*this article contains spoilers for the Obi-Wan Kenobi season finale*
The final moments of Obi-Wan Kenobi contained a very special surprise for Star Wars fans.
Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) had unsuccessfully attempted to make contact with his former Jedi Master, Qui-Gon Jinn at multiple points in the series; after defeating Darth Vader one final time, he'd packed up his things to leave Luke Skywalker (Grant Feelt) in the care of his adoptive parents at the end of the Disney Plus series.
As he prepared to head into the desert, he came across the Force Ghost of Qui-Gon, who was once again portrayed by Liam Neeson for the first time since The Phantom Menace in 1999. Predictably, fans went absolutely wild over Neeson's cameo, and the actor has now revealed the multiple reasons that he decided to reprise his role.
Speaking to THR, Liam Neeson said: "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 is a pal, and I loved working with him during The Phantom Meance 25 years ago."
Qui-Gon was a pivotal character in The Phantom Menace. He oversaw Obi-Wan's Jedi training and secured Anakin Skywalker's freedom from slavery on Tatooine, before being killed in a lightsaber duel with Darth Maul.
The possibility of a Qui-Gon Jinn cameo in the limited series was one of the most talked-about rumors before the show premiered, even though Liam Neeson was not part of the official cast announcements.
Neeson himself also basically ruled out his return in Obi-Wan Kenobi ahead of the series premiere when he told ComicBook.com that he would be open to returning as Qui-Gon Jinn, but only on the big screen. He said: "if it was a film. Yeah, I'm a bit of a snob when it comes to TV, I must admit, I just like the big screen, you know?"
Liam Neeson isn't done playing Qui-Gon, either. He will be lending his voice to Qui-Gon in the upcoming animated anthology series, Tales of the Jedi; Neeson's son will also voice a younger version of the same character in the show.
Obi-Wan Kenobi is available to stream now exclusively on Disney Plus. Tales of the Jedi is due to hit Disney Plus later this year.
