Liam Neeson’s Star Wars Experience
Liam Neeson, the Oscar-nominated actor, recently expressed his dissatisfaction with his character Qui-Gon Jinn’s death in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. He felt that his character’s death was not fitting for a master Jedi, stating that he should have had a more honorable demise.
Qui-Gon Jinn’s Death
Neeson recalled his character’s final moments, saying "I thought my death was a bit of Namby Pamby. I should be a master Jedi… My character noticed, ‘Oh, I’m going to your face! No, I’m not, I’m going to your stomach.’ "Oh, you have me!" He felt that his character’s death was too quick and easy, and that he should have put up more of a fight.
The Shooting Experience
Despite his dissatisfaction with his character’s death, Neeson remarked that the shooting experience was still great. He enjoyed working on the film and appreciated the opportunity to play a complex character like Qui-Gon Jinn.
Revisiting the Role
More than 20 years after the release of The Phantom Menace, Neeson reprised his role as Qui-Gon Jinn in the Disney+ spin-off series Obi-Wan Kenobi. He appeared in a scene with Ewan McGregor, who played Obi-Wan Kenobi, and said that it was nice to revisit the character and work with McGregor again after so many years.
Alternative Ending
During the 25th anniversary of the prequel, concept and storyboard artist Iain McCaig revealed that George Lucas had initially planned a different ending for Qui-Gon Jinn’s character. In this alternative scenario, Qui-Gon Jinn would have had a more emotional and meaningful death, with Obi-Wan Kenobi staying with him as he passed away. McCaig described this ending as "very moving" and said that it would have had a significant impact on the story.
Impact on the Story
Although the alternative ending was not used, it would have achieved the same result as the original ending, with Obi-Wan Kenobi going on to train Anakin Skywalker and eventually Luke Skywalker. The story would have still unfolded in the same way, but with a more emotional and personal connection between Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi.
