Cortosis/Legends



Cortosis ore was a very rare, brittle, fibrous material whose conductive properties caused lightsabers to temporarily short out upon contact. This effect made cortosis a useful material for anti-lightsaber melee weapons, though with repeated strikes, a lightsaber could still cut through it. This substance was used extensively in shadowtrooper armor, as well as the Cortosis battle droids during the Clone Wars, and the Force-using group known as the Jensaarai. The cortosis used for this armor was smuggled out from Bespin's Cloud City. The walls of the Imperial Palace were also lined with cortosis ore.

During the New Sith Wars, the Outer Rim Oreworks Company mined cortosis on Apatros.

During the Clone Wars, the Jedi Council discovered that the CIS was mining cortosis on Bal'demnic, and dispatched a task force led by Halagad Ventor and Sha Koon to sabotage the operation.

Behind the scenes
Some sources claim that cortosis is just resistant to lightsaber strikes, and doesn't cause any effect on the weapon itself. The position of the Star Wars RPG is that both are correct (see External Links below). However, it is said that this is because it is a mix, and this has been proven to be said in RPGs such as Knights of the Old Republic.

In Star Wars EU there are two types of cortosis - cortosis ore and cortosis alloy. The cortosis ore deactivates the lightsaber, and the cortosis alloy just blocks it. It should be noted, however, that cortosis is very brittle, and breaks easily. This is why it is mixed with other metals, to form cortosis alloy. However, the alloy loses the shut-down cpability of the ore. Even when mixed, however, cortosis still makes the alloy weaker.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
 * Jedi Council: Acts of War
 * Star Wars Republic 66: Show of Force, Part 2
 * Star Wars: Purge
 * Star Wars: Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast
 * Vision of the Future