Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Star Wars: Jedi Knights #9
Although Star Wars has spent decades fleshing out the members of the Republic’s Jedi Order, surprisingly little has been shown about Qui-Gon Jinn and his early life. Easily the best and most influential Jedi Master in the prequel era, his formative years have remained for the most part untouched (until now).
Star Wars fans have known since 2002’s Attack of the Clones that Qui-Gon was trained by Count Dooku. However, only glimpses of their dynamic ever made it to screen or page.
Thankfully, a new and canonical Star Wars is revealing more about Qui-Gon’s Padawan past, revealing a more complicated relationship with Dooku and how Jinn became the principled yet rebellious Jedi maverick who would come to discover The Chosen One.
Previously, We’d Only Been Shown A Brief Chapter In Qui-Gon’s Jedi Origins
Qui-Gon’s younger years have mostly been a mystery in the established Star Wars canon. Fans knew Count Dooku served as his master, shaping Jinn long before the events of The Phantom Menace and Dooku’s departure from the Jedi Order.
One of the biggest and most notable depictions came from an episode 2022’s animated Tales of the Jedi series, where a young Qui-Gon appeared in one of the anthology’s strongest episodes. The story saw young Qui-Gon being voiced by Liam Neeson’s son Micheál Neeson, though Tales of the Jedi episode was more focused on Dooku’s growing doubts about the Republic.
Dooku’s frustration with political corruption and the Jedi Council’s growing complacency took precedence, while Qui-Gon was mainly there to serve as a voice of reason after his master was so angered that he began Force choking a corrupt Senator for neglecting his people.
Although the episode gave viewers a decent sense of their overall bond, it offered only a brief hint of Qui-Gon’s full Padawan experience with Dooku.
Star Wars Has Revealed A Surprisingly Dark Chapter In Qui-Gon’s Padawan Past
Now, Marvel Comics has started filling more of the gaps with Jedi Knights from Marc Guggenheim and Madibek Musabekov. Although the canonical series features multiple members of the Jedi Order, Qui-Gon is in the spotlight more often than not. Much of the overarching story issue to issue has centered on Corlis Rath, a mysterious assassin targeting Qui-Gon with a deeply personal vendetta.
After a near-fatal attack, the new Jedi Knights #9 sees Qui-Gon uncovering why Rath blames him, and it dates back to his Padawan days. Furthermore, the issue then sees Jinn recounting an incident on the planet Sinsara, and some “bad advice” Qui-Gon once received from his master.
As a Padawan, Qui-Gon was tasked by Dooku to take the lead on a mission where they were meant to give aid to a group of villages under attack from a band of raiders. Seeking to negotiate peace with these violent rogues, Qui-Gon’s initial diplomatic approach failed, and the situation was escalated.
Forced to briefly retreat, Dooku is shown encouraging young Qui-Gon to think beyond the “limits” of the Jedi Code. Suggesting that the young Padawan embrace aggression and sharpen his anger into a weapon, present day Qui-Gon confirms to his own Padawan (Obi-Wan Kenobi) that Dooku’s guidance was poor.
This past Sinsara incident suggests Qui-Gon made a grave mistake by following Dooku’s unorthodox teachings, one that clealry connected to Rath’s vendetta, as we’ll likely see in future issues.
Naturally, this new Star Wars story serves as a clear signal pointing to Dooku’s eventual fall to the dark side. However, Dooku’s willingness to bend Jedi principles didn’t just influence his own fate, it directly shaped Qui-Gon’s (just nearly as far to lead Jinn to the dark as well).
We’re Starting To See The Full Scope Of Qui-Gon’s Jedi Maverick Status
In Jedi Knights’ present-day storyline, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are returning to Sinsara. Jinn intends to confront the consequences of his past and long-buried regrets linked to Dooku’s problematic guidance. As such, the stage has been set for an emotional arc where Qui-Gon will attempt to repair the damage he caused, and will likely confront Corlis Rath once more.
The idea that Qui-Gon once embraced circumstances that contradicted Jedi philosophy (with dark results) certainly adds some compelling new dimension to his character.
After all, fans already know Qui-Gon operated differently from other Jedi. He famously held a greater focus on the Living Force, ignored more rigid doctrines, and often kept to his counsel. As such, it was his more unique “maverick” status that made him one of the most morally grounded Jedi in the Order.
However, Jedi Knights has now given us more nuance, confirming that Qui-Gon’s unconventional Jedi maverick evolution didn’t arise without mistakes and errors. It was significantly shaped by Dooku’s teachings, which encouraged questioning of authority and dogma…but occasionally crossed the line too far, as we’re seeing with this new issue.
As a result, getting to see Qui-Gon confront the darker side of Dooku’s mentorship very much deepens his evolution into the wise, steady Jedi Master we see in The Phantom Menace.
Star Wars is effectively giving us a fuller picture of Qui-Gon Jinn thanks to this new exploration into his past. For a character who helped shape the entire Skywalker saga with the discovery of Anakin Skywalker, stories like this are expanding his legacy in some fascinating new ways.
Star Wars: Jedi Knights #9 is on sale now from Marvel Comics.
- Died
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Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace
- Alliance
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Jedi
- Race
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Human
