Qui-Gon Jinn

"Do not defy the Council, Master, not again.''" "''I shall do what I must, Obi-Wan."

- Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn

Qui-Gon Jinn was a male Human Jedi Master during the declining days of the Galactic Republic. Trained by Count Dooku, Jinn was considered a maverick within the Jedi Order, one who did not always follow the Jedi Code; according to his Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jinn could have been a member of the Jedi Council if he had followed the Code. In the years prior to his death, Jinn began studying the secrets of eternal consciousness after death.

After the Trade Federation blockaded Naboo, Jinn and Kenobi were sent by Supreme Chancellor Valorum to negotiate a peaceful outcome to the situation. The Federation, at the behest of Darth Sidious, attempted to kill the two Jedi, forcing Jinn and Kenobi to the planet where the Federation was launching its invasion. The Jedi rescued Queen Padmé Amidala and sought refuge on Tatooine, where Jinn discovered a young slave boy named Anakin Skywalker. Through his podracing skills, midi-chlorian count, and supposed virgin birth, Jinn came to believe that Skywalker was the Chosen One who would bring balance to the Force.

Jinn brought Skywalker to Coruscant where he requested that the boy be admitted into the Jedi Order for training. The Council rejected the request, however, believing that Skywalker was too old, so Jinn vowed to train Skywalker even without the Council's approval. Jinn later returned with Kenobi and Amidala to Naboo, where they fought to liberate the planet from the Federation. During the final battle, Jinn and Kenobi fought Darth Maul, and the Sith Lord fatally wounded the Jedi Master. In his final moments, Jinn told Kenobi that Skywalker was the Chosen One and asked that Kenobi train the boy as a Jedi. His funeral was later held on Naboo.

In death, Jinn was able to utilize his incomplete immortality training to return as a disembodied voice. His spirit spoke to Yoda, the Grand Master of the Jedi Order, and told Yoda he was chosen to learn the secrets of eternal life. This set Yoda off on a journey, where he began to learn the training that Jinn himself had gone through. After the fall of the Jedi Order, Jinn guided Yoda and Kenobi, both of whom learned to physically manifest as spirits to aid Luke Skywalker in becoming a Jedi Knight.

Early life
"He was once my apprentice, just as you were once his."

- Dooku talks to Obi-Wan Kenobi about Qui-Gon Jinn

Qui-Gon Jinn was a male Human member of the Jedi Order. As a Padawan, he was trained by Jedi Knight Dooku in the ways of the Force. Jinn went on to become a Jedi Master in his own right, one who developed an independent attitude towards the Jedi Order. He was seen as a maverick Jedi, one who would disobey the Jedi Code if he felt it was the right decision. Jinn took on a Padawan of his own, Obi-Wan Kenobi, who believed that Jinn could have been a member of the Jedi Council if he followed the Code.

Sometime during his life, Jinn began discovering the secrets to manifesting his consciousness after death. He travelled to a planet strong with the Force, a world that legend said was the birthplace of life and the origin of midi-chlorians. There, he learned from five Force Priestesses who had retained their own consciousness after death. He learned that, when a living thing died, its life passed through the Living Force and into the Cosmic Force to become one with the Force. As the Living Force and Cosmic Force existed in tandem, it became possible to retain one's consciousness and physically manifest themselves after death. Jinn was considered worthy of the knowledge of eternal life, and secretly began his training to fully unlock its mysteries. He also learned from a Shaman of the Whills that achieving eternal consciousness required absolute selflessness.

Failed negotiations
"The situation here is not what it seems. There is something else behind all this, Your Highness. There is no logic in the Federation's move here. My feelings tell me they will destroy you."

- Qui-Gon Jinn to Queen Padmé Amidala

Ten years prior to the outbreak of the Clone Wars, the Trade Federation blockaded and planned to invade Naboo in retaliation for the Galactic Republic's taxation of trade routes in outlying star systems. Unknown to the Republic, the Federation was controlled by the Sith Lord Darth Sidious&mdash;secretly Naboo's Senator Palpatine&mdash;who engineered the conflict so he could be elected Supreme Chancellor. Then-Supreme Chancellor Valorum dispatched Jinn and Kenobi to Naboo, tasking them with resolving the situation through diplomatic means.

Upon arriving at the Trade Federation command ship, Jinn and Kenobi were escorted into a conference room, where they were told that Viceroy Nute Gunray would greet them. As the Jedi were waiting, the Federation leaders contacted Darth Sidious, informing him that the Chancellor's ambassadors were Jedi Knights. Sidious ordered their execution, while Jinn could sense the fear that the Neimoidians felt. This let Jinn know that this was not a normal trade dispute. These suspicions were confirmed when the Federation flooded the conference room with poison gas in an attempt to kill the Jedi, but the two were able to hold their breath long enough for the Federation to open the doors and inadvertently give the Jedi a chance to escape. They fought off the battle droids waiting outside the door and fled through the corridors, where they made their way into the ventilation system.

Moving through the ventilation shafts, the Jedi made their way into the ship's hangar, where they saw the Federation army preparing to mount an invasion of the planet. The Jedi stowed away aboard separate ships, which made their way to the planet's surface, and planned to warn the Naboo that the invasion was coming. Once on the surface, ventured through a forest to rendezvous with Kenobi. It was there that the Jedi Master encountered a Gungan named Jar Jar Binks, who latched onto him in the chaos of the Federation invasion. This nearly got them both killed, as they fell to the ground just in time to avoid being run over by a Federation troop carrier. Binks swore a life debt to Jinn for saving him, as Jinn tried to get rid of the Gungan. He finally rendezvoused with Kenobi and planned to find shelter, which Binks offered to give them in the Gungan city beneath the ocean. The Gungan momentarily changed his mind, as he had been exiled and would be punished for returning, but Jinn and Kenobi convinced him to take them to the city to avoid the approaching Federation forces.

Binks led the two Jedi into the Gungan city, where they were taken prisoner and brought before the Gungan leaders. Jinn attempted to persuade Boss Nass, the Gungan leader, that the Federation posed a threat to them just as much as they threatened Naboo, but Gungan prejudices against the Naboo were too strong for the Boss to care what happened on the surface. The Jedi Master used the Force to telekinetically persuade Nass to give them a bongo, an aquatic transport that the Jedi could use to reach Theed, the capital of Naboo. Nass was also persuaded to allow Binks to travel with them, as Jinn believed the Gungan could be a guide to make it through the planet core and to the capital.

After traveling through the core and evading multiple large sea creatures, they arrived in Theed and rescued Queen Padmé Amidala, who had been taken into Federation custody. Together, along with a number of the queen's guards and handmaidens, they made their way to a hangar to take the queen's starship off of Naboo. They were able to board the ship after fighting through a number of battle droids, and took the vessel into orbit where they encountered the Federation blockade. They managed to escape the blockade, but the ship was damaged and needed to be set down for repairs. Jinn suggested that they land on Tatooine, a desert planet where the Hutts ruled and the Federation had no presence. Although the queen's lead guard, Panaka, objected because of the danger posed by the Hutts, the decision was made to seek refuge on Tatooine.

Discovery of the Chosen One
"Finding him was the will of the Force. I have no doubt of that."

- Qui-Gon Jinn to the Jedi High Council

The ship landed on Tatooine, and the crew determined that they were in need of a new hyperdrive generator in order to make it to their final destination of Coruscant, the capital of the Republic. Jinn decided to venture out into the local settlement to find a store that would sell a generator, and brought Amidala&mdash;masquerading as a royal handmaiden&mdash;and Binks along with him. They arrived at a ship owned by a Toydarian junk dealer, Watto, who had the parts they needed but would not accept Republic credits. Jinn attempted to telekinetically persuade him that credits would be acceptable, but the Toydarian was immune to his mind tricks. Jinn left empty-handed, but not before meeting Anakin Skywalker, a young boy who worked as Watto's slave.

Skywalker followed Jinn and the others, where he warned them that a sandstorm was coming and that they would need to find shelter. The boy knew the group would not make it back to their ship in time and brought them back to his home, where he introduced them to his mother, Shmi, who was also a slave. They all shared a dinner together, where Skywalker deduced that Jinn was a Jedi, having seen his lightsaber. Jinn revealed that he and the others were on an important mission for the Republic and stranded on Tatooine until they could repair their ship. Knowing that it could help them escape, Skywalker volunteered to help by racing in the Boonta Eve Classic podrace and give them the profits to repair their ship if he won. Jinn accepted the offer, though Amidala was unconvinced that trusting their fate to someone they barely knew was the right course.

The next day, Jinn spoke to Watto about entering Skywalker in the race with a pod that Skywalker had built in secret, and Jinn convinced Watto that it was the Jedi's pod. The two agreed that Watto would pay Skywalker's entry fee and collect all of the winnings from a potential victory, except for whatever money Jinn needed to repair his ship. If Skywalker lost, Watto would keep the queen's ship. Watto agreed to the condition, and Skywalker set out to begin getting his pod race-ready.

It was in watching Skywalker work on his pod that Jinn told Shmi he could sense the potential of a Jedi in the boy. Jinn wondered who Skywalker's father was, and was intrigued to hear Shmi had conceived her son without a father. Later that night, Jinn tested the boy's midi-chlorian count and sent the sample to Kenobi on the queen's ship, who told his master that Skywalker's midi-chlorian count was 20,000&mdash;higher than any known Jedi. Through the supposed virgin birth and the midi-chlorian count, Jinn came to believe that Skywalker was the Chosen One of Jedi prophecy, a being who would bring balance to the Force.

With the belief that Skywalker was the Chosen One, Jinn knew that Skywalker should be brought to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant so he could be trained as a Jedi. Jinn approached Watto with a new wager: if the boy was to win, Watto would free Skywalker and his mother. Watto scoffed at the idea of freeing two slaves, but he did agree to release one if Skywalker won. However, he left it up to chance, and threw a small multi-colored cube; if it landed on blue, Skywalker would be the slave in question. Jinn used the Force to help it land on blue, and Watto agreed that Skywalker would be freed if he won the race&mdash;but, according to Watto, the Dug racer Sebulba was sure to win.

The race began later that day and Skywalker emerged victorious. Watto, who lost everything betting on Sebulba, freed the boy as per their agreement. Jinn took what profits he needed to repair the ship and gave the rest to Skywalker and his mother, and told them that Skywalker had been freed and could go with him to Coruscant to become a Jedi. Skywalker was unsure about leaving his mother, but he had always dreamed of becoming a Jedi and decided to leave. After Skywalker shared a tearful goodbye Shmi, Jinn and the boy set off for the queen's ship to make their way to Coruscant.

Just before arriving at the ship, Jinn was attacked by Darth Maul, a Sith Lord and the apprentice of Darth Sidious. The two fought across the desert floor while Skywalker rushed back to the ship to find help, and the ship made its way to Jinn's location where he was able to board it and flee Tatooine, leaving Darth Maul behind. Once on board, he introduced Skywalker to Kenobi.

With its hyperdrive repaired, the ship finally arrived on Coruscant, where the crew was greeted by Chancellor Valorum and Senator Palpatine. After arriving, Jinn went before the Jedi Council and told the Jedi Masters that he believed Darth Maul was a Sith Lord. The Council was dubious of the claim, as the Order believed they had destroyed the Sith a millennium earlier, but they committed themselves to learning Darth Maul's identity. Jinn also revealed that he had discovered Skywalker on Tatooine and believed him to be the Chosen One, asking that the boy be trained as a Jedi. At Jinn's request, the Council agreed to test Skywalker to determine if he was eligible for training. Kenobi was skeptical that Skywalker would pass the test given his age, as Jedi began their training as children, and worried that Jinn would defy whatever decision the Council made. Despite his Padawan's concerns, Jinn was determined to see Skywalker become a Jedi Knight.

The Council tested Skywalker and agreed with Jinn that he was powerful with the Force, but declined to accept him for training. They believed that despite his power, his future was clouded and uncertain, and could sense danger in his training. Nonetheless, Jinn insisted that Skywalker be trained, saying he would take the boy as his Padawan learner. Kenobi, meanwhile, could take his Jedi trials and become a Jedi Knight, as the Jedi Code forbid a Jedi from having two Padawans. The Council tabled the discussion for another time and ordered that Jinn and Kenobi return to Naboo, where Queen Amidala was preparing to return to in order to deal with the invasion without the Senate's help. Jinn took Skywalker with him and began giving him some initial lessons about the Force.

Final battle and death
Upon arrival on Naboo, the Jedi travelled with Amidala to find the Gungans, who were hiding in a sacred area of the forests. There, the Naboo and Gungans formed an alliance to fight the Federation, while Amidala revealed herself to be the same person as the handmaiden Padmé. Together with the Jedi and the Gungans, Amidala put together a plan of attack, where the Gungans would fight the Federation army away from Theed as a diversion, allowing Amidala, her forces, and the Jedi to get into the city with relatively little opposition. Jinn made it clear, however, that while he would protect the queen, he could not a fight a war for her.

As the Gungan army led the bulk of the Federation forces away from the city, Jinn snuck into Theed with the others and fought their way to the palace. Once in the hangar, they were again confronted by Darth Maul, who the two Jedi prepared to fight as the Naboo fought their way to the throne room to capture Viceroy Gunray. Jinn and Kenobi fought Maul in the hangar, with the Sith Lord dominating the duel, though Maul did give ground in order to lead the Jedi out of the hangar and throughout a palace generator complex. Maul separated the two Jedi by knocking Kenobi down several levels, leaving Jinn to fight the Sith Lord in single combat. As they made their way through the area, and with Kenobi unable to reach the two in time, Maul stabbed Jinn through the torso, fatally wounding him.

When Kenobi finally caught up, he and the Sith Lord engaged in a furious battle, with Kenobi grieving for his master and friend. Maul was able to disarm and knock Kenobi partly down a reactor shaft, but Kenobi jumped back out. Using Jinn's lightsaber, Kenobi sliced the blade through Maul's torso, cutting him in half and sending him down the shaft. The Padawan ran to his dying master, cradling him in his arms, and Jinn made his apprentice promise that he would train with Skywalker as a Jedi. With his dying breath, Jinn once again said that Skywalker was the Chosen One and would bring balance to the Force.

In the aftermath of the battle, in which the Naboo successfully captured the Viceroy and ended the Federation occupation, Kenobi was granted the rank of Jedi Knight and insisted on taking Skywalker as his apprentice. Although Yoda disagreed, the Council approved Kenobi's request, fulfilling Jinn's dying wish: Skywalker would be trained as a Jedi. Later, Jinn was given a Jedi funeral on Naboo, where his body was burned on a funeral pyre. The funeral was attended by a number of delegates including Queen Amidala, the Jedi Council, and Chancellor Palpatine. It was at the funeral that Kenobi told Skywalker that the Council would allow him to be trained, and that Kenobi would be his master. Together, the two mourned the death of their fallen friend, as Kenobi vowed that Skywalker would become a Jedi.

Return as a spirit
Though his training had been incomplete, Jinn utilized what he learned from the Force Priestesses to become one with the Force and retain his identity after his death. He had not fully learned the mystery, however, so he could not physically manifest himself, only speak as a disembodied voice. The first known time that Jinn communicated through the Force was shortly before the outbreak of the Clone Wars. Skywalker had returned to Tatooine to find his mother, about whom he had been having recurring nightmares, and discovered she had been kidnapped by Tusken Raiders. He found her in a Tusken camp, but she died only moments later. In his anger, Skywalker slaughtered all the Tuskens in the camp. Jinn, sensing the great pain and distress, called out to Skywalker through the Force, which Yoda could hear&mdash;but not comprehend&mdash;through his own meditations.

Despite his incomplete training, Jinn was able to physically manifest on one known occasion. Kenobi, Skywalker, and Skywalker's Padawan, Ahsoka Tano, had been lured to the planet Mortis by three beings known as the Father, Son, and Daughter. Like Jinn, these beings believed that Skywalker was the Chosen One. Jinn first appeared to Kenobi to warn him that the beings sought Skywalker and his potential as the Chosen One, to use it for their own means. When Kenobi questioned how Jinn could appear, the late Jedi Master told him that the planet acted as an amplifier, and that it was a conduit through which the Force flowed. The two spoke about Skywalker and his power, with Kenobi having the opportunity to tell Jinn that the late Jedi Master's predictions about Skywalker were true: he was stronger than any other Jedi, yet still could not find balance. Jinn warned that, if Skywalker was the Chosen One, then the boy would discover it on Mortis, and if not then the planet would prove to be very dangerous for someone so powerful. Jinn later appeared to Skywalker himself, telling Skywalker that he still believed the boy would bring balance to the Force after facing his demons.

After the three Jedi escaped Mortis, where the Father professed his belief that Skywalker was the Chosen One, Kenobi came to believe, and told the Jedi Council, that the appearance of Jinn was simply an illusion, one manifested from their memories by the beings on Mortis. Skywalker, however, was not as confident, despite Jedi teachings saying that it was impossible for a being to retain their identity after death. The report about Mortis did not change these Jedi beliefs or teachings.

It was not until the waning days of the Clone Wars that Yoda learned Jinn had retained his consciousness after death. Knowing Yoda was destined to be a major player in bringing balance to the Force, and that it was Yoda's destiny to complete the training Jinn himself did not, the late Jedi Master spoke to Yoda through the Force and guided him to Dagobah, the first leg on Yoda's trials to determine whether he was ready to learn the secrets. Jinn told Yoda about his training, and how the Living Force fed into the Cosmic Force, allowing him to return after death. Yoda was, at first, only interested in the truth about the Clone Wars, asking if he knew the identity of Darth Sidious, but Jinn could only guide Yoda through his trials. He soon pointed Yoda to the planet of the Force Priestesses, where Yoda could continue his trial.

Yoda completed the trials and was deemed worthy of learning the secret of eternal consciousness, as Yoda would one day train the person who would help Skywalker bring balance to the Force. The Force Priestesses instructed that Jinn would guide Yoda's training. After the end of the Clone Wars and the fall of the Jedi Order, Yoda chose to go into exile on Dagobah, but not before telling Kenobi that Jinn had returned from the netherworld of the Force and could guide his former Padawan in learning the secret.

Legacy
"Your powers are weak, old man.''" "''You can't win, Darth. If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine."

- Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi, just before the latter's death and return as a spirit

The end of the Clone Wars also saw the fall of Anakin Skywalker, who was seduced to the dark side of the Force by Darth Sidious and had become the Sith Lord Darth Vader. The fall confirmed the Council's fears about Skywalker's training, but he was still the Chosen One. In the years after the Clone Wars, Kenobi and Yoda both completed their training to retain their consciousness after death. Kenobi sacrificed himself to save Luke Skywalker, Anakin's son, and was struck down by Darth Vader. After his death, Kenobi first appeared as a disembodied voice to guide Luke through the Battle of Yavin, but appeared a few years later as a physical spirit to tell Luke to train with Yoda on Dagobah. He continued to manifest himself to help guide Luke through his training.

It was on Dagobah that Yoda fulfilled the destiny first spoken of by the Force Priestesses, training Luke to become a Jedi Knight. Yoda died shortly thereafter and passed on into the Force, where he retained his identity. Through the training Yoda gave Luke, the boy confronted and redeemed his father from the dark side, and Anakin killed Darth Sidious. Through this act, and through his own death, Anakin helped defeat the Galactic Empire, brought balance to the Force, and was able to return as a spirit as well. By killing Sidious and sacrificing himself, Jinn's strongly-held belief was proven true: Anakin Skywalker was the Chosen One.

Personality and traits
Though he had risen to the rank of Jedi Master, Jinn did not always agree with the structures and rules of the Jedi Order. He was known to disobey the Jedi Code if he felt he needed to, and was willing to rebuff the Jedi Council when they declined to train Skywalker. After Jinn's old master, Dooku, fell to the dark side and became the Sith Lord Darth Tyranus, Dooku told Kenobi that he wished Jinn were still alive so the late Jedi Master could have helped him with the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Kenobi rejected the idea that Jinn would have joined Dooku, but Dooku told Kenobi that Jinn knew about the corruption in the Galactic Senate and might have joined the Separatist cause&mdash;especially if he had learned that the Republic was under the control of Darth Sidious, though Dooku did not tell Kenobi that the Separatists were also under Sith control.

While other Jedi focused on meditation to try to understand the future, Jinn lived in the moment. He believed that one's concentration should not have been in worrying about the future, and believed in trusting one's instincts. Even after his death and return as a spirit, Jinn was confronted with Jedi thinking only of the future; he guided Yoda through Dagobah to learn the secret of eternal consciousness, but Yoda was interested in knowing if Jinn, existing outside of normal time, could tell him the true identity of Darth Sidious. Although Jinn hinted that he knew the truth, he explained he could only guide Yoda towards greater knowledge, not provide him with the answers. Jinn's belief that Skywalker was the Chosen One looked both at the future and in the moment. Though he did believe that Skywalker's future contained a prophetic destiny, he did not dwell on the dangers that the Council saw in Skywalker's future training.

Jinn's training to retain his identity after death led him to new philosophies, ones unknown to the Jedi Order of the time. Jinn learned that there were two sides to the Force, a Living Force channeled by the energies of all living beings, and the Cosmic Force into which it fed. It was this symbiotic relationship that allowed the Force to bind the galaxy together, and speak to living beings through the midi-chlorians.

Powers and abilities
Like other Jedi, Jinn was sensitive to and had an affinity for the Force. He utilized telekinesis and mind tricks on more than one occasion, using them to help further his goals during the Trade Federation's occupation of Naboo and while attempting to free Skywalker from slavery. Jinn was trained with a lightsaber, able to use his blade to defeat battle droids on Naboo. He was not, however, skilled enough to survive his second encounter with Darth Maul, as the Sith Lord out-fought the Jedi Master and mortally wounded him.

The ability to manifest consciousness after death was, for a time, a skill that other Jedi did not know. Jinn kept his training with the Force Priestesses a secret, and the Jedi Order continued to believe that death was permanent and identity could not be retained. It was not until towards the Clone Wars that Jinn revealed himself to Yoda, despite his training being incomplete, and Jinn told the Jedi Master that that he too could learn to return from death through the Cosmic Force. Jinn passed these teachings on to Yoda and Kenobi, who used it and the new philosophies they learned to help guide Luke Skywalker towards his destiny.

Behind the scenes
"He's almost like a monk, an old-time warrior who is wise and quite philosophical, yet very skilled in martial arts. He has incredible confidence, as well as a magical quality that enables him to see into the future. He's not really a rebel, but he has his own code."

- Liam Neeson's thoughts on his character, Qui-Gon Jinn

Qui-Gon Jinn was portrayed by Liam Neeson in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. The actor reprised his role in three episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars&mdash;"Overlords," "Ghosts of Mortis," and "Voices"&mdash;and audio from his appearance in The Phantom Menace could briefly be heard in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. Neeson was also set to lend his voice to Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, and Neeson had hinted at his involvement in early 2005. The scene, in which Yoda was set to commune with Jinn's disembodied voice, was cut from the film but was written for the screenplay. The scene appeared in the film's novelization.

Appearances

 * Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
 * Star Wars Journeys: The Phantom Menace
 * Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith