‘Star Wars’: What If Qui-Gon Jinn Survived the Duel of the Fates?
For over forty years the Star Wars movies have had fans saying what if. What if Anakin hadn’t fallen in love? What if Darth Maul lived? Fans have played with timelines and created theories surrounding different aspects of the story, especially the end of fights. One of the best questions fans came up with was what if Qui-Gon Jinn survived the battle known as the Duel of the Fates?
What happened at the duel of the fates?
Darth Maul first made his appearance on Tatooine searching for the Queen and her ship. Later, we find him bearing down on young Anakin as they race to the ship to leave the planet. This is where Qui-Gon and Maul first face-off. Their short duel in the sand left a bitter taste in Maul’s mouth as Qui-Gon hops aboard the ship and races off into space.
Toward the end of the movie when the Queen was attempting to flee the planet of Naboo, the pair meet again. This time Obi-Wan was with Qui-Gon at the start of the battle. However, the two get separated by force fields mid-battle and Qui-Gon is forced to fight the Sith alone. Qui-Gon manages to slice the Sith in half before his own injuries become too great to withstand. Obi-Wan’s promise to his master at his death begins Anakin’s journey into the Force and eventually leads him to the Dark Side.
Alternate storylines where Qui-Gon survived
Some fans asked on Reddit, what if Qui-Gon had survived the battle? There are a few theories floating around, including one from my family discussions. If Qui-Gon had survived, then Anakin would have never been trained by Obi-Wan. This is because Obi-Wan was still a padawan, and it would have been Qui-Gon’s duty to continue his training. The only Jedi at that time that could have trained Anakin was Mace. So, he would have learned a totally different set of skills and never have seen Padme again. It would be the end of the line of Skywalker.
One of the fans on Reddit had another theory, if Qui-Gon had survived, Anakin would not have turned to the Dark Side for answers. Potentially this would mean that Qui-Gon would have been tasked with the Queen’s care, and he would have discovered the clone army. Qui-Gon would have disagreed with the Jedi Council about the use of the army and lead to his leaving and joining Dooku to protect the realms from the clone army. Palpatine would not have ordered the execution of Order 66 and instead watched the Jedi thin their own ranks through civil war.
They continue to theorize that the Jedi on both sides would begin adopting elements from the Dark side and begin practicing forbidden techniques. The eventual downfall of the Jedi order wouldn’t carry the hope that the original storyline calls for and so the resurrection of the Rebel Alliance and fight until the Empire is destroyed would not be the end. Many more fan theories are out there each a little different and unique.
‘Star Wars Infinites’ is a what-if comic series
One of the best examples of an alternate universe is the “Star Wars Infinite” series. The series takes the original three movies and creates a different outcome for each. All the outcomes are bleak in comparison to the original stories. Participants on the Reddit thread suggested the comics for those who would like to see what would happen if things had turned out differently.
For movies like Star Wars, there is always a fan base that uses their imagination to recreate the great stories. The movies don’t even cover all the details the books have which leave certain knowledge of the series in the hands of those who go beyond watching the movies and animations. In a fantasy world, imagination adds many depths and the possibility of alternate endings.
