Although I was initially shocked by what George Lucas said regardingAnakin Skywalkerbeing trained as a Jedi, I’ve started to understand his logic and agree with him, and that’s entirely due toQui-Gon Jinn. Whether Anakin should have been trained remains one of the biggest questions inStar Warsmovies and TV shows.
Anakin wasthe Chosen One, but there were signs early on that he was susceptible to the dark side of the Force. Because of that,George Lucas believed Qui-Gon Jinn was wrong for wanting to train Anakin inStar Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. At first, I completely disagreed, but I’ve started to understand the nuances of Lucas' opinion.
George Lucas Believed Qui-Gon Was Wrong About Anakin’s Training
I’ve Begun To See The Logic In This Opinion
From essentially the moment Qui-Gon realized how strong in the Force Anakin was, he was determined to train Anakin as a Jedi. In fact, even when the Jedi Council directly denied Anakin entry into the Jedi Order, Qui-Gon insisted that he would train Anakin whether the Council approved or not (much to Obi-Wan’s distress).
It’s true that Anakin fell to the dark side and became Darth Vader in the end, but he had first become one ofStar Wars’most powerful Jedi, which makes it more than a little surprising that George Lucas would see Anakin’s Jedi training as something that shouldn’t have happened. Yet,George Lucas believed Qui-Gon was wrong, stating:
“I think it is obvious that he [Qui-Gon] was wrong in Episode I and made a dangerous decision, but ultimately this decision may be correct. The ‘phantom menace’ refers to the force of the dark side of the universe. Anakin will be taken over by dark forces which in turn destroy the balance of the Galaxy, but the individual who kills the Emperor is Darth Vader - also Anakin.”
Although Lucas clarifies that this was perhaps the right choice in the end, it’s still surprising to know that, in Lucas' view, Qui-Gon was in the wrong. Notably,Lucas views Qui-Gon as being wrong not because he was so stubborn and even a bit selfish in his insistence, but specifically because training Anakin was dangerous.
My knee-jerk reaction was admittedly to take issue with this, as I’m convinced (in-universe, not in terms of the movies, which had predetermined Anakin’s fate) that Anakin had a fighting chance, had the Jedi treated him differently and had he made some different choices. With more time, though, I’m beginning to agree with George Lucas about Anakin’s training.
Qui-Gon Jinn Would Have Been Better For Anakin Than Obi-Wan Was
Obi-Wan Did His Best, But Many Agree Qui-Gon Would Have Been The Better Master
A key part of this larger conversation iswhetherQui-Gon Jinn would have been the better Jedi Master for Anakin Skywalker. This remains a heated debate withinStar Wars, as some believe that Qui-Gon would have steered Anakin wrong for various reasons. While I certainly think Obi-Wan did his best, I’m inclined to agree that Qui-Gon would have been better.
In fact, for the very reasons Superman actorDavid Corenswet believes Qui-Gon was better for Anakin, I’m convinced that, had it been Qui-Gon and not Obi-Wan training him, Anakin would have gotten some of the help that he needed much sooner. In part, this is because Qui-Gon would have been more open to Anakin’s emotions.
No matter who trained him, Anakin was probably destined to struggle with anger, fear, and attachment. Whereas he felt judged by the Jedi Council (for good reason) and even Obi-Wan, though,Qui-Gon likely would have made more room for Anakin’s emotions and helped him through them, perhaps mitigating how significant these issues became.
Even knowing Qui-Gon would have been preferable to Obi-Wan as the one to train Anakin, I agree that Qui-Gon’s insistence on having Anakin trained in the Jedi Order was wrong—especially once he was on his deathbed. On the contrary,Anakin shouldn’t have been trained as a Jedi, and that’s very likely what would’ve happened had Qui-Gon lived.
Qui-Gon Likely Wouldn’t Have Trained Anakin As A Jedi
Although Qui-Gon was very pushy about Anakin being trained as a Jedi,had he lived, I’m convinced Qui-Gon Jinn wouldn’t have trained Anakin in the Jedi Order at all. Instead, I believe Qui-Gon would have trained Anakin in the ways of the Force, but I don’t think he would have done so within the Jedi Order.
I believe Qui-Gon would have trained Anakin in the ways of the Force, but I don’t think he would have done so within the Jedi Order.
Realistically, the Jedi Council—and Yoda specifically—only changed their minds about Anakin’s training because Qui-Gon died, which is arguably an example of their own issues with attachment and objectivity. Had Qui-Gon lived, he presumably would have had to make good on his threat and train Anakin outside the Order, as their decision would have stood.
However controversial it may be,I’m convinced this would have been a better outcome for Anakin. While their intentions were no doubt good, the Jedi Council unfortunately contributed to Anakin’s fall to the dark side, largely because of their treatment of him. Had Qui-Gon trained him, Anakin would have benefited from a more lenient, compassionate approach.
As just one example, Qui-Gon seems much more likely to have taken Anakin’s fears about his mother seriously, and he may even have gone back for Shmi at some point. Even with all this being true, though, this would not have been a straightforward path; myriad complexities would have arisen from this situation.
This Situation Would Have Been More Complicated Than It Seems
There Were Other Factors At Play Here That Would Have Become Messy
Anakin being trained by Qui-Gon outside the Jedi Order would have addressed many issues that occurred throughoutAnakin Skywalker’sStar Warstimeline, but this change would have caused others too. One of the most significant would have been Count Dooku’s (and therefore Palpatine’s) influence.
Star Wars: Tales of the Jedirevealed that the affection for Qui-Gon that Dooku expressed inStar Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Cloneswas genuine. Dooku actually cared for his former Padawan, and he was devastated by his death. That isn’t what caused Dooku’s fall to the dark side, although it did push him over that edge.
However, Dooku was already in contact with Palpatine before Qui-Gon died. This means that,had Qui-Gon lived and trained Anakin outside the Order, he would in all likelihood have been even more susceptible to Dooku’s manipulations. After all, Qui-Gon was already fed up with the Council based onThe Phantom Menace.
Books likeStar Wars: The Living Force, written by John Jackson Miller, have also revealed that Qui-Gon’s frustrations with the Jedi predate this issue with Anakin. It would have been all too easy for Dooku to use those frustrations, along with their long-standing bond, to pull Qui-Gon towards the dark.
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Whether this training could have set Anakin on a different path is therefore a complex question, and we will presumably never know the true answer. Yet, I find myself agreeing with George Lucas that Qui-Gon Jinn was wrong aboutAnakin Skywalkerbeing trained as a Jedi in the Order.
