Star Wars fans were hoping that Qui-Gon Jinn would have a role in Obi-Wan Kenobi on Disney+, but after the official cast list was released and Liam Neeson nowhere to be found, it felt like a lost cause. Fortunately, a new novel, Skywalker: A Family at War by Kristin Baver, reignites the idea by placing Obi-Wan's Force ghost training with his former master at the very point his series kicks off.

Skywalker: A Family at War is a biography of the Skywalker family that details all of their struggles through the generations. A chapter focusing on Anakin Skywalker's master, “The Farmer’s Nephew,” mentions that his attempts to contact Qui-Gon persisted for about ten years, “but eventually Obi-Wan was able to commune with his dearest friend, resurrected within the cosmic Force.” This aligns perfectly with both In A Certain Point of View, a collection of short stories by Claudia Gray that explains when Qui-Gon made the jump from disembodied voice to full Force ghost, and the events of the Obi-Wan Kenobi mini-series.

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Qui-Gon Jinn

Of course, Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan’s Jedi Master, died tragically while fighting against Darth Maul in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. But after meeting his untimely end, Qui-Gon was able to become a Force ghost, and Obi-Wan eventually learned this skill from him. This idea was first brought up in a conversation between Yoda and Obi-Wan at the end of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, when Yoda tells Obi-Wan that he has “training” for him to do “in his solitude on Tatooine.” Obi-Wan is obviously a bit shocked that his dead Jedi Master is contacting Yoda from beyond the grave to relay the “secrets of immortality,” but he takes Yoda’s guidance and agrees to the training.

At that moment, Yoda tells Obi-Wan that he will teach Obi-Wan how to commune with Qui-Gon. However, according to Skywalker: A Family at War, Obi-Wan isn't able to make contact with Qui-Gon for another ten years. Yoda, who learned how to become a Force ghost in a three-episode arc of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, heard Qui-Gon’s disembodied voice unprompted by the Force and went on a journey to uncover the mystery of life after death due to Qui-Gon’s influence. During his years as a Jedi Master, Qui-Gon learned how to retain his consciousness after death from a Shaman of the Whills, but due to his death at the hands of Maul, he was unable to complete his training. This is why he can only manifest as a disembodied voice to Yoda, as his training was never finished.

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But with Obi-Wan's training finally beginning at the same point his series picks up in the Star Wars timeline, it feels as if the powers that be at Lucasfilm having something up their sleeve. While, yes, Neeson is noticeably absent from the cast, anything is possible considering the monumental achievement of Mark Hamill’s secret cameo in The Mandalorian remaining unspoiled for the duration of production and release. Neeson has expressed interest in returning to Star Wars in the past and even came back for The Clone Wars to voice Qui-Gon, and if ever there was a time to have him reprise his role in live-action, it would be in Obi-Wan Kenobi. 

Directed by Deborah Chow, Obi-Wan Kenobi stars Ewan McGregor, Hayden Christensen, Joel Edgerton, Moses Ingram, Bonnie Piesse, Kumail Nanjiani, Indira Varma, Rupert Friend, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Sung Kang, Simone Kessell and Benny Safdie. The series has yet to receive a premiere date.

KEEP READING: Star Wars: Obi-Wan Was Almost a Farmer