the main protagonists, and they are all human or human-like alien species. Star Trek only became well-known to the general public after its 2009 and 2013 motion pictures. In contrast to supernatural powers or magic, Star Trek technology is meant to be at least loosely based on science or possible future science. The most prominent technology is warp drive space travel for ships, teleportation (“Beam me up, Scotty”), and personal communication and triangulation devices (Inspiration for modern smartphones). The mapping capabilities of the tricorder were one of the sources of inspiration for Google Earth, according to the company's top technologist.
History of Production
The original Star Trek series ran for three years in the late 1960s after two pilot episodes were produced. Despite having a devoted following, the show was canceled due to poor ratings. No new Star Trek productions were released until the first feature film in 1980, except an animated series in the middle of the 1970s. This brought the franchise back to life, and 11 additional films along with a corresponding television series that aired until 2005 followed. The J.J. Abrams-directed Star Trek reboot films from 2009 and 2013 gave the series a fresh look and served as blockbusters with a wide audience rather than being events for devoted viewers.
Political and Social Elements
Although he wasn’t completely open with the television networks about this aspect of the show, Roddenberry had a highly liberal, progressive goal in mind when he created the original show, mirroring the counterculture movement that was sweeping the country in the 1960s. Roddenberry’s idea of what society may look like in the future if people learned from their past transgressions was the basis for Star Trek. One of the first performances with a cast of mixed races was this one.
Hardcore fans of Star Trek are referred to as “Trekkies” and have a loyal fandom. Around the world, there are a variety of Trekkie conventions that fans can attend dressed as their favorite characters in hopes of interacting with the cast or discussing show-related topics. Some Trekkies even pick up Klingon, the fictional language from the show. For ten years, Las Vegas had a tourist attraction with a Star Trek motif. There are two traveling museum exhibits of costumes. The crew’s ship, the Enterprise, inspired a NASA space shuttle to bear the same name.
Famous Quotes
- “KHAAANNNN!” –Captain Kirk
- “It can be argued that a human is ultimately the sum of his experiences” –Benjamin Sisko
- “I would be delighted to offer any advice I can on understanding women. When I have some, I’ll let you know.” –Captain Picard
- “Excuse me… Excuse me. I’d just like to ask a question… What does God need with a starship?” –Captain Kirk
- "What we leave behind is as important as how we’ve lived. After all, Number One, we’re only mortal." -Picard "Speak for yourself, sir. I plan to live forever. -Riker
What is Star Wars?
In Star Wars, fantasy genre elements like princesses, knighthood, and chivalry are used, and the conflict between good and evil drives the action. Political science concepts and historical examples abound in the Star Wars universe. The fall of the Roman Republic and the establishment of an empire served as inspiration for the storyline climax of the Rebel Alliance’s struggle for independence from the Galactic Empire. Because Star Wars is more science fantasy than science fiction, it is not concerned with the practicality of its science. One of the main themes in its tales is the idea of the “Force”, an all-pervasive energy that surrounds all living things and may be used by anyone who has certain skills. In addition to increasing one's physical capabilities, the Force enables feats of telekinesis, mind control, clairvoyance, and precognition.
History of Production
Star Wars, in contrast to Star Trek, started as a movie rather than a TV show. Although Universal Studios initially agreed to produce George Luca’s Star Wars in 1971, the project did not get underway for several years and underwent numerous script revisions. In 1977, the original movie was ultimately released to great acclaim and went on to dominate popular culture. At three-year intervals, there were two sequels. The first film in a new prequel trilogy was released 16 years after the third movie. Recently, a third trilogy was revealed: J.J. Abrams, who was in charge of the Star Trek reboot, will be directing Star Wars Episode VII, which will be released in 2015.
Political and Social Elements
The quintessential epic of good vs evil is Star Wars. The Sith use the Force for evil, whilst the Jedi use it for good. Star Wars operates more on the wider epic fight of dark vs. Light, dictatorship vs. democracies, etc., than it does as a commentary on particular societal issues. Many people have tried to make comparisons between Star Wars and actual Historical and political events, though. A vast network of merchandise and spinoffs, including novels, video games, made-for-TV movies, comic books, animated series, and theme park attractions, have sprung up around the Star Wars films. Many animal species have even been given names based on Star Wars characters. In movies and the media, references to Star Wars are frequent.
Famous Quotes
- “May the Force be with you."
- “Do or do not. There is no try” –Yoda
- “Fear is the path to the dark side…fear leads to anger…anger leads to hate…hate leads to suffering.” –Yoda
- “Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi. You’re my only hope” –Luke Skywalker
- “A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense, never for attack.” –Yoda
The Main Difference Between Star Trek and Star Wars in Points
- The events of Star Trek take place in the Milky Way galaxy in the 22nd, 23rd, and 24th centuries. Humanity has allied with various extraterrestrial cultures to keep as much of the galaxy peaceful and prosperous as possible. On the other hand, Star Wars doesn’t happen in or around the present.
- The character of Star Trek, particularly the human ones, symbolize a development that alters society. The characters don’t seem to be typical individuals, even though not every race is as advanced as those of the Federation, such as the Klingons and Cardassians. They behave as if they belong to a more advanced society. On the other hand, Star Wars feels modern in many respects, with individuals that the audience can identify with in a filthy, corrupt galaxy, even though it is set in a different galaxy.
- Star Trek places much more emphasis on science in “science fiction” than Star Wars. Even the first series, which was better known for its philosophy, made extensive use of technobabble, which would become more prevalent in following television programs and motion pictures.
- Star Wars has a very different approach than Star Trek, which prefers to utilize believable-sounding science to resolve issues. While Star Wars has a lot of advanced technology, mysticism is far more significant to the stories of the programs and films than it is. The fight between the light and dark aspects of the Force, as represented by the Jedi and the Sith, is the central theme of Star Wars. Even if not every element of Star Wars literature discusses mystical aspects of the cosmos, it is much more common than in Star Trek, where there is almost no true mysticism.
- There are good and evil in the Star Wars universe, but very little in the middle. It is a world of black and white. Star Wars has a very simplistic worldview; while it occasionally tries to address more complex issues, it rarely does it intelligently. On the other hand, the philosophical side of Star Trek has always been known to ponder the nature of morality. Star Trek explores topics including how members of a future society ought to behave and how they ought to treat one another, among other things.
Conclusion
Star Wars and Star Trek are two films that, despite having similar locations, feature quite different amounts of conflict throughout the films, extremely distinct characters, and different genres. The film series Star Wars is based primarily on nearly on conflict or the struggle between good and evil but Star Trek places a lot more emphasis on moral conundrums and ethical choices. The most well-known characters from each series are also distinct because Darth Vader is a human villain whereas Spock is only half-human and not a villain. The force is a somewhat magical idea; hence Star Wars is categorized as Science fantasy. Star Trek, on the other hand, is considered science fiction because the plots of the films are not fantasy-based and may be genuine or at least plausible or achievable.
References
- https://www.atu.edu/worldlanguages/texts/autw-2019/H13r.pdf
- https://www.cbr.com/star-wars-star-trek-differences/