Baird Kantoo

Baird Kantoo was a human male who lived as a Jedi Master prior to the formation of the Old Republic. Kantoo sought to craft a weapon suitable for the Jedi, so he used his knowledge of the Force to forge several kyber crystals into a single blade, creating the Kyber Saber—the galaxy's first lightsaber. The weapon magnified Kantoo's Force abilities a thousandfold, and when Kantoo realized the threat the Kyber Saber possessed, he shattered the blade into seven pieces. Kantoo gave the blade's fragments to six Jedi Knights, who hid the crystals across the galaxy. Kantoo later joined the Force Builders, and he recorded the secret to building with kyber crystals in a holocron, which was hidden at the site of the Kyber Saber's destruction.
For millennia, Kantoo's story was preserved in the Jedi Archives, and it was uncovered by the Sith Lord Darth Vader. Vader enlisted Naare, a Sith agent, to locate the crystals, and she began her quest on the planet Nal Kapok. During this time, Naare encountered a young, Force-sensitive boy named Rowan Freemaker, to whom the crystals called. To gain Freemaker's assistance, Naare claimed she was a Jedi on a mission to recover the Kyber Saber before Galactic Emperor Sheev Palpatine could. Freemaker agreed to help, and Naare soon collected the seven fragments, rebuilding the weapon. However, Freemaker learned Naare's true nature, and he destroyed the Kyber Saber in a river of lava on Sullust, honoring Kantoo's decision and considering the Jedi a hero. Later, Freemaker discovered Kantoo's hidden holocron and was deemed worthy of learning the Master's Force technique.
==Biography==
===Crafting the first lightsaber===
Prior to the creation of the Old Republic, Baird Kantoo was a wise Jedi Master in Jedi Order. Seeking to craft a weapon worthy of the Jedi, Kantoo used a secret Force technique to forge several kyber crystals into a single, solid blade—the Kyber Saber, a weapon which amplified his power a thousandfold. However, while on an Outer Rim planet, Kantoo's power escaped him, and when he inadvertently destroyed the planet's moon, the Master came to terms with the danger that his weapon possessed. To ensure the Kyber Saber would not be used again, Kantoo smashed the blade into seven pieces, keeping the hilt and giving the remaining fragments to six Jedi Knights whom he trusted. The Knights hid the Kyber Saber crystals across the galaxy, and Kantoo's story was recorded in a holocron, which was preserved in the Jedi Archives.
Sometime after Kantoo's incident with the Kyber Saber, the Master joined the Force Builders, a group of Force-sensitive architects and shipwrights. During his time with the Force Builders, Kantoo stored his knowledge of building with kyber crystals in another holocron. Eventually, this holocron was safeguarded in a Jedi temple at the site of the Kyber Saber's destruction. Although Kantoo's weapon was unsuitable for use, the Kyber Saber signaled a landmark in the history of the Jedi, credited with being the first lightsaber. The lightsabers which followed were powered by kyber crystals, and the swords became the weapon of the Jedi.
===Legacy===
Millennia after the destruction of the Kyber Saber, the Sith Lord Darth Vader located the holocron of Kantoo's story within the Jedi Archives. Believing that the Kyber Saber could end the Galactic Civil War and ensure the Sith's control of the galaxy, he enlisted Naare, a Sith agent, to locate its seven pieces. Naare began her search on the planet of Nal Kapok, where she met Rowan Freemaker, a young Force-sensitive boy with a natural connection to the Kyber Saber crystals. Wishing to gain Freemaker's trust, Naare told Kantoo's story to the boy, and she claimed that she was a Jedi trying to find the Kyber Saber crystals before Galactic Emperor Sheev Palpatine could. Freemaker agreed to help Naare find the crystals, and they began their quest.
Through Freemaker's ability, Naare quickly found the seven crystals, and during an Empire Day celebration, the Sith agent rebuilt the Kyber Saber, wreaking havoc at the Imperial Palace on the planet Coruscant. When Freemaker learned of Naare's true identity, he used his connection to the Kyber Saber crystals to overpower her, taking the weapon for himself. With his siblings Zander and Kordi, Freemaker traveled to Sullust, where he honored Kantoo by throwing the Kyber Saber into a river of lava, destroying the weapon. Sometime later, Freemaker visited the world on which the Kyber Saber was initially destroyed, and the boy found Kantoo's holocron in the Jedi temple. The holocron presented a visage of Kantoo, and it revealed the secret of building with kyber crystals, also issuing a warning of the destructive potential. Grasping the possible dangers, Freemaker was initially hesitant to use the technique. However, after talking to his sister Kordi, the boy concluded that Emperor Palpatine could not be defeated without taking the risk, and he constructed an amalgam of various kyber crystals to power his family's starship, the Arrowhead.
==Personality and traits==
A human male with light-colored skin and long, gray hair, Kantoo was a wise Jedi Master. After creating the Kyber Saber, Kantoo saw its potential danger, so he smashed the weapon and gave the pieces to trusted Jedi Knights, believing that no one should possess that amount of power. Millennia later, Kantoo was regarded as a hero by Freemaker, who destroyed the Kyber Saber. When Freemaker found Kantoo's holocron, the boy was deemed worthy, and the holocron revealed the skill of building with kyber crystals.
==Powers and abilities==
Kantoo was a gifted Jedi Master, and he discovered how to build with kyber crystals, which he used to forge the Kyber Saber. With the weapon, Kantoo's power was magnified a thousandfold. Kantoo kept the skill a secret, later storing the knowledge in a holocron.
==Equipment==
As a Jedi Master, Kantoo wore angular, tan Jedi robes and a brown cloak. Kantoo wanted to create a weapon worthy of the Jedi Order, so he forged several kyber crystals into a solid, blue-hued blade, which became known as the Kyber Saber. The Kyber Saber was able to multiply one's skill by a thousand, which Kantoo deemed too dangerous, leading him to shatter the blade and hide its fragments. Millennia later, the Kyber Saber was reconstructed by the Sith agent Naare, and she nearly conquered the galaxy through the weapon's power. Naare's plot was stopped by Freemaker, who had a natural connection to the Kyber Saber crystals, giving him control of the blade.
==Behind the scenes==
Baird Kantoo first appeared in "A Hero Discovered," the pilot episode of the non-canon animated television series LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures, which premiered in 2016. Kantoo later appeared in "The Pit and the Pinnacle," the eighth episode of the show's second season. In "The Pit and the Pinnacle," Kantoo was voiced by Trevor Devall.
The Freemaker Adventures credits Kantoo with creating the first lightsaber. Within the Star Wars Legends continuity, the first lightsaber, known as the First Blade, was crafted by the Weapon Master of the Je'daii Order, while its precursor, the Forcesaber, was forged by the Rakata.Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi 0
==Appearances==
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==Notes and references==
Category:Force Builders
Category:Humans
Category:Jedi Masters of the Jedi Order
Category:Males