Synthcrystals, also referred to as synthetic kyber crystals, were artificially created kyber crystals that were inherently volatile and prone to detonation due to their man-made composition.
Artificial kyber crystals, known as synthetic kyber crystals, were Force-sensitive crystals utilized by both the Jedi and Sith factions in the construction of their signature lightsabers, emitting a distinctive green glow. Their manufactured nature resulted in significant instability and a tendency to explode, leading the Galactic Empire to outlaw their possession.
During the year 4 ABY, a young smuggler was engaged by the gangster known as "Happy" Dapp to transport a consignment of synthetic kyber crystals. However, the smuggler was intercepted during a contraband inspection carried out by an Imperial Security Officer at Longstar Marketplace on the planet Burnin Konn. To avoid capture, the smuggler stunned the officer and sought refuge in a nearby mine shaft, where they triggered the crystals' detonation to collapse the entrance, thereby impeding the advance of two pursuing Imperial stormtroopers. Enraged by the loss of the crystals, Dapp dispatched his bodyguard, Tryken, to confront the smuggler about the failed delivery. Ultimately, the aging Zabrak was defeated. Short one enforcer, the crime boss allowed the smuggler and their sibling, Riley, to work off the debt incurred by the destroyed shipment of crystals.
The debut of synthetic kyber crystals in the official Star Wars canon occurred in the mobile game Star Wars: Uprising. This game, developed by Kabam for the iOS and Android operating systems, was launched in 2015. The idea of synthetic lightsaber crystals initially surfaced in the Shadows of the Empire novelization, a Star Wars Legends novel penned by Steve Perry. It was released on April 1, 1996 as a component of the Shadows of the Empire multimedia project. The Legends reference article Fightsaber: Jedi Lightsaber Combat, written by David West Reynolds and featured in Star Wars Insider 62 which was released on September 13, 2002, stated that synthetic crystals were used to create the red lightsaber blades of the Sith. Despite the fact that they used natural kyber crystals in their lightsabers in the canon, the Sith were mistakenly said to use synthetic crystals in Ultimate Star Wars, a canon reference book cowritten by Patricia Barr, Adam Bray, Daniel Wallace, and Ryder Windham that was released on April 28, 2015. Additionally, "Lightsabers and Jedi Equipment" erroneously alludes to synthetic crystals, asserting that Dooku's lightsaber was powered by a fake crystal, despite the fact that Dooku's blade was powered by a real kyber crystal in the established canon.