Why didn't Qui-Gon just steel the T-14 Hyperdrive?

I know it isn't very Jedi like but it was an emergency, mind tricking Watto in to accepting credits is more or less steeling so when Watto says "No money, no parts, no deal" and Qui-Gon smiles and walks off why didn't he quickley draw out his lightsaber and hit Watto over the head with his handle and just take the Hyperdrive?

 

Because thats not very noble, a Jedi only attacks in defence

+ then Anakin wouldn't of been discovered, and there would be no Vader, luke Leia and the films would be missing a lot!

 

"Credits will do fine" to me implied that Qui-Gon counted on the fact that Watto could trade out Republic credits if he REALLY tried. That's not stealing at all. Flat out stealing might have been his last option, but I'm sure he wanted to use up all of his options before he got in that kind of trouble.

 

Jedi are upheld to a certain code of nobility and honesty. To abuse your Jedi abilities is to abuse power - and that's what leads you to the Dark Side, as we saw with Anakin. "With great power comes great responsibility." Qui Gon learned to use the Force to accentuate his life but he also had to learn how to harness and restrain it. If worse came to worse, then I'm sure he would've done it for the sake of all, but he wanted to use all other options first...plus, stealing it outright would've brought some excessive attention, don't you think? And just how was he going to get it out of there without Watto knowing? Knock him unconscious, KILL him? There's alot more going into it than we imagined.

Oh, yeah, and then we wouldn't be able to have an Anakin intro subplot.

 

Ha.......this reminds me of the TPM video game. You can just walk up and kill anybody.

 

That game was fun

 

But it's okay to :
1. Gamble (as he did with Watto)
2. Risk the life of a 9 year old boy.
3. And waste another day on Tatooine while people on Naboo are dying.

Hmmmm....

g

 

I don't recall Qui-Gon wasting any time. He seemed to me to always be very aware that time was of the essence. And he was well aware of the risks involved in Anakin podracing. However he also knew that Anakin had taken the risk before and was capable of making the decision to risk it again. Shmi also had final say in this decision. She also knew the amazing capabilities of her boy. Was she a negligent mother for letting him do it? I don't think so.

 

Qui-Gon trusted his feelings and the force. Hitting Watto over the head and taking the parts would be a blatant act of aggression and fear. He says to Obi-Wan "I'm sure another solution will present itself." He is allowing the force to guide him. When he makes the wager with Watto, and risks a 9 year olds life he does so because this is what his feelings tell him to do.
Is it ok? maybe it is, maybe it isn't, the point is Qui-Gon is confident that everything is happening for a reason.

 

1. Gamble (as he did with Watto)

The gambling was done with the good intention of winning a hyperdrive that would save the lives of many. It hardly harmed anybody who wasn't willing to take the risks. And as I recall, it wasn't originally Qui Gon's plan to begin with.


2. Risk the life of a 9 year old boy.

A nine year old boy who came up with the idea to begin with and was fully aware and willing to take risks. A nine year old boy who was hardly ordinary and could perform the required task. Watto had made Anakin do it many, many times before, and he would likely wind up havnig to do it again anyway. Besides, despite his hope that the plan could help them, Qui Gon initially sided with Shmi in disallowing Anakin the right to harm himself. Certainly he realized Anakin was special and didn't want something happening to him. But, as we've pointed out, desperate times call for desperate matters.


3. And waste another day on Tatooine while people on Naboo are dying.

First off, the transmission was left up in the air as to whether or not it was real. Most of them think it was a trick, but in recognizing that it might just be honest, both Obi Wan and Qui Gon speak frankly on how they must hurry to get off the planet. Secondly, how do you suggest Qui Gon move the story any faster along? Kill Watto and take the hyperdrive? That would attract attention, perhaps even get to the level of the Hutts if people realize what kind of companions Qui Gon has traveling with him. It would be unnecessarily dangerous and ignoble. Anakin's offer provided a viable solution and fulfilled his promise - not to mention that there was likely some Force/destiny interference Qui Gon deferred to in matters regarding his faith in the boy.

 

Too much thought put into this.

Stealing is wrong, and Qui-gon isn't a theif. End of story.

 

Jedi are upheld to a certain code of nobility and honesty.

---

yet qui gon would delibertly turn the dice so it does not end up freeing shimi, but freeing anakin? thats not jedi behavior. Thats darkside behaivor. Its greed in my book. It made more sense for him to take the boy.

WATTO : We'll let fate decide. Blue it's the boy, red his mother...

WATTO tosses the cube down. QUI-GON lifts his hand slightly; it turns blue. QUI-GON smiles

----

"Whenever you gamble, my freind, eventually you'll lose". He says after the race and isnt that forshadowing his own death!

 

when Watto says "No money, no parts, no deal" and Qui-Gon smiles and walks off why didn't he quickley draw out his lightsaber and hit Watto over the head with his handle and just take the Hyperdrive?





Have you seen how big those Hyperdrives are?

 

After he steals the hyperdrive, he could also steal Anakin. But there's the problem of the bomb... maybe he could use the Force to locate the bomb on his body then cut his body open with his Lightsaber & remove it.

 

^^^LOL [face_laughing], I can see it now...

QGJ: Now Anakin, sit and be very still, I need to get the bomb out of you.
AS: Qui-Gon sir I've got a bad feeling about this.
QGJ: Now what did I tell you at your house, being a jedi is a hard life, I foresee you getting many limbs cut off.

yet qui gon would delibertly turn the dice so it does not end up freeing shimi, but freeing anakin? thats not jedi behavior. Thats darkside behaivor. Its greed in my book. It made more sense for him to take the boy.

What's he going to do with Shmi? Qui-Gon did nothing wrong, he used Watto's weakness against him. Alos if you were Qui-Gon would you have taken the chance of the cube freeing Shmi? He didn't need her, he needed Anakin.

 

Not to mention that Shmi was obviously in agreeance with Qui Gon that Anakin "deserved better." How is wanting to help a boy escape that kind of life "greedy?" Slavery isn't exactly moral to begin with, in any book. Watto went into that with impure intentions, Qui Gon was just throwing the game back at him. He wasn't assured of winning, either. Watto had a chance of keeping the boy and gaining a ship if Anakin lost the race. The odds were pretty fair.

Qui Gon isn't really meant to be the paragon of virtue, and he wasn't meant to be. He's more somebody who acts with his heart with the best intentions in mind. Qui Gon's strength is that he is willing to take on risks that others won't, willing to cross lines to do what he thinks is right...but that's also his weakness, too. Without Qui Gon's interference, the universe would never have known who Anakin Skywalker was, Darth Vader would never have come into existence, but, as it is was, fate ultimately had greater plans for him, and it used Qui Gon as its tool of getting things done.

 

Yes Darth Vader would have never existed but you could also argue that no one else would saved the galaxy from the Emperor (since no one else would have caught him by surprise like that).

 

Oh, of course. Like Ben said, it's all "from a certain point of view." I hardly blame Qui Gon for what he did, and, really, as much as he was influenced by others, the choice was still Anakin's to make.

Though, I will say Anakin's hand in the Jedi purges likely gave Palpatine one hell of an edge. It is interesting to hypothesize what would have happened had he been revealed earlier to a much larger group of Jedi who could take him on.

 

Alos if you were Qui-Gon would you have taken the chance of the cube freeing Shmi? He didn't need her, he needed Anakin.



thats greed.

why exactly did he need anakin?

Because of the midchlorian count. cause he could run to the council and say, look what i found. he preached about will of the force, but didnt allow the will of the force to happen. he manipulated events for his (and he belived the jedi's) own good. im not judging the why..just the action. who knows maybe the will of the force would have not turned things that way. maybe it would have. who knows. even jinn says that nothing happens by chance.

 

thats greed.

No, that's having fervent devotion to what he belives the Force wants to happen. I defined greed in another thread.

why exactly did he need anakin?

Because of the midchlorian count. cause he could run to the council and say, look what i found. he preached about will of the force, but didnt allow the will of the force to happen. he manipulated events for his (and he belived the jedi's) own good. im not judging the why..just the action. who knows maybe the will of the force would have not turned things that way. maybe it would have. who knows. even jinn says that nothing happens by chance.

How can you possibly extrapolate that kind of selfish motivation from the given story? Qui Gon Jinn picked up Anakin because he thought he was the Chosen One, part of the living Force that would help bring balance as the prophecy had foretold. He did NOT do it to bring him to the council to gain praise. In fact, Anakin's age and his already strained relationship with the council was more dangerous to his reputation than it is benefactory. Qui Gon didn't even mention the prophecy when he got there - Yoda had to drag it out of him. He did not parade Anakin about like some sort of prize. He practically begged the council to test and train Anakin, not because he wanted to, but because he thought Anakin deserved the training and that his destiny in doing so would positively affect the future of all Jedi. That is not greed in any way, shape, or form. That is concern and acknowledgement of powers beyond his own for the betterment of others. Originally, he wasn't even going to train Ani - he only offered to do so when the Council refused otherwise.

How did he not fulfill the will of the force? How do know it wasn't exactly what was meant to occur? The Force is a neutral entity made good or evil only by the perceptions and manipulation of the user. Just look at the brutal lengths it went to balance itself out using Anakin as it's vessel.

But let's hypothesize Qui Gon did manipulate fate without realizing it. He's hardly singularly guilty of this crime. It's a common perception of all Jedi that they should plan and respond to the future based on their instincts. Qui Gon felt that it was his destiny to raise Anakin up amidst the ranks of Jedi. Obi Wan and Yoda decided Luke should be the last hope for the Jedi. Mace and Yoda decided to keep the Senate in the dark about their lacking Jedi powers. All of these had severe consequences. Mistakes will be made in the process of trying to second guess fate. Qui Gon simply did what he felt the Force was telling him - save Anakin Skywalker from a life of slavery and raise him as a Jedi.