A Qui-Gon Jinn scene in Phantom Menace takes on much more meaning thanks to Star Wars legends

A notable quote from Qui-Gon Jinn in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace is much more significant in the original Legends continuity. Although Legends has passed the official Star Wars continuity for an alternate timeline in April 2014, the original and prequel trilogy films are part of the Legends timelines and the modern canon. To achieve this, the two continuities retroactively give different contexts to moments from the six original films in the saga, with a Phantom Menace line being especially dark in the early timeline.

When Qui-Gon Jinn confirms his Jedi Knighthood to Anakin and Shmi Skywalker in The phantom menaceyoung Anakin states that “no one can kill a Jedi”, to which Qui-Gon responds with a melancholy “I wish it were like this.” The simple line alludes to Qui-Gon's long and often dark career as a Jedi, with the experienced Jedi Master having witnessed the loss of many other great Jedi. The Legends continuity shows many of these losses, including one particularly devastating death.

One death in particular affected Qui-Gon more than most

As shown in the Legends era properties set before The phantom menacethere were many small, often regional, wars before the full-scale Clone Wars began. These included conflicts such as the Stark Hyperspace War, the Mandalorian Civil War and the Yinchorri Rebellion, all of this included the deaths of Jedi. A conflict resulted in the loss of Jedi Master Tahl, who was particularly close to Qui-Gon Jinn.

Qui-Gon's relationship with Tahl is key to his character in the legends

Jedi Master Tahl was a close friend and colleague of Qui-Gon Jinn, as the two were only Jedi initiates. Furthermore, Qui-Gon and Tahl shared romantic feelings for each other. In Tahl's final, heartbreaking moments, shown in Jude Watson's film Jedi Apprentice: The Death of HopeShe and Qui-Gon confessed their love for each other, and her passing almost led Qui-Gon to fall to the dark side in his pursuit of Balog – the Chief Security Controller of New Apsolon.

While it is unclear whether Qui-Gon and Tahl could have broken the Jedi Code and pursued a romantic relationship had the latter lived, their feelings for each other express their mutual status as dissidents among the old Jedi guard. Qui-Gon Jinn was known to frequently disagree with the Jed Council, favoring his interpretation of the will of the Force over the Council's collective judgment, so perhaps the two could have broken from that tradition. However, the tragic loss of Tahl turns Qui-Gon's line into Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace much more powerful.