Liam Neeson Criticizes Qui-Gon’s ‘Star Wars: Episode I’ Death

Liam Neeson, who played beloved Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn in the first Star Wars prequel film, thinks Qui-Gon’s death in the series was a bit of a letdown.

Speaking to GQ magazine while on the press trail for his new film The Naked Gun, Neeson admitted he isn’t a fan of the way his character was taken out in 1999’s Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.

“I thought my death was a bit namby-pamby. I’m supposed to be a Master Jedi,” Neeson told GQ.

“My character fell for that. ‘Oh, I’m going for your face! No, I’m not, I’m going for your stomach.’ ‘Oh, you got me!’ Like, oh please. Hardly a Master Jedi,” the actor scoffed while rolling his eyes, before adding, “But still, it was great.”

Qui-Gon dies during an epic lightsaber duel against Darth Maul in the royal palace on Naboo. During the memorable fight sequence, a stunned Qui-Gon is mortally wounded in front of his apprentice Obi-Wan when the Sith Lord plunges his doubled-bladed lightsaber into the Jedi Master’s torso.

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Neeson briefly reprised his role as Qui-Gon in the 2022 Disney+ spinoff miniseries Obi-Wan Kenobi.

“I kinda liked that. It was just one line. It was nice to recreate that and be with Ewan after 18, 20 years. It was sweet,” he said of filming with Ewan McGregor more than two decades after they shared the screen as Jedi Master and apprentice in Episode I.

Speaking to GQ, the Taken star also reminisced about working with Star Wars creator and director George Lucas while filming Episode I.

“George doesn’t like directing, period. He told me that,” Neeson shared.

“He’d finish a scene [and] he’d say, ‘Natalie [Portman], a little bit faster. Liam, a little bit faster there.’ [In the] editing suite afterward, yeah, that’s when he starts enjoying the process. But actually directing actors and stuff, he told me he doesn’t like it at all,” he recalled.

Neeson is currently starring alongside Pamela Anderson in The Naked Gun, the fourth movie in the Leslie Nielsen spoof comedy series of the same name.

The Naked Gun was released in theaters on August 1.