Back at Star Wars Celebration Japan, Dr. Chris Kempshall teased that he was writing a new project for Star Wars. As of today, we know what that book is and when it’s releasing!
Titled Star Wars: Star Pilots, the book is written from the perspective of Wedge Antilles and other pilots during the Galactic Civil War. During an interview with Star Wars Explained, Kempshall explained that “[Wedge is] doing this after Rise of Skywalker” but will be joined by fellow pilots as they tell their stories. The book will have “DK” branding, meaning that it is still hovering in the realm of nonfiction.
“There is a ton of new information in here about piloting during the Galactic Civil War that i think, even for… die hard fans there’s going to be brand new stuff [DK has] allowed me the freedom to create.”
Speaking broadly about the narrators, Kempshall noted that readers can look forward to some familiar faces.
“… The voices of a lot of other Starfighter pilots are in here from the Rebel Alliance and the Galactic Empire… Some of those pilots we’re going to know and we’re going to have met previously. There’s a lot of new pilots in [the book] who… I’m really excited about. Some of them are really interesting and they all have their own vision of what it was they were doing.”
Wedge Antilles in The Rise of Skywalker.
Kempshall has written three other things for Star Wars, including Star Wars: Battles that Changed the Galaxy – which he co-authored with Jason Fry, Cole Horton and Amy Ratcliffe and The Death Star Stratagem – a 2023 article written for Star Wars Insider comparing the Battle of Endor to real-world military strategy. Most recently, in 2024, he authored The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire – an in-universe history book chronicling the Empire’s reign.
“With Star Pilots… what I’m hoping we’ve done is… that- once you see it through these character’s eyes, what their Galactic Civil War was, what their experiences were… what I’m hoping is that none of you will ever look at the Galactic Civil War the same ever again.”
For those wondering, Kempshall confirmed that fan favorite Biggs Darklighter will come up in the story through various conversations. Star Wars: Star Pilots is available now for preorder and will officially release on October 6th, 2026. You can find Star Wars Explained’s full interview with Dr. Kempshall below:
Sunny has been a Star Wars fan since The Force Awakens released in 2015. She graduated with a bachlor’s degree in Journalism in 2021. When she’s not talking about a galaxy far far away, she enjoys reading, crafting, and cheering on her favorite sports teams.