Lego Star Wars Character Encyclopedia

The Lego Star Wars Character Encyclopedia is Dorling Kindersley’s latest book partnership with Lego Star Wars, and a wonderful addition to the bookshelves of Lego Star Wars fans.

As the title suggests, it is a reference book on all the Lego Star Wars minifigures released up until early 2011, offering photos, character information, facts and more.

We’ve covered a number of Lego books on The Brick Life and in particular, those produced by publishing giant Dorling Kindersley (DK), who specialize in visual reference books, a perfect format for a visual medium like Lego.

This latest book covers the extensive range of Lego Star Wars figures, one of the most popular Lego themes of the last 10 years and a favorite with kids and collectors alike.

The book is a smaller format than we are used to from DK (roughly half the size) but one that makes it easier to manage for kids and is more likely to go on short trips in backpacks than other, larger formats like the Lego Star Wars Visual Dictionary.

Being a hardcover it is sturdy and stocky and, like the Star Wars Lego Visual Dictionary, comes with a free exclusive minifigure.

The figure in this instance is a Han Solo Yavin Celebration figure, a companion to the Luke Skywalker Yavin figure that came with the Visual Dictionary.

When I gazed over the book what caught my eye was the age recommendation in the top right corner – 7+.

To be honest I had never seen an age recommendation on my other Lego DK books but when I went back to compare, there they were!

I’m not exactly sure why DK saw fit to include such a thing but I suppose, just like Lego sets themselves, the age is merely a guideline.

If your child is under seven and loves Lego star Wars please don’t fear. There is nothing in here to scare, offend or intimidate them :0)

Inside the book is chock full of photos and information. If your child is one who stays up reading or simply looking at Lego catalogs for hours then this is definitely a book I recommend.

The book is divided into eight Star Wars sections – Episodes I – VI, the Clone Wars,and the Expanded Universe. The minifigures are ordered according to the Star Wars property in which they first appeared or mostly featured.

Droids are also included as well as figures and included facts cover information from the Star wars universe as well as the Lego universe. So if a character has a notable presence in the Star Wars story it will be noted. Likewise important variants and unique Lego printing/pieces will also be referenced. You can see some pictures below.

I bought my copy from Amazon who have it for a significant (and variable!) discount. I ordered mine at 40% off the $18.99 cover price but it may be slightly different when you read this article.