91 Talk

Lightsaber crystal

Redirected from Lasing crystal

Help me, <insert name here>. You're my only hope!

This article or section is in need of referencing per Wookieepedia's sourcing guidelines.

This article needs appropriate citations. Help us improve this article by referencing valid resource material. Remove this notice when finished.

"One of the other crucial pieces is a focusing crystal. The most powerful and sought-after gems are rare Kaiburr crystals. However, though lightsabers are powerful weapons, their design is so flexible that practically any kind of crystal can be used."

―Luke Skywalker to his students on making a lightsaber.^[src]

A lightsaber crystal was a term used to describe any variety of crystals, gems, stones, or other objects used as the focus in the construction of a lightsaber.

At the heart of every lightsaber was a set of crystals that resonated to produce the efficient, powerful blade. While the most common crystals used in the process were from the Adega system, Ilum, and Dantooine (in the so-called "Crystal Cave"), Jedi and Sith used a variety of crystals to produce various colors, effects and unique abilities. Some crystals could even enhance the Force skills of a particular user. Other gems, such as colored crystals or diamonds, were used exclusively for prismatic effects. However not all lightsaber crystals were actually crystals at all. There were plenty of exceptions where a Jedi or Sith would use a different material or substance in place of a crystal, such as physical remains, shards of glass, and even special micro machinery.

1 Preparation
2 Known lightsaber crystals
3 Known color crystals
4 Behind the scenes
5 Appearances
6 Sources
7 Notes and references
8 External links
9 See also
- 9.1 In other languages

PreparationEdit

Before placing the crystal in the lightsaber, the Jedi or Sith must imbue them with the Force. To do this, the Force-user must meditate on the crystals for many days. Luke Skywalker meditated on his crystal in Ben Kenobi's home for many days with only R2-D2 to keep him company.^[1]

While the Jedi used natural crystals, the Sith often used red-hued synthetic crystals. Sith-made synthetic crystals create a slightly more powerful blade when energized by the dark side of the Force. Darth Sidious made Darth Maul use a special furnace to make his own crystals. Maul worked constantly for several days to make the four crystals needed for his double-bladed lightsaber. Their creation required intense concentration, as Darth Maul had to use the Force to make them the proper shape and to ensure that the crystals were free from impurities. He was particularly proud of this achievement and believed it to be an example of the Sith's superiority over the Jedi.

However, it should be noted that Sidious did not make his subsequent apprentices—Tyranus and Vader—create their crystals in such a manner, instead supplying them himself.^[2]^[3]

Luke Skywalker used a special furnace he found in Obi-Wan Kenobi's home to prepare his crystal.^[1] In both Skywalker and Maul's cases, the creator channeled their Force energies into the crystals as it was formed, making it unique in every way, including in color.

Around 4,000 BBY, lightsaber crystals were used to indicate a Jedi's chosen class. Blue indicated a Jedi Guardian, a Jedi who used the Force on a more physical level. Green indicated a Jedi Consular, a Jedi who preferred to reflect on the mysteries of the Force and fight the dark side at its heart. Yellow indicated a Jedi Sentinel, a Jedi who honed their skills in a balance of combat and scholarly pursuits.

This distinction fell out of practice in later years when most Jedi used blue or green crystals based on choice, and the supply of them on various source worlds. Purple, yellow, and orange crystals were still used by some Jedi until the the fall of the Jedi Order, but they were exceedingly rare, and often passed down through generations.^[source?] The Galactic Empire banned trade and possession of all lightsaber crystals.^[source?]

During the Great Sith War epoch, many lightsabers were created using Kunda stones, a natural geologic formation from the planet Kadril, in place of crystals. These stones boasted numerous practical applications in medicine and communications; however, when added to other focusing crystals, they produced a broader beam.

Known lightsaber crystalsEdit

There were a number of different stones, minerals, and crystals that could be used in the construction of a lightsaber. Some jewels were known for creating different colors and effects in the lightsabers in which they were placed. Often, the rarer the crystal, the more powerful its effects on a lightsaber was.^[4]

Known color crystalsEdit

For millennia, the Jedi Order lit lightsabers in every color and hue imaginable. However, following the Battle of Ruusan, the hues of most available crystals had been limited to either blue or green. Lightsaber color crystals could also be compressed, resulting in a pulsating blade, or they could be unstable, resulting in a core which swirled and sparkled.

Lightsaber crystals of different hues could also be used in the same lightsaber to make a new blade color; for example, Galen Marek used Rahm Kota's green crystal along with his father's blue crystal to create an aqua blade.

The following is a list of all known blade colors.

Amber
Aqua (Galen Marek's modified lightsaber)
Azure (Nikkos Tyris's lightsaber)
Black (White with black core)^[7]
Blue (traditional Jedi lightsaber color)^[8]
Blue, w/ black core
Blue, Dark (such as Anakin Skywalker's lightsaber, Kenobi's Legacy)
Blue, Icy (Permafrost crystal)
Blue, Jade
Bright Gold
Bronze (Bnar's Sacrifice)
Bronze w/ yellow core (Heart of the Guardian)
Brown
Carmine (Bane's Heart)
Clear (Barab ore)
Cobalt (One of Saesee Tiin's many lightsaber's)
Crimson (such as Adi Gallia's lightsaber in 32 BBY)
Cyan (such as Meetra Surik's lightsaber)
Cyan w/ silvery glow (Mantle of the Force)
Electric Blue
Emerald (such as Jacen Solo's lightsaber before his ascension to Sith Lord)
Gold (such as Qu Rahn's lightsaber)
Gray
Green
Green, Dark
Green, Jade
Green, Light
Green, Sage (Rahm Kota's lightsaber)
Green w/ black core (Dahgee crystal)
Indigo
Lava (Lava crystal)

Magenta (such as Mara Jade Skywalker's lightsaber)
Orange (such as Kyle Katarn in 10 ABY or Freedon Nadd)

Pearl White (Krayt dragon pearl, Wisdom crystal)
Pewter(Raynar Thul's lightsaber)
Pink (Lambent)
Purple
Red (Darth Andeddu's Crystal, generic Sith/Dark Jedi lightsaber)
Red, w/ black core
Red, Blood (Qixoni crystal)
Red, Dark
Red, Light
Sapphire (Yarael Poof's lightsaber)
Scarlet (Depa Billaba's lightsaber)
Silver (Durindfire (crystal))
Silvery-blue
Silvery-green (Viridian crystal)
Teal (Sunrider's Destiny)
Transparent Blue (Pix's lightsaber)
Violet (such as Anakin Solo, Kyp Durron, and Jaina Solo's lightsabers)
Violet, Dark
Violet, Light
Viridian
White
Yellow (such as the new Impact Crystal, a Force Unleashed 2 Collectors Edition Exclusive, and Yun's lightsaber)
Yellow, Dark
Yellow, Light
Yellow-White (Nelani Dinn's lightsaber)
Yellowish-green (such as Ahsoka Tano's Shoto)
Yellowish-orange
Yellow w/ Black Core

Behind the scenesEdit

Crystals first appeared in the Star Wars galaxy simply as an embedded decoration on the lightsaber hilt in the A New Hope novelization.^[9] Aside from this single instance, there are no crystals mentioned in the original trilogy or its novelizations.^[9]^[10]^[11]

Most crystals with special properties were from various video game and role playing game sources. Since these special powers were often a function of game play, and not of the storyline, it is questionable if these powers are truly canon. However, since there are several examples of crystals with special powers in actual storylines (e.g. Lambent, Kaiburr, etc.), it is generally accepted that other crystals had special powers as well.

In Star Wars Galaxies, players must "tune" lightsaber crystals to themselves before they may use them in a lightsaber. Once tuned, the crystal can only be used by that player, and only in lightsabers created by that player.

In Star Wars: The Old Republic, players are able to gain lightsaber crystals to use with their lightsabers.