Star Wars finally gave the real reason why Qui-Gon Jinn refused to free the slaves on Tatooine in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. Throughout Star Wars history, the Jedi have restored justice in worlds where there is corruption. For example, in one of Star Wars: The Clone Wars darkest episodes, Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka work to free Togrutan slaves from their cruel Zygerrian captors. However, there was one notable time when the Jedi refused to free slaves.
When Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan Kenobi go to Tatooine and find Anakin in The Phantom Menace, he asks Qui-Gon if he is there to free the slaves. Even after Qui-Gon explicitly tells Anakin that this isn’t his mission, Anakin initially refuses to believe him. After all, Qui-Gon is a Jedi – he is supposed to be a paragon of justice in the galaxy. However, Anakin quickly learns that Qui-Gon is telling the truth. He takes Anakin to Coruscant to become a Jedi but leaves the rest of the slaves behind. Now, Star Wars has finally explained why.
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The Hutts & The Jedi Had A Historic Alliance
The answer to why Qui-Gon chose to abandon the slaves on Tatooine can be found in the High Republic Era. During the High Republic Era, the Hutts helped the Jedi against the Nihil. This unlikely alliance may have led to the Jedi feeling indebted to the Hutts. Further, this isn’t the only time that the Jedi worked with the Hutts. During the Clone Wars, the Jedi needed to be able to travel through Hutt space. The Star Wars: The Clone Wars movie shows these negotiations, and how Anakin, Ahsoka, and Obi-Wan helped save Jabba’s infant son as part of the deal.
The Jedi Compromised Their Morality For The “Greater Good”
In both cases, the Jedi compromised their morals in negotiating with the Hutts. Usually, the Jedi stood against oppressors. This was even true during the Clone Wars. For example, in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars TV show, Ahsoka helped a group of Mandalorian teenagers discover and overthrow corrupt government officials on their home planet. However, the moment the Jedi needed something from the Hutts, they chose to make deals with them. This kind of moral compromise is what led to their ultimate downfall, as they became more interested in playing politics than actually caring for the people who needed them.
Qui-Gon Had Freed Slaves In The Past… But Not With The Hutts
Qui-Gon’s excuse that he didn’t go to Tatooine to free slaves and thus couldn’t do anything is a poor one. After all, Qui-Gon freed slaves in Claudia Gray’s Master & Apprentice. It wasn’t as though there wasn’t a precedent for freeing slaves, even if the planet wasn’t Republic-controlled. The Jedi’s original mission was to be peacekeepers, negotiators, and upholders of justice. Freeing slaves was a part of this. However, they never intervened in the Hutt’s slavery because staying in the Hutts’ good graces was convenient.
On the one hand, it is easy to understand why the Jedi chose to ignore the Hutts’ evil actions and make deals with them. The Hutts controlled a substantial amount of space. This made dealing with them tricky. While they were a crime syndicate, they also acted essentially as a government over multiple systems. This meant that opposing them could potentially lead to a war.
However, ultimately, this isn’t an excuse. Even if the Jedi weren’t able to overthrow the Hutt regime, they could have at least refused to work with them. Further, they could have encouraged the Republic to place political and economic pressure on the Hutts until they agreed to end slavery. The Jedi didn’t have to stand idly by while innocent people were being enslaved, and they certainly didn’t have to cater to the Hutts’ wishes and negotiate deals with them.
The fact that Qui-Gon didn’t try to rescue more slaves or fight for the Jedi Order to do something shows that the Jedi were already losing their way a decade before the Clone Wars. Anakin’s assumption that Qui-Gon was there to free slaves is very telling. It seems it wasn’t uncommon for Jedi to free slaves – or, at least, it had happened enough times that Anakin took for granted that it must be the reason for their visit. The Jedi refusing to help in The Phantom Menace shows that they were already beginning to prioritize political convenience over people’s lives.
Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (null)
- Release Date
- May 19, 1999
- Director
- George Lucas
- Cast
- Ewan McGregor , Liam Neeson , Natalie Portman , Jake Lloyd , Ahmed Best , Ian McDiarmid , Anthony Daniels , Kenny Baker , Pernilla August , Frank Oz , Ray Park , Samuel L. Jackson
- Studio(s)
- Lucasfilm
- Distributor(s)
- 20th Century
- Franchise(s)
- Star Wars
