Star Wars is a franchise filled with iconic lines, including such bangers as “The Force will be with you” and “do or do not, there is no try.” However, in a fun bit of galactic irony, the franchise’s best line is hidden inside its worst movie. In The Phantom Menace, Qui-Gon Jinn tells young Anakin Skywalker, “always remember, your focus determines your reality,” which is simultaneously the most accurate Star Wars line and a great bit of life advice for all of us.
Obi-Wan Learned Weasel Speak From Qui-Gon
Back when the Original Trilogy was new, some fans were annoyed at Obi-Wan Kenobi’s explanation for his lies about Luke Skywalker’s father. And to be fair, there are probably no bigger weasel words in a galaxy far, far away than “what I told you was true…from a certain point of view.” However, Obi-Wan is Qui-Gon’s student, and it is very clear that he has absorbed the wisdom of this overlooked Star Wars line.
Postmodern Jedi
In his very postmodern way, Qui-Gon is arguing that truth is relative: even for a Jedi, attaining some kind of absolute truth is impossible. Instead, our reality is determined by what we focus on. It’s a simple enough idea that is very relevant to our own world, and it basically serves as the thesis that all of Star Wars is built on.
For example, George Lucas has long maintained that the story of Star Wars is the story of Anakin Skywalker, and that includes his fall to the Dark Side and his last-minute Light Side redemption. In the prequels, Anakin’s focus on love over duty (first to his mother, then to Padme) helps him justify the worst of atrocities. Like all great villains, Anakin never sees himself as evil; instead, he is focused solely on keeping his loved ones safe, which is why Padme’s safety is the first thing he asks about when he wakes up as Darth Vader.
Qui-Gon’s Words Subtly Influenced Anakain
Fittingly enough, his son Luke Skywalker is the perfect embodiment of Qui-Gon’s great Star Wars line. This young man is destined to be a moisture farmer on a planet in the middle of nowhere, but instead of accepting that, he focuses on becoming first a pilot and then a Jedi. Sure, he wasn’t swimming with options after the Stormtroopers roasted his aunt and uncle, but he ended up changing his entire life and the course of galactic history by first changing his focus and then changing his reality.
Rebellions Are Built On Hope
Speaking of galactic history, we see this Star Wars line echoed in Rogue One, a movie about (among other things) the early days of the Rebellion. Reluctant hero Jyn Erso tries to convince an overly cautious council of Rebel leaders about the need to steal the Death Star plans, telling them, “Rebellions are built on hope.” Her focus on creating a successful Rebellion led to a rogue mission that ultimately created a better reality for the entire galaxy.
Wise But Also Cut Down
We could go on, really…even the act of using The Force involves characters focusing their will and creating a reality that others find impossible (that belief, as Yoda reminds us, is why so many Jedi fail). The Phantom Menace may be the worst Star Wars movie to some fans, but it gave us a great throwaway line that helps us understand this sprawling saga. Sadly, Qui-Gon didn’t focus enough on the red devil-looking guy he was fighting, and that created his new reality: becoming the wisest bonfire in the galaxy.
