Whether they’re doctors or diplomats, soldiers or secretaries, translators or nightclub waiters, the myriad mechanical marvels known as droids are an indispensable part of what keeps the Star Wars galaxy humming. The varieties and classes of droids are nearly as infinite as their designated specialties. In this updated and expanded nuts-to-bolts survey, each and every droid receives its due–from the simplest drones to the most sophisticated automatons, from heroic protocol model, C-3PO, and his multitasking sidekick, R2-D2, to the insidious Separatist leader General Grievous. Inside you’ll discover:
• All the newest droids: from The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, and Revenge of the Sith to the Knights of the Old Republic video games and the Clone Wars animated TV series, plus the bestselling multinovel series Star Wars: The New Jedi Order–all catalogued here for the first time
• Detailed histories and capabilities of nearly one hundred droids along with full-color computer-generated illustrations and schematics of their construction highlights
• Special sections, including “A Layperson’s Guide to Droids,” “Major Manufacturers,” and “A Short History of Droids”
• An easy reference at your fingertips–each entry is arranged by Droid Type, including medics and scientists, repair units, battle units, and cyborgs–plus special expanded entries for R-series astromechs, the 3PO protocol series, and battle droids
For the definitive debriefing on droids, there’s only one official, authoritative, and absolutely essential technical guide!
The first Essential Guide to Droids was a firm favourite of mine when younger; the different droids, their histories, and stories really added depth to the Star Wars universe.
You’d think that this newer edition with its new additions of droids from the prequel series would be as equally good but it’s not. The colour illustrations are that early-2000s CGI quality and are a marked step down from the technical-style line drawings of the first. While there are many new droids from Episodes 1-3, many of the EU droids have been left out.
The flavour text, the histories, the background are all still fine but when trying to capture that childhood nostalgia and wonder, the first edition is definitely the winner.
This is a very good glance at the Star Wars droid universe, however it isn't complete. If you want to see even more droids that aren't in this book, check out the old version of this book (Star Wars: The Essential Guide to Droids).