AUTHOR: PABLO HIDALGO | PUBLISHER: DK BOOKS | RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

With toy releases thinner on the ground than the glory years of the first two trilogies, fans can no longer depend on the 3.75″ action figure range to get closer looks at the endlessly intriguing background characters that populate every frame of this most beloved of sagas. (Imagine Hasbro bothering with a Pruneface figure in 2020! Not going to happen.) Luckily, we have The Visual Dictionary series, a regularly updated, lavishly produced reference tome written by Lucasfilm’s very own Jacosta Nu, Pablo Hidalgo. (Though Hidalgo does have a sense of humour about the galaxy far, far away that the Jedi Master sorely lacked.)

Want to find out the names and peccadillos of each of those cool looking Knights of Ren fellas? Look no further for the full lowdown on Ap’lek, Ushar, Cardo, Kuruk, and Trudgen. Of course, it’s not just the galaxy’s colourful characters Hidalgo does deep dives on, with the informative text also exploring planets, environments, and vehicles, all the while providing answers to queries Rise of Skywalker audiences may have had while watching it. And as we all know, those questions are, sadly, legion.

It’s not to the book’s detriment that it’s essentially ‘damage control’ for the film’s clumsy, rushed narrative, of course, and therefore it retains full marks alongside its predecessors. But it can sometimes be a baffling read in that it highlights ‘just’ how many essential details were skipped over by J.J. and co-writer Chris Terrio. This type of release should augment the movie, not act as a Wayfinder to navigate its plot! Speaking of which, turn to page 52 to get the inside scoop on this mightiest of MacGuffins. Did you know that these ancient sci-fi Sat Navs were created through the study of Purrgil, the flying hyperspace-whales seen in Star Wars Rebels? Course you didn’t. And that’s why these books are so entertaining. Thank the maker for Pablo!