Qui-Gon Jinn

"Dark times are ahead and forces of light must remain.This is the path of only a few Jedi."

- Qui-Gon's spirit to Yoda, on Dagobath

"The ability to speak does not make you intelligent."

- Qui-Gon, annoyed by Jar Jar Binks.

Qui-Gon Jinn is one of the two deuteragonists in the 1999 film, Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, the first film in the Star Wars prequel trilogy. He was a Jedi Master and the mentor of Obi-Wan Kenobi and also the first mentor of Anakin Skywalker. He is portrayed by Liam Neeson, who also plays Bryan Mills and Aslan.

Biography
Qui-Gon Jinn was the first who met Anakin Skywalker as a young boy and could sense the Force in him. At the time, he believed that Anakin was the Chosen One who would bring balance to the Force when Yoda, Obi-Wan, and the Council did not believe so.

He and Obi-Wan were entrusted with protecting Queen Amidala from the Trade Federation, secretly working for the Sith. He engages in battle with Darth Maul, twice: first on Tattooine and again on Naboo. Obi-Wan battles alongside Qui-Gon in the second lightsaber duel against Darth Maul. He wields a green lightsaber and was slain by Darth Maul.

Star Wars: Episode l The Phantom Menace
The film opens when Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi, under the guise of Senate Ambassadors, are sent to negotiate with Viceroy Nute Gunray of the Trade Federation. Unbeknownst to the Jedi that the Viceroy was secretly serving Darth Sidious, he tries to kill the two. The Jedi escape and sneak onto a warship, ready to strike the planet, Naboo. On Naboo, several battle droids attack the jungle outside the city of Queen Amidala and the Jedi are caught in the middle of it. Qui-Gon saves a Gungan called Jar-Jar Binks and he becomes grateful for the deed. Qui-gon has Jar Jar take them to the Gungan city to speak with their high council.

The Gungan leader, Boss Nass, refused to cooperate and hope Naboo will suffer. Under the mind control of the Force, Boss Nass offers transportation and "sells" Jar Jar to Qui-Gon. The two Jedi and Jar Jar sneak in to city, rescue the queen and escape Naboo to Coruscant. A Federation warship damages the Royal Airship and everyone takes refuge on the desolate desert, Tatooine.

Qui-Gon, Jar Jar, R2-D2 and Padmé (secretly the queen) travel to the nearest town and find a mechanic shop. The shop is owned by a slave trader called Watto who owns the Skywalkers: Anakin and his mother Shmi. Qui-Gon could not afford the repair parts and Anakin takes his new friends home with him. Anakin tells Qui-Gon that he could enter an upcoming podrace and use the prize money to buy the parts. Qui-Gon agrees and so does Watto and Qui-Gon senses something about Anakin. The night before the race, Qui-Gon takes a blood sample from Anakin and sends it to Obi-Wan to examine it. The midi-chlorians in the blood were off the charts and if Anakin has Jedi blood in him, then he could be the Chosen One. Before the race, Qui-Gon raises the stakes and offers freedom for the Skywalkers if he wins. Watto agrees but only one can be free, to which he chooses the boy.

Anakin wins the race, the parts are paid for and Anakin was now free. Qui-Gon told him he could be trained to be a Jedi. Anakin did not want to leave his mother behind but she makes him go. On the way back to the ship, the two are ambushed by Darth Maul, Darth Sidious' apprentice. Anakin runs to the ship while Qui-Gon duels with the Sith Lord. The match ends in a draw as Qui-Gon escapes onto the ship.

The ship reaches Coruscant and Qui-Gon informs the council of his previous encounters. He tells them the Sith have secretly returned and maybe planning something big. He also tells Yoda and Mace Windu about Anakin and how he senses the Force in him and how powerful it is. The Council hesitantly agrees to examine Anakin and though they are impressed by his abilities, they conclude that he is too "dangerous" to be trained due to his age and internal conflict. Qui-Gon offers to train him, but is forbade to due to him already having a Padawan. Qui-Gon then says Obi-Wan no longer needs training and is ready to be a Jedi Knight. Windu tells them that this all will be dealt later as he sends the three of him to assist the Queen in launching a counterstrike on the Trade Federation and to see if Darth Maul will be there as well.

They all return to Naboo and succeed in getting the Gungan army to fight for them. Jar Jar leads the Gungan against the droid army in the meadows, Anakin leads the starfighters in a space battle, the queen and her guards sneak into the palace and Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are left to duel Darth Maul.

Maul fights successfully. He pushes Obi-Wan aside and duels Qui-Gon on his own. Obi-Wan became trapped temporarily and Qui-Gon was left to duel Maul to which Maul stabs him. Obi-Wan breaks free and duels Maul fiercely, to which he uses Qui-Gon's lightsaber and slice Maul in half. Obi-Wan weeps over his master's body and before dying, Qui-Gon asks Obi-Wan to train Anakin for him to which he agrees. The viceroy gets taken into custody and the newly appointed Chancellor Palpatine and the Jedi Council arrive. Obi-Wan asks Yoda's permission to train Anakin for Qui-Gon's sake and he agrees. Qui-Gon's body is burned in a pyre and mourned by everyone he knew.

Star Wars: Episode ll Attack of the Clones
Years later before the Clone Wars started, Anakin Skywalker suffered great pain during a great trial as a Padawan. On Coruscant Yoda could feel Qui-Gon's anguish through the Force. Qui-Gon's disembodied voice could be heard calling out to Anakin to stop his slaughter of the Sand People but failed to stop him.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Though he was gone, Qui-Gon's spirit lingered as he managed to maintain his life after death through the Living Force. Although he only completed half of his training, Qui-Gon could not be seen but his voice could be heard. Towards the beginning of the Clone Wars, Yoda experienced a Force vision of a manifestation of Qui-Gon and a nine-year old Anakin on Dagobah telling the young Jedi that he must face his fear by entering a cave strong with the dark side, and to trust in the Force.

During the war, Obi-Wan, Anakin and his apprentice Ahsoka Tano traveled to the mysterious planet of Mortis and encountered a family strong with Force-sensitivity consisting of the Father, Daughter, and Son. A ghostly apparition of Qui-Gon first appeared to Kenobi and told him of the family that, like himself, believed Anakin to be the Chosen One. Obi-Wan asked Jinn what the planet was and the spirit explained that the planet is a conduit through which the entire Force of the universe flows, being both an amplifier and a magnet. Qui-Gon then warned that, if Anakin 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. Later Qui-Gon appeared before Anakin who was going to confront the Son. Jinn guided him towards a place strong with the dark side and told him to remember his training and trust his instincts.

Trivia

 * Qui Gon specialises in the Lightsaber combat Form IV Ataru.
 * Qui Gon Jinn is revealed to be Count Dooku's former apprentice.