Unlocking the Force: Ahsoka's Villains Inspire a Jedi Revolution
Rey's New Jedi Order faces a lightsaber crisis amidst a kyber crystal shortage Can alternative crystals come to the rescue in powering their lightsabers?
Rey's New Jedi Order will face difficulties in constructing lightsabers. However, the villains in Ahsoka have already shown how they can overcome this issue. The upcoming Star Wars movie, set 15 years after Rey's victory over Palpatine in The Rise of Skywalker, will delve into her journey to rebuild the Jedi Order. Undoubtedly, she will encounter numerous obstacles along the way, similar to her mentor Luke Skywalker. Yet, there is one immediate and obvious challenge that Rey must address.
Lightsabers have been the iconic weapon of the Jedi for ages. They serve as an extension of their identity, reflecting their personalities, temperaments, and connection to the Force. In the conclusion of The Rise of Skywalker, Rey unveiled her distinctive yellow lightsaber, having previously used the lightsabers of Anakin Skywalker and Leia Organa. Crafting a lightsaber is a significant milestone for every Jedi, and it will undoubtedly be a part of the traditions in Rey's New Jedi Order. However, they may struggle to acquire a crucial component for creating these weapons: kyber crystals.
Rey's New Jedi Order Will Struggle To Find Kyber For Their Lightsabers
After the Empire's rule and the First Order's reign of terror, kyber crystals have become an increasingly scarce resource. These rare, organic crystals possess a strong connection to the Force and have traditionally powered lightsabers. In the past, the Jedi Order would bring younglings to the ice planet Ilum to collect their kyber crystals and construct their first lightsabers. However, with the challenging task of locating these crucial crystals, the new Jedi in Rey's Order will face a significant hurdle. The Empire and the First Order relentlessly plundered kyber crystals from various parts of the galaxy, utilizing them for their sinister purposes. Notably, the Death Stars were fueled by these crystals, and the planet Ilum, where the Jedi once obtained them, was transformed into Starkiller Base. As Rey's New Jedi Order era approaches, kyber crystals will undoubtedly be an exceedingly rare commodity. This raises the pressing question of what alternative resources the new generation of Jedi can utilize to construct their lightsabers. One potential avenue for exploration lies in the upcoming Ahsoka show.
Kyber Isn't The Only Thing That Can Power Lightsabers
Baylan and Shin, the new Dark Jedi in Ahsoka, wield unique orange-bladed lightsabers. Orange lightsabers are extremely rare in the Star Wars canon, with one notable instance being when Obi-Wan Kenobi briefly used one in Claudia Gray's novel Master & Apprentice, set eight years prior to the events of The Phantom Menace. In the novel, Obi-Wan's usual kyber crystal was replaced with a kohlen crystal, resulting in an orange blade rather than the typical blue.
The significance of Baylan and Shin using orange lightsabers in the Star Wars canon suggests that their choice is not coincidental. It is possible that, like Rey in her quest to establish the New Jedi Order, Baylan and Shin faced a similar predicament. During the Dark Times, the Empire hoarded kyber crystals, potentially leaving Baylan and Shin in need of an alternative power source for their lightsabers after surviving Order 66. They may have believed that kohlen crystals were the best available substitute.
Will Rey's New Jedi Order Use Other Crystals To Power Their Lightsabers?
Rey's New Jedi Order has the potential to utilize kohlen crystals instead of kyber crystals for their lightsabers. While Obi-Wan's orange lightsaber in Master & Apprentice was not as powerful as his usual blue blade, this doesn't necessarily mean that all kohlen-powered lightsabers would be weaker. Similar to kyber crystals, kohlen crystals can be found on various planets with different environments, and these environmental factors can impact the properties of the crystal. This means that the appearance, strength, and type of blade produced by a kohlen-powered lightsaber could all differ.
For centuries, Jedi relied on kyber crystals because of their connection to the Force. However, if kyber crystals are no longer available, kohlen could potentially serve as a substitute for Jedi to maintain one of their most essential tools.
On the other hand, considering that Rey was able to construct a new lightsaber with a distinctive yellow blade in The Rise of Skywalker, it is equally possible that she discovered a remaining reserve of kyber crystals in the galaxy. Alternatively, she may have even found an alternative to kohlen to power her lightsaber and those of her students. Nonetheless, speculating that Ahsoka's adversaries might have utilized kohlen crystals to energize their weapons could offer valuable insights into the enigmatic nature of Rey's new and unconventional Jedi Order.
