If you don’t know your Jedis from your Klingons, this guide’s for you.
Series Summaries
Star Wars is the ultimate struggle of good versus evil. The force of good is the Rebel Alliance who is trying to overthrow the Empire. The rebels are led by Princess Leia and a young upstart named Luke Skywalker (who happens to be twins but neither realizes this). Also unbeknownst to the twins is the fact that their father, Darth Vader, is second in command to the evil emperor, Palpatine. Through the guidance of Obi Wan Kenobi, Luke discovers that he is a Jedi (masters of the Force) and can use the mystical Force to guide him. With the help of Master Yoda, Luke progresses from an apprentice to a fully fledged Jedi. In a stunning final battle, Vader sacrifices himself to save his son allowing Luke to destroy the Emperor.
Star Trek revolves around the exploits of the Spaceship Enterprise, part of the United Federation of Planets. Star Trek reflected many cultural issues that society was dealing with only on distant planets with humans intermingling with aliens; some good, some bad. A couple of the principal missions of the Enterprise were peacekeeping and humanitarian efforts.
Characters
Star Wars has provided the pop culture world with many iconic characters and figures. The good guys are Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Obi Wan Kenobi, Chewbaca, Yoda, R2-D2, and C3PO. The baddies are Darth Vader (real name Anakin Skywalker, father of Luke and Leia), Emperor Palpatine, Jaba the Hutt, and Boba Fett. Star Trek features many classic characters as well. The Star Trek crew is led by Captain James T. Kirk and includes Spock, Scotty, Bones McCoy, Sulu, Chekov, and Uhura. Some of the more recognizable villains include the Klingons and Khan.
Conclusion
Although both franchises are classic in age, they still have a significant role in pop culture today. Star Wars was originally a trilogy but has since spawned a prequel trilogy, an animated series, numerous books and comics, and toys. Star Trek has also spawned several films and several spinoff series and has recently even experienced a successful reboot. Whether you prefer to be “in a galaxy far, far away” or to “boldly go where no one has gone before”, it is hard to escape the impact these franchises have had on the world as we know it.
About the Author
Kathleen Hubert is a blogger who writes on a variety of different sites. Check out more of her work at modularhomes.org.