The Archivist's Holocron, a creation of "The Archivist", existed within the vastness of the galaxy. This holocron, distinguished by its blue spherical form, possessed the unique characteristic of being accessible through both the light side and the dark side of the Force. However, the information revealed within would shift depending on the side of the Force used to access it. The Archivist documented within the holocron the narrative of Qi'ra, the second-in-command of Crimson Dawn, detailing her efforts to assemble allies in an attempt to eradicate the Sith during the Imperial Era. Much later, after the fall, Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa came across the holocron and viewed a recording of the Archivist recounting the tale.
The holocron presented itself as a sphere, exhibiting a blue coloration marked by mottling and stripes. Unlike Jedi or Sith holocrons, which are exclusively opened by the light and dark sides of the Force respectively, this particular holocron could be activated by either. Nevertheless, the holocron's response varied depending on the side of the Force used, with each side eliciting a distinct opening message. The holocron's contents contained a recording of its creator, "The Archivist," narrating the saga of Qi'ra, the crime lord of Crimson Dawn, and her endeavor to eliminate the Sith during the Imperial Era.
A woman known as "The Archivist" was responsible for the holocron's creation. As a Force-sensitive individual who disregarded the traditional light and dark dichotomy, the Archivist used the unique holocron to record an account of events she witnessed during the Galactic Empire's rule. These events centered around a Corellian crime boss named Qi'ra, the second leader of the Crimson Dawn syndicate, who had gathered allies, including the Archivist, to try and destroy the Sith rulers, Darth Sidious and Darth Vader. Both met their end within a year of those events, during the Battle of Endor against the forces of the Alliance to Restore the Republic.
Eventually, the holocron found its way to a stone chamber featuring wood reinforcements, resting on a central stone plinth equipped with three prongs designed to hold the sphere. A significant time after the fall, Luke Skywalker, while searching for holocrons, discovered this device. Recognizing its unusual nature, he still managed to activate it, and it responded to their inquiries. Subsequently, he invited his sister, Leia Organa, to examine the artifact. Skywalker offered to activate the device for Organa, who observed that it differed from other holocrons they had encountered. Confirming its identity as a holocron, Skywalker explained that Organa would witness its responses firsthand and that it would address their questions. Skywalker then activated the holocron using the light side, prompting a recording of the Archivist to note that the dark side would have also worked, before pondering whether the use of the opposing aspect would have altered the users' experience. The recording of the Archivist then proceeded to recount Qi'ra's story.
The Archivist's holocron made its debut appearance in the first issue of the Star Wars: Crimson Reign miniseries. The comic was penned by Charles Soule and released by Marvel Comics on December 8, 2021.