- “There is always hope, my friend, though it often comes in forms not looked for. The key is knowing how to see it and seizing that opportunity.”
- ―Qui-Gon Jinn's spirit to Yoda
Qui-Gon Jinn is a Jedi Master and one of the main characters from the Star Wars universe, first appearing in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. He is the master of Obi-Wan Kenobi and the one who discovered Anakin Skywalker, whom Qui-Gon believed to be the Chosen One, the Jedi who would bring balance to the Force.
Qui-Gon was trained as a Jedi by Count Dooku, the man who would become like a father to him. After becoming a Jedi Master, he took in young Obi-Wan Kenobi as an apprentice. He and Obi-Wan were acquainted with Duchess Satine Kryze of Mandalore, who, unknown to Qui-Gon, fell in love with his Padawan.
Qui-Gon also refused to sit on the seat of the Jedi Council and was sent to Naboo to "negotiate" with the Trade Federation of the blockade on Naboo with his Padawan. On Tatooine, he discovered Force-sensitive child Anakin Skywalker and won his freedom in a gambling deal that Qui-Gon made with the boy's master, Watto. During the battle of Naboo, Qui-Gon was killed by Darth Maul, who was the apprentice of Darth Sidious. Before dying in the arms of his apprentice, he made Obi-Wan promise to train Anakin as a Jedi.
Background[]
Qui-Gon was born Force-sensitive on the planet of Coruscant. At a very young age, he was discovered by the Jedi Order and brought to the Coruscant Jedi Temple to be trained as a Jedi. At some point, he meet Eno Cordova and became close friends, helped Cordova learn about and get used to Coruscant. Later, he was assigned to Jedi Master Dooku to be the latter's apprentice. Qui-Gon eventually obtained the rank of Jedi Master and became one of the finest Jedi that the Jedi Order has ever had. At some point, Qui-Gon took on an apprentice named Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Due to Qui-Gon's maverick views, he was never offered a seat on the Jedi High Council, despite him being one of the most powerful and wisest members of the Jedi Order.
Unknown to the members of the Jedi High Council and his apprentice Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon had secretly discovered the existence of and trained with a group of Force-sensitives known as the Force Priestesses, who taught him how to preserve his identity through the Force allowing him to become immortal. Qui-Gon had a good relationship with Obi-Wan and although they greatly respected each other, Qui-Gon was often at odds with his apprentice, due to the fact that Obi-Wan was a more devoted follower of the Jedi Code than Qui-Gon, who preferred to follow his conscience and the will of the Living Force.
On the desert planet of Tatooine, Qui-Gon met a young Force-sensitive human boy named Anakin Skywalker. Sensing that he had an unusually powerful connection to the Force, Qui-Gon took a sample of Anakin's blood and had the specimen analyzed on their ship to discover how high his midi-chlorian count was. After he had Obi-Wan run the test, he discovered that Anakin had a midi-chlorian count that was over twenty thousand. As no Force-user in the history of the galaxy had a midi-chlorian count that high, not even Yoda, he correctly believed the boy to be the Chosen One of the Jedi prophecy.
Qui-Gon won Anakin's freedom in a wager a against his master, Watto, on the Boonta Eve race. On their way to the Naboo Royal Starship, they were attacked by a mysterious dark warrior, Maul. During their duel, Qui-Gon realized that not only did his opponent knew the ways of the Force, but he was also familiar with the Jedi art of lightsaber combat. He then concluded that the only possible explanation was that his opponent was a Sith, an organization and order of dark side Force-users who the enemy of the Jedi that were believed to be extinct.
After this encounter, Qui-Gon reported his concerns to the Jedi High Council. However, some members of the Council were skeptical of the potential existence of the Sith. Ki-Adi-Mundi stated that the Sith have been extinct for a millennia and Mace Windu arrogantly stated that the Sith could not possibly return without them knowing. However, Yoda and most other members of the Council, knew that nothing was impossible and that the dark side of the Force was unpredictable. Qui-Gon also reported his discovery of Anakin Skywalker, in addition to his discovery of the boy's unusually powerful connection to the Force and his suspicion that he may be the Chosen One of the prophecy. But some members of the Jedi High Council were skeptical to believe this as well.
Qui-Gon requested that Anakin to be tested, and the Council reluctantly agreed. However, despite being impressed by Anakin's abilities, the Council also sensed Anakin's emotional attachment to his mother and a considerable degree of fear within him, which they found troubling. As a result, they felt unable to train him.
After Anakin was denied entry into the Jedi Order, Qui-Gon stated that he would become the mentor of the boy to train the him, to which the Jedi Council pointed out that Qui-Gon already had an apprentice, and that the Jedi Code forbid him from having more than one apprentice at a time. However, the Jedi Master pointed out that Obi-Wan Kenobi was ready for the Jedi Trials, therefore, there was nothing that could prevent him from training Anakin. Qui-Gon decided he would train Anakin as a Jedi, regardless if the members of the Jedi High Council approved or not.
During the Battle of Naboo, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan dueled Maul. Although the Jedi Master initially had the upper hand, the Sith Lord eventually lured him into a tight corner. As Qui-Gon had a disadvantage fighting in tight spaces, Maul managed to mortally wound him. Obi-Wan then apparently succeeded in defeating the Sith Lord by cutting him in half.
Before succumbing to his wounds, Qui-Gon made Obi-Wan promise that he would train Anakin as a Jedi, a request which his apprentice agreed to. After this, Qui-Gon died and became a Force spirit.
Personality[]
Qui-Gon is a noble, patient, compassionate, faithful, honest, and humble. Even as a Padawan, he had good control over his emotions, as he was able to hide them. He is also a cunning, and powerful warrior with a tendency to take lesser creatures under his wing, something that frustrated and baffled both his mentor Dooku, and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi, to no end.
Although he had risen to the rank of Jedi Master, Qui-Gon did not always agree with the rules, and structures of the Jedi Order. He became known for disobeying the Jedi High Council or bend the rules of the Jedi Code, if he felt it was the right choice. Due to Qui-Gon's maverick nature, he was never offered a seat on the Jedi High Council, despite him being one of the wisest and most powerful Jedi of his time.
Qui-Gon was sometimes at odds with his apprentice, Obi-Wan, and even the Jedi Council, due to the fact that they were more devoted followers of the Galactic Republic and Jedi Code than Qui-Gon, who preferred to follow his conscience and the will of the Living Force. Despite this, he still developed a strong bond of friendship with Obi-Wan, with the two greatly respecting each other.
As a Jedi, Qui-Gon is highly intelligent, wise, and calculating. Qui-Gon believes that one's focus on the future should not compromise the concentration on the present and strongly believes in trusting one's instincts. His belief that Anakin Skywalker was the Chosen One, looked at both the future and in the moment. Ultimately, this belief is proven to be correct.
Qui-Gon's commitment to studying the galaxy and interacting with it, proved to be far-reaching, having a great impact on Obi-Wan and Anakin, both of whom would greatly influence the founder of the New Jedi Order, Luke Skywalker. Qui-Gon is also one of the few members of the Jedi Order who recognized the flaws in the Jedi teachings and code. He also knew about the corruption in the Galactic Senate, as later stated by Dooku.
Powers and Abilities[]
Powers[]
- The Force: Qui-Gon has an extremely strong connection to the Force.
- Telekinesis: Qui-Gon can telekinetically move objects or other individuals without physically touching them, and he utilizes it for offensive or defensive purposes. While speaking to Yoda Qui-Gon lifted everything, including Yoda, in the room showing it is really him and he is part of the Living Force.
- Force Push: Qui-Gon can telekinetically send his opponents flying through the air, causing serious injury or temporarily incapacitating/knocking them unconscious, depending on how much power is unleashed.
- Mind Trick: Qui-Gon can control the minds of other sentient beings, except for individuals with indomitable wills. His skill with telepathically influencing other individuals was enough to allow him to sedate and render them unconscious, as shown when he placed Jar Jar in a semi-conscious state by merely touching his shoulder and telling him to relax, with Obi-Wan stating that he "overdid it".
- Force Sense: Qui-Gon can sense another sentient being's emotions, the future, ripples in the Force caused by momentous or traumatic events, impending danger, and the presence of other light or dark side Force-users.
- Force Dash: Qui-Gon can move at amazing speeds.
- Force Spirit: Due to the ancient knowledge of the Force Priestesses at Qui-Gon's disposal, he was able to transcend physical death and preserve his identity through the Force. This allowed him to become one with the Force when he died from the injury he received from Maul in their final confrontation. However, Qui-Gon was only able to speak to the living, and could not show himself like most Force Spirits because his training was not complete. Despite this, he would help teach this power to Yoda. He was able to show himself on Mortis due to the strange properties of the planet act as an amplifier and a magnate to conduit for the Force. As a result of continuing his training for many years in the Netherworld of the Force, Qui-Gon also was able to show himself on Tatooine and talk to Obi-Wan.
- Telekinesis: Qui-Gon can telekinetically move objects or other individuals without physically touching them, and he utilizes it for offensive or defensive purposes. While speaking to Yoda Qui-Gon lifted everything, including Yoda, in the room showing it is really him and he is part of the Living Force.
Abilities[]
- Master Lightsaber Duelist: Qui-Gon is a highly skilled lightsaber duelist. Despite Qui-Gon's masterful dueling skills, he has weaknesses, having disadvantage when fighting in tight spaces. This was what ultimately led to Qui-Gon's death at the hands of Maul.
- Form I: Qui-Gon is highly skilled in Shii-Cho.
- Form II: Being trained under Count Dooku, Qui-Gon is very skilled in Makashi.
- Form III: Qui-Gon is highly skilled in Soresu.
- Form IV: Qui-Gon is extremely skilled in Ataru. Like Yoda, he specialized in the Ataru lightsaber form, a fast-paced and physically taxing form utilizing acrobatics to overwhelm an opponent's defenses. As such, prolonged combat, confined spaces, and compromised defense were the form's weak points which Darth Maul took full advantage of, as well as Qui-Gon's advanced age lessening his stamina.
- Form V: Qui-Gon is highly skilled in Shien/Djem So.
- Form VI: Qui-Gon is highly skilled in Niman, applying Force attacks in his lightsaber sequence.
- Expert Hand-To-Hand Combatant: Qui-Gon is a highly skilled hand-to-hand combatant.
- Genius-Level Intellect/Master Tactician/Leader: Qui-Gon is highly intelligent and wise. As a Jedi Master, Qui-Gon is a highly skilled tactician and a very capable leader.
- Expert Pilot: Qui-Gon is highly skilled in piloting several different types of speeders and most types of flying crafts.
- Meditation: Qui-Gon can connect with the Force with a clear mind by meditating.
- Multilingual: Qui-Gon is capable of fluently speaking Basic, Nelvaanese, Cerean, Gran, and Shyriiwook.
Weapons and Equipment[]
Lightsaber[]
Qui-Gon's valued weapon and possession was his green-bladed lightsaber.
- Lightsaber: Qui-Gon had built a green-bladed lightsaber which he used throughout his Jedi career. He had it when he fought Maul, Obi-Wan Kenobi used it to defeat Maul after losing his own. It is unknown what happened to this lightsaber after Qui-Gon's death.
History[]
Jedi Padawan[]
Qui-Gon Jinn appears in "Justice", where he and his master, Count Dooku, set out to resolve a hostage situation on a ghost world. Qui-Gon prevented Dooku from killing Senator Dagonet and freeing his son from the villagers who were angry at the senator.[1]
Jedi Master[]
Invasion of Naboo[]
Qui-Gon is sent with his Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi, to negotiate with the Trade Federation, who have been causing a blockade around Naboo. While on the ship, they are attacked by Battle Droids and make their way to an exit, where they find the Federation armies are planning an invasion on Naboo, so they leave to warn Queen Padmé Amidala.
Qui-Gon saves Jar Jar Binks.
While on Naboo, Qui-Gon saves a Gungan outcast, Jar Jar Binks, who offers to bring them to the underwater city of Otoh Gunga. While there, Qui-Gon asks the ruler, Boss Nass, if he would fight off the invasion, but he refuses, saying that the Naboo think themselves to be superior to the Gungans. Qui-Gon uses a Jedi mind trick to get Nass to give them a bongo (a type of submarine transport), and they leave for Theed Palace. On the way, they are nearly eaten by a fish/crustacean called an Opee Sea Killer and an eel-like fish called a Colo Claw Fish, but a bigger Mammalian Sando Aqua Monster inadvertently saves them by eating the both creatures, and they escape. They arrive at Theed and rescue Padmé, her handmaidens, some soldiers and their captain Panaka. Senator Sio Bible stays behind to negotiate, and they leave in the Queen's starfighter.
They are ambushed by the Federation, damaging their hyperdrive in the process, and are forced to land on the desert planet of Tatooine. Qui-Gon, Jar Jar, Padmé, and an astromech droid called R2-D2 set out to the village to get a new engine. They meet a part seller named Watto, who has an engine, but they are not able to buy it. Qui-Gon attempts a mind trick, but Watto is a Toydarian and it does not work. Watto's assistant, Anakin Skywalker, invites them to his house because a sandstorm is coming. Qui-Gon begins to sense the Force is strong in Anakin, and gives him a midi-chlorian check, finding his is higher than Yoda's. Anakin enters a pod race to win the money for them, with Qui-Gon tricking Watto into thinking he had acquired the podracer Anakin had built. Watto, who has Anakin and his mother as slaves, offers to set only one free. He rolls a dice with two sides that are red and blue. If it lands on red, Anakin's mother will go, and if blue, Anakin will go. Qui-Gon uses the Force to make it land on blue. Though Watto says they will not succeed, Anakin is able to win and they leave. On the way to the ship, Qui-Gon and Anakin are attacked by a Sith lord named Maul, and they are just able to escape, informing Obi-Wan that Darth Maul is well trained in the Jedi arts and after the queen, and introduces Anakin to Obi-Wan.
On Coruscant, Qui-Gon tells the Jedi Council about their findings, and asks if Anakin can be trained, but the Council refuses, believing Anakin is too old and that his future is clouded and uncertain. Obi-Wan argues with Qui-Gon, saying if he actually follows the Council's rules, maybe he will be on it, and citing Anakin as potentially dangerous.
The Battle of Naboo[]
They go back to Naboo with Padmé and her guards when they are informed she intends to fight the Trade Federation, where Obi-Wan apologizes for arguing on Coruscant. Qui-Gon tells him he thought he was much wiser than himself, and they go to find Boss Nass and the other Gungans. He refuses to help, until Padmé reveals she is the real queen and the other one, Sabé, is a decoy. After Padme acknowledges Nass as an equal, the Gungans agree to aid them against the droid armies. The Gungans fight the main army outside the city, while the others get inside Theed Palace to arrest the Federation's Viceroy, Nute Gunray. They eventually reach a door during the battle that opens to reveal Darth Maul.
Qui-Gon in his last moments.
Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan duel Maul within the Theed Power Complex, and eventually, Obi-Wan is knocked off a balcony, and it takes a while for him to catch up. They are all at different parts: both the palace's reactor core and separated by ray shields when Qui-Gon begins to meditate. The shields go off, and he and Maul fight again. They reach a room with a giant hole, and Obi-Wan is caught behind the last shield. Maul hits Qui-Gon in the face with his lightsaber during their duel and proceeds to stab him through the torso. Obi-Wan is able to defeat Maul, and he rushes to help his master. A mortally wounded Qui-Gon asks Obi-Wan to train Anakin, saying that he is the Chosen One and will bring balance to the Force, to which Obi-Wan promises just before Qui-Gon himself dies. Near the end of the film, Qui-Gon's body is burned in a funeral pyre.
Afterlife[]
The Clone Wars[]
Qui-Gon appears as a Force spirit when he visits Obi-Wan on the planet Mortis. He asks if he had trained Anakin like he asked, and Obi-Wan confirms it. Qui-Gon also appeared to Anakin urging him to trust his instincts to stop the Son.
Later, after the Jedi learned about how Dooku created the Clone Army, Qui-Gon is also revealed to have become a Force spirit as well, as Yoda finds out that he trained with the Force Priestesses. However, since Qui-Gon's training was incomplete, the Jedi Master could only manifest himself as a disembodied voice.
Fallen Jedi Order[]
When Yoda and Obi-Wan prepare for their exile to Dagobah and Tatooine respectively, the former tells the latter that Qui-Gon's spirit has returned from the netherworld of the Force and learned the path to immortality. Yoda then proceeds to teach Obi-Wan how to communicate with his spirit.
Printed media[]
Qui-Gon Jinn makes a very brief appearance in the novel Ahsoka, in which he is shown to be training Obi-Wan on Tatooine in the techniques that allowed him to become immortal by preserving his spirit through the Force.
Relationships[]
Yoda[]
Like all Jedi, Qui-Gon highly respected Yoda and was trained by him as a young boy; prior to Qui-Gon becoming Dooku's apprentice. However, they often disagreed with each other due to their differing beliefs; Yoda looked to the future while Qui-Gon lived in the moment. When Qui-Gon was killed by Darth Maul, Yoda was saddened, but continued to disapprove of Qui-Gon's unorthodox ways, regarding them as "defiance".
During the Clone Wars, Qui-Gon's spirit saw that dark times were approaching and contacted Yoda to set him on the path to learning the teachings of the Force Priestesses to become a Force spirit and become immortal. It was only then that Yoda finally and truly acknowledged that Qui-Gon had been a great Jedi and apologized for not recognizing it. Qui-Gon humbly accepted Yoda's apology.
Mace Windu[]
Although Qui-Gon and Mace were both Jedi Masters, they were often at odds due to their differing ways. Qui-Gon, was a maverick who was perfectly willing to disobey the Jedi Council, and bend the rules of the Code if he felt it was the right choice. Mace, on the other hand, was a traditionalist who was staunchly committed to the Jedi Code, and always yielded to the will of the Council.
Because of Qui-Gon's rebellious behavior, Mace had a low opinion about him, though he did tolerate his fellow Jedi Master. Mace was shown to be skeptical about Qui-Gon's theory that the Sith had returned and his insistence that young Anakin Skywalker was the prophesied Chosen One. In both cases, Qui-Gon ultimately proved to be right.
Count Dooku[]
Dooku became Qui-Gon's mentor after he was promoted to the rank of Padawan. The two quickly became very close due to their many similarities; both were very individual thinkers, idealists, and having a unique knowledge of the Force. After Qui-Gon passed the Trials and became a Jedi Knight, Dooku urged Qui-Gon not to trust others telling him his need to reach out to others left him vulnerable to betrayal. Qui-Gon lived by all the lessons Dooku taught him except that last one.
When Qui-Gon was killed by Darth Maul, Dooku was so saddened that he later turned to the dark side and became the Sith Lord Darth Tyranus.
Obi-Wan Kenobi[]
Qui-Gon shared a close bond and friendship with his apprentice. However, they did not always agree due to Qui-Gon being a student of the Living Force and Obi-Wan being a proponent of the Unifying Force. When Qui-Gon was killed by Darth Maul, Obi-Wan was devastated and took Anakin Skywalker as his apprentice to fulfill his mentor's dying wish.
After Anakin became Darth Vader, Qui-Gon's spirit contacted Obi-Wan and taught him the techniques on becoming a Force spirit.
Anakin Skywalker[]
Qui-Gon first met Anakin on Tatooine. When Qui-Gon discovered his midi-chlorian was over twenty thousand, he immediately became convinced that Anakin was the Chosen One (as no Force-user in the history of the galaxy had midi-chlorian that high; not even Yoda). Qui-Gon's support of Anakin made him a target of assassination by Darth Sidious, who dispatched Darth Maul to Naboo to kill him, hoping to eliminate Anakin's chances of becoming a Jedi. Before succumbing to his wounds, Qui-Gon made Obi-Wan promise to make Anakin his apprentice.
When Anakin fell to the dark side and became Darth Vader, Qui-Gon blamed himself for this outcome. He regretted letting Obi-Wan with the burden of training the boy before his apprentice was ready for it. After Vader's survival was revealed to Obi-Wan Kenobi by a HoloNet broadcast about the Subjugation of Kashyyyk, Qui-Gon's spirit revealed to Obi-Wan that Luke was safe on Tatooine because Vader could not arrive in such places due to them awakening memories of when he was Anakin, a part of his life Vader wanted to forget forever.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Though he does not appear in Revenge of the Sith, Yoda reveals to Obi-Wan that Qui-Gon Jinn has retained his identity through the Force and that Obi-Wan will learn how to become a Force spirit from him.
- In multiple interviews, Qui-Gon Jinn's actor, Liam Neeson said that this was one of his favorite roles and would be interested in playing the character again.
- During production of The Phantom Menace, George Lucas originally wanted an American actor to play Qui-Gon Jinn. However, George Lucas eventually settled with Liam Neeson due to his presence and skills.
References[]
External links[]
Qui-Gon Jinn on Wookieepedia: The Star Wars Wiki
Qui-Gon Jinn on StarWars.com (backup link on Archive.org)
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