Would Anakin have turned if Qui-Gon lived?

[crystalcat]

Actually, the full question is:
"Do you think Anakin would have turned if Qui-Gon had lived to be his master instead of Obi-Wan?"
(there just wasn't room for all that in the subject line).

Whether you think yes or no, please say why you think so.

And please try to keep your answers within the boundaries of the movies alone (this means no EU justifications), and preferably do not use anything in the movie novelizations that did not also appear in the films. The reason is because Lucas does not consider anything canon except the finished films (even the novelizations of them).

[crystalcat]

Personally, no, I don't think he would have turned. There are several reasons why:

1. The most obvious is that the battle where he dies is titled "Duel of the Fates" which makes it a sort of contest for Anakin's soul. Qui-Gon dies, which implies that good loses initially, but then the apprentice Obi-Wan kills Maul in a comeback (good will triumph eventually after the setback, but things will never be quite the same). However, I know that this is only marginally better than saying Anakin had to fall so that the PT could connect to the OT. Neither is a satisfying in-story argument.

2. Qui-Gon was older and more experienced than Obi-Wan, and would have been less likely to permit his padawan's head to be filled up by someone else, no matter who it was, unless he was sure himself about what was getting said. But I think this is really part of another problem ... (#3 below)

3. From the start, we see Obi-Wan as someone who is in awe of authority: He tells his own master that he (Qui-Gon) should quit defying the council so that he could become a council member himself. The fact that Qui-Gon has no ambition to ever be on the council is simply not something Obi-Wan ever manages to grasp before Qui-Gon dies. This has several direct effects on the way Obi-Wan teaches his own padawan:

• He instills in Anakin the desire to reach the rank of Master and eventually become a council member (because this is what he wants to do himself).
  
• He allows his padawan to be privately instructed by Palpatine, because Palpatine holds a position of authority in the republic (even though he doesn't personally trust politicians).
  
• Whenever Obi-Wan is forced to make a choice between following orders and obeying the will of the Force, he always follows orders (except finally at the end, when he refuses to kill Vader - but by the beginning of the OT, it seems that he regretted this decision as he is so insistent on getting Luke to kill him).
  
• It's not clear from the movies that Obi-Wan (or anyone on the Jedi council, for that matter) even knows that Anakin was a former slave. As such, he would have more contempt for authority than the average person, and this would become a matter of conflict between him and someone of the opposite viewpoint (such as Obi-Wan). Further, if Obi-Wan really does not know Anakin's background, he would find it difficult to understand Anakin's viewpoint.
  

Qui-Gon would not do any of the above things, because he was not blinded by authority, did not have Obi-Wan's ambitions, and when forced to make a choice, always chose on the side of the Force.

** Disclaimer: The point of my argument is not to trash Obi-Wan, whom I think did the best he could with what he had. And I am not blaming him for Anakin's fall.

[Annie]

Very good analysis!

I agree he would not have turned if Qui-Gon had lived, whether or not he was his main master, as long as he was there to influence him. Vicki covered this in her story "Qui-Gon Lives" and I liked it

[Annie]

Hey maybe someday you can write a "what if Qui Gon survived" fic about Anakin? Vicki's was great but it focused mostly on the relationship of Qui Gon and Shmi, maybe yours could be more about Anakin with Qui Gon as his master? It's an idea!

[samantha]

Thanks for posting this topic, for I'd been wandering how things would have turned out if Qui-Gon did survived, and how his impact on Anakin's life would have been, then.

Kisses,

Sam.

[Astrid]

If Qui-Gon had lived the whole order would have been better off, unless they wouldn't let him change things and he got mad and left like in my story.

[PadmeSkywalker]

All in all if Qui-Gon had lived I think the following:

1. He probably would have know of Anakin's love for Padme, he was "in tune" with Anakin...... I believe he would have allowed this love and marriage because it was the will of the force for the chosen one (and to me Qui-Gon was a bit of a romantic? in a sense of the word)..... then especially when Padme became pregnant, he would believe it the will of the force...

2. He would have kept it a secret from the council, like Anakin, because he was a bit rebelish and like crystal cat said, he always chose the force, other than authority.

3. Qui-Gon would have known about the dreams of Padme and Anakin's mother, I feel he cared for Shmi on some level and would have let Anakin go to her and hence she wouldn't have died..... and possibly Anakin might never of had dreams of Padme dying.... since his mother was alive.

4. Qui-Gon would have sense the Dark Side in Palpitine and never let him get so close to Anakin......

So my points are if Qui-Gon had lived, Shmi would have lived, Anakin and Padme would be married, the twins would be born, Padme would live, Anakin WOULD NOT have turned and together Anakin and Qui-Gon would have gone after Palpatine, with Anakin being the one to kill the Sith.... fufilling the prophecy..........

[Steller's Jay]

padmeskywalker said:

All in all if Qui-Gon had lived I think the following:

1. He probably would have know of Anakin's love for Padme, he was "in tune" with Anakin...... I believe he would have allowed this love and marriage because it was the will of the force for the chosen one (and to me Qui-Gon was a bit of a romantic? in a sense of the word)..... then especially when Padme became pregnant, he would believe it the will of the force...

My gut feeling is to disagree with this point. I think Qui-Gon would have tried to keep Anakin on the Jedi path and not give in to his love for Padme. That said, I don't have any idea if Anakin would have obeyed him or not. We don't know much about Qui-Gon other than from the EU. It may be that, had Anakin still married her and she became pregnant, Qui-Gon would have kept it secret, or lobbied for the Council to allow their marriage, it being the Will of the Force. Also, I think Anakin would have trusted Qui-Gon more than he did Obi-Wan and confided in him, just because Qui-Gon often defied the Council. We know that about Qui-Gon based on what Obi-Wan said to him in TPM.

2. He would have kept it a secret from the council, like Anakin, because he was a bit rebelish and like crystal cat said, he always chose the force, other than authority.

See my answer to #1 above.

3. Qui-Gon would have known about the dreams of Padme and Anakin's mother, I feel he cared for Shmi on some level and would have let Anakin go to her and hence she wouldn't have died..... and possibly Anakin might never of had dreams of Padme dying.... since his mother was alive.

I'm not sure, but I think Qui-Gon might possibly have gone with Anakin to Tatooine. They would have had to get there at exactly the right time, though. If they got there too early, Shmi may still at some point in the future have been abducted and killed. Anyway, you make a good point, PadmeSkywalker.

4. Qui-Gon would have sense the Dark Side in Palpitine and never let him get so close to Anakin......

I don't think Qui-Gon would have been able to sense that any more than the other Jedi. The Force was clouded by Palpatine. But, who knows, perhaps Qui-Gon's dedication to the Living Force may have somehow allowed him to sense something was wrong with the Chancellor.

Anyway, neat idea. It would be neat if several of us wrote a story based on this idea, and see what different ideas sprouted!

[DarthAnakin]

i dont think he would have turned because Qui Gon was a big reason that his not a slave anymore, so makes him very important in Anakin's life. Qui Gon most likely would have been a better master then Obiwan.

[DarthAnakin]

i dont think he would have turned because Qui Gon was a big reason that his not a slave anymore, so makes him very important in Anakin's life. Qui Gon most likely would have been a better master then Obiwan.

[padme52]

No I don't think he would have turned, Qui-Gons influence would have strengthened him and grounded him. He would have never insisted he never communicate with his mother.