Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn stand among some of the most powerful Jedi in Star Wars, but one Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith detail proves that the student surpassed his teacher. Of course, many will point to the simple fact that Obi-Wan Kenobi was able to defeat Darth Maul in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace as proof of Obi-Wan’s superiority, seeing as Qui-Gon failed to defeat Maul. Nevertheless, there’s even more evidence later on in the prequels that prove why Obi-Wan’s feats put him ahead of Qui-Gon.

Realistically, there are almost no conceivable situations where Obi-Wan would ever seriously duel Qui-Gon. Some sort of rift would have to form between the two for them to want to harm each other. In reality, Obi-Wan had nothing but the greatest respect for everything Qui-Gon had taught him; he held him in the highest regard. Similarly, Qui-Gon was immensely proud of the Jedi Obi-Wan had become, and believed he would eventually grow to become wiser than himself. Nevertheless, in a world where prime Obi-Wan faced off against prime Qui-Gon, it’s interesting to consider who would win.

Qui-Gon Was Trained By Count Dooku

Qui-Gon was trained from a young age by one of the Jedi Order’s finest lightsaber fighters, Count Dooku. Long before Dooku turned to the dark side, Qui-Gon was taught the basics of how to be a Jedi. In addition to Dooku’s fantastic lightsaber skills, Qui-Gon also inherited his master’s disregard for the Jedi Code. He often went with his gut, even if his gut went against the Council’s wishes. If he hadn’t been so flippant with the Code, he almost certainly would have been on the Council.

Qui-Gon was actually offered a seat on the Council at one point, which goes to show just how powerful he really was. But for the sake of training Obi-Wan, he refused the position. Even though Qui-Gon was easily the same caliber as other Jedi Council members, he felt his duty as a master was more important than being on the Council. Of course, Obi-Wan eventually surpassed Qui-Gon in title in Revenge of the Sith by accepting a seat on the Jedi Council.

Qui-Gon was also one of the most notable Jedi due to his unique discoveries in the Force. He was the first character in the Star Wars universe to discover how to retain his consciousness after death, and later manifested himself in the real world as a Force ghost in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series. Additionally, he also came back to assist both Yoda and Obi-Wan with their own journeys in the Force. Without him, Obi-Wan would never have been able to speak to Luke at the end of A New Hope.

The sheer fact that Obi-Wan needed counsel from Qui-Gon to discover the secret of Force ghosts may make it sound like Qui-Gon was still the better Jedi, despite Obi-Wan being in his prime at the time. But prowess in the Force does not necessarily equate to skill in lightsaber combat. So, while Qui-Gon may have beaten Obi-Wan in a contest of Force-sensitivity, there is still strong evidence Obi-Wan would have defeated him in a lightsaber duel. More specifically, Obi-Wan faced one opponent—long after Maul—who shared something in common with Qui-Gon.

General Grievous Was Also Trained By Dooku

Jumping ahead to Revenge of the Sith, Qui-Gon actually shared a strange connection with General Grievous; both characters were trained in lightsaber combat by Count Dooku. What’s more, the Dooku that trained Grievous was arguably more powerful than when he was a Jedi, meaning Grievous may very well have gotten better lightsaber training than Qui-Gon had. Due to Dooku’s direct connection with Palpatine, his abilities in the dark side and his skill with a lightsaber improved upon his already formidable Jedi abilities.

Even Qui-Gon and Grievous’ lightsaber forms were similar in a way. Qui-Gon primarily specialized in Ataru, the fourth lightsaber form. With Ataru, he focused on attacking, quickly ending most battles before they even began. Similarly, Grievous fought in an offensive fashion. In Legends, Grievous used Makashi, the second lightsaber form, which focused on dueling other lightsaber opponents. Nevertheless, with four arms to spare, Grievous’ lightsaber form often became sloppy and mixed. But like Qui-Gon, he tended to attack rather than defend, choosing to quickly overwhelm opponents before the battle drew on.

Despite the differences between the two of them, Qui-Gon and Grievous were actually more alike in battle than one would think. Qui-Gon’s lightsaber form ultimately failed him against Maul. He attempted to win the battle quickly, yet Maul stalled for as long as possible before unfairly hitting him in the face with his hilt. Meanwhile, Grievous’ Makashi form—which was meant to avoid disarmament as much as possible—failed against Obi-Wan, who deftly sliced several of Grievous’ arms before their battle moved elsewhere.

Perhaps one of the most defining differences between Qui-Gon and Grievous lay in their Force powers. Grievous had little to no Force-sensitivity, yet he still managed to mimic lightsaber styles of a Force-wielder. Just as Qui-Gon overcame his mortality and learned to become a Force ghost, Grievous became a fearsome ligthsaber fighter despite his lack of Force-sensitivity.

Obi-Wan Easily Defeated Grievous

In Revenge of the Sith, Obi-Wan easily trounced Grievous during their battle on Utapau. Even though Grievous fought unfairly with a blaster and an electrostaff—something Qui-Gon would never do—Obi-Wan still managed to get the upper hand in almost every stage of their duel. And while Grievous and Qui-Gon may seem like a strange comparison, Obi-Wan’s victory highlights how he surpassed one of Dooku’s best students. Since Obi-Wan was able to defeat Grievous with ease, he would likely defeat Qui-Gon as well.

As soon as Grievous noticed that Obi-Wan had the upper hand in their battle, he tried his best to flee from him. In the end, the only reason he turned to face Obi-Wan was due to him hanging off the landing platform. He correctly evaluated that he wouldn’t be able to take off with Obi-Wan so close at hand, something Qui-Gon would likely have deduced as well. Nevertheless, Obi-Wan still emerged victorious against Grievous.

Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon’s difference in battle experience may be the final point that tips the scale toward Obi-Wan. At the time of Revenge of the Sith, Obi-Wan had fought countless battles in The Clone Wars, and had faced plenty of lightsaber battles against characters such as Dooku, Asajj Ventress, and Grievous. Meanwhile, Qui-Gon’s duel with Maul was his first and last real interaction with a Sith.

Obi-Wan’s defeat of Maul in The Phantom Menace hints that he’s begun to surpass his master, yet he still had a lot to learn at the time regarding the Force. But Obi-Wan in Revenge of the Sith was able to soundly defeat his own grandmaster’s student, proving he’d surpassed Qui-Gon once and for all. In Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith—just as Qui-Gon predicted—Obi-Wan ended up becoming both a wiser and more powerful Jedi than he ever was.