5. Qui-Gon Jinn (Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace)
THE QUEST To help bring balance to the Force.
WHAT HAPPENS? Qui Gon finds an irritating little kid Anakin, wins his freedom, brings him before the Jedi Council, announces that he is the 'chosen one' and will bring balance to the force. The Jedi Council refuse because he's 'too old'.
Seriously? Did the Jedi turn every potential with masses of power away just because they'd passed their fifth birthday? No wonder they all lost... Qui Gon takes Anakin with him, meets bad ass Darth Maul and dies. Oh and Anakin...he goes on to become Darth Vader...
WHY DOES HE FAIL? Well I guess, that's the question. On one side he didn't. Because of his actions, Anakin does bring balance to the force. (Two Jedi, two Sith)...it just results in the rise of the Galactic Empire, the death of the Jedi Order and civil war. And I'm fairly sure that wasn't his intention. At the other end of the scale, Qui Gon made it his mission to restore greatness to the Jedi. Well in that respect, he failed totally...