In a new book,Star Warshas retconned a major Jedi ritual fromStar Wars: The Clone Wars, changing how fans will see lightsabers forever. Lightsabers are one of the most iconic images in all ofStar Wars, and over the years, stories have explained them more and more. The new novelMace Windu: The Glass Abyssby Steven Barnes, however, has just offered a new piece of information that shakes a previously held truth.
EarlyStar Warsstories confirmed thatlightsabers were powered by crystals, from Adegan crystals to synthetic ones. It wasn’t until the prequel era, however, that stories began to explore just how the Jedi Order obtained their Kyber crystals during the time leading up to theClone Wars. This was a sacred and special ritual known as The Gathering.
Star Wars' Gathering Ritual Explained
The Youngling Claiming Of Kyber Crystals
The Gathering was a core moment in the lives of young Jedi. In the clans that they were grouped into, the Initiates, or Younglings, traveled to the icyUnknown Regionsplanet Ilum to retrieve Kyber crystals. These special crystals were only found on a few planets and powered Jedi lightsabers, determining their color. The crystals weren’t simple to find, though, and involved much more than searching.
Every Canon Lightsaber Color In Star Wars (And Their Meaning)
Lightsabers in the Star Wars galaxy aren’t only blue and red – there are 8 canon lightsaber colors in Star Wars (so far). Here’s what they all mean.
The mystical Force-imbued nature of the caves and temple on Ilum presented each Jedi Initiate with a challenge based on their own fears, aiming for them to conquer their fears while obtaining a tool to build their new weapon withHuyang.The Kyber would call out to them, and once they had faced their fears and bested the physical or mental challenge, they were able to claim it for themselves. This was viewed as an absolutely essential step for a Jedi, claiming the Kyber crystal that called to them individually.
Star Wars Reveals Adult Jedi Return To Ilum
Kyber Crystals Are Not For Life
The assumption, afterThe Clone Wars, was always that The Gathering was a one-time journey that Jedi would go on when building their first lightsaber. This was independent of age, as Cal Kestis actually goes to Ilum himself inJedi: Fallen Orderin order to claim a crystal to build his own lightsaber – during the Empire’s occupation of the world. According toMace Windu: The Glass Abyss, however, the idea that this was a one-time journey is not the case – and Kyber crystals are not for life.
Turning, the next thing he saw was a plexisteel display case. Here Mace stored past lightsaber hilts, from his first half-scale weapon he had built in childhood to several models he had shaped over the years, utilizing the kyber crystals of Ilum that had called to him. His personal designs had evolved, as was tradition.
This establishes that The Gathering was not the only time a Jedi goes to Ilum – it could actually happen many times, whenever they needed a new lightsaberfor likely any reason. Mace Windu has his own display case of all of his purple lightsabers, each one containing a new Kyber crystal that called to him on Ilum. He even has a smaller weapon that he created after Mace himself first went on The Gathering!
What Is The Adult Version Of The Gathering Ritual Like?
Jedi Claiming Another Kyber Crystal
The idea that older Jedi could return to Ilum to claim new Kyber crystals for more lightsabers raises more questions, though. Do they still go in groups, or are Jedi Knights and Masters trusted to go on their own, whenever they wanted? If they went on their own, they’d have to know its location – and the location of Ilum was a closely guarded secret to the Order. That means that if this was true, theImperial Inquisitors, former Jedi, may have been the ones to reveal Ilum’s location to the Empire, so they could turn it into Starkiller Base.
Which Star Wars character has the coolest lightsaber?
The lightsaber is one of the most easily recognized sci-fi weapons of all cinematic history, “an elegant weapon for a more civilized age.” While I love Mace Windu’s lightsaber with its purple blade and silver-and-gold hilt, I also love the curved hilt used by Count Dooku. Kanan Jarrus also has a unique lightsaber hilt design that I also really like.
Whatever method it takes, the idea that Jedi beyond Padawans could return to Ilum at will to claim new crystals just makes sense. Countless Jedi throughout the prequels had differing lightsabers between appearances, making this a solid explanation for those minorStar Warsinconsistencies. Most of all, however, it explains whereAnakin’s new lightsabercame from! Young Skywalker’s lightsaber was destroyed on Geonosis, and it’s only logical that he would need a new Kyber crystal for another saber – and it’s now likely that he got that crystal from Ilum itself, as first seen inThe Clone Wars.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Cast
Star Wars: The Clone Wars is an animated series that explores the intense conflict between the Republic and the Separatists. Featuring a mix of loyalty shifts and alliances, it delves into complex mysteries of the Force and showcases pivotal moments for characters like Anakin Skywalker and Master Yoda.
