15 Things You (Probably) Didn't Know About Coruscant's Jedi Temple

When a Jedi constructs a lightsaber, they require a kyber crystal to power it. The powerful crystal is found via a quest undertaken by young Jedis before they are chosen as Padawans by a Jedi Knight or Master. Each kyber crystal is strong with the Force, and they are incredibly important to the Jedi (also the Sith, but they're another story). When a Jedi fell in battle, their lightsaber was retrieved by the Order so their kyber crystal could be recovered.

When the Order brought the kyber crystal back to the Jedi Temple, they honored it by placing it on the Kyber Arch. This was a structure found in one of the temple's meditation chambers, and it was composed entirely of crystals salvaged from fallen Jedi's lightsabers. The Kyber Arch wasn't solely an honorific to fallen Jedi - it was also used for advanced meditation. Any Jedi called to do so by the Force would scale or cross the Kyber Arch.

The Jedi Temple on Coruscant was constructed thousands of years before the Battle of Yavin, so it was a considerably ancient structure by the time of the Clone Wars. As time passed, the grounds were improved upon and expanded, making it the vast complex it ultimately became by the end of the Galactic Republic period.

The temple was built by the Four Masters, also known as the Four Founders. They were each powerful Jedi Masters who established the Jedi Temple. There's not much known about them, but they were honored on the temple grounds. At the temple's grand entrance stand four statues of two Warrior Masters and two Sage Masters in honor of the Four Masters.

When people think of the Force and its impact on living things, they probably think of people and maybe some animals. The Force binds all living things, and that includes plants, so some plant species were strong in the Force. The uneti tree was one such species, as it was Force-sensitive and long-living. These trees originated on the planet Ahch-To, the ancient home world of the Jedi Order first seen at the end of The Force Awakens.

The ancient Jedi library on Ahch-To was made in the hollowed-out trunk of such a tree and considered sacred (until Yoda burned it with lightning). Uneti trees were scarce throughout the galaxy, and only one existed on Coruscant, at the Jedi Temple. This was known as the Great Tree, which was said to have been sown from the seeds of the first Jedi Temple. When the Empire rose, the tree was removed, but fragments were stored in an Imperial base. Luke Skywalker recovered these fragments, and with them, he was able to discern the location of Ahch-To

With the removal of the Jedi complete, the newly christened Emperor Palpatine took over the Jedi Temple on Coruscant and converted it into his Imperial Palace. Most of the buildings were converted for use by the Empire, including adding the headquarters of Naval Intelligence and the COMPNOR arcology. Other important agencies needed to rule over the galaxy were located in the building, but the emperor kept one part of the former temple to himself.

In the central spire, he placed his emperor's throne room, where he ruled over the Empire. This was once the location of the Jedi Order's council chambers, but by the Imperial Period, it bore no resemblance to the once-majestic hall. He established an audience chamber on the level below his throne room, and he situated his courtroom 20 levels below the grounds of the spire. The emperor rarely needed to leave the Imperial Palace to conduct business, which is why it was surprising when the Rebel Alliance learned he was aboard the second Death Star.

Looking at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, it's difficult to imagine it being assaulted. On top of being a massive fortress inhabited by laser sword-wielding people who can choke the life out of someone with their minds (not that a Jedi would do that), it's a fortress designed to protect and preserve the Jedi Order. Ultimately, it fell when one of its own turned to the dark side of the Force and slaughtered everyone inside, but that's not the only time it was targeted.

In canon, the Jedi Temple was attacked a total of five (known) times. The first known assault came in Choose Your Destiny: An Obi-Wan & Anakin Adventure, a book written for young readers. In the assault, battle droids raid the complex and take Yoda hostage, leaving Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker to rescue them. The second assault came during the Clone Wars, Cad Bane attacked the Jedi Temple to take a holocron that held the names of Force-sensitive children throughout the galaxy.

The third time the Temple was targeted came later in the Clone Wars when Padawan Barriss Offee bombed the temple's hanger. Ahsoka Tano was blamed for the assault, and even though Anakin cleared her name, she refused to rejoin the Jedi Order. The penultimate assault came shortly before the Clone Wars ended when Rackham Sear attempted to wipe out the central tower, and he ultimately failed, thanks to a youngling named Caleb Dume (Kanan Jarrus).

On the surface, the Jedi Temple on Coruscant is a school, an administration building, and a library, but far more activity abounds in and under the grounds than most people realize. In addition to housing, training, and leading all Jedi throughout the galaxy, the temple also imprisons people from time to time. This wasn't simply a small area with a holding cell meant to keep a dangerous individual out of the way for a short time - the Jedi had a massive prison complex uniquely designed to hold Force-sensitive individuals.

The Temple Detention Center was initially designed to contain the Sith and their servants, but it wasn't used for that purpose. The multilevel, high-security detention center was built several hundred years prior to 19 BBY, and no Sith had been seen for a thousand years beforehand, leaving the cells to contain anyone and everyone who was considered a threat. The design of the cells made it impossible for Force-sensitive people to break themselves out, and no record exists of anyone who ever managed to do so.

The walls, floors, and ceilings were all constructed from cortosis-reinforced duracrete. This was reinforced with rare, Force-resistant alloys, making it impossible to blast through. Each door was sealed with blast doors, which were reinforced with shield generators. The entire complex was also shielded, making breaking in or out impossible. The innermost cells were designed to contain fallen Jedi and Sith, while the outer chambers held criminals and any Jedi who broke the Order's laws.