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Star Trek and Star Wars: The Eternal Battle

Star Trek and Star Wars have both defined and redefined the science fiction genre in the last

forty years. While they both convey the basics of science fiction such as futuristic technology, alien

civilizations, and the exploration of the effects of technology on human psychology; both of these

works are incredibly different. The Star Wars movies trend to be much more active and action oriented.

They explore the role of the individuals in the vast galactic theater and are interested in the role

spirituality plays in the battle of good vs. evil. Stark Trek on the other hand is slower and much more

philosophical. Kirk and his crew explore issues such as racism, identity, and environmentalism. We will

compare and contrast the similarities and differences between Star Wars and Star Trek in order to gain a

better understanding of both works and their contributions to science fiction.

Star Wars is a movie franchise started by George Lucas in the late 1970's. The Star Wars movies

tell the epic tale of the Rebel force's fight against the evil Galactic Empire. The story follows a young

man named Luke Skywalker as he trains to become a Jedi Knight, an ancient mystical order of monks

who wield laser swords and follow the mystical teachings of the force, in order to confront the Galactic

Emperor.. We are taken along as Luke grows and develops from a young naïve farm boy into a capable

and brave man. What makes Star Wars different from Star Trek is its concentration on the spiritual

aspect of life (the force), and its adaption of the hero's cycle into the modern era.

In the Star Wars universe, every living creature in the universe is full of a mystical energy which

is called the force. The force makes up all matter; whether it be plants, rocks, planets, or even the sun.

The force is everywhere and it binds all things. The Jedi are an ancient order of monks who have taken

it upon themselves to study the ways of the force. Through the force these Jedi knights are able to

accomplish great feats such lifting objects, confounding enemies, and increasing their physical abilities.

While all of these flashy tricks are interesting visual effects, the movies use the force in order to

introduce a spiritual aspects to the otherwise straight forward science-fiction movies. The force is

divided into two separate halves, the light side and the dark side. The Jedi knights warn that negative

emotions such as anger, hatred, and jealousy lead to a corruption of the force and the dark side. In order

to follow the light side of the force, a Jedi must be compassionate, calm, and just. The force sets up an

interesting moral framework from which characters such as Luke Sky walker and the Emperor can

interact, and we as the audience can relate to them.

Star Wars is also distinct from Star Trek in the way that it adapts the ancient hero's journey in to

the modern day era. The hero's journey is a framework which all ancient heroic myths follow. The

hero's journey always starts out with the meeting of the mentor, then follows with the call to action, the

test, the death, the resurrection, and the return. Star Wars begins by introducing us to Luke Skywalker,

a young unassuming boy who lives on the planet Tatooine. He meets the wise Obi-Wan Kenobi who

introduces him to the ways of the force. When his parents are killed by the forces of the empires, Luke

Skywalker sets out with his trusty crew to defeat the Emperor and his student Darth Vader. Luke

Skywalker has an epic confrontation with Darth Vader, where he is soundly defeated, and then he rises

up as a great Jedi knight. Finally he returns and confronts the Emperor and brings peace to the galaxy

once again. The hero's journey is a deeply archetypal story, and Star Wars uses this cycle in order to

better relate the story to the audience.

Star Trek is a science fiction tv series that was created by Gene Roddenberry in the 1960's. Star

Trek is set in a post utopian society, after the Earth and humanity almost destroyed themselves through

warfare. Star Trek follows the adventures of Captain James T. Kirk and the star ship Enterprise, as they

explore new undiscovered frontiers in search of “strange new worlds, to seek out life and new

civilizations, and to boldly go to where no man has gone before.” Star Trek is differentiated from Star

Wars in its vision of a technological utopia and its focus on themes of peace and co-existence.

The universe that Star Trek exists in operates as a near technological Utopia. Machines that are

able to instantly create all imaginable goods have eviscerated the concept of scarcity. The lack of

scarcity has made the concepts of money and war obsolete. With nothing to fight over, humanity has

been forced to redefine its mission and place in the universe. So instead, humanity has concentrated its

efforts on creating art, exploring the universe, and learning about the natural world. Star Trek explores

the issues of meaning and purpose in a world where all needs are met and conflict is no longer

necessary.

Star Trek also had a strong ongoing theme of co-existence. When the show first started, The

United States and the Soviet Union where deeply involved in the Cold War. Tensions where high, and

propaganda against the enemy was a constant part of American life. Star Trek sought to erase these

imaginary lines of separation, and thus the crew of the starship enterprise was incredibly diverse.

Captain Kirk was American, Sulu was Asian, Chekov was Russian and Uhura was black. That an

American show had a Russian and American working together was absolutely monumental. The show

constantly stressed that when all of our apparent differences are put aside, we are all part of the human

family.

While both are very different, Star Wars and Star Trek both have their share of similarities. They

both deal with universal human issues such as conflict and both portray evil as an interpretation of a

person's actions. In Star Wars the rebel forces fight against the Galactic Empire and in Star Trek the

Federation is constantly threatened by the forces of the Klingons and Romulens. Both of these villains

are very real people; they have concerns, feelings, and reasons for doing what they do. The Klingons

fight for honor and their homeland and the Empire was created to initially promote peace. These are

very real motivations that lack the cartoonish “villain” tendencies of other series. The characters in Star

Wars such as Luke Skywalker are confronted with inner conflicts, in an internal struggle between good

and evil. Kirk is constantly conflicted on how to harmonize his duel goals of keeping the prime

directive and helping those in need. Both series explore fundamental human issues.

In conclusion, Star Wars and Star Trek have both been hugely influential on the science-fiction

genre. While Star Wars concentrates more on the hero's journey and spirituality as shown by the force,

Star Trek instead concentrates on the conflicts created by a utopian society and themes of co-existence.

Both of these series depict the universal battle between good vs. evil, and how evil is sometimes a point

of view. Both of these series have entertained families for generations, and will continue to do so in the

future.