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In Season 5, Episode 7 of the Clone Wars series, Hondo and his gang of pirates are trying to rob some kyber crystals from Jedi younglings. Supposedly, those crystals are worth a fortune on the black market. But what would be the reason for that? Kyber crystals are used for the construction of lightsabers, but Force users like Jedi and Sith are small in number and they usually do not buy them on the black market, so they would not drive the price so high. Those crystals are also useful for construction of super-weapons like the Death Star, but there is no way Hondo or his contacts in the black market would know that.

So, is there any other ordinary way kyber crystals could be used, or are they valued highly simply because of their rarity like gold and diamonds in the real world?

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    Kyber crystals were often in the center of research regarding energy manipulation and amplification. Also, as you mention, Yoda once noted that almost all super-weapons relied on kyber in some way. If they were rare enough, which they seemed to be, those seeking such ends would be willing to pay a premium for them.
    – MagnaVis
    Commented Jan 31, 2018 at 4:10
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    Also, not to be discounted is spiritual value. Similar to how people value rhino horns or many other substances, "uses" for kyber crystals do not have to be official, or non-ceremonial, or real. Given the force-attuned nature of kyber crystals ....
    – DariM
    Commented Jan 31, 2018 at 4:36
  • @MagnaVis At that time only CIS and Republic were capable of building super-weapons, and they didn't buy on black market. Also, they needed large crystal not small one like Jedi younglings had. It is doubtful either Hondo or his associates in black market knew anything about Death Star and similar projects.
    – rs.29
    Commented Jan 31, 2018 at 7:43
  • @DariM Possibly, if you have evidence write full answer.
    – rs.29
    Commented Jan 31, 2018 at 7:44
  • @rs.29 That may be true, but the research around kyber for other purposes, like energy manipulation and amplification, wouldn't always need to be done at scale. I'm certain there were a lot beings that would like to tinker and corporations that may not have had official sources to get them what they needed to do research. Look at the market for rare earth magnets in our own economy. People use them for crazy things. That's one planet and one (non-controlled) resource. Take the absolute rarity of kyber and consider the 50 million systems with potentially interested individuals/corporations.
    – MagnaVis
    Commented Jan 31, 2018 at 15:41

2 Answers 2

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Republic Era

The following states that :

Over the centuries, the Jedi amassed an almost exclusive right to the crystals, protecting and collecting them to decorate their temples and power their lightsabers. Some saw this collection of the kybers as proof of the Jedi's inordinate greed, and their secrecy over its nature a result of their wish to remain in power. Others saw the Jedi as protecting the galaxy from those who might use the powers of the crystal for dark purposes.

So you can say that before the rise of the empire, Kyber crystals were almost only used by Jedi, they controlled the planets were such minerals could be found and wouldn't allow the possession to anyone else.

Furthermore :

During ancient wars between the Jedi and the Sith, in which both sides fought for control over the galaxy, superweapons were created by the Sith that were powered by giant kyber crystals.

Even if the belief of the last Sith being killed long ago was spread among the Jedi, they couldn't possibly let any dark users of the force the opportunity to recreate such weapons.

Empire Era

The reason of the value of a Kyber crystal during the reign of Palpatine is easy to understand. After destroying the Jedi Order and melting all the lightsabers of the Fallen protectors of the Republic, the Emperor decreed that the possession, trade and use of these minerals and lightsabers was to be forbidden. Why ? First of all to get in the way of a potential new light side user, no Crystal, no lighstaber, no Jedi. Second is because the Death Star itself needed Kyber crystals to power its laser.

So that is why in both the Republic and the Empire these Kyber crystals were rare.

But why were they expensive ?

It seems to me that simply the rarity of a Kyber crystal and the thrill to add such an illegal item in your collection would be enough to increase its value.

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They were both rare and usefull

Uses for Kyber Crystals

Besides the construction of lightsabers they used in the making of lightwhips a rare variation of the lightsabers, used a bunch of small kyber crystals that can down the length of the whip. The lightwhip acted much like a regular whip.

Sith Super weapons as you mentioned already.

Used in Jedi and Sith holocrons as crystal storage.

Kyber Crystals rarity

The major reason Kyber Crystals are so rare is that they are only found in select regions in the galaxy such as Ilum.

Secondly is that kyber crystal in there natural habit rarely reveal themselves to non force-sensitives.

This is why The pirate Hondo valued them so much. He could use them in the construction of very deadly weapons, and for non force-sensitives like Hondo, he would have to kill Jedi or Sith which is no easy task.

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  • Lightwhips are just a variant of lightsabers, and even more rare than that. Therefore, there was not much demand for them outside of Force users club. Hondo didn't use them to construct super-weapons, he wanted to sell them. I doubt he even knew about super-weapons.
    – rs.29
    Commented Jan 31, 2018 at 7:34
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    You neglect to mention lightbutterknives, which allow you to toast bread as you slice it, and butter is never too cold to spread. Surely an invention worth a kingly sum.
    – Broklynite
    Commented Jan 31, 2018 at 12:02

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