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DEEP DIVE

What are Kyber Crystals?

Kyber Crystals were a rare crystal, strong with the Force, that grew on various planets throughout the Galaxy. They were an all-powerful object that truly harnessed the power of the Force within them. 

Their main use as seen throughout Star Wars has been to help the Jedi & Sith in the creation of their Lightsabers. The Kybers are what channel the Force and give Lightsabers their signature energy rod. 

While crystals used in Lightsabers are generally very small (in order to fit within the Hilt), they do grow in all shapes & sizes, so much larger Crystals do exist.

HOW TO USE A KYBER

LIGHTSABERS

Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader fight with their blue & red lightsabers, respectively

The most common use for a Kyber was being place in a Lightsaber Hilt. Jedi & Sith could use a Kyber to activate their Lightsaber's energy rod. Depending what kind of Kyber you were gifted from the Force, your Lightsaber could be one of a variety of different colours. 

ENERGY

The planet Ilum with giant machinery through it's core as the Empire mines Kyber crystals from deep within the planet

As objects with a significant amount of power, Kybers are always at risk of being used for evil. In the Sequel trilogy, the First Order turned the ancient planet Ilum, a place where Jedi used to obtain their crystals, into a Kyber mine. They then used these crystals to help power Starkiller Base.

ATTIRE

An overlayed close up of a powerless Kyber crystal necklace atop a photo of Jyn Erso holding said necklace around her neck

Have a Kyber that doesn't work anymore? Throw it on a necklace! Jyn Erso's mother in Rogue One gave her this necklace when she was a child & she still wore it years later. I guess if it can't power a Lightsaber or a destructive weapon, might as well keep it as a souvenir of times past. 

HOW DO YOU GET A KYBER?

THERE'S A FEW WAYS

For the most part, Kybers were originally found during Jedi rituals. Young Jedi who were finally ready to build their own Lightsabers would head to the Crystal Cave on Ilum and complete 'The Gathering'. 

'The Gathering' would have Jedi face & conquer their deepest fears. If they were successful, they would earn a single Kyber. The Force would decide which colour they receive once they do. 

While Ilum was the most common way to find a Kyber, there are other ways to acquire your own. In Star Wars: Rebels, Ezra Bridger heads to the Jedi Temple on Lothal to test if he's ready to be trained as a Jedi. He didn't go with intent to get a Kyber, but the Force decided he was ready and awarded him one.

The Sith aren't able to harvest a Kyber in the same way. Some Sith are Jedi-turned-bad and have taken their pure Kybers and corrupted them (making the Red colour). Others have killed Jedi and corrupted the original owner's Kyber and taken it for their own.

Finally, Jedi are also able to take back Kybers from a Sith and repair it, bringing it back to the light side of the Force.

KYBER DISCOVERIES

THE CLONE WARS

A child in a hooded coat lays on the ground, arm extending towards a glowing blue crystals hanging off a sheet of ice

In Season 5 Episode 6 of The Clone Wars, Yoda & Ahsoka lead a group of Jedi Younglings to Ilum to retrieve their first Kyber crystals with the intent to eventually build their own Lightsabers. The Younglings face their biggest fears & inner challenges and all emerge successful with their new Kybers.

STAR WARS: REBELS

A child with long black hair holds a tiny glowing blue crystal in between his thumb and index fingers

In Season 1 Episode 10 of Star Wars: Rebels, Ezra Bridger and Kanan Jarrus head to the secret Jedi Temple on Lothal. Kanan leaves Ezra to face his fears alone and he eventually succeeds. At the end of the episode, Ezra is given a Kyber from the Force, which he later uses to build his own Lightsaber.

THE AHSOKA NOVEL

Star Wars character Ahsoka stands in a blue/grey field of smoke with her two white lightsabers ignited and facing downward in a 'V' shape

In the novel Ahsoka by E. K. Johnston, Ahsoka is on the run and hiding after Order 66. After a while, the Sixth Brother is able to find & battle with Ahsoka. After he is killed in an explosion, Ahsoka takes his Kyber crystals and using the Force, turns them back to the Light side. This gives Ahsoka the ability to finally make new Lightsabers & this time, with a white glow.

WHAT COLOURS ARE THERE?

Standard Colours

Honestly, there are a TON of options. If you consider just the live action films, there's only a few. Add in the TV shows, you get some more. Add in the Extended Universe and oh boy, there's a lot. 

First up, let's look at the colours that are most common & appear more frequently. 

RED

Darth Vader in a dark room with smoke lit red around him holding an ignited red lightsaber

Notable characters: Darth Vader, Darth Maul, Emperor Palpatine

BLUE

Obi-Wan Kenobi holding an ignited blue lightsaber with brown robes on standing in a fighting pose

Notable characters: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin & Luke Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano (Clone Wars)

GREEN

Luke Skywalker with black robes on holding an ignited green lightsaber on Tattooine

Notable characters: Luke Skywalker, Yoda, Qui-Gon 

PURPLE

Macu Windu posing for the camera very seriously holding an ignited purple lightsaber with brown robes on

Notable characters: Mace Windu

WHITE

A close up of Ahsoka Tano's orange face with white and blue head piece holding an ignited white lightsaber infront of her

Notable characters: Ahsoka Tano (Rebels, Mandalorian)

YELLOW

Rey Skywalker looking intently at an ignited yellow lightsaber she's holding

Notable characters: Rey Skywalker, Temple Guards

MORE OBSCURE COLOURS

These colours might not be all that common - but they do exist. Some are from TV show's like The Mandalorian, games like Jedi: Fallen Order or even the books & comics. 

BLACK

A man in a tech filled dark armour suit holds a glowing black & white blade extended from his arm

Notable characters: Pre Vizla, Bo-Katan, Moff Gideon, The Mandalorian

ORANGE

A man in a poncho stands with back to camera holding a double bladed orange light saber with a mountain in the distance

Notable characters: Cal Kestis

LIGHT BLUE

Tera Sinube holding a light blue lightsaber across her chest with brown robes on

Notable characters: Tera Sinube

RED-YELLOW

Kylo Ren's iconic cross guard lightsaber ignited with red/yellow beams coming out of it

Notable characters: Kylo Ren

INDIGO

Cal Kestis from Jedi Fallen Order with his Indigo lightsaber activated and BD-1 peering over his shoulder

Notable characters: Cal Kestis

PINK

Mara Jade stands with hundreds of Stormtroopers behind her with an ignited Pink lightsaber

Notable characters: Mara Jade

CYAN

Cal Kestis from Jedi Fallen Order with his dual Cyan lightsaber activated

Notable characters: Cal Kestis

YELLOW-GREEN

Ahsoka Tano with both lightsabers activated in front of her, with green on the bottom and the yellow/green on the top

Notable characters: One of Ahsoka Tano's Lightsabers

MAGENTA

Cal Kestis from Jedi Fallen Order looking intently at his Magenta lightsaber activated and BD-1 peering out

Notable characters: Cal Kestis

OWN ONE FOR REAL (KINDA)

Fans who want their own Kyber can pick one up at Walt Disney World or Disneyland in their Star Wars land called Galaxy's Edge. 

The coolest part? These actually work. 

If you purchase a Make Your Own Lightsaber at the workshop called Savi's in the Parks, these crystals will actually change your lightsaber to the colour of the Kyber you put inside it.

MYSTERY KYBERS

A line up of small futuristic looking tubes coloured (L-R) Yellow, Red, White, green, Purple, Blue

You can purchase a Kyber in these mystery tubes. The colour of the tube tells you what colour your Kyber will be, but there are various shapes & sizes of each to find. There is one exception that we will get to in a moment.

THE CRYSTALS

A group of small plastic crystals in a circle coloured (Top, L-R) Yellow, Purple, White, Green, Blue, Red

Once you open your tube, you will find the Kyber colour you were hoping for. Pictured above are one of each colour, so that you can get a feel for what they actually look like.

RARE BLACK

Two small plastic crystals, one black, one red, lined up side by side

If the Force is with you, you may open a Mystery Red crystal and find the ultimate score: a BLACK Kyber. This crystal is extremely rare & cannot be purchased on its own. Fans who really want it must either pay crazy high reseller fees OR continue purchasing Mystery Red Kybers until they luck out.