How Rogue One's Jedha Got All Those Kyber Crystals, According To Gareth Edwards

Rogue One A Star Wars Story Jedah Battle

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is the sort of movie that likes to load itself up on easter eggs, only to slowly reveal everything it's hidden over time. Of course, by the time a film such as this hits home video, there are tons of easter eggs and tidbits that have been revealed, with one or two stragglers still waiting to be uncovered at any given moment. Well now is one of those moments, as director Gareth Edwards has revealed that the holy city of Jedah has been hiding a really big secret. It suffered a major impact millions of years ago, which produced what may well have been the very first Kyber crystals in Star Wars history.

As part of the promotional push for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story's Blu-ray and DVD release, Gareth Edwards revealed that the huge city settlement we saw on the holy planet of Jedah was where the history of the Kyber crystals started. Edwards revealed this new truth thusly:

If you look at the establishing shot of Jedha from above, the layout of it is this giant, circular rock formation around where Jedha is--the idea was that there was a meteor impact that hit Jedha and it came at such a force that it was what created the Kyber Crystals at the center of that crate of impact. So Jedha is like this very unique place in the galaxy in that it's got a very high density of Kyber Crystals, which is what the Jedi need for lightsabers. So it became this holy city as a result of that meteor impact. But that must've happened maybe millions of years ago. We tried to tell that story in the establishing shot, you see the circular formation and at the heart of it is Jedha city.

Now we'd already known that Jedah was previously revealed to be the holiest ground a Jedi or any Force enthusiast could visit. Part of the reason is because, thanks to ancient history, the planet is the most bountiful mine of Kyber crystals. With those crystals being a huge part of Jedah's infrastructure, Force sensitive types probably experienced a better connection to The Force proper on Jedah's surface than anywhere else. Even non-Force sensitive persons have been known to feel the effect of the Kyber crystals on their mind, which would only increase Jedah's influence on the universe.

But to have a gigantic Kyber crystal at the center of Jedah's bustling settlement, per what Gareth Edwards told Collider? That could be the biggest source of power in the Star Wars universe. In fact, one could argue that such a huge-sized Kyber crystal could be the origin of The Force, and all of its infinite power, for the entire Star Wars galaxy. This only further plays into the analogy of Coruscant being The Vatican, while Jedah is the holy land of Jerusalem where the religion of The Force was created whole cloth. Of course, as with any good theories, this is possible until proven B.S., at which point we'll be back to the drawing board.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is currently available on Digital HD, with the Blu-Ray / DVD release slated for April 4th.

Mike Reyes
Senior Movies Contributor

Mike Reyes is the Senior Movie Contributor at CinemaBlend, though that title’s more of a guideline really. Passionate about entertainment since grade school, the movies have always held a special place in his life, which explains his current occupation. Mike graduated from Drew University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science, but swore off of running for public office a long time ago. Mike's expertise ranges from James Bond to everything Alita, making for a brilliantly eclectic resume. He fights for the user.