Star Wars Finally Solves a 26-Year-Old Mystery About Emperor Palpatine

1 month ago 10

Ian McDiarmid as Sheev Palpatine/The Emperor from Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker

Long after Star Wars made its return with the prequel series, fans have continued to mourn the death of Liam Neeson's Qui-Gon Jinn after he was slain by Darth Maul. Now, Star Wars has provided a more nuanced explanation as to why Qui-Gon and his then-padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) were sought after so heavily by Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid).

Star Wars: Jedi Knights #10, by Marc Guggenheim and Madibek Musabekov, explores Qui-Gon's past as a padawan, where he found himself accepting a duel against Corlis Rath. Despite his Jedi Master's advice not to give in to anger at that moment, Qui-Gon proceeded on, though his challengers were ultimately killed by Count Dooku. Star Wars: Jedi Knights #10 taps into Quin-Gon's embrace of a "higher path," meaning that the to-be-Jedi-Master would continue to seek the good in even the galaxy's worst.

Qui-Gon's commitment to seeking the better of humanity perfectly positions him to be Palpatine's greatest threat, and gives way to the idea of why Palpatine wanted to destroy Qui-Gon to begin with. Perhaps Qui-Gon could dissuade Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) from falling to the Dark Side. If Qui-Gon could convert Akanin to step away from the darkness, Palpatine would have lost his prey, and Darth Vader would have failed to exist. If Qui-Gon were to save Anakin from himself, Palpatine's plans to rule the galaxy through hatred would crumble. Palpatine's plans for Qui-Gon's death were meticulous and intentional.

Could Qui-Gon Actually Save Anakin Skywalker?

Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader about to fight from Star Wars: Episode 3 Revenge of the Sith

With Qui-Gon being perceived as a direct threat to the Sith, it's incredibly possible that the Jedi Master could have changed the trajectory of Anakin's life, thus freeing him from the shackles of becoming a Sith Lord. Qui-Gon said that “the ultimate goal of the Sith, yet they can never achieve it. It comes only by the release of self, not the exaltation of self. It comes through compassion, not greed. Love is the answer to the darkness.” However, the idea of Qui-Gon playing a direct role in Anakin's potential redemption remains open-ended: only Anakin could choose whether he would seek compassion over greed.

If Anakin were to understand that he was worthy of the real love given to him from Padmé Amidala, or even the brotherly affection from Obi-Wan Kenobi, maybe Qui-Gon could have helped the doomed Jedi escape his own fate. Both the deaths of Anakin and Qui-Gon are tragic cornerstones in Star Wars lore, mirroring the rise and fall of the Sith. While Palpatine succeeded in hunting down Qui-Gon to his very end, Palpatine's ultimate demise is at the hands of Darth Vader.

Star Wars: Jedi Knights #10 is now available to read.