The Essential Characters is a reference book that was ultimately shelved, authored by Daniel Wallace and featuring illustrations by Douglas Wheatley. Conceived as a part of the Essential Guides collection, its purpose was to serve as an updated iteration of the prior publications, The Essential Guide to Characters (1995) and The New Essential Guide to Characters (2002).
During the Essential Guides presentation on August 12, 2010 at Star Wars Celebration V, Pablo Hidalgo initially revealed the existence of an as-yet-unnamed updated version of the Essential Guide to Characters in response to a question from an attendee.
Hidalgo mentioned that Daniel Wallace had expressed a desire for some time to create a revised character guide. This revision was intended to incorporate the developments seen in Revenge of the Sith, along with numerous novels and comic books. These additions had made The New Essential Guide to Characters largely outdated, particularly concerning the evolving narratives and destinies of figures like Natasi Daala and Lumiya. At that point, Hidalgo suggested a preliminary release timeframe of Summer 2012.
It was revealed at Celebration VI that Douglas Wheatley would be responsible for all the interior artwork. The release date was also pushed back to July 2013. The book's title, The Essential Characters, was unveiled at New York Comic Con in October 2012, alongside a preview of the cover art. Furthermore, a StarWars.com blog post adjusted the launch to August 2013, noting that approximately 80% of the book was complete. Daniel Wallace also indicated at Comic Con that the book would prioritize characters with new storylines since the previous edition, rather than focusing on established favorites. Amazon.com's product page subsequently delayed the book's release to April 15, 2014, and then again to October 7, 2014. The cancellation of The Essential Characters was officially announced on December 19, 2013.