Qui-Gon’s Reason For Not Freeing Slaves is So Much Worse in The Comic

Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn infamously only freed Anakin Skywalker from slavery in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, but the reasons behind his decision were astonishingly selfish, especially for a Jedi. Though Qui-Gon remains a fan-favorite character despite (or perhaps because of) his limited screentime, the hero is not without flaws. One of said flaws is aptly demonstrated in the comic Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace #0.5, in which the Jedi Master argues why he shouldn’t free desperate slaves on Tatooine.

In the film, Qui-Gon comes across Anakin and immediately senses his strong connection to the Force. As Qui-Gon needs money to buy a piece of starship equipment necessary to continue their diplomatic mission to Coruscant, he makes a deal with Anakin’s slave owner Watto: Anakin and his mother go free if Anakin wins the podrace, in exchange for the pod itself. “No pod is worth two slaves, not by a longshot!” Watto angrily responds, and without missing a beat, Qui-Gon only asks that Anakin be freed, without ever again attempting to negotiate his mother’s release. This was seen as cold and calculating by some fans – but they didn’t count on Qui-Gon’s selfishness too.

As Anakin and Qui-Gon walk through Mos Espa, the pair come across a slaver mistreating two slaves who are severely dehydrated. Qui-Gon uses a Jedi mind trick to coerce the slaver into giving his slaves the water, whereupon Anakin asks the obvious: if Qui-Gon could influence the slaver to treat his slaves better, why not free the slaves entirely? “And what would become of the slaves then? How far would they get on Tatooine?” Qui-Gon responds. A Jedi is responsible for any and all consequences that might arise from helping others, he says – though this is small comfort to Anakin (and the reader).

Here, Qui-Gon insinuates that the slaves would be better off as property than as free beings. If Qui-Gon is worried about the wellbeing of the two would-be former slaves, perhaps he should help them find food, water, shelter, etc. But this is Qui-Gon’s pattern, considering that he lectures Obi-Wan about thinking too far into the future at the start of the first film. Qui-Gon’s intentions are noble, but his actions are selfish in his desire to accomplish his mission and nothing else – even if that means refusing to use his powers to free Anakin’s mother and many other slaves living in the city.

A final piece of dialogue insinuates that Qui-Gon has told Watto to treat Shmi Skywalker with more respect in the future. But a respected slave is still a slave, and thus they continue to lack the freedom that so many people like Qui-Gon take for granted.

The Star Wars hero is quite popular even after death, but his flaws ultimately lead to disaster when it comes to Anakin’s dark future.