Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine edited together over Mae's eyes in The AcolyteOne dramatic moment in Disney’s recent Star Wars era secretly confirms the true nature of the dark side. The Force has always been presented as something of a mystery, greater than either the Jedi or the Sith fully understand, meaning both the old Star Wars Expanded Universe and modern canon have explored it a great deal. The key to understanding the Force naturally lies in its light and dark sides.

In the original and prequel Star Wars trilogies, the dark side of the Force is portrayed as an unnatural and corrupt perversion of the Force’s natural state – nicknamed the “good side” in the films and the “light side” in many Legends-era properties. Balance is simply the Force untainted by the dark side. Most modern canon properties portray the Force differently, suggesting both light and dark are natural, with balance sometimes seen as another aspect. Despite this, one key scene has recently confirmed the traditional view.

Kyber Crystals Need To Be Bled To Be Turned To The Dark Side

The blue sky Kyber crystal in Master Sol's lightsaber in The Acolyte season 1 episode 8
The blue sky Kyber crystal turning red as it is touched by Osha in The Acolyte season 1 episode 8 Left side: Osha Aniseya holding Master Sol's blue lightsaber as the blade turns red in The Acolyte episode 8; Right side: Osha kneels down and holds the lightsaber hilt while the blue kyber crystal turns red. Amandla Stenberg as Osha bleeding Sol's kyber crystal in The Acolyte Qimir touching Osha's (Amandla Stenberg) shoulder after having killed Master Sol in The Acolyte season 1 episode 8The blue sky Kyber crystal in Master Sol's lightsaber in The Acolyte season 1 episode 8
The blue sky Kyber crystal turning red as it is touched by Osha in The Acolyte season 1 episode 8 Left side: Osha Aniseya holding Master Sol's blue lightsaber as the blade turns red in The Acolyte episode 8; Right side: Osha kneels down and holds the lightsaber hilt while the blue kyber crystal turns red. Amandla Stenberg as Osha bleeding Sol's kyber crystal in The Acolyte Qimir touching Osha's (Amandla Stenberg) shoulder after having killed Master Sol in The Acolyte season 1 episode 8

In the Legends continuity, there is a wide variety of Force-imbued crystals that can power a lightsaber, including natural crystals and crystals synthesized using the Force (or the dark side) and machinery. The modern canon reimagined lightsaber crystals, with natural Kyber crystals being the only reliable power source for lightsabers. Moreover, Kyber crystals must bond with a Force user, a process that changes them from a neutral clear color to a specific hue, typically blue or green but sometimes becoming a rarer color like purple or yellow.

Kyber crystals do not bond with dark side users, so they must endure a process called “bleeding,” which corrupts them with the dark side and turns the lightsaber red. This process has appeared in modern Star Wars canon comics, video games, and, more recently, in a live-action Disney+ TV series. In the season 1 finale of The Acolyte, Osha corrupts the Kyber crystal of Jedi Master Sol, turning it red and forcing it to bond with her via the dark side.

Sith Kyber Crystals Prove The Dark Side Isn’t Natural… Even In The Disney Era

The Stranger aims his red lightsaber at Mae in The Acolyte episode 5

Despite the modern Star Wars canon’s reimagining and rewriting of the Force, the new lore surrounding Kyber crystals closely adheres to the Force’s original depiction. Kyber crystals naturally bond with Force users like Jedi, but dark side users, like Sith Lords and Knights of Ren, must force a bond through the unnatural energy of the dark side. For better or worse, this relatively new element of Star Wars lore is not entirely compatible with the modern timeline, but excellently illustrates the Force as it was depicted in George Lucas’s main saga films.