8 things Star Trek did better than Star Wars

Romantic storylines

When it comes to romantic relationships, Star Trek does it the best. You’ve got the complicated relationship between Captain Kirk and Edith Keeler. Then, there’s the riveting romance between Captain Picard and Nella Daren. These romances aren’t just about cute sighs, googley eyes, and cheesy lines – they have their own complexities and depth that engage the audience and keeps them invested.

In the reboot movies, Zoe Saldana’s Uhura’s relationship with Spock, played by Zachary Quinto, also adds a refreshing romantic aspect, showing us the Vulcan’s softer side. Star Trek: Discovery shows how the bond between human Michael Burnham and Klingon Ash Tyler challenges the typical romance with a narrative full of conflict and mystery, while the much more tender relationship between Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp) and Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz) is one of the most prominent same-sex relationships in the entire franchise.

Switch gears to Star Wars, and it’s a whole different ballgame. The only romance that really stands out as somewhat organic or real is the one between Han Solo and Princess Leia, and (spoiler alert) it doesn’t last. It’s a bit over-the-top and hard to take seriously at times. And please don’t even get me started on Anakin and Padme. I mean, their love story in the prequels is about as exciting as watching paint dry, and is literally shoved down our throats as their dynamic isn’t even played well (and that’s not Natalie Portman’s or Hayden Christensen’s fault). Big age difference apart, their relationship is rather cringey and it’s ultimately there to serve two purposes: bring Anakin to the Dark Side and produce Luke and Leia. And that’s not even mentioning that attachments are forbidden to the Jedi. Which often causes more issues than solve some.