Star Wars and Star Trek are the big science fiction franchises, they are what most people think of when you say "science fiction". Star wars is an epic hero's journey where Luke grows from a farm boy to a hero who must confront his families dark past, redeem his father and resist the temptations that corrupted his father. Star Trek is the story of explorers who go out to meat new life and civilizations and defend their country from those who threaten it. They are both good, and they both have shit attached to them. Most geeks agree, most people who's seen both agree but there is this undercurrent of competition between them. There are the questions of which is better, there are the what if questions of who would beat who in a fight and then there are the living stereotypes who proclaim "Star War sucks Star trek is the best" or "Star Trek Suck Star Wars is the best" then they nerd fight with toy batleths and light sabers till their moms come to pick them up.
Why does this competition have to be there? Why do they have to compete? The two franchises are very different and comparing them is like comparing apples to oranges . The two are incomparable. Star Wars is science fantasy; it has the hero's journey, magic, wizards, a black knight, etc. Star Trek is science fiction (there is a difference between science fiction and science fantasy (or science fiction fantasy), science fantasy is science fiction but with strong fantasy elements (Star Wars, Outlaw Star) while science fiction can have some fantasy elements (telepathy, telekinesis, energy beings, etc) it generally lacks major fantasy elements (Star Trek, Babylon 5)) that generally focuses on exploration and while can at times be cream cheese soft it is generally harder. Star Wars is a film trilogy, Star Trek is 6 TV series and 11 films with one more on the way. They do have similarities (shitty prequels, glorified fan fiction- I mean "expanded universes", etc) but they share many of those similarities with other TV shows, movies, books, video games and even tabletop RPGs.
You can compare the two story-wise but thats like comparing a romantic comedy to an action movie or a soap opera to a episodic mystery show, they don't compare. Comparing them technologically or militarily doesn't work ether because the physics of the two universes are so different, nether could actually fight each other because their technology wouldn't work in the others universe. The character exist in different environments and deal with different situations.
Star Trek and Star wars shouldn't compete, they are both good and entertaining, lets just enjoy them for what they are. Except the prequels, fuck Anakin, fuck Archer, lets just stick every copy of the prequel trilogy and enterprise in a rocket and send them into the sun.
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