As we explore an increasing number of of the Star Wars universe and its vast timeline, we also gain more knowledge in regards to the in-universe mythology and history, in addition to how some vehicles, gadgets, and weapons work. After all, lightsabers are an important icon of the franchise, but up to now, live-action movies and T.V. series haven’t spent much time explaining how they work and what powers them. If you happen to’re not accustomed to Star Wars animation, novels, comics, or video games, this temporary piece on kyber crystals may reveal a few of the lightsabers’ secrets to you.
Have you ever ever asked yourself “why do Sith have red lightsabers?” Or how did Ahsoka get her white lightsabers? Well, that’s all the way down to the kyber crystal powering the blade. After all, there may be quite a bit more to them than simply determining the colour of a lightsaber. So, what are kyber crystals? What do they mean to the Jedi? What role do kyber crystals play within the Star Wars universe? Read on, young Padawan, you will need to.
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Kyber crystals: Basics & characteristics
Kyber crystals, often described as lightsaber crystals or living crystals, are rare gems that grow naturally and are attuned with the Force. Though they might be found on many planets across the Star Wars galaxy, the Jedi traditionally got theirs from the crystal caves of the ice planet of Ilum.
The crystal’s direct energy in a singular manner through the Force, they usually exhibit some type of “collective consciousness,” communicating with each other and living beings. Internally, they’re each organic and inorganic, and haven’t any discernible lifespan, thus they might be present in many sizes. “True kybers” – those without impurities – are only present in veins of pure kyberite, the bottom mineral from which they grow.
A giant obstacle for dark-siders is that kybers are inherently attuned to the sunshine side of the Force, resisting efforts by such Force users to construct regular lightsabers. The answer is to “dominate” the crystal, causing it to “bleed,” which ends up in the red and crimson blades synonymous with the Sith and other dark-siders.
Likewise, kybers might be healed with the proper knowledge; one instance of such an achievement was when Ahsoka Tano purified the Sixth Brother’s two crystals after his defeat, which led to the creation of her two iconic white lightsabers.
Kyber crystals: history
In precedent days, kyber crystals were often called kaiburr crystals, and were already utilized by the Jedi and Sith alike to construct their lightsabers. In line with legends, the Sith also used them to power ancient superweapons, something the Galactic Empire later did with the Death Star.
Before the Jedi and Sith orders even existed, the living crystals were worshipped by primitive societies due to their unique physical properties. They were fairly often related to the weather, which led to the assumption that the primary Jedi saw them because the embodiment of the Force itself.
Throughout the Temple of the Kyber on the holy planet of Jedha, the Jedi sculpted greater than 2,000 statues out of kyber using only their lightsabers. Such monuments, very like the temple itself and each kyber inside, were guarded by the Guardians of the Whills until Jedha City was destroyed by the Death Star.
Paradoxically, Ilum was defiled and mined to exhaustion to power up the Death Star right after Order 66 worn out most Jedi Knights. The rise of the First Order a long time later only made matters worse, as Ilum was changed into the Starkiller Base, a superweapon strong enough to destroy entire star systems.