Obi-Wan Kenobi is a show that is, for the most part, giving Star Wars fans the nostalgia they’ve been waiting for. From the return of Hayden Christensen as Darth Vader to animated characters reportedly getting their live-action debut, the show is extremely high on fans’ lists this year. But could we also see the return of Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn?
The rumor, as it stands, comes from the Bespin Bulletin which has been somewhat accurate on Star Wars rumors in the past. It’s still just a rumor, though, and it is incredibly speculative that Neeson would come back as Qui-Gon. After all, playing a Force Ghost is fine and fun, but how would that play into Obi-Wan’s journey throughout the show? We know that he was focused on his time training Anakin, but maybe when everything falls apart before him and he sees the end of the Jedi, Obi-Wan searches for a way to talk to his old master once more.
We know that Obi-Wan’s world is shattered with the loss of his brother and Padawan. So, would Qui-Gon Jinn make sense in the series? Or would his inclusion be a hindrance to the story overall?
What could Qui-Gon bring to Obi-Wan?
We don’t really know where Obi-Wan is at, mentally, after everything that happened with Anakin. We know what happened right after Anakin became Darth Vader, and we know what happened right before Obi-Wan’s death in A New Hope, but other than the animated world in Star Wars Rebels, there’s a lot about that time period that we don’t yet know.
Having Qui-Gon Jinn there as a source of comfort and conversation for Obi-Wan not only informs Obi-Wan’s state but it also gives us, as the audience, closure on that aspect of their relationship. We got such a brief look into their training together in Phantom Menace, and then we didn’t get to explore it further, since Obi-Wan had to train Anakin. So, having Qui-Gon be there for Obi-Wan as a Force Ghost when he needs someone most of all? It’d be the most logical use of the character.
Is Obi-Wan Kenobi going to be too based in nostalgia?
I am one of the people who is most excited about this show because I think that Ewan McGregor’s take on Obi-Wan was game-changing and one of the best parts of the prequel series. But I do have a fear that the show is relying relatively heavily on characters we know and love coming back. That being said, we haven’t heard about the characters coming our way from the animated world or the books, so it might not be dedicated solely to our renewed love of the prequels.
But if Qui-Gon Jinn is, in fact, in the show, that’s a lot of characters returning to our world, and it’ll be interesting to see how that plays into the overall story that Obi-Wan Kenobi is bringing to fans.
(image: Lucasfilm)
