What is Andor’s necklace? In the Star Wars series Andor, we’ve seen that the titular hero (Diego Luna) isn’t a materialistic person. The only object he seems attached to in any way is his blaster. Except that’s not entirely true, Cassian Andor does value one thing, a special necklace given to him by Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgard).
We know the necklace is extremely valuable. It’s how Luthen paid for Andor’s services, and Arvel Skeen claims it’s worth at least 30,000 credits, a veritable fortune for a refugee like our hero. So why is Andor’s necklace so valuable? Well, to explain that we’re going to have to explain Kyber crystals with the help of the Star Wars movies and comics.
What is Andor’s necklace?
Andor’s necklace is made of Kyber crystal, specifically Sky-Kyber crystal. In the sci-fi series, we learn it was given to him by Luthen Rael in exchange for Andor agreeing to help the nascent Rebellion rob one of the Galactic Empire‘s imperial bases.
What are Kyber crystals?
Kyber crystals are a powerful mineral found on only a handful of planets – like Ilum, Exegol, Jedha, Utapau, and Lothal – making them extremely valuable. The crystal is force-attuned, and this unique property means the Jedi and the Sith have used Kyber for millennia in the construction of weapons.
According to the Rise of Skywalker Visual Dictionary, while not living beings, crystals exhibited a sort of “consciousness,” which allowed them to communicate with those attuned to the Force.
How do the Jedi use Kyber Crystals?
The main use Jedi have for Kyber crystals is in the construction of lightsabers. The crystals are one of the few things in the galaxy capable of focusing the weapon’s power source into a plasma blade.
As the crystal is what focuses the energy released by the hilt into a blade, the lightsaber’s colour is derived from the colour of the Kyber used in its construction. The most common colours were green and blue, but yellow and purple blades were also possible.
For thousands of years, the Jedi would take padawans to the ice caves of Ilum, where they would choose (or be chosen) by a specific crystal. The padawan would then use that crystal to construct their lightsaber.
How do the Sith use Kyber crystals?
Like the Jedi, the Sith use Kyber in the construction of their lightsabers, but the process by which they chose the crystal was very different. We learn in the Darth Vader comic series that the Sith steal Kyber from Jedi they’ve killed and make it “bleed”.
To do this, they take a crystal to a place where there’s a large amount of Dark Side energy and pour their hate into it. The Kyber will attempt to defend itself by sending its attacker Force visions, but if the Sith is successful, they will be able to fill it with the Dark Side.
This makes the Kyber bleed and turns the crystal loses its natural colour, turning scarlet red. The Sith would also use Kyber in the construction of ancient superweapons.
How does The Empire use Kyber Crystals?
With the help of Galen Erso, the Empire used Kyber crystals in the construction of the Death Star, which was the only substance that could channel the vast power of the space station’s reactors.
If you love science fiction movies or TV series like Andor, check out our list of the best Star Wars characters. Or, take a look at the Andor season 2 release date before exploring the Andor cast of characters including Syril Karn, Dedra Meero, Luthen Rael, and Mon Mothma.