Throughout Star Wars Period of legends, readers had been capable of get a better take a look at the lifetime of Jedi Grasp Qui-Gon Jinn. Lengthy earlier than taking over the straight-laced Obi-Wan Kenobi as his padawan, Qui-Gon had an emotionally unbalanced apprentice with obvious similarities to a different well-known fallen Jedi. The coed was fierce and highly effective, however ego-driven and simply manipulated. Sadly, this appears to have been a recurring drawback in his life.
Within the miniseries Star Wars: Jedi - The Darkish Aspect by Scott Allie and Mahmud Asrar, Qui-Gon Jinn and his proficient padawan Xanatos are tasked with touring to Xanatos' residence world of Telos IV to assist carry peace to a brewing civil struggle. Xanatos, son of the planet's governor, Crion, resists returning to his residence, indignant that his father discarded him with the Jedi.
As Qui-Gon, Xanatos, and two fellow Jedi examine the civil unrest, they uncover a conspiracy that utterly destroys Xanatos. Torn between the Jedi Order and his private pursuits, Xanatos turns into straightforward prey for the darkish facet.
Qui-Gon's second apprentice was doomed to fall
Star Wars: Jedi - The Darkish Aspect #1-5 by Scott Allie, Mahmud Asrar, Paul Mounts and Michael Heisler
There's a lot at stake on this mission. The Jedi Council wished to throw Xanatos into his homeworld's civil struggle to check his resolve earlier than formally knighting him. Xanatos is commonly determined for approval, bragging about his achievements to realize recognition from his Masters. Indignant and heartbroken that he had a household that didn't cease the Jedi from taking him away, Xanatos believes he has one thing to show. Earlier than the mission even begins, Xanatos feels threatened and challenged when the Council appoints a second padawan to work alongside Qui-Gon.
As a substitute of realizing that this mission is a take a look at to be knighted, he believes it's a take a look at to switch him. Already affected by distrust, Xanatos' coronary heart is challenged once more when he lastly faces his father and sister. Though he's initially aggressively proof against his father, Xanatos turns his again on the Jedi after discovering that Qui-Gon is hiding secrets and techniques about Crion. Qui-Gon discovers that Crion is secretly fueling the civil struggle so he can use that anger to redirect it in the direction of the neighboring planet of Telos IV.
Xanatos Compares Anakin's Fall to the Darkish Aspect
The start of Qui-Gon's unhappy curse
By the point Qui-Gon is prepared to confront his padawan with this info, Xanatos has already been deceived by Crion. Crion had already staged that the Jedi had been concerned with the opposing planet, creating an excellent higher discord within the coronary heart of Xanatos. Ultimately, the reality is revealed, however Xanatos nonetheless didn't consider it earlier than watching Qui-Gon kill Crion over a mattress of flames. Xanatos succumbs to his rage and assaults Qui-Gon earlier than leaving the planet. Within the following years, Qui-Gon takes Obi-Wan on as an apprentice and the 2 steadily come into battle with Xanatos throughout their subsequent missions.
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In later Star Wars comics and books, Xanatos falls additional to the darkish facet, turning into a Darkish Jedi bent on destroying his former grasp. Ultimately, Xanatos loses to Qui-Gon, however throws himself into the acid, hoping to interrupt Qui-Gon's spirit. Simply as he later discovers an impressionable younger man with a sophisticated household drama and a penchant for getting near politicians, there's apparent parallels between Xanatos and the particular person Anakin grows as much as grow to be below Obi-Wan's teachings. It begins to really feel like a darkish curse that has befallen Qui-Gon's line of succession.
Obi-Wan gained knowledge by observing his grasp
Qui-Gon's relationship with Xanatos ready Obi-Wan for Anakin
Like Anakin, Xanatos turns into a take a look at of religion for his grasp. On that first mission that noticed the scholar's fall, one other Jedi assigned to the duty means that Yoda knew Xanatos would fail and that the take a look at was Qui-Gon's. Though Qui-Gon was unable to avoid wasting his pupil, he didn't let it destroy him. As Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan regularly face Xanatos all through their journeys, Obi-Wan has the chance to see the grace of a Jedi who is not going to let the failures of the previous outline his future. Qui-Gon is at all times prepared to assist Xanatos redeem himself, one other attribute of Obi-Wan, as he tries to increase assist to Anakin.
Though Obi-Wan is later unable to avoid wasting his personal apprentice from the same destiny, The autumn of Xanatos was sufficient of an instance to avoid wasting Obi-Wan. With or with out Xanatos, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan would nonetheless have encountered Anakin, and the occasions of Anakin's fall to the darkish facet would have proceeded usually. However with out the chance to see Qui-Gon's agency however forgiving resolve within the face of his fallen pupil, Obi-Wan could not have discovered the resolve to endure Anakin's corruption lengthy sufficient to encourage Luke.
Qui-Gon's line of succession is cursed by the fallen Jedi
Your legacy is outlined by hope
Xanatos, like lots of Legends' additions to the Star Wars canon, helped enrich the story that was already current. His Fall tells the story of Obi-Wan's journey to ship new hope to the galaxy with out having to retell the unique story first. And sadly, Xanatos turns into one other half the disheartening tragedy of Qui-Gon Jinn's closing years. Lots of the Jedi who grew to become near Qui-Gon ended up falling into the temptation of the darkish facet. First, it was Xanatos. Then, after Qui-Gon's demise, Dooku leaves the order and falls to the darkish facet.
Qui-Gon Jinn's final legacy is outlined by struggling, failure, resistance, and hope.
Even in the course of the Legends period, Anakin wasn't the final Jedi in Qui-Gon's line of succession to fall. Luke Skywalker's first apprentice in each canons, Ben Solo within the present canon and Jace solo within the Legends canon, fell to the temptation of the darkish facet, as soon as once more including one other fallen Jedi to Qui-Gon's legacy. Qui-Gon Jinn's final legacy is outlined by struggling, failure, resistance, and hope. It's a tragedy, but it surely's the gasoline behind the franchise's unique message. Star Wars is a narrative about hope and redemption within the face of corruption and despair.
Star Wars: Jedi - The Darkish Aspect is now out there from Darkish Horse Comics.