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Luke and the Red Crystal:
You can see a crystal dangling on the kneck of Luke Skywalker. It appears to be a Red Kyber crystal. Kyber crstyals are an important component of a Light Saber that give the weapon is strength, its connection to the Force and also its color. Generally Red crystals are the sabers of Dark Side while the other colors each reflect a certain mentality in battle, or philosophy. Early speculation is that this red crystal is his father's Light Saber's red crystal. Interesting enough the current run on Darth Vader comics is about how Vader came into possession and created that specific kyber crystal. The story of how it came to be is pretty amazing.
Luke crystal has been shown in toys. You can see it on the Funko below.
One interesting rumor topic thread is the red crystal dangling from Luke's neck. Many people assume that the crystal is a red Kyber crystal. The Kyber crystals are important components in a lightsaber blade and determine the blades color. The Red Blades and Red Crystals are associated with the Sith or broader the dark force users. Some have taken this as a sign that Luke is either now a dark force user or something inbetween.
One other thing to note about the crystal is that Darth Vader's red kyber crystal is the focus of the current run of Darth Vader comics. Vader is tasked in that series to complete his training as a Sith by seeking out and killing a worthy Jedi and taking their crystal. Vader then enters into battle with a highly formidable jedi called Kirak Infil'a who nearly kills Vader in their first encounter. It is possible the crystal that Luke holds is this same same crystal and a spirtiaul memento of his Father.
What does Darth Vader run tell us about this Kyber Crystal.
The very existence of Red Kyber gem is a perversion and an affront to the Jedi and in effect the ultimate symbol of Sith. This is explained in detail in the Darth Vader comic series.
According to the Emperor all Red Sith Sabers came from Jedi originally. Each would be Sith must hunt down and kill a Jedi and take their lightsaber's kyber crystal. These living crystals are then bombarded by pain until the crystal breaks or gives into the dark side. Effectively the crystal is tortured by the would be Sith until it can't take it anymore and becomes evil. It takes an extreme amount of Dark Side energy to break the crystal which is why a special place in Mustafar is used. This is a specific place highly attuned to the Dark Side.
In this way the red kyber crystals are a reflection of the Sith themselves. Just as the Sith is a good person perverted by the Dark Side, so to are their weapons the Red Lightsabers.
Darth Vader lightsaber kyber crystal is not an ordinary one. It is ancient and had previousily belonged to a highly powerful and ancient Jedi named Kirak Infil'a. One of Darth Vader's tasks to take up the ranks of a Sith Lord is to seek out and kill a Jedi and take that Jedi's Lightsaber crystal. Darth Vader wants to find the most worthy opponent he can but most of the Jedi have been killed at that time due to Order 66.
Vader begins to look up at the Jedi Temple records for powerful force users who have taken the Barash Vows. The Barash Vow is a vow where a Jedi removes himself from the physical world and focuses entirely on meditating on the Force. Some speculate that Luke Skywalker has taken the Barash Vows in Force Awakens which is why he does not respond when his friends need help. In the Jedi Temple records Vader learns of the existence of an ancient highly powerful enforcer named Kirak Infil'a. Infil'a is said to be one of the greatest fighters of the Jedi ever. He was a Jedi who hung on the edge of the darkside and was used primarily in warfare.
Vader confronts Kirak Infil'a and Infil'a almost immediatly knows what Vader is. He shruggs off Vader's force choke and lazily tosses Vader off a cliff where he is all but destroyed. Vader though is harder to kill then even Infil'a thinks. Vader maanges to tear apart a droid and reconstruct his cyborgnetic body. He then tracks down Infil'a again and after a long battle manages to kill him.
Little does Vader know that another battle looms. Vader must now take on the crystal itself. This battle is nearly as hard as the physical battle that Kirak put him though.
In Darth Vader #5 Vader has managed to defeat Kirak Infil'a and has taken his kyber crytal. He then begins to bleed out the crystal to pervert into a red crystal. The crystal mentally fights back and shows Vader a new path. It shows him wielding a green lightsaber and defeating the Emperor. Darth Vader seems moved by what the crystal shows up but in the end decides he must go forward that he has already come too far.
Effectively, in order to make a red lightsaber the crystal must be filled with so much pain and rage that it is effectively tortured into changing colors. Despite the crystals's defense of itself by showing Vader a new path in the end he succumbs to the Emperors wishes. He says to the crystal, " No, I refuse. This is all there is."
Luke's holding the crystal is interesting. Does the full history of the crystal come out? Can Luke sense its history all the way back to Kirak Infil'a? Is the crystal trying to work on him and pervert him to the darkside?
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