pittrek said:

I still can't understand why some people like Qwai Gong Bong or the red faced gymnast, they were exactly as boring as rest of the movie.

I wonder how many of the people who like Qui-Gon (but not TPM) read the Jedi Apprentice book series in and around the time the movie came out. I started reading those books before I even saw TPM, and they really helped make him a compelling character in my eyes.

As for Maul, there's the whole "red-and-black horned Goth monster with double-bladed lightsaber" aesthetic going on, and some fans find that enough to make the character interesting. I used to like his visual appearance myself, but after years of Maul-knockoff Sith oversaturating the EU, it no longer appeals to me.