swiftsnowmane | Entries tagged with the jedi order

It’s been a while now since I’ve written about this character, but recently my husband and I were discussing the Prequels (and especially The Phantom Menace), and we both heartily agreed that Qui-Gon Jinn is a truly brilliant addition to the saga, both from a storytelling and ‘in-story’ perspective. Not only is he a compelling figure to watch on-screen (thanks to the mesmerizing Liam Neeson), but he is also an ingenious way of introducing us to the Twilight of the Republic-era Jedi—via someone who is, by that point, considered a ‘maverick’ in comparison to the rest of the Jedi Order.

This is a very clever approach, because it means that we actually experience the entire first half of The Phantom Menace from Qui-Gon’s perspective. Throughout our journey with him—during which time he comes to the aid of many beings, from the hapless Jar-Jar, to Queen Amidala, to a slave-boy and his mother on Tatooine, all while simultaneously on a spiritual quest of his own (aka, to find the Chosen One)—we come to admire a Jedi who is everything that we, as viewers who had only ever seen the Original Trilogy, would expect a Jedi to be. It is only after Qui-Gon’s arrival on Coruscant (when we are met by the comparatively cold, closed, and standoffish Jedi Council), that we realize that…oh… this wonderful, warm, openly-caring, and compassionate Jedi who we ASSUMED must certainly be the ’norm’, is actually anything but.

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***Originally written in response to this tumblr post:

#these three love each other and always will <3 #and they’re such beloved iconic characters too #and no matter what disney tries to do to them #they’ll always be iconic and loved by people all around the world #the lucas movies will stand the test of time and so will these three <3 (via skywalker-saga)

^THIS. This is the TRUTH….and nothing and no one can take this away from us, as long as we uphold the original version of this tale and these characters.

I feel the need to point something out here—and that is, that to hold on to an unabashedly positive view of the Original Trio and to have an unwavering belief in their long-term happiness is not just a result of nostalgia or being attached to these characters as we knew them in the Original Trilogy, but is also the actual intended outcome of Lucas’ entire saga, aka the Prequels *and* the Original Trilogy combined.

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Prelude: The Chosen Path by steelneena (for swiftsnowmane)

Read it on: tumblr || Ao3

Summary:

Paths are divergent, and lives are altered. Fates are changed. Destiny is chosen, instead of made.

Notes:

An attempt to remind the fandom exactly who and what Anakin is, and what leads to his downfall in canon, accomplished by circumventing canon altogether.

Series currently in progress. Updates once every month.

A Star Wars fic for anyone who has ever wondered 'what if the Duel of the Fates had ended differently?' Yes, this is a Qui-Gon lives!AU! Written by @muldertorture / steelneena, 'The Chosen Path' focuses on Anakin's journey, exploring how the survival of his first life-mentor transforms the course of his entire existence. If the Prequels are the 'darkest timeline', then this story presents us with what might just be the brightest of all 'possible futures'.

"
Anakin…exists relative to the state of the galaxy. He is not Luke, he is not the youth of western literature on a journey; that is Luke’s role. Anakin’s role is that of the demi-god of Greek and Roman origin. When Anakin rises, the galaxy rises with him, when Anakin is in turmoil, the galaxy is in turmoil, when Anakin falls, so falls the galaxy. Anakin is intrinsic to the galaxy because Anakin, like so many other mythological demi-gods, is an avatar for the gods or, in the case of Star Wars, the Force. Regardless of any one person’s views on the Force (which are extremely disparate and widely varied, so we won’t broach that subject here), this fact is indisputable. Anakin, as the Chosen One who will “bring balance to the Force”, is its avatar. When Anakin is claimed by the Dark, the Jedi Order’s zenith is reached, the Balance is tipped, and the Order descends into darkness with Anakin, just as his return also signals theirs.

The title ‘Return of the Jedi’ doesn’t just reference Luke becoming a Jedi, but Anakin’s return to the Light, and with it, the ability for the Jedi Order to once more flourish. In this he is much like Beowulf, when the Geatish hero sacrifices himself to defeat the dragon at the end of the epic poem. Failure would spell ultimate destruction for Beowulf’s people and country, just as, had Anakin failed to destroy the Emperor, the Jedi and the galaxy would truly have been wiped out. Anakin himself has to die, however, because he is what tips the scales. Once he dies and becomes one with the Force, only then is balance restored."

-- ‘STAR WARS: The Creation of a Modern Myth: Cultural Influence, Fan Response and the Impact of Literary Archetypes on Saga Perception’

(via muldertorture)

This right here is absolutely fundamental to understanding the entire purpose of the Skywalker saga, as Lucas so painstakingly told it. The destruction of the old Jedi Order that had ‘lost its way’ and forgotten its true role in the galaxy, and the founding of the New, heralded by Anakin’s return to the Light, and Luke’s essential role in reminding him—and us all—of what it means to be a True Jedi.

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an excerpt from TPM novelization

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The Far, Bright Center

The barest flicker of persistent light

Entries tagged with the jedi order

On the importance of Qui-Gon and his role in the story:

It's not just about nostalgia...

The Chosen Path - fic rec

Anakin as Avatar

Qui-Gon Jinn: the ideal teacher of Anakin Skywalker

an excerpt from TPM novelization

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April 2019

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