Warning: the following article contains spoilers for Andor season one, episode four, “Aldhani.“
A kyber crystal appears in Andor and it’s more important than you might think. Star Wars shows are known for dropping copious Easter eggs for fans who are all too eager to discover, but this crystal is relevant to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the Jedi, and the Death Star.
In Andor episode four, “Aldhani,” Luthen (Stellan Skarsgård) recruits Cassian (Diego Luna) for a mission to steal the quarterly payroll for an entire imperial site on Aldhani. Before he goes, Luthen gives the thief his necklace, a Kuati Signet made of a blue kyber crystal and a sky stone, as a downpayment. It’s from the ancient world and it celebrates the uprising against the Rakatan invaders. Luthen says that it means a lot to him and he expects it back when all of this is over. It shows the faith Luthen has in Cassian and his belief that he will make it back from the challenging trial ahead.
Andor is a prequel to Rogue One and a kyber crystal appeared in that movie as well. Jyn Erso‘s (Felicity Jones) mother Lyra (Valene Kane) took a kyber crystal fragment from her husband, the scientist Galen’s (Madds Mikkelson) research and brought it to Lah’mu. She then made it into a pendant which she gave to Jyn in hopes it would bring good luck, and she might’ve been onto something.
Kyber crystals are attuned to the Force. They’re found on several planets including Ilum, Jedha, Lothall, Exegol, and Utopau, and Jedis use them in the construction of their lightsabers, and Jedi Knights have a deep connection to them. The crystal is colorless at first until it connects to a Jedi and takes on the colors blue or green (or in Mace Windu’s case, purple), and maintains that color indefinitely. A Jedi is guided by the Force during the selection of the crystal and the lightsaber blade’s vibration helps keep them centered and balanced in the Force. It’s because of these properties that it’s also believed that these special crystals could empower non-Jedi individuals with heightened fortune for their tasks as it is an extension of the Force.
The manner in which the kyber crystals were given to the heroes creates parallels between them. Jyn is given one by one of her parents and Cassian is given one by a parental figure (albeit a new presence in his life). Neither of these characters is a Jedi, and yet they played an instrumental part in the fate of the galaxy. The kyber crystals allude to the great journey that lay ahead of them, and all roads lead straight to the Death Star.
Though kyber crystals can be used for good, they can also be manipulated for darker purposes. Kyber crystals were used to power the Death Star and its destructive force was terrifying. It took massive amounts of these crystals to power the giant space station’s laser and its creation was a threat to the entire galaxy. Kyber crystals were used when Galen was first recruited for Project Celestial Power project and multiple planets were taken over and had their valuable resources stolen by the Empire to fulfill its lust for ultimate domination.
Indigenous groups being impacted by Imperial forces is a major part of the story in Andor. It’s seen on Aldhani when the native Dhanis were displaced because the territory was tactically advantageous for the Empire. In flashbacks, we learn more about Cassian’s life as a youth on the planet Kenari. He was part of an indigenous tribe and his planet was lush, green, and alive until it was invaded by Imperial forces.
Kenari became restricted after an “Imperial mining accident,” which turned it into a heavily guarded location that no one could easily enter. If history repeats itself, then this could all be a ruse to hide a graver event. Under orders from Darth Vader, Director Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn ) covered up Jedha’s destruction from the Death Star as a “mining accident,” and this could mean that Kenari was actually the first planet the Death Star tested on if they’re using a similar reason.
Cassian and Jyn have both been affected and radicalized by the Death Star and put on a path to help destroy it. Kyber crystals are at the center of both stories and they symbolize their important destinies, but also symbolize corruption in that they’re used in the construction of the planet-destroying space station. These crystals are powerful and can connect people to great power. One just has to be sure it’s used in the right way, or else it could have devastating consequences.