Star Wars Encyclopedia The Star Wars Encyclopedia is a 1998 reference book published by Del Rey Books and written by Stephen J . Sansweet , the director of content management at Lucasfilm Ltd . and author . It was intended to bring together the wealth of information about the " Star Wars " universe which had up until that point been published in separate sources , and according to Sansweet was based upon the second edition of the " Guide to the Star Wars Universe " and first generation of the books . Ten years later it was finally updated and superseded by " The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia " . Publisher ' s summary . " Its vast history and environs have been explored , studied , and chronicled extensively for more than twenty years . Now , this landmark volume — a definitive reference devoted exclusively to the Star Wars milieu — draws together data from films , radio dramas , novels , short stories , computer games , and more , running the full gamut of this extraordinary galaxy . " " From science and technology to history and geography ; from culture and biography to ecology and cosmology ; from " abo " and " Abrax " to " zwil " and " Zirtran ' s Anchor , " this all - encompassing , fully illustrated , alphabetical reference covers all the elements which have developed and expanded the Star Wars universe , creating a rich and diverse history that spans millennia . Its scope ranges from the renowned and infamous ( " Luke Skywalker , " " Darth Vader " ) to the obscure and enigmatic ( " Tnun Bdu " ) ; from the history of the Sith Wars to the Galactic Civil War that pit the Rebel Alliance against the Empire . It introduces us to the natives and customs of planets as diverse as Tatooine and Dagobah , and even to the secrets and beliefs of the Jedi Knights . " " As a bonus for the intensive researcher , this massive reference includes the complete timeline of major events in Star Wars history . " " Every key element that exists in the world of Star Wars is supplied here — in clearly defined entries that have been researched and written by one of the leading authorities on the Star Wars universe . " Second edition . During a January 28 , 2004 celebrity chat , Steve Sansweet had this to say about an update to the " Star Wars Encyclopedia " : Sansweet again confirmed a second " Encyclopedia " is on its way at his " Star Wars Spectacular " presentation at ComicCon on July 15 , 2005 . He explained that he and Lucas Licensing were still in the process of deciding how to go about writing a new " Encyclopedia " . He gave an example of the process , saying that they were trying to decide whether to make the new book a second volume or an entirely new " Encyclopedia " . In a December 2005 post at the StarWars . com message boards , Sue Rostoni claimed that the format had been decided on ; any entries from the first edition of which new information has been revealed will be updated and included in the second edition of the " Encyclopedia " , while entries with no new information will not be included . She also revealed that the new edition will be written in the same format as the first , and that Lucas Licensing was looking at a possible release date of Fall 2008 . Sansweet later announced in " Star Wars Insider 87 " ( May / June 2006 ) that work had begun on an updated version of his " Star Wars Encyclopedia " : At the 2007 , the " Star Wars " publishing panel revealed that a second edition of the book will be written by Sansweet and Pablo Hidalgo ( the two previously collaborated on " " ) , and that it will be published in Fall of 2008 . In April 2008 , Random House added an entry on " The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia " ; this was subsequently reported by Club Jade . Behind the scenes . Curiously , Darth Vader has a blue lightsaber and Luke Skywalker has a red lightsaber when pictured on the cover . The explanation given is that the art was taken directly from Drew Struzan ' s art for the " Revenge of the Jedi " film poster and wasn ' t changed — as an homage to that poster .