Universally compassionate? Are we talking about Qui-Gon Jinn here?

A lot of the Prequel characters wear adjectives that don't fit them very well. But in Qui-Gon's case, it's especially notable. Liam Neeson is extraordinarily charismatic...but.

Qui-Gon's contemptuous of the Neimoidians.
He's a bit of a jerk to Obi-Wan.
He's a lot of a jerk to Jar-Jar.
He's not too respectful of Padme either when she's not playing Queen.
He seems more interested in Anakin as Chosen One than Anakin as person.
None of the Council likes him very much.

He's not really better in the EU. He underfeeds and treats Obi-Wan pretty appallingly for most of Jedi Apprentice (and is still treating him like a kid in TPM), according to Tholme he smells, he thinks Dooku's moral teachings are niftier than Yoda's, he goes evil over his girlfriend for a book, and he gives his Padawan a rock as a birthday present. Other than Tahl and maybe Yoda, he doesn't seem to be on good terms with any other Jedi Master.

Sure, he's vaguely nice to Shmi. But we don't see this "universal compassion" he supposedly mastered anywhere.

I'm curious as to why people think he's such a great Jedi, other than Neeson's performance. What actions of his make him great, in your opinion?

 

Three words.

Summon. Bigger. Fish.



(Sorry, I haven't got anything worthwhile to contribute)

 

Because Qui-Gon Jinn is pretty much the embodiment of the Living Force. A wandering Jedi Master who walks, talks, acts, quacks and speaks like a JEdi at all time.

Trusting the Will of the Force and maintaining a sense of serenity, dispassion and calm judgment at all times, even when requiring a bigger fish or in the middle of a battle with a Sith.

 

I'd be curious to see a bit of extrapolation on your list there. Frankly, I don't see most of it.

 

Qui Gon is like an Old Testament Prophet.

He's meant to be an alright sort of guy with character flaws.

Not the human exemplar people pretend him to be.

 

Which makes him OK in my book!

Who cares? It's because he goes against them all the time.

 

I'd like to know why that has any bearing on how compassionate a person is.

 

The bigger question is what does it say about a man who says "I didn't come here to free slaves."

 

Tatooine isn't a part of the Republic.
Tatooine's laws allow slavery.

How is this an issue?

 

Well, it's hardly a universally compassionate reaction.

It doesn't make him a horrible person, but it hardly makes him a universally-compassionate maverick completely in tune with the Force and always running around doing the right thing whether the stodgy Council likes it or not.

 

1. Tatooine was part of the Republic. They just ignored the laws.

2. Qui Gon broke 9 or 10 different laws there anyway.

3. Why would the law remotely matter to a Jedi? They're practicalists, not legalists.

 

Cheddar monks have priorities.

Getting witnesses of illegal planet seizure to Coruscant > immediately saving a few backwater slaves.

 

With you all the way, sabarte, I've been calling Qui-Gon a hypocritical jerkish oaf for years.

 

And freeing the entire planet's slaves was practical just then?

 

Whopping Watto over the head and getting Shimi would be.

 

And getting both her and Anakin blown up would have solved a lot of problems, then...

And IIRC, he never actually kills anyone. Okay, so that doesn't mean he's automatically the greatest guy in the universe -- but compared with the other Warsian heroes; his Padawan lopping arms off left, right and centre; and Luke's death count is up in the billions...

 

I think there is a distinction to be drawn between compassion and "politeness".

This idea of "universal compassion" would seem to draw a macro level view of circumstances. His compassion was based on this assessment, not the niceties of courtly behavior or making sure everyone liked him.

Perhaps not being liked is a clear sign of his "universal compassion"...somebody is going to be jealous, both of his ability and of his indifference for one life over another...I think this would especially be true of Jedi who places the Order ahead some others things, where Qui Gon did not.

His actions were about the greater good...the greater mission, the greater lesson to be learned...Qui-Gon didn't do anything on the cheap.

I think perhaps Qui-Gon's coarsest behavior was in how he treated Jar Jar, especially at the start...but that could've been as much his attempt to "extract" Jar Jar from his mission path as a dislike...he was compassionate in the idea that "if this simple being stays near me much longer, he's gonna get a blaster bolt in the head...he needs to stop following me now!"

____________

Again...compassion and being "nice" are distinct. Qui-Gon could be a jerk...but his overall intentions were well founded.

 

Right... with her exploding implant which Watto would have detonated when they escaped, of course...

As well, Qui-Gon DID arrange for her to be freed after a fashion (and he was dead), as revealed in Tatooine Ghost, no?

 

Besides, if you want to blame Qui-Gon for not freeing the slaves on Tatooine then you might as well blame the entire Jedi Order for ignoring what when on that planet (and other planets which allow slavery....like Ryloth).

 

I don't think that not freeing the slaves as anything to do with Qui-Gon not being a good Jedi. He had bigger things to take care of, like the Queen. I mean, how good of a movie would it have been if he had stayed on Tattooine, freeing slaves rather than taking the Queen to Coruscant? It would have been a bad movie...Oh wait...

But, in all seriousness, from a person who only knows of Qui-Gon from the movies, he seems alright to me. Yeah, a bit of a jerk, but his master was Count Dooku. I mean, that should say something right there. And, I am going to agree with this statement:

Freeing the slaves was not part of that mission. So, in all actuality, not freeing the slaves and doing his mission would have made him a good Jedi.

 

I agree.

moreover..."freeing" the slaves with what little support he had would lead to MANY of them being dead...and that probably doesn't serve the greater good either.

The greater good even expands beyond the Naboo crisis with his finding Anakin...his most important goal on Coruscant was not to support Amidala...but to get Anakin before the council...believing it to be still a greater good...the Council must redirect him to Naboo...

Always seeing the bigger picture, Qui-Gon was.

 

yep.

 

Uh huh.

Right, that would have been a problem after Qui Gon knew where the device was to shut it off.

 

Obi-Wan does kind of deserve it, spouting things like "pathetic lifeforms" and whatnot.

Yeah, I guess saving his life from his people with the life debt and being a bit strict to the accident and trouble-prone Jar Jar may make him seem like a jerk.

I always thought he did this because he knew about the game she was playing, so he was kind of reversing back it on her.

 

That's a good point. Vader had no problem removing the implanted bomb thing from that guy in the Rebellion comics.