Star Wars Complete Locations Review - A Tour of the Galaxy!

George Lucas was a master of many things, but perhaps nothing eclipses his immense skill in world building. The galaxy of Star Wars is vast yet intimate, and over the last four decades, countless creators have added to its tapestry.

And I never get tired of exploring it.

Star Wars Complete Locations is the newest in-universe reference book that provides us the definitive blueprint of a galaxy far, far away. Filled with planet descriptions, cross-sections, and maps of iconic locations and events, this latest release from DK provides us with everything there is to know about our favorite fantastical locales.

While there are plenty of familiar areas that can be found in the previous edition, this new version stands out by its striking inclusion of newer properties like Andor, The Mandalorian, The Rise of Skywalker, and more which allow it to feel like the most cohesive collection of locational references that we’ve seen thus far.

DK Publishing

Organization

Because Star Wars is such a sprawling franchise with an ever growing timeline, the organization of a reference book can be difficult. Although the notion of organizing alphabetically, chronologically, or even by publishing release date may seem trivial at first, that decision can severely impact the understanding and enjoyment of any supplemental material.

Star Wars Complete Locations thankfully chooses to present its information chronologically based on the in-universe timeline. This helps tremendously with reading comprehension when searching for specific areas, but it also goes just a bit deeper.

Before you arrive at your first chronological planet (The Phantom Menace’s Naboo), the guide greets you with an updated Galaxy Map in multiple sizes and bite-sized planet profiles of the areas you’re about to explore. This initial decision ensures that the scale of the galaxy can be fully understood before diving into specifics, and it provides the reader with an understanding of where this journey is about to take them.

Once the book begins in full, however, the true organizational skill is put on display. Each planet provides original artwork and numerous descriptions about specifics, sure, but the inclusion of each area is also specific to its focus in the timeline.

DK Publishing

For example, Tatooine shows up multiple times within this book, but the specific sections are tailored toward their respective saga films. During the early pages that aim toward The Phantom Menace, you’ll find Watto’s shop on display complete with a rendering of a young Anakin Skywalker with the Lars Homestead being addressed later on in the book once you arrive at A New Hope.

The importance of this design decision lies in the fact of its near invisibility to those that aren’t looking. Star Wars reference books are made for those who wish to discover new secrets about their favorite worlds and characters, and if a book is clearly and thoughtfully organized in this manner, you don’t have to allow for an obstacle that isn’t there.

Luckily, as opposed to the recent Star Wars Encyclopedia that occasionally stumbled when it came to logical organization, Complete Locations ensures an ease of traversal that allows readers to experience every fact and feature as efficiently as possible.

Content

While it’s crucially important that a reference book be easy to navigate, all of that work doesn’t mean much if the content within is not worth navigating to. Fortunately, Complete Locations doesn’t have that problem as it is not merely informational but also incredibly enjoyable to read.

DK Publishing

The star of the show is far-and-away the cross-section illustrations that are littered throughout the pages. These pieces showcase some of the most famous icons in all of Star Wars from The Outlander Club from Attack of the Clones to the Narkina 5 prison complex from Andor. Each location is presented with exquisite detail that not only informs the reader of the geographical details that make up each place, but also supplies them with fun Easter eggs that make up the larger galaxy.

Did you know that Watto’s shop has a Toydarian clan bell?
Did you know that Padmé’s ship actually stayed at Vader’s castle?
Did you know that the Sith fortress on Exegol has an obscene amount of housing?

All of these questions and more are found within the illustrations of Complete Locations, and while these facts are fun to discover in other supplemental material like novels or comics, there’s something beautifully tactile about the presentation of this reference guide. Discovering the secrets of each nook and cranny feels more like a behind-the-scenes tour of a physical set, and the expert writers and illustrators take great care to ensure that each page flows with ease and enjoyment.

DK Publishing

Because that’s really what this book is presenting: a tour of the galaxy. Each location is filled with characters that are sometimes in the middle of famous scenes. Some locations are presented in the context of the films like Canto Bight being shown through the lens of The Last Jedi’s Fathier chase or the mines of Kessel showing how Han began his famous coaxium run in Solo.

These small, specific touches are what elevate this reference book from just a soulless encyclopedia to a vibrant, exciting look at how the very locations of Star Wars were sometimes just as important in crafting our favorite scenes as anything else.

Conclusion

Star Wars reference books have been a key element of the fandom for years. While some fail to recapture the magic of the films, Complete Locations effortlessly (although through a lot of actual effort on behalf of the creative team) transports its readers to every planet, building, and shop thanks to crisp details, exhilarating illustrations, and the perfect amount of humorous Easter eggs.

A perfect addition to any collector’s shelf, Star Wars Complete Locations is available now!

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