How Do Jedi Holocrons Work?

Every organization or being has things that help propel them forward in society. 

Armies have their own information management services, and almost every other group has their method of recording and using data to ensure they are the best versions of themselves.

Of course, the Star Wars universe is no different. Both the Jedi and the Sith have the holocron to work as their version of an information management system. This begs the question of what precisely the holocrons are and how they work. 

Keep reading as we dive into this topic. 

What Are Jedi Holocrons?

In general, holocrons are storage boxes filled with centuries’ worth of knowledge and records, which were deemed to house the most sacred of intelligence. The Jedi used their Holocrons to record and conserve their long lineage of teachings.

With the amalgamation of the teachings all in one place, it would now be much easier for future generations to unlock and understand the mysteries of the Force. 

These holocrons were packed with generations worth of Jedi lore. Because of how important this information is, the holocrons were stored in a highly protected area that could only be accessed by Jedi Masters. 

The wisdom housed within these orbs was so valuable that one was even stolen after the raid that occurred during the Clone Wars. This was done by the bounty hunter Cad Bane, but because the holocron needs the Force to be opened, he needed some assistance. 

His first attempt, Bolla Ropal, died before he could help him. Anakin Skywalker was left with the task of assisting Bane against his will. As a result, Bane gained access to sensitive information about the galaxy’s force-sensitive children.

How Do Holocrons work?

As we mentioned, holocrons are information-staging devices filled with sensitive knowledge pertaining to the use and nature of the Force. 

Once loaded with wisdom, the holocron is then hidden away until a highly accomplished Force user (most likely a Jedi Master or Sith Lord), opens the holocron. 

Once the device is open, the data is displayed in the form of a hologram of the person who loaded the holocron with the knowledge in the first place. 

In addition to only being able to be opened by the strongest of Force users, more often than not, holocrons could only be opened with the use of a memory crystal. 

When the holocron is finally opened, the Force would physically alter the device’s mechanical parts, allowing the possessor access to the data stored within. 

What makes these mechanical parts special is the fact that they have enough Force in them to be useful while not attached to the device.

Sometimes they are even able to remotely control another holocron’s data or locate Force-sensitives. 

Do Holocrons have Kyber Crystals? 

Holocrons do contain a Kyber Crystal. However, this crystal isn’t like the rest of them that go on to create lightsabers. Instead, the holocrons are run by something known as a Kyber Memory Crystal. 

But what exactly is this? 

The Kyber Memory Crystal is a small, diamond-shaped crystal with a beautiful blue hue. What makes these crystals particularly paramount to holocrons is the fact that they contain the identities of every Force-sensitive child in the entire galaxy. 

Due to the insanely delicate nature of the information, the Kyber Memory Crystal was shaped in such a way that the data could only be retrieved if the crystal was installed in a Jedi holocron.

This is why the mechanism could only be opened by using the Force.

FAQs

Naturally, the Star Wars communities would have questions, comments, and queries about such topics. While some have a plethora of answers, some are subsumed into the chaos of the community and have to be asked time and time again. 

So without further ado, here are the answers to a few frequently asked questions. 

1/ What are Sith Holocrons? 

Sith holocrons are quite similar to Jedi holocrons in that they store a millennia’ worth of wisdom.

The major difference between the two is that the Sith holocron contains dark side knowledge and can only be opened by a dark side Force user. 

Similar to the Jedi holocron, the Sith’s version of this artifact is stored on Malachor in the Sith Temple. 

Yet another difference between the two holocrons is their respective shapes. The Jedi holocron has a cuboidal shape, whereas the Sith holocrons are more pyramidal in appearance. 

All things considered, the Sith holocron was filled to the brim with an abundance of dark side information as well as the tricks and trades of the dark arts. Therefore, it’s no wonder that the Jedi Order considered these holocrons to be the most dangerous relics in the galaxy. 

2/ Did the Jedi Temple have Sith Holocrons?

Given how strongly the Jedi felt about the Sith holocrons, would they have kept them in the Jedi Temple? 

No, they didn’t. Even so, one Jedi was able to find and open a Sith holocron. As we all know, Grand Master Yoda was a great traveler, so it’s only normal for him to have knowledge of various planets. 

During the age of the Galactic Empire, Master Yoda told Padawan Ezra Bridger about the Sith Temple on the planet of Malachor. 

When they made their expedition to the planet with Ahsoka Tano and Kanan Jarrus, Eventually, Ezra was separated from his comrades, and from there he befriended the Sith Lord, Darth Maul. 

Together, the pair found and opened a Sith holocron, subsequently learning all the secrets hidden within. 

Conclusion

The holocrons are arguably one of the most important artifacts the Jedi and Sith alike could possess. It not only stores valuable information, but allows the Sith and Jedi to access the wisdom of their respective sides to learn all the hidden truths of the Force. 

One caveat to this is that, in the wrong hands, this information can be an incredibly powerful weapon. This is exactly why the Jedi Order did not trust the existence of the Sith holocron. 

Despite this, the cuboid-shaped Jedi holocron requires the Force of an appropriate Jedi (usually a Master) to activate the Kyber Memory Crystal held within.

Alternatively, the Sith holocron has a tetrahedron shape and can only be opened by the darkest minds in the galaxy. 

Not surprisingly, a Jedi named Ezra found a loophole to this when he befriended Darth Maul, and together they found and opened a Sith holocron.