Summary
The Death Star was one of the most devastating weapons in the galaxy, butStar Warsrecently added to its legend by also making it the biggest lightsaber ever. There have been plenty ofdestructive superweapons inStar Wars, but none of them have reached the level of notoriety of the Death Star. It’s been a staple ofStar Warsmovies and shows- fromReturn of the JeditoAndor- ever since it first appeared in the originalStar Wars. The Death Star has gotten quite a bit of attention over the years, but one relatively recent reveal completely redefined the Empire’s favorite weapon.
Like the Death Star, lightsabers have also become an iconic part ofStar Warsand science fiction as a whole. Additionally,Star Warshas continued to explore lightsabers over the years. The variouslightsaber colors and their meanings, as well asdifferent types of lightsabers, have all been heavily featured inStar Warsstories. Until recently, the two icons of the franchise have had little relation to each other beyond appearing in the same films. In the years since their first appearances, though,Star Warshas connected lightsabers to the Death Star in a massive way.
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The Death Star’s Superlaser Uses Kyber Just Like A Lightsaber
The reason lightsabers work is because of kyber crystals.Kyber crystals are the source of a lightsaber’s blade, and they also determine the color of the blade. Essentially, a battery pack within the lightsaber sends power through the kyber crystal, which then amplifies it and turns it into a beam of energy.AStar Warsnovel revealed that the Empire put the same principle into practice with the Death Star, and that the Imperial superweapon was powered by kyber crystals.
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The Death Star Is Basically The Biggest Lightsaber In The Galaxy
Since it’s powered by kyber crystals, the Death Star works in essentially the same way as a regular lightsaber.That means that the Death Star was basically the largest lightsaber in the entire galaxy. The Death Star obviously operated at a much larger and more powerful scale than any one lightsaber could ever achieve, but it still works as a proof of what lightsabers are capable of with enough power. Essentially, the Death Star took the idea of stabbing something with a lightsaber to an unprecedented scale, and it proved that there is almost nothing in the galaxy that can stop them.
James Luceno’s novel “Star Wars: Tarkin” first revealed that the Death Star was powered by kyber crystals in 2014.
Though the Death Star was essentially a super powered lightsaber, it could only maintain that level of energy for a few moments.That’s why the Death Star seemed to fire a single, momentary bolt, whereas a regular lightsaber can stay ignited indefinitely. Interestingly, unlike most lightsabers, the Death Star could also adjust its power levels. By changing the number of reactors that operated on a particular firing, the Death Star could go from devastating the surface of a planet all the way up to turning it into a pile of space debris.
Even though its record was eventually broken, the Death Star remains the most iconic superweapon in Star Wars.
While the Death Star was the biggest lightsaber in the galaxy for a time, it didn’t hold that record for very long.Eventually, about 30 years after the destruction of the Second Death Star, the First Order created Starkiller Base, which scaled up the Death Star from the size of a small moon to the size of an entire planet. Starkiller Base was even more devastating due to its size, and it was capable of destroying an entire system of planets simultaneously. Even though its record was eventually broken, the Death Star remains the most iconic superweapon inStar Wars.
Star Wars
Star Wars is a multimedia franchise that started in 1977 by creator George Lucas. After the release of Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope (originally just titled Star Wars), the franchise quickly exploded, spawning multiple sequels, prequels, TV shows, video games, comics, and much more. After Disney acquired the rights to the franchise, they quickly expanded the universe on Disney+, starting with The Mandalorian.
