It had been a long time coming, so even if Star Wars enthusiasts weren’t exactly surprised to see Liam Neeson make a comeback as the Force ghost of Qui-Gon Jinn, they embraced the cameo appearance with a sense of approving consensus that almost never happens within the galaxy far, far away fandom.
After leaving us hanging for five episodes and the larger part of the sixth, Qui-Gon finally made an appearance in the closing moments of Obi-Wan Kenobi, revealing to his former padawan and the audience that the titular Jedi Master still has much to learn. This also fulfilled Yoda’s tease at the end of Revenge of the Sith, who had said to Obi-Wan that his old master knew how to return to the mortal realm as a Force ghost.
Now, Liam Neeson has discussed his long-overdue return in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, explaining the reason he decided to come back after his last appearance in The Phantom Menace more than 20 years ago.
“I certainly didn’t want anyone else playing Qui-Gon Jinn, and I wanted to show my respect for George [Lucas] and that mythical world that he created,” he said. “Plus, Ewan [McGregor] is a pal, and I loved working with him during The Phantom Menace 25 years ago.”
Since the credits rolled on that final episode, Obi-Wan Kenobi fans have been clamoring for another season. If that ends up being the case and McGregor returns for another run of his solo outing, then Qui-Gon will almost certainly appear alongside him to complete his training, if nothing else.
You can now watch all six episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi on Disney Plus.