Qui-Gon Jinn

Background:

A non-traditional Jedi Master, Qui-Gon was the padawan learner under Count Dooku before Dooku fell to the dark side of the force. Jinn would mentor Obi-Wan Kenobi and find a divergence in the force, and possibly savior to the light side of the force, in Anakin Skywalker. Even the events leading up to his death shortly after the invasion of Naboo would send shock waves through the Jedi order and Republic. He would also be one of the first Jedi to find peace in death and become one with the force, a technique that would later save the Jedi order from the Empire's grip.

Major Plots:

As a child Qui-Gon showed a strong affinity for the force and was taken to Coruscant where he would be trained to become a Jedi. Dooku, before his fall to the dark side of the force, saw the amount of skill in Jinn and would decide to train him. After years of training along side Dooku, Jinn eventually became a Jedi Knight in his own right and was urged by the Jedi Council to take on an apprentice. Originally Jinn was against taking on his own student so soon but the urgings of the council convinced him. His first apprentice did not go according to plan though and fell to the dark side. Despite this Jinn eventually took on another, 9 years later at Yoda's suggestion, and took on a young and skillful Obi-Wan Kenobi to train. 

 "Peaceful" Negotiations

Years later Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan had grown close as padawan and teacher and Obi-Wan learning enough to almost become a Jedi Knight. The two were sent to a Trade Federation blockade over the planet of Naboo in order to negotiate a truce and reach a peaceful solution. After discovering the Republic had sent Jedi to negotiate the Trade Federation panic and flood the meeting room with poison gas. Kenobi and Jinn are able to escape though, discovering the Federation hangar filled with an invasion force and sneaking down to the surface of Naboo below.

With the discovery that the blockade is a cover for the invasion it becomes paramount Jinn return to Coruscant. He rescues the queen of Naboo, Queen Amidala, in the city of Theed in hopes the Trade Federation cannot force her to sign papers making their invasion legal. Their escape from Naboo isn't a clean one though and the hyperdrive of their ship is damaged forcing the group to land on the desert planet of Tatooine. 

This is where Qui-Gon Jinn discovers a slave boy, Anakin Skywalker, working for a junk dealer, Watto, who seems to have the only hyperdrive in town. This boy is incredibly strong in the force and fits the description of a Jedi legend of the "chosen one", a force user who would bring balance to the force and rid the galaxy of the Sith once and for all. Jinn agrees to help the boy out as well as get the parts needed for the ship's hyperdrive. After some sly betting and good piloting from the boy during a podrace, Jinn wins the money he needs and frees the boy taking him to Coruscant in hopes to begin his training. 

As the group prepares to leave Tatooine they are attacked by an unknown cloaked force user. Despite escaping without harm the attack may be a Sith plot revealing itself to destroy the Jedi, however Jinn is more concerned with Anakin. Back on Coruscant he reports to the Jedi Council and they all sense the potential Anakin has but are weary to let him train, citing that the boy is too old and Jinn already has a padawan. Despite the boy's "clouded" future Jinn refuses to take their word and intends to train Anakin either way, but first Jinn and Kenobi are ordered to return to Naboo with Queen Amidala in order to liberate her people and stop the invasion. 

Assisting the queen's return to her throne room and ridding Naboo of the Trade Federation didn't go entirely as planned. Jinn and Kenobi found the same Sith attacker from Tatooine, Darth Maul, and engage him in a duel. Despite the two to one advantage the Jedi have Maul leads them through a series of shield doors which he uses to separate the two. Using a double sided lightsaber, which are rarely seen and used effectively, Darth Maul gets the advantage on Qui-Gon and is able to deal a killing blow. His apprentice Kenobi then rushes in to duel Maul and despite a disadvantage in skill Kenobi is able to defeat Maul. In his dying words Jinn tells Kenobi he wishes Skywalker to be trained and that he would one day bring balance to the force. 

Appearing to Kenobi years after his death in a Force vision 

Even in death Qui-Gon was able to assist the Jedi order. Shortly before he was killed by Darth Maul it is possible Jinn sensed he may fall to the Sith's sword and focused his mind. Jinn was one of the first Jedi to become one with the force and despite his death is able to appear to others in force visions, and with proper training, even appear at any moment. This is how Jinn was able to contact Master Yoda shortly before the Republic fell and gave way to the Empire. He taught Master Yoda how to become one with the force and eventually Yoda would also train Kenobi and Luke Skywalker, Anakin's son, in the same technique. 

Personality and Traits:

Qui-Gon was not like more other Jedi, he was considered more of a loose cannon and wouldn't always agree and go along with the Jedi Council's orders and wishes.  This rebellion was also found in Count Dooku, the Jedi who trained Jinn, and was passed along to Kenobi and eventually to Anakin. Despite this rebellious nature Jinn was still very compassionate to most other beings and it was this compassion and disregard for self that lead Jinn to attain oneness with the force in his death.