Star Wars’ Best Jedi Just Proved Yoda Was Totally Wrong About the Dark Side

by

Though often seen as the wisest Jedi in the Star Wars saga, Master Yoda wasn’t perfect. As the leader of the Jedi Order during the prequel years, his advice ultimately couldn’t prevent the rise of the Sith and the downfall of the Jedi. When he finally confronted Palpatine, Yoda understood he was no match for the Sith’s new and dangerous power. He had remained focused on tradition, while the Sith had adapted and grown stronger, and the Jedi Order ultimately failed under his leadership.

Yoda was among the few Jedi Masters who lived through the devastating Order 66. He went into hiding on the remote, swampy planet of Dagobah. There, he eventually trained Luke Skywalker, the Jedi who would ultimately defeat the forces of evil, and taught him to be wary of the dark side. Yoda cautioned Luke that giving in to darkness, even for a moment, could ruin your life, saying, “Once you start down the dark path, it will control your destiny and consume you.” However, ironically, the most skilled Jedi Yoda had ever known had already shown that this wasn’t always true.

Qui-Gon Jinn Was the Best of the Jedi

Qui-Gon Jinn was widely considered the most skilled Jedi of his time. While known for being independent and unconventional, he earned the deep respect of his fellow Jedi, particularly Mace Windu, who considered him a close friend. The Jedi Council didn’t always see eye-to-eye with Qui-Gon, but they always valued his insights. By the time of The Phantom Menace, he seemed unusually perceptive about the growing threat of darkness across the galaxy.

Qui-Gon Jinn was a rare Jedi Master who deeply studied old prophecies, and he recognized signs that a special individual, the Chosen One, was about to appear. Unlike many other Jedi, he was open to learning from different Force-using cultures. This willingness ultimately allowed him to become a Force Ghost – a feat only achievable by those completely devoted to the light side, embodying goodness and rejecting darkness.

Yoda was aware of this connection. As shown in Revenge of the Sith, Qui-Gon Jinn appeared to Yoda and spent the following twenty years teaching him how to become a Force Ghost. Despite this, Yoda never realized the surprising truth: that this seemingly pure embodiment of the light side of the Force had once briefly explored the dark side, but ultimately turned away from it.

Qui-Gon’s Moment of Weakness Explained

As a huge Star Wars fan, I recently read something really fascinating! Apparently, Qui-Gon Jinn used to train under Count Dooku – Yoda’s former Padawan, who eventually became a Sith Lord. The comic Star Wars: Jedi Knights #10 showed how much Dooku impacted Qui-Gon, even pushing him towards anger. It all came to a head during a fight on Sinsara, where Qui-Gon actually used the Force to freeze an opponent before attacking – something Jedi are absolutely not supposed to do! It really sheds light on why Qui-Gon was the way he was, and how Dooku’s influence stuck with him.

Qui-Gon briefly explored the lure of the dark side, but instead of succumbing to it, this experience actually strengthened his resolve to remain a Jedi. In fact, this initial brush with darkness may have been crucial to his growth and ultimate strength as a Jedi. This suggests that even those who momentarily stray towards darkness can still find redemption, challenging Yoda’s well-known belief about avoiding the dark side at all costs.

Yoda’s predictions ultimately proved incorrect, spectacularly so, when Luke Skywalker intervened. Luke held onto the belief that even Darth Vader could be redeemed, and he was right when Vader turned against the Emperor in Return of the Jedi. If Yoda had simply considered the example of Qui-Gon Jinn, he might have understood this much earlier. Even the most insightful Jedi can overlook things, but imagine how different the Star Wars story could have been if Yoda had recognized this and not succumbed to fear during the prequel era.

Star Wars: Jedi Knights #10 is on sale now from Marvel Comics.

What are your thoughts on the new game? Share your opinion in the comments below and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!

https://comicbook.com/comics/news/star-wars-finally-explains-why-qui-gon-was-palpatines-greatest-threat-why-he-couldve-saved-anakin/embed/#

Read More

2025-12-20 23:45