What do you think?
Rate this book
Star Wars Disney Canon Reference Books
Star Wars: The Visual Encyclopedia
Covering more than 2,500 characters, creatures, planets, vehicles, Droids™, weapons, technology, and more from the Star Wars™ universe, this visual tour is the ultimate compendium for the epic saga and beyond. Take a stunning visual tour of Star Wars with DK's comprehensive pictorial guide to the galaxy far, far away!
From lightsabers to beasts to food and clothing, Star Wars: The Visual Encyclopedia is a virtual museum in a book. Explore beautiful galleries with more than 2,500 images, and discover facts about Star Wars culture, science, and geography.
With a full history of the galactic politics, the Jedi Council, and the Empire, Star Wars: The Visual Encyclopedia walks fans through the entire timeline of Star Wars . See the blasters of Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope™ , look at the stormtroopers of Star Wars: The Force Awakens™ , and study the geography of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story™ . Each section of the book focuses on different topics to dedicate special attention and detail to every part of the universe, no matter how small. From the planets in the outer rim to Padmé's bridal wear, nothing is missed. A celebration of all things Star Wars , this compendium is the perfect addition to any fan's bookshelf. © & TM 2017 LUCASFILM LTD. Used Under Authorization.
From lightsabers to beasts to food and clothing, Star Wars: The Visual Encyclopedia is a virtual museum in a book. Explore beautiful galleries with more than 2,500 images, and discover facts about Star Wars culture, science, and geography.
With a full history of the galactic politics, the Jedi Council, and the Empire, Star Wars: The Visual Encyclopedia walks fans through the entire timeline of Star Wars . See the blasters of Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope™ , look at the stormtroopers of Star Wars: The Force Awakens™ , and study the geography of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story™ . Each section of the book focuses on different topics to dedicate special attention and detail to every part of the universe, no matter how small. From the planets in the outer rim to Padmé's bridal wear, nothing is missed. A celebration of all things Star Wars , this compendium is the perfect addition to any fan's bookshelf. © & TM 2017 LUCASFILM LTD. Used Under Authorization.
200 pages, Hardcover
Published April 4, 2017
51 people are currently reading
269 people want to read
About the author
Adam Bray
53 books16 followersAdam Bray, Author, Travel Writer, Adventurer
Adam Bray is the USA Today and Amazon Best-Selling author of nearly 20 official Star Wars, Marvel and LEGO books. He has also contributed to nearly 40 books on travel in Southeast Asia and has been called a 'Modern Indiana Jones' by CNN.
From working with great apes, to finding lost temple ruins in Vietnam, to writing in a galaxy far, far away...
Adam Bray writes a lot of books. He is the author of the first comprehensive licensed reference books for the Marvel Cinematic universe, including the Marvel Studios Visual Dictionary, the Marvel Studios Character Encyclopedia and Marvel Studios 101. Adam is also a co-author of the cornerstone reference books for Marvel Comics, including the flagship Marvel Encyclopedia (with a forward written by the late, great Stan Lee), Ultimate Marvel, and Marvel: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know.
Fortunately Adam is a life-long Star Wars fan, because he's written even more Star Wars books than Marvel. Adam is the author of the official guides to Disney XD’s Star Wars Rebels animated TV series (with a forward written by Executive Producer Dave Filoni--seen in the lower right photo--and interview exerpts with Simon Kinberg, producer of the X-Men and Deadpool movies). Adam has also co-authored the reference books that define Star Wars canon, including Ultimate Star Wars (with a forward written by actor Anthony Daniels, aka C-3PO), the Star Wars Visual Encyclopedia and Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know (Nominated for a Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award). He is also the co-author of Stormtroopers: Beyond the Armor (with a forward by actor John Boyega, aka “Finn”), the definitive filmmaking history of the Empire’s iconic soldiers, from the earliest appearances of stormtroopers in marketing of the original Star Wars: A New Hope (1977), through merchandising, publishing, games, animation, the 501st Legion, and though seven more live-action films, including Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017). The book features interviews with lots of Star Wars creative talanet, including actors Sam Witwer (Darth Maul, Starkiller) & Dee Bradley Baker (Captain Rex and all the clone troopers), artists Kilian Plunkett, Terryl Whitlatch and many others. And speaking of stormtroopers, Adam is also proud to be an honorary member of the 501st Legion.
Adam Bray is a life-long fan of LEGO and proud do be associated with their brand. Adam’s LEGO books include DK’s LEGO Star Wars: Into Battle! and LEGO Star Wars: Chronicles of the Force (featuring an exclusive LEGO minifigure from The Force Awakens).
Publicity appearances are a big part of Adam's work. He has survived four national book tours, stopping at around 45 cities to promote his Star Wars and Marvel books. He has appeared as a featured guest, panelist and autographer at Star Wars Celebration (Anaheim, London and Orlando), San Diego Comic-Con (2014, 2015, 2018), New York Comic-Con (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018), C2E2 in Chicago (2016) and Fan Expo Vancouver (2018). He also appeared on the Emmy-Nominated “The Star Wars Show” (see the video below). Adam has written numerous articles for StarWars.com and has also been interviewed many times for StarWars.com and Star Wars Insider (the official magazine). His books have been advertised on billboards in Times Square in Manhattan and inside issues of Marvel Comics too.
Adam Bray is the USA Today and Amazon Best-Selling author of nearly 20 official Star Wars, Marvel and LEGO books. He has also contributed to nearly 40 books on travel in Southeast Asia and has been called a 'Modern Indiana Jones' by CNN.
From working with great apes, to finding lost temple ruins in Vietnam, to writing in a galaxy far, far away...
Adam Bray writes a lot of books. He is the author of the first comprehensive licensed reference books for the Marvel Cinematic universe, including the Marvel Studios Visual Dictionary, the Marvel Studios Character Encyclopedia and Marvel Studios 101. Adam is also a co-author of the cornerstone reference books for Marvel Comics, including the flagship Marvel Encyclopedia (with a forward written by the late, great Stan Lee), Ultimate Marvel, and Marvel: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know.
Fortunately Adam is a life-long Star Wars fan, because he's written even more Star Wars books than Marvel. Adam is the author of the official guides to Disney XD’s Star Wars Rebels animated TV series (with a forward written by Executive Producer Dave Filoni--seen in the lower right photo--and interview exerpts with Simon Kinberg, producer of the X-Men and Deadpool movies). Adam has also co-authored the reference books that define Star Wars canon, including Ultimate Star Wars (with a forward written by actor Anthony Daniels, aka C-3PO), the Star Wars Visual Encyclopedia and Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know (Nominated for a Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award). He is also the co-author of Stormtroopers: Beyond the Armor (with a forward by actor John Boyega, aka “Finn”), the definitive filmmaking history of the Empire’s iconic soldiers, from the earliest appearances of stormtroopers in marketing of the original Star Wars: A New Hope (1977), through merchandising, publishing, games, animation, the 501st Legion, and though seven more live-action films, including Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017). The book features interviews with lots of Star Wars creative talanet, including actors Sam Witwer (Darth Maul, Starkiller) & Dee Bradley Baker (Captain Rex and all the clone troopers), artists Kilian Plunkett, Terryl Whitlatch and many others. And speaking of stormtroopers, Adam is also proud to be an honorary member of the 501st Legion.
Adam Bray is a life-long fan of LEGO and proud do be associated with their brand. Adam’s LEGO books include DK’s LEGO Star Wars: Into Battle! and LEGO Star Wars: Chronicles of the Force (featuring an exclusive LEGO minifigure from The Force Awakens).
Publicity appearances are a big part of Adam's work. He has survived four national book tours, stopping at around 45 cities to promote his Star Wars and Marvel books. He has appeared as a featured guest, panelist and autographer at Star Wars Celebration (Anaheim, London and Orlando), San Diego Comic-Con (2014, 2015, 2018), New York Comic-Con (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018), C2E2 in Chicago (2016) and Fan Expo Vancouver (2018). He also appeared on the Emmy-Nominated “The Star Wars Show” (see the video below). Adam has written numerous articles for StarWars.com and has also been interviewed many times for StarWars.com and Star Wars Insider (the official magazine). His books have been advertised on billboards in Times Square in Manhattan and inside issues of Marvel Comics too.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
April 4, 2017
Believe it or not, the realm of Star Wars reference books is quite crowded. There have been visual dictionaries, character encyclopedias, art of and making of books for all of the various films and even some of the television series. When it comes to the reference books, DK Books is one of the key publishers in the field. But with so many guide books out there already, it becomes harder and harder to stand apart. While each new movie and season of an animated show provides more content to cover, there are limits on how many times you can update an existing format before the market becomes saturated. The interesting thing is how Star Wars: The Visual Encyclopedia actually manages to stand apart and accomplish something different from all the books that have come before.
First off, Star Wars: The Visual Encyclopedia achieves a lot with the keyword “visual.” There is a lot of content in this book, and while there is some written content, 80% of the value of this book is easily in the pictures. Flipping through it, most of the words are just labels for the pictures. This isn’t a book you’ll spend nights reading, nor is it a book you’ll read cover-to-cover. However, you will find yourself flipping through the pages and devouring the pictures cover-to-cover. While that could be a problem with some books, in this case, it allows The Visual Encyclopedia to shine. The imagery is the focus. And more than that, the organization of the imagery makes this book invaluable.
Have you ever wondered what kind of food there is in Star Wars? Perhaps you’ve looked it up on Wookieepedia. The results aren’t all that satisfying. You’ll find a list of a bunch of names that don’t make sense to you and you’ll quickly be jumping page to page just to get a handle on what’s out there. With The Visual Encyclopedia, simply turn to page 110. There you will find four pages of food, all wonderfully photographed and neatly labeled for your convenience. It’s even categorized into different types of foods: animal produce, fruits and fungi, street food, baked food, etc. Plus the pictures aren’t just scenes from the films but are often isolated close-ups of the props which give readers an unprecedented look at what was often impossible to see in the movies and television shows. But it doesn’t stop with food, that just the tip of the iceberg. There’s luggage, astromech droids, clothing, binoculars, lightsabers and starfighters. From the things you’d expect to see, to things you never dreamt would be given page space in a book, this thing has it all.
Some of the most outstanding displays are perhaps the things you’d expect to see in a Star Wars reference book, like helmets and blasters. Yet unlike previous books, this one groups all those things together. It’s one thing to see a page that shows a key character and their equipment exploded off into detail views so you can examine each item. It’s an entirely different thing when you can flip through pages of helmets, all awesomely displayed side-by-side in all their glory. Looking through the arsenal of Star Wars weapons all neatly organized by type and category, laid out next to each other is quite the thing to behold. Then there’s the clothing section showing casual clothes, religious robes and funeral wear. There’s sections on furniture, art even interior design. They even have a focus on tattoos showing all the ink of the galaxy far far away.
But there’s more. Taking full advantage of this visual focus and highly organized look at Star Wars, the book has a guide for species, for character broken down by factions, for starfighters, vehicles and all the various types of droids. There’s a section on languages which has various alien phrases with their translations and entire alphabets. There’s flags, locations, a timeline, creatures and even maps and planets. There is quite literally a little bit of everything, from health and safety tools to repair equipment. For a Star Wars fan, it’s a visual splendor.
Now having all these images organized by type, function and category is great, but it can lose it’s value if you can’t find a specific thing you’re looking for. Thankfully, The Visual Encyclopedia makes that a not so insurmountable task. The table of contents is broken down into geography, nature, history, culture, science and technology. Under each of those headings is a long list of topics with their corresponding page number. From the map of the galaxy on page 10 to tanks on page 193, it makes finding categories easy. Furthermore, there’s a super handy index in the back which lists all the items by name and which page they’re on. Need to find a Togruta? Check page 39. Need jewelry? Page 98. While not perfect, it’s extremely useful.
Star Wars reference books can be a niche thing for a very specific audience, but sometimes they cross all genres and interest with how useful and fun they can be. With Star Wars: The Visual Encyclopedia, they not only capture great visual treasure trove of information, but inspire fans to explore Star Wars like never before. Before you know it, you might find yourself pondering over the different designs of Star Wars belts, the peculiar array of lighting, or the primitive yet otherworldliness of alien knives. With it’s easy to find format and pleasing assortment of pictures, The Visual Encyclopedia pulls off something new and worthwhile in the world of Star Wars books. This is definitely one you’ll want to check out and I give it a five out of five.
First off, Star Wars: The Visual Encyclopedia achieves a lot with the keyword “visual.” There is a lot of content in this book, and while there is some written content, 80% of the value of this book is easily in the pictures. Flipping through it, most of the words are just labels for the pictures. This isn’t a book you’ll spend nights reading, nor is it a book you’ll read cover-to-cover. However, you will find yourself flipping through the pages and devouring the pictures cover-to-cover. While that could be a problem with some books, in this case, it allows The Visual Encyclopedia to shine. The imagery is the focus. And more than that, the organization of the imagery makes this book invaluable.
Have you ever wondered what kind of food there is in Star Wars? Perhaps you’ve looked it up on Wookieepedia. The results aren’t all that satisfying. You’ll find a list of a bunch of names that don’t make sense to you and you’ll quickly be jumping page to page just to get a handle on what’s out there. With The Visual Encyclopedia, simply turn to page 110. There you will find four pages of food, all wonderfully photographed and neatly labeled for your convenience. It’s even categorized into different types of foods: animal produce, fruits and fungi, street food, baked food, etc. Plus the pictures aren’t just scenes from the films but are often isolated close-ups of the props which give readers an unprecedented look at what was often impossible to see in the movies and television shows. But it doesn’t stop with food, that just the tip of the iceberg. There’s luggage, astromech droids, clothing, binoculars, lightsabers and starfighters. From the things you’d expect to see, to things you never dreamt would be given page space in a book, this thing has it all.
Some of the most outstanding displays are perhaps the things you’d expect to see in a Star Wars reference book, like helmets and blasters. Yet unlike previous books, this one groups all those things together. It’s one thing to see a page that shows a key character and their equipment exploded off into detail views so you can examine each item. It’s an entirely different thing when you can flip through pages of helmets, all awesomely displayed side-by-side in all their glory. Looking through the arsenal of Star Wars weapons all neatly organized by type and category, laid out next to each other is quite the thing to behold. Then there’s the clothing section showing casual clothes, religious robes and funeral wear. There’s sections on furniture, art even interior design. They even have a focus on tattoos showing all the ink of the galaxy far far away.
But there’s more. Taking full advantage of this visual focus and highly organized look at Star Wars, the book has a guide for species, for character broken down by factions, for starfighters, vehicles and all the various types of droids. There’s a section on languages which has various alien phrases with their translations and entire alphabets. There’s flags, locations, a timeline, creatures and even maps and planets. There is quite literally a little bit of everything, from health and safety tools to repair equipment. For a Star Wars fan, it’s a visual splendor.
Now having all these images organized by type, function and category is great, but it can lose it’s value if you can’t find a specific thing you’re looking for. Thankfully, The Visual Encyclopedia makes that a not so insurmountable task. The table of contents is broken down into geography, nature, history, culture, science and technology. Under each of those headings is a long list of topics with their corresponding page number. From the map of the galaxy on page 10 to tanks on page 193, it makes finding categories easy. Furthermore, there’s a super handy index in the back which lists all the items by name and which page they’re on. Need to find a Togruta? Check page 39. Need jewelry? Page 98. While not perfect, it’s extremely useful.
Star Wars reference books can be a niche thing for a very specific audience, but sometimes they cross all genres and interest with how useful and fun they can be. With Star Wars: The Visual Encyclopedia, they not only capture great visual treasure trove of information, but inspire fans to explore Star Wars like never before. Before you know it, you might find yourself pondering over the different designs of Star Wars belts, the peculiar array of lighting, or the primitive yet otherworldliness of alien knives. With it’s easy to find format and pleasing assortment of pictures, The Visual Encyclopedia pulls off something new and worthwhile in the world of Star Wars books. This is definitely one you’ll want to check out and I give it a five out of five.
April 21, 2022
~4.25 stars~
Read this today at the library! Was a nice find and was cool to get more informed about the Star Wars universe, though I'm already a big fan of it of course. It was still nice to visually see and learn little tiny details that I wasn't aware of before :)
Read this today at the library! Was a nice find and was cool to get more informed about the Star Wars universe, though I'm already a big fan of it of course. It was still nice to visually see and learn little tiny details that I wasn't aware of before :)
December 2, 2017
A cool visual of SO many different parts of the Star Wars universe. Minimal text (it's titled a "Visual Encyclopedia" for a reason), but definitely a nice window into just how vast and complex this series is. Used this book to help me brainstorm ideas for my own sci-fi writing and it certainly worked!
December 25, 2017
One of the most comprehensive and detailed Star Wars Reference books I have read. It was divided up into several large sections such as Geography, History and Culture. Within those small sections are smaller categories. For example in Geography we learned about planets with different climates, special architecture unique to certain worlds and worlds with distinct geographic features. History contained timelines, organizations and the people who were a part of them, and detailed examinations of larger groups like the Jedi and Sith. Culture examined clothing, musical instruments, art and much much more, it was one of the largest sections. As always with a DK book, the pictures were remarkable, and the writing and captions was interesting, engaging and you learned so much. There were many things in this book I had not really noticed, or paid much attention too, that I was able to learn about. Fantastic resource.
Want to read
September 20, 2021Over the moon! Christmas came early with this one! Star Wars: The Visual
Encyclopedia! Yay! This Stars Wars edition is everything I wanted it to be. And then
some!!!
Encyclopedia! Yay! This Stars Wars edition is everything I wanted it to be. And then
some!!!
July 26, 2020
Divisa in cinque sezioni (geografia, natura, storia, cultura, scienza e tecnologia), questa ricca enciclopedia contiene tutto ciò che bisogna sapere sull'universo in cui è ambientata la longeva saga di Star Wars. È un gioiellino per gli appassionati, che possono ritrovare al suo interno informazioni e approfondimenti.
Dal punto di vista grafico l'enciclopedia è abbastanza scarna, ma ciò la rende molto ordinata. Contiene immagini tratte dai film e dalle serie animate. La sua divisione per nuclei di argomenti porta a volte a ripetizioni contenutistiche, ma contribuisce alla facilità di consultazione.
Unici difetti: la copertina un po' troppo spessa che lo fa sembrare un cartonato per bambini, la traduzione italiana ha molti errori di battitura.
Consiglio di leggerla con la colonna sonora dei film come sottofondo.
Dal punto di vista grafico l'enciclopedia è abbastanza scarna, ma ciò la rende molto ordinata. Contiene immagini tratte dai film e dalle serie animate. La sua divisione per nuclei di argomenti porta a volte a ripetizioni contenutistiche, ma contribuisce alla facilità di consultazione.
Unici difetti: la copertina un po' troppo spessa che lo fa sembrare un cartonato per bambini, la traduzione italiana ha molti errori di battitura.
Consiglio di leggerla con la colonna sonora dei film come sottofondo.
October 17, 2019
One of the best books I've ever read. The amount of information provided in this Visual Encyclopaedia was absolutely phenomenal. There was a variety of subjects provided, including: food, equipment, clothing, and cultural items. As most Star Wars fans know, the majority of focus is put on weaponry, Jedi, the force etc. It was really great to see another perspective provided in this well-put together book which shows the amount of time that so many people have put in to building this spectacular universe.
One of my only remarks is the font size of the writing. At a few points, it was difficult to read the information next to the pictures, but this could be my eyes? Not sure, but just a warning to you!
Overall, excellent read and definitely look forward to reading it sometime again!
One of my only remarks is the font size of the writing. At a few points, it was difficult to read the information next to the pictures, but this could be my eyes? Not sure, but just a warning to you!
Overall, excellent read and definitely look forward to reading it sometime again!
May 24, 2017
Surprisingly in depth for a photo guide with quite a few prop photos I had not seen before. Definitely a fun little book though I would have personally preferred a bit more text (while fully understanding that this is not the type of book to be text-heavy). Some cool lore bits - definitely worth a rainy day readthrough for fans of the galaxy far far away.
May 9, 2017
Much to see in this one! Loads of photos and images in this visual sourcebook. Many details and objects that are obscured in the movies or series. It also contains a handful of new names. Also has attention for common things in life, such as music, art, food, etcetera.
October 7, 2017
While not going as in-depth as I would like, the book contained a great deal of information arranged in a logical fashion. I found it an interesting read but due to its lack of depth, I'm not sure it would be of much use as a reference book.
January 29, 2020
Up your nerd game
Solid read to brush up on some of the details scattered throughout the Star Wars universe. Not too in-depth on any one topic, but provides a great overall knowledge base to grow upon.
Solid read to brush up on some of the details scattered throughout the Star Wars universe. Not too in-depth on any one topic, but provides a great overall knowledge base to grow upon.
July 30, 2021
A really neat visual guide to so many amazing and creative aspects of the Star Wars universe. Covers virtually anything and everything you can imagine! Also focuses on stuff beyond the movies, like Clone Wars and Rebels. A must read for any Star Wars fan!
June 16, 2022
Erittäin hyvä katalogi Tähtien Sodan maailmaan. Toki nykyään on tullut niin paljon uutta, että nämä niteet jäävät auttamatta vanhentuneiksi. Silti tästä opuksesta saa varsin kattavan tiedon, jos sellaista kaipaa.
December 31, 2022
My Review
This Encyclopaedia is very illustrated and in case is almost full of every character and always needs to get more updates but it's amazing, anyway Just very good inspiration too.
This Encyclopaedia is very illustrated and in case is almost full of every character and always needs to get more updates but it's amazing, anyway Just very good inspiration too.
January 28, 2023
Very nice info of the Star Wars Universe, have the information till Episode VII, but is a very complete information and cool images of Technology, Creatures, Worlds and a lot of things.
Very nice reading for a fan.
Very nice reading for a fan.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 14, 2024
A fantastic reference in the ever expanding Star Wars saga. Covering the entirety of everything from planets and galaxies to lightsabers and languages.
Easy to use indexes; Easy to scroll.
A must have!
Easy to use indexes; Easy to scroll.
A must have!
December 27, 2024
Hey, I didn’t wait until January 1st to get a jump on my next annual reading goal 🤷♂️
My kid and I loved this book. It’s something that just about any Star Wars fan would at least pick up and peruse.
My kid and I loved this book. It’s something that just about any Star Wars fan would at least pick up and peruse.
May 6, 2017
I MUST add this to my star wars books collection.
June 11, 2017
Big on general info, small on detail...
October 6, 2017
Perfect for anyone who wants to have a fanfics reference or just a occasional read. Stunning pictures.
January 11, 2018
It was cool to see some of the back story/mythology fleshed out. And some of the captions were quite funny.
January 13, 2018
It’s easy to forget the detail of design in these movies, esp given the continuum vs. the order of release dates. The level of design for these movies and TV shows is amazing.
October 7, 2018
Includes information and characters from all the SW films and TV shows (Prequels, original trilogy, TFA, The Clone Wars, and Rebels)
January 19, 2021
Very informative
February 16, 2021
Perfect for any Star Wars nerd - Too bad info related to the Mandalorian did not make it into book.
October 2, 2021
Essential for cosplayers and fans alike.
April 19, 2024
Brilliant 🙌
April 17, 2020
Very good I think. It has a lot of information on Star Wars. Wether it is different creatures or the jedi council history it is all very cool
February 3, 2018
So many amazing pictures and descriptions about the Star Wars universe (ahem, sorry, OUR universe). I couldn't believe the detail that went into each planet and its inhabitants. I wish I owned a copy so I could read it more thoroughly or use it as a reference during a Star Wars marathon :P
May 1, 2020
Read in conjunction with a movie marathon 🎬
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews