Throughout the Star Wars Universe, in both the Canon timeline and the Legends stories, Lightsaber Crystals have been known to have abilities other than just powering a lightsaber.
Their abilities include acting as conduits of power and plasma to form and control lightsaber blades but also amplifying the Force abilities of their users.
Kyber Crystals were used to boost the abilities of either the Jedi or the Sith, or sometimes just Force users in general.
So join us on the journey to compare the most powerful Lightsaber Crystals in the history of Star Wars, and find out which one is the strongest.
But before we do that, we must go through the basics of what a Lightsaber Crystal is and where they are found.
Table of Contents
What is a Lightsaber Crystal?
Lightsaber Crystals, more accurately known as Kyber Crystals (which is what they will be referred to) and in the older Legends stories as Kaiburr Crystals, are single-handedly the most powerful mineral in the entire Star Wars universe.
But then the question is asked, what exactly are Kyber Crystals?
Well, the most common way to define a Kyber Crystal is that it is the crystal used to focus the energy beam that forms a lightsaber. Yes, these iconic weapons are powered by Kyber Crystals.
And, exactly like their name, they are nothing more than simple crystals. Or that is what they would look like to the untrained eye.
A Kyber Crystal is more than just some ordinary crystal found in a cave somewhere, these crystals are conduits for the living Force.
The crystals, when used in a lightsaber can be used to focus and power the blades, while also giving the blades their color.
While the crystals are colorless in their natural state, the crystal will change color according to the bond it forms with the Jedi who harvests it from the natural vein that it was formed in.
What are Kyber Crystals made of?
In the movie ‘Rogue One’, Chirrut told Jyn Erso that “The brightest stars have hearts of Kyber.”
But, while being a nice sentiment, this is not entirely accurate from a scientific point of view. Kyber Crystals can most closely be compared to crystals of quartz found on our planet.
So, the understanding is that they are crystals with the shape and outward appearance of quartz but found as rarely as a true diamond is.
Despite this, there is more to Kyber Crystals than meets the eye.
You might have noticed above that we said “outward appearance”; this is because the internal structure of a Kyber Crystal was one of the Jedi’s most heavily guarded secrets up until the fall of the Jedi Order and the execution of Order 66 at the end of the Clone Wars.
The inside of a Kyber Crystal was made up of a balance of both organic and inorganic matter, which is what allowed the crystals to be Force-sensitive and act as focusing points for extremely high-power beams of plasma energy simultaneously.
The crystals were mainly known for being the main component of a lightsaber and amplifying the wielder’s power.
Where are Kyber Crystals found?
Kyber Crystals are naturally found all throughout the Galaxy under the surface of planets at random.
And even though some planets have a higher abundance of them, it has been near impossible to determine the conditions they grow in and what gives them their unique properties.
But Kyber Crystals can be found all throughout the Galaxy on a variety of planets that may or may not share similarities in climatic conditions.
Some of the better-known locations throughout the Galaxy are:
- Lothal (Shown in the show, Star Wars: Rebels)
- Exegol (Shown in the movie Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker)
- Jedha (Shown in the movie, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story)
- Ilum (Shown in the show, Star Wars: The Clone Wars)
Throughout the lore of the Galaxy Far Far Away and as shown to us by both the show Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Season 5, Episode 6: “Tipping Point”), and the videogame Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, the most historic and abundant location used by the Jedi are the Crystal Caves on the planet Ilum in the Outer Rim of the Galaxy.
What determines the strength of a Kyber Crystal?
Kyber Crystals are without doubt the most powerful material in the Galaxy Far Far Away, but then what sets them apart from each other?
What is the difference between a crystal harvested by a Padawan and one harvested by machines?
The main difference in strength stems from the two methods of harvesting the crystal.
The first and more traditional way was practiced during the time of the Republic by the Jedi, while a more practical approach was used by the Empire.
The Padawans, who had yet to build their lightsabers, were sent into the Crystal Caves on the planet Ilum. It was here that the Padawans spent an entire day looking for the Kyber Crystal that called out to them.
A crystal was known to be warm to the touch of the Padawan it chose, or to produce a faint harmony that only the chosen Youngling could hear.
When the Padawan would pick the crystal and construct a lightsaber with it, it would give a unique color to the beam of energy. This allows for a certain degree of uniqueness to the lightsaber and its owner. Both effects are because the crystal bonds with the person it chooses via the Force.
But then the question remains,
What are the Strongest Crystals?
The strength of a lightsaber, and respectively its crystal, is usually determined not by the power of the blade but by the skill of the wielder.
And while sword masters such as Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Mace Windu would clearly outrank everyone else in this regard; determining the strength of the Kyber Crystals alone is a more technical task.
There are certain lightsaber crystals that do more than just help in focusing a beam of plasma into a blade. These crystals come with sets of abilities, boosts for their users and are something to be feared.
Some of these crystals have been found to produce a stronger or sharper blade, and in some cases a blade with a different structure altogether.
Others have been known to multiply the Force abilities of the user or give them new abilities entirely.
So, to judge the strength of the Kyber Crystals that have been used throughout the story so far, we will look at five candidates. So without further ado, let us start comparing:
1. Ghost-fire Crystal
Ghostfire Crystals were an extremely rare form of lightsaber crystals that were found in the Outer Rim of the Galaxy.
Usually harvested off of mountain peaks, they possessed unique qualities that made them, unlike any other lightsaber crystal.
These crystals produced blades that were almost, if not entirely, transparent; and would go completely invisible when not moving.
Other than this, they produced no noise and were hence useful for stealth and extremely dangerous to fight against.
2. Kaiburr Crystal
The Kaiburr Crystal was an ancient Force relic that had been forgotten by the time of the Skywalker Saga and resurfaced after the rise of the Galactic Empire.
The crystal possessed the ability to augment the user’s connection to the Force over one thousand times.
It had immense healing and destructive capabilities, with the catch being that it was only this powerful on its home planet of Mimban.
The crystal was originally large enough to fit in one hand but when cut correctly, could be used as a Lightsaber Crystal.
3. Synthetic Crystal
Synthetic Crystals were introduced canonically in Episode VI when a Synth-crystal (synthetic crystal) was used to power Luke Skywalker’s green lightsaber.
Synth-crystals, although extremely difficult to create properly, were considered more powerful than natural Kyber Crystals for one reason.
They had a small chance to be able to cut through the opponent’s lightsaber in the middle of a clash and completely disrupt the opponent’s attack, allowing you to gain the upper hand.
4. Kylo Ren’s Crystal
The Kyber Crystal, originally taken by Ren from the lightsaber he used while training as a Jedi, cracked when Kylo tried to corrupt it with the Dark Side of the Force.
This caused it to produce immense amounts of power that could not be channeled into a singular blade and had to be vented into the two cross-guards.
Even with the vent for the excess power produced by the crystal, the sheer power caused the blade to cackle with electricity due to the lightsaber being unstable.
5. Darksaber Crystal
The last of the most powerful Lightsaber Crystals resides inside the Darksaber.
The iconic lightsaber is the only black-colored lightsaber to ever exist, and the blade was considered to be more powerful than the standardized lightsabers by the Jedi.
And while that might just be Jedi superstition, the Darksaber serves as the only weapon that all Mandalorians respect. So maybe there is some truth to the tale after all.
Which Lightsaber Crystal is the most powerful?
In our opinion, the Kaiburr crystal will top our list as the most powerful lightsaber crystal.
This is because of how much it amplifies the wielder’s power and how it allows the user access to Force abilities they would not have been able to otherwise use.
An example of the Kaiburr Crystal’s power was seen during a chance meeting between Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa and Darth Vader on the planet Mimban around the time between Episode V and Episode VI.
While Luke was searching for a crystal to power his new lightsaber, he and Leia found themselves on Mimban.
It was on this occasion that, when Vader held the Kaiburr Crystal, he was able to use Force Lightning despite his damaged limbs and burned body. This allowed him to easily overpower Luke and Leia, and almost kill them.
Amplification of a Light Side ability was shown right after when Luke used the power of the crystal to amplify his own abilities. This allowed him to use Force Heal and save himself and Leia from the brink of death.
Do you agree with our pick for the most powerful Lightsaber Crystals in the Galaxy? Yes? No? Got your own picks? Let us know below.
Bob
Saturday 18th of June 2022
I would go with the ghost- fire crystal as the most powerful