Qui-Gon Jinn is widely considered one of the greatest Jedi Masters of his generation. Wise, just and powerful, he was arguably a true devotee of the Force and its potential for goodness, and he played a significant role in the Jedi Order during the final decades of the Galactic Republic. As well as being a mentor to the distinguished Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jinn was instrumental and dynamic in rescuing Queen Padmé Amidala. He also saved young Anakin Skywalker from a life of servitude.
It was Jinn that recognized the "chosen one" to be Skywalker. He brought him to the Jedi Order's attention, which ultimately led to the Galactic Empire's undoing many decades later. But was Jinn really as virtuous as his impressive reputation suggests? Numerous Star Wars fans have suggested that he had an evil streak and wasn't so much a righteous Jedi as a scheming manipulator whose methods aligned with the ways of the dark side.
Was Qui-Gon Jinn Actually a Gray Jedi?
Some believers of this opinion need only point to Jinn's unconventional behavior in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace and how it contradicts the traditional, noble ways of the Jedi. In order to achieve his desired outcome, Jinn is somewhat careless and even immoral. His flippant use of mind tricks, reckless gambling and manipulation of Watto suggest that he was not afraid to bend the Jedi's preference for truth and selflessness. Some fans have argued that his questionable actions more suit that of a Gray Jedi -- or worse.
In Star Wars, Gray Jedi are known for their defiance of traditional Jedi means in favor of more independent lives, believing that the ancient Jedi ways are dogmatic and stunted. Like a typical Gray Jedi, Jinn was seemingly more of a follower of the Force itself rather than of the Jedi's narrow view of it. His refusal of a seat on the Jedi Council, as well as his many disagreements with them (including on the training of Anakin), suggest that he was definitely out to forge his own path, refusing to let the Jedi decide his tactics or beliefs. This indeed made him a maverick in the Jedi's eyes, but it's also possible that his rebelliousness had a deeper and darker streak.
Qui-Gon Jinn's Ties to the Dark Side Might Tell a Different Story
One has to question if Jinn sensed the fear in Anakin Skywalker just as the Jedi Council did, and if so, why was he not at all hesitant to have the young boy trained? The generally accepted explanation is that even if Anakin's future was clouded, Jinn was unwilling to let go of the long-prophesied "chosen one" out of desperation to finally bring balance back to the Force. In other words, Jinn was willing to take a risk, while the Jedi Council was not. But this is only one point of view.
Jinn's strange lack of caution surrounding the "dangerous" Anakin could indicate that he harbored a hidden allegiance to the dark side and that he purposely brought the young boy into the Jedi fold, knowing full well that they would one day be destroyed by him. While Jinn's hatred of the Jedi may sound like a far-fetched idea to many, it can't be ignored that his entire history is somewhat tainted with the dark side and the Sith.
For example, as a Padawan, Jinn was trained for years by Count Dooku, who later became the malevolent Sith Lord Darth Tyranus. And even when Dooku was still a noble man, he tired of the hypocrisy in the Jedi Order, believing them to have become too steeped in corruption. In Karen Traviss' novelization of 2008's Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Dooku explains that the Jedi have lived with corruption for so long that they now "never notice the stench" of it. It's entirely possible that Dooku passed such extremely negative beliefs to his apprentice Jinn, whose faith in the Jedi might have eroded over the years and forced him to find a new path.
Additionally, according to Legends canon, the dark path that Dooku chose was also tread by Jinn's apprentice. The young Xanatos was Qui-Gon's apprentice before Obi-Wan, and he, too, succumbed to the dark side, becoming a Dark Jedi and meeting a grim fate by suicide. Given that he is clearly drawn to such negative characters like Dooku, Xanatos and Anakin, it makes Jinn out to be incredibly suspect. Through his finding of Anakin, Jinn is either a heroic Jedi who helped bring the Force into balance or a main architect of the Empire. Which path he truly followed is, as always, up to the fans to debate.