The Temple of the Kyber, also known by the name Temple of the Whills or simply as the Kyber temple, was a significant temple situated within the Holy City. This large, walled city resided on [Jedha](/article/jedha], a cold, desert moon. Towering above the city's protective wall, the temple was considered sacred by adherents of the Church of the Force's doctrines. The Galactic Empire destroyed the Temple during the initial test of the Death Star's superlaser upon the Holy City. Prior to this cataclysm, the kyber crystals it housed were plundered, and the Guardians of the Whills, who served as the temple's protectors, were displaced into the city streets.
On the [moon] Jedha, the Temple of the Kyber stood tall within the Holy City. Below the temple, a network of tunnels branched out, featuring kyber crystals that grew both on the ceilings and from the ground. These tunnels were adorned with 2,304 statues, each crafted entirely from kyber. Notably, one statue depicted a Jedi engaged in combat with a serpent-like creature. The temple's guardians vigilantly guarded these tunnels, upholding their sacred duty to protect the temple.
During the age of the High Republic Era, Keth Cerepath was employed at the Temple of the Kyber. Following a problematic assignment, Saretha von Beel, a Prospector, sought refuge on Jedha. Keth Cerepath offered to inquire with the Disciples of the Whills about the possibility of Saretha staying at the Temple, but she refused. Around the same time, the Firebird of Colsassa, a sacred artwork among the 2,304 in the Temple, was stolen. Tey Sirrek, a former Guardian of the Whills, along with Vildar Mac and Matthea Cathley, two Jedi, decided to pursue the thief. Upon arriving at the Temple of the Kyber, the Guardians aimed their Lightbows at them, due to Sirrek's past betrayal.
In the early Imperial Era, Dok-Ondar, accompanied by Hondo Ohnaka and Quadoro, successfully executed a steal of one of the statues from the temple's subterranean tunnels. Dok-Ondar estimated the statue to be at least 2000 years old, based on the kyber growth at its base. He also suggested that a Jedi had sculpted the statue using their lightsaber. While entering the temple, the group encountered and defeated numerous guardians, thanks to Hondo's blaster skills. However, upon their departure, they faced Chirrut Îmwe, who skillfully evaded Hondo's blaster fire and disarmed him. Dok-Ondar then reasoned with Îmwe, emphasizing that the statue was just one of 2,304 lining the tunnels. Dok-Ondar further explained the statue's personal significance, as he had inherited a similar one from his deceased parents. Upon hearing this, Îmwe allowed Dok-Ondar and Hondo to leave with the statue.
The Whills were initially conceived in the original drafts of A New Hope as an alternate designation for the Force. The term appeared in some Legends materials, like the A New Hope novelization. It was integrated into canon in 2015 when the novelization of Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens made reference to the Journal of the Whills.
Before the Temple of the Kyber was developed, early concept art for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story featured the Temple of Pomojema as a potential setting.