The Controversial Cameo of Qui-Gon Jinn's Force Ghost in Obi-Wan Kenobi

The Bold Move and Canon Concerns

The Obi-Wan Kenobi series brought back several actors from the Star Wars prequels, such as Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen, while also including small cameos for Temuera Morrison and Liam Neeson. However, the finale broke one big George Lucas rule from the prequels. Needless to say, it was a bold move in the first place to insert an adventure for these characters in-between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. Even director Deborah Chow was concerned about bringing Princess Leia back, among other Canon concerns. And while some of Obi-Wan Kenobi's decisions went over poorly with the audience, other aspects were praised.

Qui-Gon Jinn in Obi-Wan Kenobi.

One of Obi-Wan Kenobi's more controversial decisions was allowing Liam Neeson to reprise his role as Qui-Gon Jinn. Despite Qui-Gon's premature death at the hands of Darth Maul in The Phantom Menace, Liam Neeson appears in the finale for the first time as a fully-fledged, corporeal Force ghost. And while many were happy to see Neeson step into the role of Qui-Gon again, others couldn't help but feel his addition was unnecessary. Yoda already mentioned Qui-Gon wanting to train Obi-Wan at the end of Revenge of the Sith, but the Obi-Wan Kenobi series makes it seem as though Qui-Gon only followed up on that ten years later.

Ewan McGregor smiling at Qui-Gon Jinn in Obi-Wan Kenobi season 1 episode 6

George Lucas' Original Vision

George Lucas made a deliberate decision to exclude Qui-Gon Jinn's Force ghost from Revenge of the Sith. 'Qui-Gon's Force ghost is notably absent; he didn't possess the necessary skills for it.' As it turns out, George Lucas actually intentionally left out Qui-Gon Jinn's Force ghost from Revenge of the Sith. In The Art of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, Lucas even states, 'We never see the ghost of Qui-Gon; he's not that accomplished.' While Qui-Gon Jinn was meant to be the first Jedi who learned to return from the Netherworld of the Force, his training was incomplete. Like Obi-Wan in A New Hope, Lucas believed Qui-Gon could only speak through the Force after death, but couldn't physically manifest himself. Instead, the corporeal Force ghost was something later perfected by Obi-Wan and Yoda in the original trilogy.

Qui-Gon Jinn's force ghost appearing on Mortis from The Clone Wars

By including Qui-Gon's Force ghost at the end of Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Disney+ TV opens the door to too many confusing canon questions. For example, if he appeared to Obi-Wan on Tatooine, then why wasn't Qui-Gon at the party on Endor in Return of the Jedi? The Last Jedi already established that Force ghosts don't expire, as Yoda's ghost appears to Luke despite having been dead for over 30 years. But Qui-Gon's ghost seems to disappear after his appearance in Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Yoda and Qui-Gon Jinn Force Ghosts The Clone Wars season 6

The Impact on Star Wars Canon

Despite Qui-Gon's appearance breaking Lucas' vision for the character, there is still a good Canon explanation for how Qui-Gon became a Force ghost. As Lucas said, Qui-Gon wasn't adept enough to form a Force ghost in Revenge of the Sith, but it's implied he's been working on this ability. In other words, it took Qui-Gon thirteen years from his death in The Phantom Menace to be able to commune with Yoda through the Force, and then an additional ten years for him to actually manifest himself visually. And now that he's a Force ghost, it seems it's still possible for Qui-Gon Jinn to appear in future Star Wars projects.

Qui-Gon Jinn.

The inclusion of Qui-Gon's Force ghost in Obi-Wan Kenobi has sparked debates among Star Wars fans about its impact on the established canon. Some see it as a departure from George Lucas' original vision, while others view it as an intriguing expansion of the lore. Regardless of the differing opinions, the appearance of Qui-Gon Jinn's Force ghost has certainly added a new layer of complexity to the beloved Star Wars universe, leaving fans eager to see how this narrative thread will unfold in future projects.

Star Wars George Lucas and Qui-Gon Jinn