WAMPA! #13 - Qui-Gon Jinn

Jedi Master and follower of the Living Force

            Hello again fellow Lucasites!  Time for another dose of WAMPA!  I bring you information and stories of one of the great jedis to have ever wielded a lightsaber.  Qui-Gon Jinn was his name and I say was, because while he had led a life in the Light Side, and had become a master of  Form IV Lightsaber combat, a style by the name of Ataru.  Wide spaces and large swinging arcs, along with defying acrobatics are what defines this particular style.  Qui-Gon had met his fate by the hands of an Iridian by the name of Darth Maul, a self proclaimed Sith.  Obi-Wan had defeated Darth Maul, as we all know, but who knows if the battle had not turned out differently if Qui-Gon had not kept going with Form II combat, known as Makashi.  This was the form that Jedi Master Yoda had taught to Qui-Gon when he was a padawan.

            I am now going to go back.  Back to a time when things were more civilized.  When things were a bit more refined and grand.  At least grand to the eye, because while what we saw was pleasing to our eyes, low beneath the surface, laid a plan to rule with an iron fist.  92 years before the Battle of Yavin, which from here on out will be abbreviated as BBY, Qui-Gon Jinn was born.  He was trained by Jedi Master Yoda, who had also trained Count Dooku.  Qui-Gon was a philosophical warrior who possessed knowledge of the architecture and engineering of various space transports and large capital vessels.  He was also held in high regard by his peers in the Jedi Council because of his understanding and mastery of the Living Force, which supports the theory of midichlorians uniting and binding all living things together in the force.  Qui-Gon’s political views always clashed with the council, and was believed to have kept him from becoming a part of the council.  This was further cemented with the council when Qui-Gon defied Master Windu and Master Yoda because they objected to the training of Anakin Skywalker.

            After Qui-Gon was defeated by Darth Maul, he was placed in a funeral pyre on Naboo by the queen, the council and his padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi.  Thought to be lost forever, Qui-Gon’s corporeal form had contacted Yoda, and taught him the path to immortality.  This secret had been passed to many Jedi that Qui-Gon had contacted.  Qui-Gon had also found his way to Tattooine, and would also train Obi-Wan in this way so he too, could become more powerful than anyone could imagine.  Qui-Gon had four apprentices.  He taught Quinlan Vos, who was his first padawan.  Then he taught Xanatos, his second padawan.  Xanatos ended up falling to the dark side, but before the loss of his second padawan, Xanatos’ father Crion had been embroiled in a deeply rooted civil war.  Crion asked for the aid of his son, and Xanatos agreed.  This led to the death od Crion by the hand of Qui-Gon.  This had enraged Xanatos, and he turned on his master.  As Qui-Gon could not bring himself to kill his padawan, Xanatos fled and Qui-Gon Jinn vowed to never have another padawan learner.  As strongly convinced by Jedi Master Yoda, Qui-Gon had befriended a young Obi-Wan Kenobi on a mission to Bandomeer, and decided to take the young Obi-Wan under his tutelage.  The rest is history as we have all seen.

            In closing, Qui-Gon Jinn was a very wise, very dedicated Jedi with a very open mind, and often had issues with the policies and politics of the Jedi Council.  This has seemed to carry over to Anakin, but for some reason failed to imprint itself on Obi-Wan Kenobi.  I hope to be covering Darth Plaegius the Wise on my next article.  He was the Master and mentor to Darth Sidious, who of course we all know as Dantius Palpatine, or Emperor Palpatine.  Well fellow Lucasites, that is all for this edition of WAMPA!