In yesterday's Obi-Wan Kenobi finale, the Jedi Master reconnected with the Force and returned to Tatooine after defeating Darth Vader and returning Princess Leia to her parents on Alderaan. Unlike the Ben we met at the start of this series, he appeared to be at peace with the past and back to being the powerful Jedi we spent time with in the Star Wars prequels.
After finally getting to meet the young Luke Skywalker, Ben made his way through the desert to embark on new adventures and presumably make a home for himself in the hut we found him in at the start of A New Hope.
It was at that point Obi-Wan was greeted by the Force Ghost of a familiar ally; his fallen Master, Qui-Gon Jinn. Wondering what had taken his old Padawan so long, Qui-Gon made it clear their journey was just beginning, and the prevailing theory is that the beloved Jedi will teach Obi-Wan how to live on even after death (making him more powerful than Vader could ever imagine).
The Hollywood Reporter reached out to actor Liam Neeson to get a comment on his Star Wars return, and the actor told them: "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."
"Plus, Ewan [McGregor] is a pal," the actor continued, "and I loved working with him during The Phantom Menace 25 years ago."
Neeson has never had bad things to say about his time making The Phantom Menace, saying in 2020 that he likes the movie and is "proud of it and proud to have been a part of it." He'd add, "I got to be a Jedi. I got to play with those wonderful lightsabers and stuff. It was terrific, it really was."
Neeson lent his voice to episodes of The Clone Wars and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, but this marks his first live-action appearance as Qui-Gon first 1999. Lucasfilm getting him back is amazing, though it doesn't sound like he ever hesitated when offered the chance to play the Jedi Master one final time.
What did you think about Neeson's return as Qui-Gon Jinn?