Qui-Gon’s Untold Jedi Romance Shows He’s More Like Anakin Than You Think
The love story of Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, which was previously untold, highlights the similarities between him and his student Anakin Skywalker. According to the Jedi religion, personal attachments should be abolished as they can lead to selfish decision-making and ultimately to the dark side. This includes romantic relationships that are more complicated than simple friendships, which is why Anakin had to hide his marriage to Padmé Amidala and was eventually turned to the dark side by Darth Sidious.
However, Anakin is not the only Jedi to have fallen in love and struggled with the concept of personal attachments. Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin’s own master, fell in love with the Mandalorian Duchess Satine Kryze, while Elzar Mann, a Jedi from the High Republic Era, had romantic feelings for fellow Jedi Avar Kriss. Qui-Gon Jinn also had a romantic relationship in the past, which he never revealed to his students. In Claudia Gray’s Master & Apprentice, Qui-Gon is reunited with an old friend, Rael Aveross, who is having a no-strings-attached tryst with a woman. During their discussion, Aveross reminds Qui-Gon of his own experiences of romance and how the Jedi Code forbids falling in love. Although the identity of the person Qui-Gon fell in love with is not revealed, it is evident that the relationship was deep.
Qui-Gon’s understanding of love is the missing piece that Anakin needed. Qui-Gon was a more open-minded Jedi than most, and he would have confided in Anakin about his own experiences and taught him how to deal with his feelings in a healthier way. However, Qui-Gon was killed, and both Anakin and Obi-Wan never knew about this aspect of his life. If they had known, would Obi-Wan have shared his relationship with Satine with Anakin sooner, allowing them to find solace and kinship in one another’s experiences? The Jedi’s strict rules on attachments may have created a culture of shame and fear for anyone experiencing emotions they have little control over, which may have contributed to Anakin’s obsession with saving Padmé and ultimately his turn to the dark side.
In conclusion, Qui-Gon Jinn’s untold love story provides yet another instance in which the Jedi’s rule on forbidding attachments isn’t as straightforward as it seems. Romance and emotion are part of the human experience, and rather than forbidding them outright, the Jedi could have discussed them openly and provided guidance on how to deal with them. Qui-Gon’s teachings on love could have made a significant difference in Anakin’s story and prevented his fall to the dark side.
Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn’s untold Star Wars love story proves the similarities between him and Anakin Skywalker. One of the core tenets of the Jedi religion is the abolishment of personal attachments, as the Jedi believed that attachment to any one person could lead to selfish decision-making and, as a result, the dark side. Romances, above all, were viewed as personal attachments; especially those relationships that were more complicated and deeper than simple friendships. These rules are why Anakin Skywalker famously had to hide his marriage to Padmé Amidala, giving Darth Sidious an opening to manipulate his worst fears and eventually turn him to the dark side.
But Anakin Skywalker is not the only Jedi to have fallen in love and grappled with the meaning of personal attachments and the consequences of romance. Anakin’s own master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, fell in love with the Mandalorian Duchess Satine Kryze; they loved each other so much that Obi-Wan even considered leaving the Jedi Order for her. Elzar Mann, a Jedi from the High Republic Era, has struggled with his feelings for fellow Jedi Avar Kriss, as well – the two shared a romantic bond as Padawans, but were later forced apart because of the Jedi Code. It turns out, Qui-Gon Jinn was once in love, too – and perhaps his guidance on the matter is exactly what Anakin needed.
Master & Apprentice Revealed That Qui-Gon Jinn Fell In Love
In Master & Apprentice by Claudia Gray, approximately eight years before the events of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom MenaceQui-Gon is reunited with an old friend, Rael Aveross – whose interpretation of the Jedi dogma is unconventional, to say the least. Qui-Gon discovers Aveross is having a no-strings-attached tryst with a woman, and the two discuss the ramifications of Aveross’ actions. It is during this discussion that Aveross counters with Qui-Gon’s own experiences of romance, claiming “Falling in love – that’s what the Jedi Code forbids,” and “I might have broken the letter of the law, but not the spirit. On Felucia, you broke the spirit of that law into a dozen pieces.”
Though nothing else is revealed about Qui-Gon’s time on Felucia, or even the identity of the person he fell in love with, it’s clear the relationship was a deep one. Qui-Gon is affected by Aveross’ words, especially when Aveross reminds Qui-Gon that his casual fling doesn’t “compromise his emotions, divide my loyalty, or anything like that.” Qui-Gon’s untold romance provides yet another instance in which the Jedi’s rule on forbidding attachments isn’t as cut and dry as it seems on the surface. Romance and emotion are part of the human (and alien) experience – so why are the Jedi so afraid to discuss it openly, and would that have made a difference in the outcome of Anakin’s story?
Qui-Gon’s Understanding Of Love Is The Missing Piece Anakin Needed
There are plenty of reasons why Qui-Gon Jinn would have been the perfect Jedi Master for Anakin. Not only had they cultivated a bond, but Qui-Gon was a more open-minded Jedi than most. He respected the Jedi Council, but equally refused to follow their orders blindly; he believed in the prophecies of the ancient mystics instead of viewing them with skepticism, and he allowed himself to fall in love before finding his way back to the Jedi Order. Had Qui-Gon witnessed Anakin falling for Padmé, it’s likely he would have confided in Anakin about his own experiences and taught his student how to deal with his feelings in a healthier way.
Instead, Qui-Gon was killed, and both Anakin Skywalker and, presumably, Obi-Wan Kenobi never knew about this aspect of Qui-Gon’s life. What if they had, though? Would Obi-Wan have shared his relationship with Satine with Anakin sooner, allowing them to find solace and kinship in one another’s experiences? It almost seems that, in forbidding attachments outright, the Jedi created a culture of shame and fear for anyone experiencing emotions they have little control over. That fear of losing one aspect of your life while desperately holding on to another is exactly what led to Anakin’s obsession with saving Padmé, just as Palpatine planned. There are plenty of untold Star Wars love stories, but Qui-Gon Jinn’s may be the most important of all.
