‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ Leaks: Plot Will Connect Lightsabers And The Death Star

Let’s set aside all those Rogue One: A Star Wars Story production troubles for a bit. Yeah, something’s gone wrong with Rogue One and they’re probably reshooting half of it with Tony Gilroy (Michael Clayton, The Bourne Legacy), but from the viewers’ perspective this is immaterial to the movie we’ll see in theaters come Dec. 16 (and we may never know whether the reshoots are happening because Gareth Edwards’ Rogue One sucks or if Disney is punking out on some badass Star WARS). All of these production leaks haven’t risen much above high school drama.

But plot leaks on the other hand…

Making Star Wars has sources on the Rogue One set that suggest a big chunk of Star Wars lore that never intruded on the films will be integral to Rogue One.

The heart of a lightsaber is the Kyber crystal. They’re attuned to the Force and scattered around the Galaxy, though the Jedi and Sith largely source theirs from just a handful of planets. Jedi, for example, harvest their crystals from Illum before building their lightsaber. They come in different colors, producing the rainbow of lightsabers we’ve seen throughout the Star Wars saga.

Kyber crystals are also integral to the Death Star, focusing the immense superlaser.

Now so far this is all extratextual to the movies. Kyber crystals have long been a staple of the Star Wars Expanded Universe and have popped up in canonical cartoons Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels. But Rogue One: A Star Wars Story will be the first to bring the crystals in-line with movie continuity.

According to Making Star Wars’ leaks, the team led by Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) will visit an Imperial science center and/or mine where Kyber crystals are being processed. It seems part of them infiltrating the Death Star will involve disrupting or inserting themselves into the materiel supply chain. It’s an important part of the operation, guarded by the black-clad Death Troopers.

The connection between Kyber crystals and the Death Star is so fascinating because it unites the spiritual and military halves of the Empire’s grand vision. In the original Star Wars, Darth Vader is scornful of the Death Star.

“Don’t be too proud of this technological terror you’ve constructed, the ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the Force.”

Like Darth Vader himself, the Death Star is the product of the Force perverted. Faith and spiritual wisdom has been tormented and stretched into something monstrous, with destruction as its only possible action.

While Kyber crystals have long been an important part of the larger Star Wars ecosystem, they’re now graduating to the big show. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story will show us whether Kyber crystals can stand as a fascinating addition to the ongoing cinematic saga, or will just sound like more midi-chlorians — just in rocks this time.