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The Star Wars universe contains a truly staggering amount of characters, not all of whom have the luxury of being fully depicted in the limited screen time of a film. Even some characters who are critical to the narrative of a single film might have a full and rich life that couldn't make the big screen.

Qui-Gon Jinn is best known as the wise Jedi Master who trains and watches over Obi-Wan Kenobi as he graduates from Padawan to full-fledged Knight. The Phantom Menace depicts only the final weeks of his life and his tragic death, but the life he led before then paints him as one of the more interesting Jedi in the galaxy.

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Qui-Gon's Childhood and Training

Qui-Gon Jinn was born on Coruscant, the capital of the Galactic Republic, which also houses the Jedi Temple. As soon as his Force sensitivity was discovered, Qui-Gon was taken from his unnamed parents and introduced to the Jedi Temple as an infant. Qui-Gon was raised by the Heliost Clan, where he was trained in lightsaber combat by Jedi Master Tera Sinube. His training proceeded normally for the first few years of his life. He passed the Jedi trials without issue, became a talented combatant, and grew strong in the ways of the Force. The big shift came when Qui-Gon was twelve years old, and he was assigned to serve as Padawan under Jedi Master Dooku, better known as Count Dooku.

count dooku

Dooku is best known as the villain of Attack of the Clones and the first act of Revenge of the Sith, but he was once a respected Jedi Master. After being chosen to train Qui-Gon Jinn, he did so with great success. Dooku did eventually turn to the dark side, but Qui-Gon was thankfully spared from all of that negativity. Dooku was a dedicated and wise mentor to his second Padawan, and under his care, Qui-Gon became friends with his first.

Qui-Gon aided Dooku on one of his most difficult adventures, hunting down the bounty hunter Shenda Mol. Mol was a top-of-the-line sniper and immensely deadly assassin with a long history of collateral damage. The two Jedi hunted down the sniper, only for Qui-Gon to be captured and threatened with death. Dooku, forced to act quickly to save his Padawan, struck down Mol with a blast of Force lightning. That was the first moment anyone in the Jedi order began to question his loyalty. Qui-Gon graduated to the rank of Jedi Master before Dooku left the order.

As A Jedi Master

Qui-Gon Jinn's experiences with Dooku and the Jedi Order left a lasting impression on him. He was an unusual Jedi who followed his own interpretation of the will of the Force, often in violation of the Jedi Council. Strict adherence to the Draconian rules imposed by the Council was not Qui-Gon's path, and that led some to view him as untrustworthy or dangerous. It was exactly that maverick reputation that led Yoda to select him as the Jedi Master who would oversee young Obi-Wan Kenobi. Kenobi was a gifted youngling and a notorious troublemaker, and multiple masters had refused to take him on. Qui-Gon accepted the task with gusto, and though the duo didn't gel at first, they grew to respect each other over years of teamwork in impossible scenarios. Some say that Obi-Wan's dedicated obedience to the Jedi Code began as a form of rebellion against Qui-Gon's unpredictable ways.

Despite his many disagreements with the Jedi Council, Qui-Gon Jinn was offered a seat amongst the prestigious body when an older member retired. Jinn was honored to be considered for the position, but it would have meant Kenobi would need to be transferred to another Master. Though the pair had quarreled and faced disagreements in their time together, a hard-fought battle that the pair took together convinced Jinn that his place was with Kenobi, and he turned down the Council position.

Liam Neeson and Ewan McGregor as Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars The Phantom Menace

Jinn was a lifelong journeyman who sought to deepen his connection with the Force. Though his training was incomplete, Jinn learned from a group of priests how to retain his consciousness beyond his death. Jinn's murder at the hands of Darth Maul was not the end of his influence on the Light Side of the Force.

Qui-Gon Jinn hasn't gotten a ton of exposure in any of the Star Wars content, but he is one of the more interesting Jedi in the franchise. The films center overwhelmingly on the Skywalker family and their influence on the universe. That drags characters like Qui-Gon into being little more than a mentor to the mentor of the patriarch of the central family. Jinn is a necessary figure, a good Jedi who also challenges the autocratic theocracy of the Council. His influence on Obi-Wan and on Anakin continues to affect the story throughout the saga thus far, and his unique outlook makes him one of the most interesting characters in the franchise.

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