What’s the difference between a Sith Holocron and a Jedi Wayfinder in ‘Star Wars’?

The Star Wars franchise is vast; it features hundreds of characters, locations, and items from the commonplace to the highly unusual. However, ever since Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker hit screens, one item has caused a lot of debate within the fandom. This item is the Wayfinder, which plays a crucial role in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’s story, but also resembles another object from the Star Wars universe called the Holocron. How do these two items differ? 

What is the Wayfinder? 

First seen in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the Sith Wayfinder is a stone-like pyramidal device with glass-like panels on the side and technology of some form on the inside. The Sith Wayfinder shows the user how to get to Exegol, the hidden world of the Sith. There are two Sith Wayfinders: one belonged to Darth Sidious, while the second belonged to Darth Vader. Vader’s is the one that was retrieved and used by Kylo Ren during the film. 

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker: The Visual Dictionary features a page dedicated to the Wayfinder, describing it as: 

“Wayfinders are ancient pieces of technology whose workings are not fully understood. They act as hyperspatial lodestones, showing safe paths through navigationally challenging stretches of space, and were essential for some of the earliest hyperspace exploration when navicomputers were still in their infancy.”

The book also shows a Jedi equivalent of the Wayfinder called the Jedi Compass. Star Wars fans will recognize this as the silver object Luke was seen carrying during The Last Jedi. The Compass is similar to the Wayfinder but is also the opposite of it, as the Jedi Compass points in the direction of Ahch-To, the location of the first Jedi Temple. 

What are Holocrons?

Holocrons are information storage devices used by both the Jedi and the Sith. First appearing in the current canon in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars episode “Holocron Heist”, they can take many forms depending on the creator and the information held within. 

Holocrons were used to store information, usually in the form of a recorded hologram. Both the Jedi and the Sith used these to store information about their orders and the Force, allowing young apprentices to use Holocrons as training tools. Some Holocrons containing sensitive information would have security systems to prevent the knowledge from falling into the wrong hands. 

Interestingly, Sith Holocrons are pyramidal in shape, making them look similar but not identical to the Wayfarers. This comparison is starker when you look at the Sith Holocron on sale at Disneyland Resort’s Galaxy’s Edge attraction, as this Holocron looks like a less-aged and more advanced version of the Wayfinder. 

What is the difference between the Wayfinder and the Holocron?

On the surface, the Wayfinder and the Holocron seem similar. Both are small objects holding sensitive data that can only be accessed by those who know how to operate them.  

However, the difference becomes more apparent when you compare a Holocron to the Jedi Compass. While the Jedi Compass works like a Wayfinder, its form is more recognizable.

While Holocrons contain lots of information that can be sorted through, like a book, Wayfinders act like a modern compass. They point to one specific place in space or hyperspace and contain a precise route to that place, starting from a known location. So, a Holocron could be used to plot a map to any location stored within it, while the Wayfinder will only take you to one specific place and will always follow the same path to get there. 

This is further explained in Star Wars The High Republic: A Test of Courage by Justina Ireland. In this book, a young Jedi attempts to use the Wayfinding Force power. They describe the ability by saying: 

“I, um, should be able to detect someplace that has a lot of life, and if there are creatures living there on the planet it should be safe enough for us, as long as I have a good idea of what I am looking for.”

This suggests that the Wayfinder is basically doing the same thing — pointing towards one specific point, likely a Force Vergence. However, rather than requiring a Force-user to expend their energy, the Wayfinder does it for them, allowing them to follow it until they reach the location.