The Illustrated Star Wars Universe is a 1995 Star Wars Legends book, featuring artwork by Ralph McQuarrie and stories by Kevin J. Anderson. One of many Star Wars reference books released since the completion of the original trilogy, it provides in-depth information on each of the main planets visited (or at the very least, glimpsed) over the course of the saga so far, based at least partly around samples of MacQuarrie's original concept art.
As with other Star Wars reference books, The Illustrated Star Wars Universe is treated as an in-universe text, but whereas other such books have opted for a database style of presentation, this work opts for a more story-driven approach: each chapter is narrated by an in-universe individual with some experience with the world being explored, and their observations form the basis of the journey across it.
Notably, this book was the first canonical appearance of Senior Anthropologist Hoole, one of the main characters of the Galaxy of Fear series and an infrequent guest star of other Star Wars reference books.
The stories within contain the following:
Tatooine:
Narrated by Senior Anthropologist Hoole, a Shi'ido shapeshifter and mind-fogger, as a first-hand account of an exploration of the planet. Written prior to Tatooine's rise to prominence as the homeworld of Luke Skywalker, most of these observations were conducted in disguise, with only a few individuals becoming aware of Hoole's presence on the planet.- Badass Bookworm: For an introverted academic, Hoole has some very impressive survival skills, being able to survive his journey across the wilderness of Tatooine entirely alone and without assistance. It's not until he reaches Jabba's palace that he begins travelling in company again.
- Bold Explorer: Senior Anthropologist Hoole. Having decided to defy popular stereotypes around his species, he's now using his powers to explore obscure worlds and learn things nobody else could learn, all while facing untold dangers with a mixture of curiosity and stolid optimism.
- Brain in a Jar: This is the work that first established the B'Omarr Monks of Jabba's palace, previously only encountered as a spider-droid glimpsed during C-3PO's entrance to the palace. Essentially an esoteric order seeking enlightenment, they attain their Fantastic Nirvana by surgically removing their brains and placing them in jars - to be connected to a spider droid if the enlightened monk has any business to attend to around the palace after the surgery.
- Brain Theft: During his discussion of the B'Omarr Monks, Hoole relates the story of an unfortunate enemy of Jabba the Hutt who was subjected to premature enlightenment on the Bloated One's orders. Unprepared for the trauma and unable to acclimatize, the unlucky victim has been left blind, mute, and wandering aimlessly around the palace in a confused daze for all eternity.
- Charm Person: Hoole's ability to fog minds allows him to implant memories of his current persona in the minds of those around him, allowing him to slip into a role with little adverse attention, then erase all memories of his presence once he leaves. This power only fails him twice: first, while dealing with Jabba the Hutt; second, while dealing with the Tusken Raiders.
- Chased by Angry Natives: After getting unmasked during his infiltration of a Tusken Raider tribe, Hoole is forced to flee for his life with a warparty of angry Tuskens in hot pursuit. He only survives the encounter by running into a Stormtrooper patrol, giving him the chance to impersonate one of them and gain their protection just long enough to escape the raiders.
- City of Spies: Mos Eisley is dominated by the espionage industry, with everyone spying on everyone else in the hopes of learning something profitable that can be sold onto someone in power.
- Crossing the Desert: After he's learned all he can as a water prospector's assistant, Hoole erases his presence from the prospector's memory and sets off alone across the deep desert on foot, documenting numerous forms of life along the way until he finally reaches Jabba's Palace.
- Honest John's Dealership: While staying among the Jawas, Hoole observes their habit of repairing machinery just enough so that it can be sold to some unsuspecting rube before it breaks down again.
- Immune to Mind Control:
- As Return Of The Jedi demonstrated, Jabba the Hutt is immune to telepathic trickery, much to Hoole's alarm. As such, the anthropologist decides it might be a good idea to leave the palace before the Hutt gets too curious about the colour of his blood.
- Downplayed in the case of the Tusken Raiders; they're initially fooled by Hoole's mind-fogging, but the strict nature of their society makes it increasingly difficult to fit in without arousing suspicion, until they see clean through Hoole's disguise - and all attempts at trickery fail to work on them from then on.
- Master of Disguise: As a Shi'ido, Hoole's powers allow him to assume a wide variety of identities across the chapter, not all of them human either. Starting out as a passenger aboard a cargo hauler, he becomes a farmhand on a moisture farm, a moisture prospector's partner, a member of Jabba the Hutt's entourage, a Jawa, a Tusken Raider, and finally an Imperial Stormtrooper.
- No Full Name Given: In the official bio, Hoole is known only by his title and last name, with his first name listed on as "indeterminate". This continues in Galaxy of Fear, when even Hoole's own niece and nephew only know him as "Uncle Hoole."
- Not So Above It All: Hoole is quickly established as a stoic professional who does his best to document what he sees without letting his feelings get in the way of his observations. However, after nearly getting killed several times in a row and getting stuck at Mos Eisley, he concludes his report by disgustedly remarking that he's had enough of Tatooine.
Coruscant
Narrated by Pollus Hax, the chief of Emperor Palpatine's chief of propaganda dissemination section, as a Propaganda Piece on the wonders of Imperial Center commissioned by the Emperor himself. In a rare twist for Imperial reports, this has been delivered verbatim, with no censorship or alteration whatsoever.- Airstrip One: As Hax relates, Coruscant is no longer the planet's official title, and uses the name only informally. Instead, it's officially known only as "Imperial Center."
- Big Labyrinthine Building: The Imperial Palace is an incredibly complicated structure, dotted with thousands of rooms and passageways, along with a grand corridor large enough to encompass a Star Destroyer.
- Boomerang Bigot: If the profile picture is any evidence, Pollus Hax is a very obvious non-human (unless that's meant to be some kind of facial deformity) and is in full support of the notoriously human-supremacist Galactic Empire, to the point of heading the Emperor's propaganda department and writing a blatant propaganda report denying all evidence of prejudice on the Emperor's part.
- Crapsaccharine World: Coruscant is still the glittering hub of architectural wonders that's been throughout history, and Hax describes it as the most beautiful place in the universe... but surveillance is everywhere, stormtroopers patrols are just waiting to crack down on any subversive activity, entertainment is heavy censored, the alien population has been forced off the streets and into ghettos, and the darker regions of the city hide brutal interrogation facilities.
- Double Speak: Abounds over the course of the chapter, given that this is essentially a work of propaganda. For instance, aliens are not imprisoned in ghettos, but consigned to cultural areas patrolled by stormtroopers that keep them safe from prejudice.
- Fantastic Ghetto: The well-documented Imperial xenophobia has resulted in all non-humans being segregated to specific districts in which they aren't allowed to interact with humans - the aforementioned "cultural areas."
- The Morlocks: Criminals, failed bureaucrats, outcast ambassadors, fired servants, and even exiles from the Old Republic have fled to the lowest levels of Coruscant to escape arrest, to the point that many have bred and formed their own society of troglodytes. Pollus Hax muses on how happy the Emperor would be if these "unproductive members of society" could be "reeducated", but unfortunately, several specimens of these hunchbacked semihumanoids were "killed during capture" and are now on display in the Galactic Museum.
- Propaganda Machine: Pollus Hax is the head of the Emperor's propaganda department, making him by default one of these - likely the only reason why the text has been delivered uncensored.
- Suspiciously Specific Denial: Anything remotely negative mentioned over the course of the work is immediately followed by an unusually specific bit of reassurance. For example, riding the mirrors is horribly boring, but the devoted officers of the Empire are happy to do it; many bureaucrats die of overwork over the course of their duties, but the Emperor is deeply dismayed about it; reports of eviction notices being misdelivered are grossly exaggerated, and no casualties have occurred as a result.
- Torture Cellar: Pollus Hax firmly denies that the lowest regions of the city are home to interrogation facilities where torture droids are allowed to coerce information out of dissidents and Rebel captives, claiming that the Emperor has no need for such practices.
- Under City: Coruscant's lowest levels consist of the basements and cellars of long-forgotten buildings. Some parts of this Underworld are used by the Emperor as off-the-books interrogation areas (not that he would ever abide such barbaric practises!) but most of the time, the Underworld is a haven for fugitives fleeing the Empire - to the point that they have even formed their own culture down there.
- Unreliable Narrator: As the propaganda chief, Hax is incredibly biased in favor of the Empire and every single word should be taken with a sizable chunk of salt.
- Vast Bureaucracy:
- Hax's denials suggest that the Imperial bureaucracy is so massive and overburdened that it's not uncommon for eviction notices to get lost, resulting in condemned buildings being demolished with people still inside... assuming that this isn't a sign that nobody cared enough to bother with eviction in the first place.
- Also, Hax notes that it's not unknown for Imperial bureaucrats to drop dead of overwork. Hax being Hax, he attributes this to a tragic and unpreventable obsession with work rather than, say, an overcomplicated system run by officials who don't give a damn if they live or die.
Dagobah
Narrated by Halka Four-Den, an explorer and the commander of a Republic survey team sent to the planet, as an official research journal and summary. Written in the twilight years of the Republic, this report was misplaced in the wake of Emperor Palpatine's rise to power and largely forgotten until many years after the fact, guaranteeing Dagobah's mainstream obscurity.- Apocalyptic Log: Initially a straightforward report on a dangerous world, the chapter soon becomes Halka's personal diary as the mission carries on longer than intended and the hazards grow more numerous. The final chapters in particular are very grim, with deaths stacking up and the natural environment slowly tearing the camp apart. For good measure, several segments of the report are missing due to damage, including the one that might explain what happened to Halka and her team.
- Cyanide Pill: After witnessing a comrade suffer an incredibly rapid death after eating a supposedly "safe" plant, Halka Four-Den takes careful note of it, morbidly realizing that a painless poison might be useful if things get any worse. In light of this, this may be the cause of death for at least some of Halka's missing team, if not all of them.
- Death World: Whereas The Empire Strikes Back only hinted at how inhospitable Dagobah really is, this chapter makes it abundantly clear that this world might just be one of the most dangerous planets in the Star Wars universe, featuring monstrous wildlife, all-consuming swamps, and poisons that actively defy analysis - all likely due to the Dark Side presence later encountered by Luke.
- Downer Ending: Halka's efforts to document the planet end in failure, as do her efforts to summon help, and by the time a rescue party arrives, she and her team have long since vanished.
- Driven to Suicide: It's heavily implied that Halka or some members of her team committed suicide by poison plant after it became clear that they weren't going to be rescued.
- Dwindling Party: Halka's team initially consisted of eight people (herself included). By the end, she's down to five, with indications are that further team-members are doomed to die. The story ends with the entire team presumably dead.
- From Bad to Worse: In the final weeks of Halka's record, the survey grows progressively more and more calamitous, piling one disaster onto another until the team has pretty much given up on research in favor of just doing their best to stay alive.
- Genius Loci: Towards the end of the chapter, Halka Four-Den speculates that the planet itself has begun to resent their presence, as both plants and animals have become even more aggressive around them in the past few weeks: among other things, the environment has begun rapidly encroaching on their prefab shelters, their previously secure food supply has begun to spoil, animals have killed at least two team-members, and a plant that should have been perfectly safe to eat has fatally poisoned a third. In the wake of the team's disappearance, the editor speculates that there is something about the planet that doesn't want anyone to know too much about it.
- Hope Spot: Using their speeder to ascend above the canopy finally allows the team to see the sun again, lifting everyone's spirits and giving the team to chart out the least-dangerous part of the planet for a while... but their limited fuel forces them to return to the ground soon, and it's after this that everything starts going horribly wrong for Halka Four-Den.
- Late to the Tragedy: By the time a passing freighter picks up their distress signal and manages to end in a rescue party, the team's shelters have been reclaimed by nature, and Halka Four-Den and her comrades have simply vanished.
- Mighty Glacier: The Swamp Slug is an apex predator, not because it's particularly fast or clever, but simply because it's so big and so strong that it can simply flatten everything in its path, then eat the pulped remains. Consequently, when Halka observes a battle between the Swamp Slug and the Dragonsnake, the Dragonsnake's Lightning Bruiser traits do it no good, and the battle ends with the Slug pulverizing it.
- No Help Is Coming: Halka had the rotten luck of beginning her mission during the final days of the Old Republic, meaning that the survey was completely forgotten about during the Republic's final plunge towards the rise of the Empire, so no shuttle was ever sent to retrieve them. Consequently, the team was forced to remain on Dagobah for much longer than intended while they waited for someone to respond to Halka's distress beacon. By the time official reinforcements arrived, Halka and her team were long gone.
- Planimal: The Knobby White Spider initially appears to be a bog-standard Giant Spider, but it's actually the immature form of the Gnarltrees seen throughout Dagobah; a Gnarltree of sufficient age will allow one of its roots to detach from its body and become a mobile carnivore, and when the "spider" grows to sufficient size, it will plant itself in the ground and slowly transform into a full-fledged tree.
- Reclaimed by Nature: By the time a rescue party arrives, Halka Four-Den's base has been completely overtaken by the surrounding swamp and its vines.
- River of Insanity: The planetary survey gradually spirals out of control, resulting in the jungle slowly consuming the camp, the death of several team-members, and the all-round loss of morale. By the time anyone picks up their distress call, the prefab base has been abandoned and the entire team has disappeared.
- Stepford Smiler: Halka is determined to put on a brave face for her team, even in the face of worsening crises. As such, even her journal tries to be optimistic about their prospects... but by the end, her resolve is beginning to falter, with worried asides and serious reflections on suicide gradually crowding out the optimism.
- Stock Ness Monster: The Dragonsnake, another apex predator (and the creature that ate R2 in The Empire Strikes Back, is depicted in a way that makes it look uncannily like the Loch Ness monster with its long, serpentine neck and narrow head. However, it has claws instead of flippers.
- Swamps Are Evil: Dagobah is nothing short of monstrous towards the visitors, at first terrorizing them, then killing them off one by one - to the point that Halka Four-Den begins to wonder if there isn't something about the swampy planet that actively hates them.
Hoth
Narrated by Major Kem Monnon, chief of the Rebel Alliance Corps of Engineers, written as an account of the construction of Echo Base prior to the Emperor's discovery of the Rebel hideout on Hoth. Also included is a supplementary file on the surrounding asteroid field, as compiled by the Orko SkyMine Asteroid Processing Corporation (owned by Durga the Hutt).- Boring, but Practical: In contrast to Yavin base, which was built around an ancient temple complex, Hoth base was roughly dug out of Hoth with little interest in aesthetics and a focus on pure functionality - or as Monnon remarks "it's not pretty, but it works."
- Epic Fail: Ork SkyMine attempted to make the most of the asteroid's mineral wealth by making use of two Automated Mineral Exploiter ships to harvest as much pure ore as possible. Unfortunately, once the two AMEs had collected enough pure ore, they eventually detected their own cargo, resulting in a confrontation in which the two ships ended up dismantling each other, scattering their components and their precious ore all over the asteroid field.
- Not So Above It All: Major Monnon and his engineers do not take their jobs lightly, given the need to secure Hoth base against environmental hazards, Wampa attacks, and the threat of discovery by Imperial forces. However, that doesn't stop them from occasionally seeking out frozen lakes for ice-skating.
- Unperson: The author of the Orko Skymine file remains unknown, as Durga had their identity purged as punishment for their failure.
- You Have Failed Me: The incident report from Orko concludes with the author begging Durga the Hutt for mercy. According to the editor, the author likely didn't survive Durga's retribution.
Endor
Narrated by Sergeant Philbee Jhorn, records officer to the secondary expeditionary force sent to the Forest Moon of Endor, as an official report - though given that Jhorn objected to his inclusion on the mission and filed several memos to that effect, his tone is anything but official.- And Call Him "George": The Gorax that captures Jhorn's team gets very curious about the stormtroopers on the squad and tries to remove their shiny armour. Unfortunately, it's not especially dextrous, resulting in most of the stormtroopers being accidentally killed over the course of their "undressing."
- Brick Joke: In the Coruscant chapter, Pollus Hax mentioned the practise of "riding the mirrors" as one of the loneliest and most tedious duties Imperial officers can be assigned to. Guess what job Jhorn is assigned to in the aftermath of the mission to Endor?
- City Mouse: Jhorn really hates exploring lush natural environments and openly expresses his preference for Coruscant. Once he's finished his work on Endor, he's assigned to work on Coruscant... or rather, above Coruscant, in one of the most boring and joyless jobs in the entire Empire.
- The Chew Toy: Jhorn and his unit are subject to a seemingly endless string of bad luck throughout the chapter and its aftermath, though given that all of them are Imperial troops and Jhorn is an utter jackass, it's clear that the audience isn't supposed to be sympathizing with them.
- Death World: Endor is a lot more dangerous than it initially appears in Return Of The Jedi, especially once you move away from the forested regions and into the badlands; quite apart from the environmental hazards, the harsher terrains are populated by hostile wildlife, murderous giants, and the Marauders.
- Dwindling Party: Jhorn's team begins shedding team-mates quite rapidly once they leave Endor's forested region; by the time they leave the planet, there's only three of them left.
- Enemy Mine: After the team is captured by the Marauders, Charal the Nightsister releases them from the dungeon in exchange for being granted passage off Endor alongside them. Unfortunately, King Terak finds out and has Charal imprisoned before the bargain is complete, and the three team-members flee the area without her.
- Fantastic Racism: As a typical Imperial officer, Jhorn looks down on non-human life-forms, regarding Ewoks, Teeks, Yuzzums, Goraxes, and Marauders with bilious contempt.
- First-Person Smartass: Jhorn will not stop grumbling at any point in the report, spending most of the narrative complaining about everything.
- Jerkass: Jhorn is a bitter, lazy, mean-spirited racist with not much in the way of professionalism and even less in the way of tact.
- Reassigned to Antarctica: Jhorn's unprofessional tone and commentary on bureaucratic incompetence didn't win him any friends once the report was processed. As such, his next job was spent "riding the mirrors" over Coruscant, before being transferred to Tatooine as a janitor.
- Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: Governments don't like smartass commentary in what should be official documentation, especially when it swings into open criticism of the system, so perhaps it's not surprising that Jhorn's career died on its feet not long after he filed this report.
- Single-Biome Planet: Subverted. Despite being known as the "Forest Moon," Endor consists not only of forests, but also substantial grasslands, mountains, and even a desert.
- Tempting Fate: Jhorn regards the Ewoks as beneath Imperial forces and believes that any battle between the two forces would be amusing to witness. Alas, Jhorn could not be reached for comment in the wake of the Imperial defeat on Endor.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: In the end, it's Jhorn's recommendation that results in Endor being chosen as the base for the second Death Star's shield generator - which is then overwhelmed by an army of the Ewoks that Jhorn so openly dismissed.
Bespin
Narrated by Councilman Po Ruddle Lingsnot, a former used-cloud-car salesman now serving as a prominent member of Bespin's Council on Tourism, as an official promotion of the planet's investment opportunities, tourist attractions, and natural wonders.- Ghost City: One of the tourist attractions that Lingsnot discusses is Tibannopolis, a long-abandoned settlement that failed to compete with Cloud City and was ultimately abandoned. According to Lingsnot, it's a popular Make-Out Point for teenagers, who essentially treat it as the local haunted house.
- Sleazy Politician: Lingsnot is noted to be after the job of Cloud City's Baron Administrator, and will do anything to climb the greasy pole, including making himself a noticeable presence on all official occasions and writing the most glowing report on Bespin possible.
Yavin 4
Narrated (partly) by Dr'unn Unnh, a Sullustan naturalist and Rebel Alliance scout, as a fictionalized account of his exploration of the moon interspersed with sections of his unpublished notes. Having died young, it is hoped that these notes will perhaps bring him the fame and respect he never acquired in life...- Born Lucky: It's specifically noted that Dr'unn Unnh had an incredible gift for getting out of tight scrapes, especially while exploring the uncharted jungle surrounding Yavin base. Unfortunately, his luck runs out in the finale when a damaged TIE fighter just happened to crash-land on top of him, killing the unfortunate naturalist instantly.
- Coming in Hot: Dr'unn Unnh met his end when a TIE fighter damaged in the Battle of Yavin unsuccessfully attempted a crash-landing in the jungles below; the resulting impact not only ended up killing the pilot but also crushed Dr'unn Unnh to death in the process.
Alderaan
Narrated by Hari Seldona, a poet of Alderaan and one of the few residents of the planet to escape its destruction by the first Death Star. This chapter, titled "Requiem for Alderaan", is not only her memorial of her lost homeworld, but also a piece of protest literature against the Empire.- Bittersweet Ending: As the final chapter of the book, it ends on a sorrowful yet hopeful note, noting that while all the wonders that Seldona described are gone, the "Song of Alderaan" lives on.
- Can't Stop the Signal: Seldona concludes the chapter by drives home the point that not even the Empire can suppress the spirit of freedom and resistance that Alderaan fostered.
- Paradise Planet: Seldona firmly emphasizes Alderaan's nature as an idyllic, peaceful world of scholars and pacifists cruelly snuffed out by the Empire. For good measure, the illustrations really bring home just how beautiful the planet was.
