"Wise mentor" or "awful Jedi"? Star Wars fans are debating if Qui-Gon Jinn is to blame for Anakin's turn to the dark side

Who's to blame for Anakin's turn to the dark side? Well, some Star Wars fans think it's Qui-Gon Jinn who's at fault.

Played by Liam Neeson in The Phantom Menace, Qui-Gon is a Jedi Master who Obi-Wan is an apprentice to. He's the one who first believes Anakin is the "chosen one" when the pair encounter him on Tatooine, but the Council denies his request to train him. When Qui-Gon is killed in a lightsaber duel with Darth Maul later in the movie, Obi-Wan promises to train Anakin in his stead.

"I've always, in my mind, viewed Qui-Gon as a respected trainer of Obi-Wan and he died heroically fighting a Sith agent," a fan wrote on Reddit. "Now, on rewatch, there's tons of indications that Obi-Wan saw the danger in Anakin and really it comes to to Qui-Gon's insistence on training Anakin that causes the downfall."

"Nah Jinn was the only Jedi who could’ve successfully trained Anakin. He knew balance more than any other Jedi," someone replied. "That was the whole point of Episode One," another fan agreed. "The duel of the fates resulted in Qui Gon's death and directly led to Anakin becoming Darth Vader."

"The only way he screwed everyone was by dying. If he lived to train Anakin, he would have been a far different person. Obi-Wan was not meant to train Ani," echoed another.

However, others agree that he's not a good Jedi and to blame for Anakin's downfall. "Yes, my god, people on here are constantly praising him but he was an awful Jedi and 10000% kickstarted Anakin's fall with how he went about getting him out of slavery and presenting him to the council," another fan wrote. "I love Liam Neeson wholeheartedly but I can't help but seethe with rage every time I see Jinn's face."

"I agree! Qui-Gon always seemed like the wise mentor, but when you really break it down, his stubbornness about Anakin set everything in motion," wrote someone else. "Obi-Wan, despite being younger and less experienced, actually had some valid concerns that got overlooked. It makes me wonder how things would’ve played out if Qui-Gon had lived –or if the Council had stuck to their initial decision."

Next up from the galaxy far, far away is Andor season 2, which arrives on Disney Plus on April 22 and reunites us with Diego Luna's Cassian Andor as we get ever closer to the events of Rogue One.

While we wait for Andor season 2 to arrive on our screens, check out our guide to all the other upcoming Star Wars movies and shows on the way in 2025 and beyond.