The Star Trek vs. Star Wars debate has been raging for decades between big time and small time fans alike. While many enjoy both franchises for their own reasons, there are some science fiction fans who simply believe that only one is worth watching. Star Wars is a fantastical story about the struggles against a nearly all-powerful force of evil. It involves the coming of age of a young hero, who has become the galaxy’s last hope of defeating the empire and freeing everyone of its cruel influence. In fact, Star Wars is viewed as the quintessential example of a space opera. To Star Trek fans, this makes it not “true” science fiction, rather a fantasy that includes sci-fi elements that has a standard “defeat the evil” plot.

Star Trek on the other hand is an ongoing odyssey about the epic adventures of a space exploration vessel and its crew. While there are certain reoccurring alien races and an overarching story that follows each season, the main premise of the show was more or less asking itself what sort of strange adventure could the plucky crew find itself in that week and then running with the answer. On top of this, humanity itself has found world peace, and has transcended the need for money. To Star Wars fans, the lack of any direct plot and the exploration of random planets that are forgotten by the next episode and lack of regular antagonists is boring.

Both sides of the debate have perfectly valid points and fans who love both franchises just can’t understand why we all can’t just get along. Both sagas have colourful characters to fall in love with and both sides have interesting aliens to wonder at and cosplay as. Today we’ve collected comics that discuss both sides of the debate, and present them to you here to see if you can decide for yourself which side of the fence you sit on. Let’s dive right on in to 25 comics that prove that the Star Trek vs. Star Trek debate is still going strong.

25 Anakin Really Hates Sand

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If there is one thing that Star Wars fans can agree on with their arch nemesis, it’s the fact that the prequels just sucked. While certainly upgraded in terms of visuals, costume design, and fight scenes, but the plot and dialogue are embarrassing. The Star Wars prequels all by themselves would make excellent material for “Try Not To Cringe” challenge videos you can find on YouTube. You know the ones, compilations of accidents or just plain embarrassing videos of singing or dancing.

There is one little monologue that would top the charts of cringe-worthy however. Remember that the prequel trilogy is the story of a young Darth Vader and his rise to power. It also involves his inevitable fall to the dark side. Well, considering that letting anger take you over is part of going dark, one of the things that made Darth Vader become so evil was apparently sand.

During a “cute” moment with his love-interest Padmé, Anakin, the future Vader, suddenly starts complaining about how much he hates sand. How irritating it is, and how it gets everywhere. This riveting moment has been parodied by fans and non fans alike, and it’s reappeared here in this comic. While lots of shows like to use the line “So what’s the deal with airplane food?” as a gag to indicate that the character is bad at stand up comedy, in this case, it looks like dear Anakin is about to bomb his show with his terrible monologue about sand.

Comic by The Jenkins.

24 A Debate With Good Points

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One of the main points of debate that come up between fans is the standard “Who is better?” question. Kirk or Han? Darth Vader or the Borg? The combinations for this question are endless, but one of them that frequently comes up is which main lady of each series is better. In the one corner, we have Princess Leia, the sister of the series protagonist Luke. Leia is an exceedingly brave and competent individual who has on more than one occasion saved the skins of her team mates. This includes the rather hilarious botched rescue mission carried out by Luke, Han, and Chewie. Leia is considered a hero to many female and male fans of Star Wars everywhere. This is especially so ever since Leia became the general of the resistance.

In the other corner, we have Uhura. Uhura is the communications officer of the Enterprise, and has used her skills and her strong will to save the ship and its crew on many occasions, very much like Leia. The communications officer is also considered a hero to so many fans, but for different reasons. As Star Trek first became popular during a period where racial tensions were high and minorities felt there was little hope to obtain great education and obtain jobs that required that education, Uhura was an anomaly then and a vision of the future.

Whoopi Goldberg even describes seeing Uhura on the show for the first time. In her excitement, she’d run into the kitchen where her mother was, exclaiming that there was a minority on television, and that they weren’t a maid. Goldberg has said that this moment was a defining moment in her life, and that it helped to fuel her own ambitions for her future. It just goes to show the power that the media can have on young minds, and how that power can be used in a positive way.

Comic by Bruce Thomas.

23 A Match Made In Heaven

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George Lucas has been a critically acclaimed and beloved director for decades. The only major mis-step that fans can agree on is his handling of the prequels. It’s hard to believe how anyone who has created so many masterpieces could have stumbled and fallen so badly with his own franchise. You’d think that the knowledge of his own created universe would have helped him to make another trilogy that was only home runs with every new entry.

Unfortunately, George Lucas lost some cred with the invention of midichlorians, which single handedly destroyed all the awesome mystery that the Force had created for fans.

If whether or not you could move things with your mind was entirely determined by how many tiny bacterial organisms of a certain species lived in your body, then the idea that the Force was some grand energy that moved through all things was rendered moot. Science fiction mixed with a bit of fantasy is a recipe that you managed to discover, Lucas. Why on earth would you then take that away?!

If a mind like his could come up with the concept of midichlorians, then what other ways could his mind move? This artist wondered on how Lucas came up with the idea of Luke and Chewie becoming a team. It does take a few liberties with the material, as we all know that it’s Han and Chewie who are the best of buds, and it would make more sense to wonder how Lucas came up with that pair. But, the idea of Luke and Chewie coming from witnessing a fight between a bear and a karate black belt is hilarious just the same.

22 Darth Porg

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Star Wars is responsible for many adorable creatures becoming fan favorites over the decades. First would be the Ewoks from Endor, the adorable primitive teddy bears that can still somehow go toe to toe with the highly advanced Empire and win. How this is possible is mostly portrayed in adorable antics and spear throwing, which often result in ending many poor Storm Troopers. They certainly go to show that just because you’re cute and tiny, doesn’t mean that you’re weak by any means.

With the release of the The Last Jedi, a new contender for cutest Star Wars alien came to everyone’s attention. If anyone has ever seen a puffin, then they already have an idea of how small island animals can be extremely cute to watch. The Porg takes the tininess of puffins and combines it with the look of a puppy. Next thing you know, you can’t stop “aww”-ing at the sight of these tiny creatures. We also can’t help but laugh when Chewie is made to feel guilty by them when he tries to eat a few for his supper. It’s ok, Chewie, we know you’re not a monster. You’re just a monster to them, and that makes you even worse!

So if there’s one way for the New Order to get close to Rey, it’s sending in one of these cute guys. Who could say no to those huge liquid black eyes? No one, that’s who. The Rebels are in big trouble now.

Comic by Space Junk Comics.

21 But Of Course, Captain

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Sir Patrick Stewart is a legendary actor. You have to be, if you want to be knighted by the Queen of England herself. It’s only recently that he’s embraced the more comical side of his acting chops by taking roles on Family Guy and American Dad. Before that, he was best known as the cinematic incarnation of Professor X in the X-Men movies. Even before that, he dove into the hearts of Star Trek fans everywhere as Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Enterprise. This wise and level headed British man was not as ready to flirt with the ladies as previous Captain Kirk was.

Instead, he was more diplomatic and less willing to do hand to hand combat with men in bad lizard costumes. He was a different direction that the series was taking and fans very quickly got on board this more philosophical man’s adventures. Part of his character was the fact that Picard was more of a gentleman than Kirk was, and by far more proper. Whether this is because this character was raised in England, as opposed to the United States is a debate for another day.

Part of Picard’s mannerisms was his habit of responding to crewmembers giving suggestions and solutions. His regular reply, instead of “do it” or “go ahead” was to say “make it so.” This firm and very proper way of handling his crew struck a good chord for viewers everywhere. However, that doesn’t mean that it was beyond parody. In this case, the artist decided to change “so” to “sew”. Now it looks like Picard is ordering his crew to make his sewing machine work again.

Comic by Rocky Davies.

20 Not Gonna Cut It, Ben

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Warning: huge spoiler ahead for the five people who haven’t seen The Force Awakens. Skip ahead now to avoid a heart wrenching revelation. Are you ready then? You’ve been warned: Kylo Ren is the son of Leia and Han Solo. It’s amazing how royalty could ever decide to get with a scruffy nerfherder, but there it is. Oh, and Kylo Ren ends Han Solo.

The whole world was shaken at this moment, as if millions of fans cried out in horror and then went quiet from retreating to their beds and crying.

Kylo Ren’s betrayal of his father, while certainly shocking and sudden, was certainly foreseen by any fan who’s ever heard of the Dark Side and its endless cycle of betrayal.

Even so, it certainly hit fans where it hurt to see a science fiction hero that had inspired nerds everywhere to try and be a bad boy be taken out in such a fashion.

Both movies of the new soon-to-be trilogy have done a lot of hinting at the idea of a redemption arc for Kylo Ren. Some viewers agree that it would nicely bookend the series, considering that in the original trilogy Darth Vader comes back to the Light long enough to save Luke from the Emperor. This artist imagines Kylo Ren possibly beginning this arc with an apology letter to his mother. As cute as the card is, Ren, even being Leia’s son might not be enough to make her and millions of Solo fans forgive your treachery.

19 Not Until You’ve Finished Your Vegetables, Young Man!

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Calvin and Hobbes was a Sunday cartoon written and illustrated by Bill Waterson that ran from 1985 to 1995. It followed the adventures and hijinks of a delinquent six year old named Calvin and his (probably) imaginary friend and pet tiger Hobbes. Calvin would often get into trouble with his parents and his teachers, as he would often talk back to them or pull mean pranks on them. He would, also, play tease his neighbor and sometimes friend Susie.

Along with the hilarious situations that Calvin would get himself into, he and his tiger often liked to take long walks in the woods and talk. These conversations were often deep and talked about life lessons, which of course was the artist expressing his own views and imparting his own lessons to his viewers. Not only was the writing very unique, but the art style as well. Watterson drew in the same sketchy style you see in this entry, and anyone who has read even a few of his comics can easily identify who Calvin is supposed to be.

This Star Wars style Calvin and Hobbes strip, by Brian Kesinger, is an adorable take on famous Star Wars characters in the style of the beloved comic strip. Clearly, Kylo Ren is supposed to be seen as Calvin, a delinquent six year old who is always trying to act like an adult. Darth Vader could easily sub in for one of his parents. Considering that Ren is the grandson of Darth Vader and his goal is to continue his grandfather’s legacy, it’s only fitting that he would want to finish his grandfather’s cake too.

Comic by Brian Kesinger.

18 Even The Professionals Agree On The Debate

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Fans always love to dream about massive crossovers between their favourite universes and characters. All it takes is a quick internet search to find fan fiction for just about every combination of characters imaginable. You can even find fan fiction about card games. Not just people playing them, but about the actual cards from solitaire and backgammon interacting and actually having nuanced plot. It just goes to show that the internet is one crazy place.

Every once in a while, however, the crossover spirits show favour to fans everywhere. They let two science fiction worlds collide in some crazy contrived plot filled with beautiful artwork and mind boggling twists and turns. This comic is one of those beautiful times that two opposing forces come together to create something, well, wild. Or at least, it almost did. In the mind of artist Ross Pearsall, an artist who loves to put his talents in thinking up the covers of the greatest crossovers known to man, is responsible for this lovely piece here.

Of course, at a glance any fan could have mistaken this cover for the real thing. Gee whiz, only a totally gullible fan could have possibly thought that they were about to discover the amazing plot of a life time. What are you looking at? I’m not crying, you’re crying!

17 There’s Just No Winning This

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Everyone knows the classic traveling kid line. During a long car ride with stressed out parents and an endless open road, the favourite quote that any comedy writer likes to use when they want to go on lunch is the oh so annoying “are we there yet?” question. Part of the hilarity is always that clearly, very clearly they are nowhere near their destination. Yet the child in question insists on pestering their elders about whether or not they are, in fact, there yet.

This line of course is meant to sympathize with frazzled parents everywhere who are usually at the end of their rope of patience.

Any proud parent of a child can certainly recall a time when their kid has been especially irritating during a long car ride and refused to keep themselves entertained. It should be also noted that some kids do in fact ask whether or not the countryside is their final destination. This comic is one of the few instances where this joke can still be funny.

Star Trek transporters are a beloved artifact of the series, as they represent a wonderful era in which transportation will be instantaneous at the touch of a button. Apparently for this child however, this isn’t quite fast enough. Even on the seconds-long travel time that a transporter offers, he still insists of bringing along a Game Boy and asking his parents that dreaded question.

Comic by Dan Piraro.

16 Rather One Sided

via: Nerdmigos.com

Most science fiction fans can agree that Star Wars and Star Trek can both be enjoyed for their own reasons. Both franchises are wildly different in terms of plot and overall story after all. One of them is the epic struggle between good and evil, and the possible balance that could be achieved if both sides worked together. The other is a grand ongoing adventure of a science crew out to do some exploring and make new friends and allies wherever they can find them. With the odd occasional enemy cropping up on their radar. While both are very much science fiction, Star Wars tends to be considered more of a fantasy series. It’s for this reason that mega Trekkies refuse to acknowledge that it’s in the same vein as their own show.

In this case however, a Trekkie really  can’t come to terms with the honest to goodness fact that someone can love both franchises. In order to resolve their differences, they demand a trial by combat, with each side picking a champion. Clearly, the Trekkie had some flawed logic and possibly the inability to think outside the box. While he chose a red shirt wielding a Klingon bat’leth, the Star Wars fan chose the smarter option and went with giant robot camel that is the imperial walker. Sure, Trekkie, blame it on the red shirt.

Comic by Nerdmigos.

15 Not Really So Different

via: me.me Star

If there is one way to end up with an angry mob coming after you, it’s to shout out that Star Wars and Star Trek are really not all that different. Both are space operas, both have tons of science fiction elements in them, and both of them have fans who love to dictate which part of it was best. While there certainly are some cold hard facts concerning the quality of certain parts of each (the Star Wars prequels for one), there really isn’t anything about either franchise that is objectively good or bad.

There are certain things that tend to crop up between them however. For example, while A New Hope is still a beloved movie, there are plenty of fans who can agree that this was the weakest entry of the original trilogy. Both franchises can quickly be summed up with either farm equipment in space or an ongoing carnival. Considering that award winning director J.J. Abrams has directed movies for both franchises, no one can really tell yet whether or not he’s ruined them or made it better. Only time will tell which movies are remembered fondly and which officially don’t exist in the eyes of the fandom.

Comic by Tommy Siegel.

14 The Trouble With Crossovers

via: MarieJudith.com

Uh, Master Yoda, you might want to get rid of that thing before it starts to multiply. Enjoy the consequences of keeping it, you will not. What the sassy and wise tiny green Jedi Master happens to be holding is called a tribble. No matter how cute and cuddly it looks, it has been the source of many headaches for the unwary. Of course, there are plenty of non-Trekkies out there who are just as confused as to what Yoda is holding as he is. Allow us to educate you.

What he is holding is an adorable, gentle alien known as a tribble. Their only purpose in life is to eat, and reproduce.

Unfortunately, for everyone involved, they do both of these things exceptionally well. This is why they are banned from being transported by Starfleet ships, as they repopulate exponentially. They can easily overwhelm a ship before long, even if they are in no way hostile. In fact, they are actually born pregnant. So keeping them from multiplying is very much not just a matter of keeping males and females separated. One episode of Star Trek even devoted its plot to delivering a predator to the Tribble home world in order to help roll back the ever rising population of the Tribbles. So good luck, Master Yoda!

Comic by Marie Judith.

13 The Most Important Choice In Life

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This entire list serves as an example of the raging debate between both extremely loved franchises Star Trek and Star Wars. Many science fiction fans love both of these series. For some, the choice between them can be the difference between having a friend and an enemy. Sadly, this isn’t entirely a joke. It has been reported in many forums that friendships have been disrupted when one friend finds that the other is a fan of the opposite franchise. To be entirely honest, it’s heartbreaking that anyone would let simple preference of science fiction universes be the undoing of any good relationship.

This artist goes on to imagine a loving father asking his son which franchise he prefers in the form of school backpacks. Instead of deciding to judge his son on his choice, this father outright states that he will support his son no matter what he chooses, even if he disagrees. This sort of conversation is sadly reminiscent of a more serious matter that many youths today face when revealing a certain preference. But in this case, we can all enjoy the humor that this comic offers at the idea of some parents judging their children harshly for picking on franchise over another.

Comic by Lunar Baboon.

12 The Ultimate Question Between Franchises

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Anyone who knows anything about either Star Trek or Star Wars knows full well that there is one defining truth about each one. In Star Trek, the person that wears the red shirt on the mission is always taken out at some point, no matter how safe the mission. Star Wars has an entire elite military force that is incapable of successfully hitting anything. Both franchises love to have a good laugh about each space doofuses running theme, and it’s no wonder. Apparently the universe can’t stand the colour red, and highly trained soldiers don’t know how to use their weapons.

When the two fandoms collide, of course there is going to be jokes about who would win in a fight. Would Han win against Kirk? Would Vader be able to take on the Klingons single handedly? Most importantly, what would happen if either universe’s most unfortunate denizens faced off against each other? This artist imagines that the trooper would miss, but the red shirt would be taken out anyways. Knowing how both of these groups tend to be treated by their respective home universes, is it really no surprise at all that this would be the outcome? What would happen if one side defied its stereotype?

Comic by Shoebox.

11 Your Lack Of Logic Is Disturbing

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Once again, fans love nothing more than to think up imaginary showdowns between characters across universes, no matter how ridiculous the pairing is. This particular battle is a very fascinating one indeed however, considering the kinds of people that are involved. In the one corner, you have Darth Vader. A ruthless despot who uses his light saber skills and mind powers with brutal efficiency. Then you have Spock, the gentle and collected half-human half-Vulcan science officer of the enterprise, who also happens to be no slouch at fighting. He just happens to have his own set of mind powers up his sleeve as well.

This show off would likely be more intellectual in nature, considering that Darth Vader is a brilliant strategist and Spock, also, has a sharp and analytical mind.

Vader would likely try to use the Force as a means to hurt Spock, either physically or even through mind control. However, a strong will can actually negate the powers of the Force and even shrug them off entirely. It’s not a stretch to think that Spock would pretend to be defeated, and then strike with the famous nerve pinch that has incapacitated so many enemies before Vader.

10 The Problem With A Nostalgia Lens

via: Dorkly.com

Everyone has that one favourite childhood thing that they think fondly of well into their adulthood. It could be a park they loved, a specific restaurant or meal, or, yes, even a movie. There’s no blaming anyone for thinking that their favourite childhood thing was the best thing ever. That doesn’t mean that the harsh truth of it isn’t real however. How often have you returned to that burger joint you visited as a kid, tried that same meal, and realized that it was actually quite terrible or at least not as nice as you remember?

Unfortunately, the exact same thing can happen with your favourite movies. While fans to this day love to celebrate and cosplay characters from A New Hope and reenact the epic fight between Darth Vader and Obi Wan, that doesn’t always stick around upon re-watching it. This comic absolutely nails just what everyone remembers wrong about this movie. Darth Vader was not at all large and in charge in the first film. The epic fight between him and Obi Wan was laughably simplistic. Most of all, Han was not Leia’s knight in shining armour, but instead was honestly entirely in it for the money.

Comic by Dorkly.

9 A Truly Proud Father

via: Dorkly.com

This comic almost seems like a continuation of the father-son comic above. Instead of being a choice between franchise backpacks, this father assumes that his son wants to go see the prequel movies. The Star Wars prequels came out when many Millennials were young kids, and many old Star Wars fans had to sit back and grit their teeth as their children gushed over Jar Jar Binks before they knew any better. The kid in this comic is different however, much to the excitement of his father.

When the boy declares that he hates the prequel movies, the dad is extremely excited. What makes it even funnier is that he looks like someone who would never be into anything nerdy. By rights, the father’s style of clothing and even his physique would point to him being a fan of sports instead. Clearly swelling with pride, he declares that it’s time for his son to watch his original trilogy laserdiscs. From the sounds of it, this comic is supposed to be set back when DVDs were still a new technology. It’s actually quite adorable to see a father so excited to bond with his son. Too bad the kid doesn’t look quite as enthused.

Comic by Dorkly.

8 Whose Power Is It Anyways?

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Even if someone has never seen Star Wars, there’s a good chance that they are still familiar with the idea that the major component of this franchise is the idea that there is a Force that flows through that universe, and that some people have the ability to control it. This control can manifest in many, many ways. Most notably however are the abilities to control someone’s mind and to move things with your mind. Technically, the applications for using the Force are endless, but the main point is that Star Wars has a more supernatural element to it than its counterpart Star Trek.

What if we told you that Star Trek has some supernatural qualities of its own?

Every once in a while, the crew of the Enterprise has run ins with a mysterious entity that can control reality with a snap of his fingers? That entity is known as Q. Not much is known at all about this being. The quickest way to describe Q would be to compare him to some kind of trickster god, but that alone isn’t entirely accurate. As far as anyone has seen, Q may just have limitless power and is possibly omniscient. He isn’t terribly forthcoming about his nature however. He would laugh at Luke lifting a rock, while doing a handstand however.

Comic by Dorkly.

7 There Doesn’t Seem To Be Signs Of Intelligent Life Anywhere

via: DeviantArt.com (mpcp13)

The entire premise of Star Trek is a science crew exploring the vast galaxy in search of new life and adventures. These brave souls have run into just about every combination of life form imaginable. This includes an entire race of humanoids who are half pure white and half pure black who think that the arbitrary positioning of their colours dictates who is naturally superior, the ever multiplying but adorable tribbles, and the violent Klingons that often show up as antagonists. Considering the sorts of things the crew regularly runs into, it’s no real stretch that one day the crew ends up in the Dagobah system.

Obviously, anyone who comes across Master Yoda would be very confused as to what kind of creature they’ve come across. It’s no doubt at all that any tricorder would be spitting out all sorts of wild guesses as to what sort of creature it comes across. Why is it so short? Why is it green? To blend in with its swampy surroundings? Why does it have a cane? Why are rocks suddenly being hurled at the crew from the trees? There’s no reason to believe that that device might pick up Yoda’s Force sensitivity. For now though, all the tricorder can come up with is that it’s come across some kind of gnome. Yeah, even Yoda isn’t impressed.

Comic  by mpcp13.

6 Now There Really Isn’t Any Signs Of Intelligent Life

via: DeviantArt.com (Irise)

Anyone would figure that something like this was bound to happen, eventually, to the crew of the Enterprise. Wandering along for so long, they might just end up stumbling on a galaxy far, far away. Fans would crowd theatres everywhere or overload servers from watching or downloading the movie or episodes that details what happens when these two fandoms collide. Part of the issue for writers to overcome would be the issue of time travel, considering that Star Wars takes place in the distant past. Stranger things have happened to the crew of the Enterprise than time travel, so really that wouldn’t be so hard.

It’s no surprise at all though that anyone’s first conclusion would be that they’d stumbled on a parallel universe. The similarities are all there: advanced technology, aliens, and starships are all found in the Star Wars universe. That doesn’t mean that the landing party would be very happy to find out that this place happens to house very unlikable aliens. They would certainly feel insulted if a so called copy universe held something as annoying as Jar Jar Binks. Setting phasers to stun might be an effort when you’re trying not to turn it to some harsher setting.

Comic by Irise.