To me, any detailed technical reasoning on the difference in lightsaber blade colors is just behind-the-scenes, fanboyish, nit-picky minutiae that has nothing to do with the actual story. Bad characters have red sabers, and good characters don't. That's all. Kor
And for the most part, on television and film, that has been the case. Only in novels do are the color details expanded on at all, and in this case it was simply to provide an origin to Ahsoka's white blades (which were unusual). Unusual generally warrants a story or legend.
I had heard that the "Ventral Cannons" from TFA were actually using Kyber crystals as part of their assembly.
Perhaps not Anakin, but I think Darth Vader wouldn't be above claiming a trophy, especially if it can serve as a reminder of a particularly painful moment in his life. This is just me speculating though, he could just as easily taken it from one of the thousands that were strewn about the floor of the temple, or kept in the vaults? Have they ever mentioned what happens to a Jedi's weapon when they die? I don't think they're incinerated with the body since 1) that's a very good way to blow up your incinerator and 2) it probably wouldn't destroy the crystal. So I'm assuming they have a vault for such things. Anyway, remember that with the Sith, it's not a sympathetic bond, but a forced and unnatural one. An act of dominance and enslavement, not co-operation and empathy. Vader wouldn't be forming a bond with a hand-me-down he'd be enslaving the weapon of a slain enemy. As for the meaning of Mace's blade's colour, again that's still a mystery. All we know is that it's a rarity, but still a lightsider trait. Put simply, we currently know that the non-red colours have meaning, but not what the specific meaning of each colour may be. Maybe the Jedi themselves don't even know. There could be volumes of texts filled with competing ideas that were never definitively proven. But if you want to impose some science on it: consider that out perception of colour is just an expression of the frequency of visible EM waves. High frequency translates as blue, low frequency as red. So a blade with a higher frequency would be purple/violet, slightly less and you're into the blue part of the spectrum, followed by green then yellow and finally red at the lower frequencies. So perhaps it's just a matter of the crystals that have a stronger bond transfer energy more efficiency and at higher frequencies. This purple is rare since it's the most difficult to achieve while the red ones are all less efficient because the bond if being forced. Personally, I think that's a fairly dry way to look at it and prefer that it's just a reflection of the spirit of a person and the exact meaning is just as impossible to define as "what colour is time?" Some things are just physically beyond our ability to perceive, let alone comprehend. Well you don't *have* to accept anything, but you should recognise the trope and understand this is exactly the kind of thing that Star Wars has always drawn from. I think it's more a case of "Red=corruption and dominance" and "everything else=diversity and sympathy". Well you're told in the context of this story that "the force is real". It's the basic conceit of the universe and you really do kinda have to accept it to be able to buy into the narrative. This is simply an extension of that: "The force can speak through crystals." It demonstrates a much higher degree of ability in the force. It's not just a matter of following a circuit diagram, he has to feel what it is going to be. There's an element of self reflection and meditation to the whole process, which is a recurring theme in Jedi philosophy: the trial of spirit, facing the mirror. We see it again and again and again and again and again and again and ag....well, you get the idea. Really, you'd get a better sense of this if you just read the Ahsoka novel. She spends about half a chapter interior monologuing about the whole process. Is necessity the only criteria by which we judge such things? Was it really necessary for the Jedi to have laserswords at all? Why not actual swords? Why not lasers? Did the Millennium Falcon really have to look like an angry hamburger? Nope, but it looks cool! In the case of the blade colours, it adds meaning on top of mere aesthetics. To me, that in itself adds value to the world building. Well it may make them better connected to their weapon, but it doesn't make them infallible. If a saber falls into a volcano or something, they may still be able to sense the crystal down there, but bugger going in there to get it! Wiser to just go back to Iilum for a replacement. Still, just because a crystal calls to a Jedi, doesn't mean it's the *only* one for them in all of time and space. Just the only one for them then and there. This is how Ahsoka was able to go back to Iilum her second time when she wanted to build her second lightsaber. It's not like the old one got jealous or anything. Luke is also able to call a blaster to his hand right out of one of Jabba's guards' holster. Moving things with their brains is a thing Jedi can do. The one is an expression of the other. Those are not mutually exclusive concepts. Well what good are an order of kung-fu zen wizard monks if their weapons aren't at least a *little* bit mystical, Hmm?
Yes I had heard that as well. Combined with both pirates and arms deals having interesting in kyber crystals during the Clone Wars, and rare giant crystals being used in superweapons, leads one to believe there is a weaponizing process that is hopefully different from a Jedi's communing with the Force through the crystal while constructing their lightsaber.
I am reminded of Luke's saber calling to Rey through "The Force" in TFA. While the EU, cartoons, etc. had holocrons that could only be accessed by a "Force" user, as well as the explanation of kybur crystals being connected with "The Force," I think that was the first time in the live action movies that an inanimate, inorganic object was depicted as having such a connection. And perhaps it draws upon old mythic tropes of magical weapons. Interesting. Kor
Precisely. If holocrons can somehow tell that the one trying to open it is a light or dark side user then there must be a physical mechanism in there that somehow interfaces with the force. Tying that into the lightsabers and the building ritual not only makes sense, it enhances the lore.
Before they had connections with locations. The cave under the tree were Luke gets his vision for example was suppose to be strong in the Dark Side. Yoda said the Force was everywhere. I seem to recall a few Jedi had lightsabers that could only be turned on using the Force. This would prevent some random person picking up their weapon and using it. Though I don't recall who this was right at this moment. However it would also force the Jedi to focus more on the blade than their surroundings as they had to keep the Forces flowing to the weapon to keep the blade active, and thus would likely tire the user out quicker than if they just used an activation switch.
There may be more to that cave then it appears. If you look closely, there are carved steps and what looks like a stone arc/doorway in there. It's ambiguous whether or not that's physically there, but if it is part of the vision. Is it is, then it could be some ancient (not necessarily Sith) dark side temple buried under all that slime and vegetation. Qui Gon did say Dagobah was one of the purest places in the galaxy, a wellspring of the force. There's also been mention that the Temple on Coruscant is built on just such a site and that they're not the first. If there are many such places in the galaxy, then it would make sense that force users would seek them out and build their temples where the force is strongest. We've also seen both the Sith Temple on Malachor and the old Jedi temple on Lothal respond to the presence of force users, with various mechanisms that only force users can operation. More evidence that kyber crystals could have uses other than as weapons. IIRC those were called "forcesabers" and they the precursors of what the Jedi ended up using, created by the Rakatta's Infinite Empire. Also, I think they only worked by drawing on the dark side, used mostly by their hunter slaves.
Those were physical switches that required telekinesis to manipulate, that's all. I actually came up with a better way to describe how absurd a notion this crystal thing is, especially as it relates to the counterpoint about how "non-conformist" Sith are. Practically every Sith ever has worn black. Is it a fashion choice because it looks cool? Is it symbolic of their alignment to the dark side? Is it a religious requirement? Or is the "much more sensible" reason that their dark sidedness seeps out and dyes their clothes black (or even more plausibly, their tailors must have been dark-side users)? Surely it must be that last one; there can be no other reason to explain why Sith wear black, right? Sure, tons of other people wear black, too. Even non-Sith and non-Jedi. But clearly -- quite clearly -- their tailors had to be evil Sith lords as there's no other plausible reason to wear black. Or for black clothing to exist at all with those evil tailors bleeding their dark force into their products. And as for anyone else not wearing black? Well, obviously their tailors were Jedi, especially those wearing green and blue. If that sounds absurd, you now know why so many other people are saying the crystal thing is absurd.
Back in 1981 and 1982....it was. The wait for the third film was almost agony, and I was only five years old. This would be a good counter to the crystal argument if it was true. Unfortunately it is not. While Darth Vader and Darth Maul seem to sport black about all the time, and Count Dooku usually has a black and brown thing going on, his nightwear is blue. Palpatine's been know to wear red robes instead of black while being Sithy. Ventress wears dark blues and greys, as well as sometimes reds, purples, or gold. Plus there are Jedi that wear black. Luminara Unduli for example. Luke Skywalker for another.
Apologies to all for this wall of text. I leave for an hour and the discussion is off and running Again, a fair point, though I find it an odd choice. I personally think Palpatine had a selection of crystals, already dominated (in the new lore-in the old lore, manufactured) for construction of sabers by acolytes and apprentices. This also could be, though (and again) it begs the question of why the Jedi consistently use blue or green. Which is why it may not add to the lore. Also, time is not a color. Time is a circle. That is why clocks are round I am aware and recognize the tropes that Star Wars is built upon. So, still arbitrary. I can accept the Force, for the most part. The Force can speak through crystals is a new part of the lore that I find odd. That really doesn't mean that the crystal needs to change color. But, that's semantics, I think Shameless promotion on your part I see. Your check must be in the mail I think the meaning it adds is self-limiting. Also, the Millennium Falcon's look is designed as a cargo hauler. Again, a fair point. Hey, the lore is expanding. You never know. Fair point. No, but the focus is becoming more on the weapon and not on the Force. Mystical does not mean "I can change its color." It means they can kill you with their brains, and such. I would hope so. I would imagine that the Jedi's means of building a saber would be different than construction of a lightfoil, or the superweapons. Hmm, kind of like moon runes from "The Hobbit." I heard connections to location and people could be called a "vergence in the Force." Not really. I saw the OT in reverse order. My dad wasn't overly worried about me watching them in a specific order, so I saw ROTJ, ESB and then ANH. And my reaction to Vader's revelation in ESB, if watching in order, is similar to James Earl Jones' in reading the script: "He's lying."
If I watch them in order and I'm immersed in the story, yes that is my reaction. My initial reaction is, "Well, that's weird. I guess that's why they all were in black then." I was 8. What I wrote was: Hope that clears things up
There are certain belief systems that ascribe mystical qualities to crystals. Having "The Force" actually interact with certain crystals wouldn't be too far removed from that kind of thing. The Star Wars universe is fantastic, after all. Kor
I think the schism here is that some people like the mythic simplicity of the OT and some prefer the PT and newEU tendency towards adding more and more layers of rules and complexity. The "Legends" EU tended towards the same direction after a while and I found it just as off-putting. I for one don't need or want a Force that has a will and may or may not create messiahs to fulfill it. Every addition of midichlorians and kyber crystals just makes me less and less interested in the universe as a whole. We are not this crude matter! The introduction of more and more physical/material phenomena slowly chips away at the original awesome ethereal power of the Force. The Force is an energy field that surrounds us and binds us. A lightsaber is an elegant weapon for a more civilized age. Bing bang boom. We're off to the battle between good and evil. It is just an entirely different perspective on the franchise and on storytelling as a whole and going back and forth isn't going to convince anyone. I'm having fun reading both sides' attempts to try though.
Are you saying that because James Earl Jones was playing Mark Hamill's dad it means that Luke was really black? What if you had some kind of crystalline life form, a crystal that was in some sense alive? I had thought about writing a fanfic in the 90s that would have involved such a thing, and eventually a book came out that used a similar idea.
He almost certainly has a whole stockpile of the things, it's just that Vader wouldn't need it for his own saber. Even if we go with the old EU version where it's cooked up in a forge, then any old muppet with the right seed material can make one. Shouldn't be too hard for a Lord of the Sith to get his hands on an oven. It's not like they're choosing the colour themselves. It's just what the crystals do when they bond with Jedi. It's a side effect of what must be a molecular shift in the crystal lattice, not an act of will. Not in a meta-textual sense. Red is often associated with danger, anger and violence, while blues and greens are generally considered harmonious, soothing colours. It's thematically consistent. But remotely speaking through brain matter is not even a little odd? Or moving stuff around, or seeing the future or entirely decorporealising? Well in this instance the point is moot because it's an entirely different crystal than the one before. We still don't know where he got it from. Really, it just makes more sense in context and I can't be arsed (and probably shouldn't because: copyright) to transcribe half a chapter's worth of prose that will explain it all. Well it wasn't supposed to. Lucas specifically asked for a hamburger ship. One better: "I can kill you with the sword I made with my brain!" "You mean it controls your actions?" "Partially, but it also obeys your commands." Yup, no indication in the OT that the force had a mind of it's own.... Also: just because the PT Jedi believed something, doesn't make it true. They're supposed to be a failing order that's become dogmatic and lost sight of some of the fundamental wisdoms. Indeed, they were show to be fallible, misinformed and misguided at almost every turn.