MENU

SW Forums
Characters
Ships
Vehicles
Bases & Stations
Alien Species
Planets
Cut Scenes
Video Games
Video Arcade
Comics
Star Wars Cards

E-cards
Trivia
Coruscant Courier
Fan Fiction
Scripts
Awards

 

Planets


Ilum

Region:

Wild Space

System:

Unknown

Climate: Frigid
Terrain: Icy Mountains and Caverns

Ilum was the ice planet home to many of the Adegan crystals used in the construction of Jedi lightsabers. The caverns containing the crystals were long ago turned into a Jedi temple.

Concealed within the caverns of a frigid, mountainous world of Ilum are precious crystals that form the heart of the Jedi lightsaber. From the most ancient days of the Jedi order, initiates have journeyed to Ilum to find the crucial components for their weapons.

Among the endless icy mountains is Ilum's Crystal Cave. The Force permeates this grotto, and visions of possible futures often come to the Jedi that venture into the darkness. Ancient intaglios depicting the history of the Jedi order are carved in the cavern walls. 

Ilum crystals were the natural minerals used most often in the oldest lightsabers. These crystals spontaneously emit powerful bursts of light and energy when resonant frequencies are run through them. Unlike other lightsaber crystals found elsewhere, the gems harvested on Ilum only produce blue and green blades. 

As part of his training, Anakin Skywalker, along with his mentor and friend Obi-Wan Kenobi, traveled to Ilum so that Anakin could build his first lightsaber. The two faced multiple challenges in scaling the slopes that lead up to the cave, including running into a nest of Gorgodons. Upon entering the cave, Anakin first faced Darth Maul's ghost before finally completing his lightsaber.

During the Clone Wars, the Separatists sought to strike at the Jedi by destroying their sacred crystal caverns and surrounding temple on Ilum. Mine-laying chameleon droids were dispatched to demolish the caves with explosives. Though Luminara Unduli and Barriss Offee managed to hold off the droids for a while, they soon needed reinforcements. Help arrived in the tiny form of Jedi Master Yoda, who together with Padmé Amidala were able to thwart the destructive Separatist attack. 

After the fall of the Old Republic, the Galactic Empire established a base on the planet to intercept any Jedi who might return for lightsaber crystals. 

After the Great Jedi Purge, Obi-Wan Kenobi received intelligence that his friend, Jedi Master Garen Muln, had returned to Ilum to hide in the crystal caves. Ferus Olin, a former Jedi apprentice, returned to the caves to retrieve crystals to build a new lightsaber. He found them as well as Garen. The Jedi had grown weak. He gave Ferus his old lightsaber, which needed new crystals. Ferus inserted his crystals and carried the weak Jedi Master out of the caves. Obi-Wan arrived in a ship before the Imperials could take them hostage. 

Ilum surfaceAnother Jedi also took refuge there: Fy-Tor-Ana. However, according to Garen, she returned to Coruscant to see if any other Jedi had survived. She did not return, but it was rumored that she was imprisoned on Coruscant.

Back to Planets