Star Wars Actor Admits His Prequel Character’s Death Was a Huge Mistake

According to one of Star Wars' biggest stars, this Prequel character's death was a huge mistake. In 1999's Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, Star Wars fans were introduced to a new take on the galaxy far, far away, as director George Lucas began recounting the fall of one, Anakin Skywalker. While Phantom Menace was not the critical success Lucas may have thought it to be, one highlight, almost unanimously among audience members, has always been Liam Neeson's Qui-Gon Jinn. 

However, Neeson's on-screen Jedi master was short-lived in the franchise, as the character was killed off in that first Prequel era film, dying at the hands of the villainous Darth Maul (played by Ray Park), a decision the actor has now publicly decried. Qui-Gon has, of course, come by way of a Force Ghost over the years in titles like Disney+'s Obi-Wan Kenobi, but Episode I was the only time fans got to enjoy Neeson in the flesh as the now-iconic Star Wars character. 

In a conversation with GQ while promoting his recent Naked Gun legacy sequel, Liam Neeson declared once and for all that he thinks Qui-Gon Jinn's death in The Phantom Menace was a mistake.

"I’m supposed to be a Master Jedi," Neeson posited about his Prequel character, saying he cannot believe his character fell for Darth Maul's clever (or not-so-clever) tricks during their climactic battle on Naboo:

"I'm supposed to be a Master Jedi. My character fell for that, 'Oh I'm going for your face. No, I'm not, I'm going for your stomach!' It's like, oh please, hardly a Master Jedi."

Neeson's Qui-Gon Jinn was last seen as a Force Ghost in the closing moments of Obi-Wan Kenobi in 2022, with little known about the character's Star Wars future after that. There have been rumors of a second season of the Ewan McGregor-led streaming series swirling as of late, potentially hinting that Neeson could come back as well. 

Was Qui-Gon Jinn's Death Worth It in Star Wars?

For years, Qui Gon Jinn has been named one of Star Wars' biggest missed opportunities, as the fan-favorite character only ever got one movie's worth of screen time before he was taken off the board. 

Of course, had he lived and gotten to train the young Anakin Skywalker as he had intended, things may have turned out differently in the legendary sci-fi saga. 

However, that does not mean the character/actor cannot and will not factor into the franchise's future. No, this doesn't mean he will get the Darth Maul treatment and return from the dead in an upcoming project. 

Instead, if he is to return, it will likely be as a Force Ghost. Qui-Gon came back into the fray at the end of Obi-Wan Kenobi Season 1, showing that he has been guiding Ewan McGregor's Obi-Wan in the time between Episodes III and IV.

If Kenobi were to come back for a Season 2, as it is rumored to do, then it would not be all that surprising if Qui-Gon returned once again. 

However, even if this happens, nothing can give so many fans what they crave: getting Neeson's character back from the dead and reversing the confounding decision to kill him off so early on in the story.