Star Wars: The Last Jediâ„¢ The Visual Dictionary is the definitive guide to Star Wars: The Last Jedi, revealing the characters, creatures, droids, locations, and technology from the new film. Packed with 100+ images and information as penned by Star Warsâ„¢ scribe Pablo Hidalgo, it’s a must-have for all fans who want to go beyond the movie experience.
In the time between the release of the Star Wars Trilogy Special Edition and The Phantom Menace, DK books released the first in what was to become a staple of their Star Wars publishing line – the Star Wars Visual Dictionary by David West Reynolds. In the intervening years, Visual Dictionaries have accompanied releases of prequels, animated films and TV series, The Phantom Menace 3D and The Force Awakens. If you are keen to peer further into the GFFA and learn more about the characters, worlds, creatures and vehicles of the Star Wars galaxy, these are the books for you and as The Last Jedi arrives Pablo Hidalgo rolls out his latest release, The Last Jedi Visual Dictionary, with knowledge nuggets aplenty.
For readers interested in all elements of the story there are pages packed with information. All of the major characters are given focus, looking at small details you may not have considered as well as an overview of their larger story.
Fans of starships are catered for with pages dedicated to the forces of the First Order and the Resistance fleet. The Raddus (named after the Mon Cal Admiral from Rogue One), the Ninka commanded by Vice Admiral Holdo as well as the MG-100 bomber used so effectively in the attack on the First Order Dreadnought.
The Force Awakens was formed around the search for Luke Skywalker, and here we see how the newer worlds of the GFFA from The Force Awakens and Rogue One fit into the now 40 year old galaxy. Crait, Cantonica and Ahch-To are all detailed and placed into the map of the galaxy.
A common trait in these books is to name as many background characters as possible, and this release continues that as practically every photo of a character – no matter how background or small their role – is accompanied by a name. For older fans who spent years tracking down every denizen of the Cantina, or soldier on Echo Base this may dim the fun somewhat, but for readers keen to have the full range of details to hand it’s certainly a bonus.
Pablo Hidalgo is a long-time fan with a vast amount of knowledge at his fingertips and that shows throughout the book as small nods (for example, Cantonica being in the Corporate sector, as seen in the 1979 – 1980 Brian Daley Han Solo trilogy) and larger details possibly run past the broader story group fill the pages. In a franchise as old as this it’s no small feat to make a book like this – which could have been produced on auto pilot – feel so essential and fresh.
Hats off to all concerned.
Thanks to the DK UK press office for the review copy.