Star Wars: Women of the Galaxy

Celebrate the female characters of the Star Wars universe with this book that brings balance to gender representation

Star Wars hasn’t always led from the front when it comes to gender representation, with the original trilogy’s Princess Leia almost single-handedly ticking the female demographic box.

Since then though, the galaxy far, far away has introduced plenty more female heroes and villains via films, games, animations and other tie-in media. It’s these characters who are celebrated in Star Wars: Women of the Galaxy, which sees 75 personas profiled with 100 all-new illustrations by female and non-binary artists.

Each character gets at least a double-page spread, while big-hitters like Leia, Rey and Jyn Erso get more space to tell their stories. There are some deep cuts here that are sure to satisfy fans, with the likes of Evaan Verlaine and Ewok princess Kneesaa getting a mention.

The illustration quality is high, but it’s the story of R2-KT that drives home the book’s importance. Created for Katie Johnson, a young girl with terminal brain cancer, this protective pink astromech made the leap from fan creation to legitimate droid after it appeared in The Force Awakens.

Karen Hallion illustrates Queen Amidala, who’s also depicted by three other artists in the book.

A close-up of Kneesaa defending Bright Tree Village from the forces of the Empire, as painted by Jenny Parks.