Star Wars: Everything There Is To Know About Jar Jar Binks
And now for an article about everyone's favorite "Star Wars" character!
Kidding, of course.
Ever since Jar Jar Binks stumbled onto the big screen in 1999's "Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace," he's been a source of criticism from fans, and for good reason. His over-the-top antics and goofy design were just too cartoony, even for the fantastical world of "Star Wars." While there's always been a bit of comic relief in previous films — mostly from C-3PO and R2-D2 — it never got as distracting as it was when Jar Jar was flopping around. Luckily, creator George Lucas greatly reduced the character's role in the subsequent prequel trilogy films, and Jar Jar hasn't appeared in live-action since.
However, despite Jar Jar's relatively dubious place in "Star Wars" canon, there's actually quite a bit about him unknown to audiences. "Complex" isn't a word I'd used to describe the character, but he does have a fascinating backstory, both in terms of his creation and the role he played in the wider mythology. So even if you hate Jar Jar Binks with the intensity of binary suns, let's at least walk a mile in his clumsy Gungan flippers before fully judging him.
George Lucas based him on two cinematic icons
As much hatred as Jar Jar Binks attracts, he ironically was based on two far more beloved big-screen legends. One of those was the physical comedy virtuoso Buster Keaton. Jar Jar actor Ahmed Best, himself a massive fan of silent comic talents such as Keaton and Charlie Chaplin, shed some light on what George Lucas wanted from his performance in an interview with Vice, saying, "I was doing all of these moves and George had a very specific idea in mind of how the character was supposed to go. He very much wanted him to be more of a Buster Keaton than anything else."
But there's another gangly character just as inspirational on Lucas when creating the maligned Gungan: Goofy. At 2015's D23 Expo (via ComicBook.com), the filmmaker stated, "I can't even begin to tell you how much of an influence Disney has had on me. I will say one secret that nobody knows; not many people realize that Goofy was the inspiration for Jar Jar Binks. I know that you will look at him differently now. It's pretty obvious, actually ... I love Goofy, and I love Jar Jar."
Somehow, I doubt that Lucas' explanation will convince many of Jar Jar's detractors to change their minds. Still, it's fun to imagine Lucas sitting at his Marin County ranch, thinking to himself, "Hmmm, what if I took a popular character and made him amphibious and annoying?"
Guess who George Lucas' favorite Star Wars character is?
Based on the title of this article, you probably correctly guessed Jar Jar Binks. And if you're a normal, sane human being, you're probably genuinely confused by this revelation. But don't take my word for it. According to IndieWire, Lucas appeared at 2019's Star Wars Celebration in an introduction video where he stated the following, "Thank you for coming to the Celebration. ['The Phantom Menace'] is one of my favorite movies and of course, Jar Jar is my favorite character. Ahmed [Best], you did a fantastic job. It was very, very hard." Not Luke or Han or Leia or Darth Vader or any of the others — f***ing Jar Jar.
Still, Lucas may not have been entirely honest here. Perhaps he was showing his support for Ahmed Best, who experienced plenty of blowback for his performance of the gangly Gungan. Also, he may have said that just to get a rise out of the masses. The usually stony-faced Lucas isn't afraid to troll the audience on occasion; comedian and political commentator Jon Stewart once asked Lucas where Obi-Wan Kenobi is originally from, begging him not to make up a planet on the spot, to which Lucas replied, "This is one of the first things I wrote in the very first script. He comes from the planet Stewjon." Suuuuure Jar Jar's your favorite character, George. Wink-wink, nudge-nudge.
His clumsiness got him banished from his home
The Gungans reside in Otah Gunga, an underwater city in Lake Paonga on Naboo. After Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi save Jar Jar's life, they convince him to reluctantly take them to Otoh Gunga to request their help in getting to Theed. The two Jedi convince the city's ruler, Boss Nass, to not only provide them with transport to the Naboo capital city but to stay Jar Jar's punishment so that he can be their navigator.
But why was Jar Jar in the bad graces of the other Gungans? Was he giving classified information to enemies? No, it was because of his clumsiness, of course. He tells his Jedi friends, "It's a longo tale-o but a small part of it would be mesa ... clumsy." He elaborates further on the "clumsy" part, but for those who struggle with his zany accent, it can be hard to decipher exactly what he says. Luckily, I've got a transcript of his exact quote here: "Mesa cause-a one or two-y little bitty axadentes, huh? Yud say boom de gasser, den crashin' der boss' heyblibber, den banished." Hmmm, that doesn't clarify things much, does it? Look, he wrecked the mayor's submarine, okay?
He's partly responsible for the rise of the Empire...
Set around 10 years after "The Phantom Menace," "Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones" sees the Galactic Republic's relative peace and stability threatened by a Separatist movement led by Count Dooku. Unbeknownst to the rest of the galaxy, Dooku is in cahoots with Supreme Chancellor Palpatine and has been slowly growing his influence over the Senate. As part of a larger scheme, Palpatine manages to convince the Senate to grant him emergency powers that lead to the beginning of the Clone Wars, eventually causing the galaxy to fall under the rule of an insane despot.
Any guess who officially granted Palpatine the emergency powers that led to him becoming the most powerful man in the galaxy? Yup, everyone's favorite Gungan. For whatever reason, since the events of "The Phantom Menace," Jar Jar Binks has risen considerably in politics as a Senate Representative. Yeah, I know he's got a good heart, (accidentally) took out some enemy droid forces during the Battle of Naboo, was promoted to general in the Gungan army, and helped establish peace between the Gungans and ... jeez. Okay. Maybe he's actually got a decent track record on paper. Still, his unintentional bringing about the Empire is a bit more than his typical "little bitty axadentes."
...Which led to some believing he was Darth Vader
While nothing in canon confirms this idea, Jar Jar Binks' role in the Empire's creation has prompted many people — both fans in real life and characters in the "Star Wars" universe — to believe that he's actually Darth Vader. There are some little details that support this theory. For example, he's a total klutz in "The Phantom Menace," yet carries himself with considerably more grace in the following films; was his clumsiness an act to trick everyone around him into thinking he's harmless? He did go from being a "pathetic life form" (Obi-Wan Kenobi's words, not mine) to Senate Representative, an act of grand manipulation if there ever was one. Also, during the Battle of Naboo, Jar Jar is seen destroying a large number of battle droids due to his seeming ungainliness, but what if that's actually his secret Jedi powers at work? He played a huge part in winning an important battle and walked away without a scratch.
Much of this is purely fan speculation fueled by the need to discover any way to justify Jar Jar's inclusion in the series besides annoying comic relief. As interesting as some of these minor details are, most don't quite add up. Still, that hasn't stopped creators from making nods to this theory; in the book "The Legends of Luke Skywalker," there's a character named Redy who perpetrated the conspiracy theory, which means there is in-canon precedent to keep fans guessing further.
He once went on a treasure hunt with Queen Amidala
For those of you who simply can't get enough of Jar Jar, he's appeared in other "Star Wars" media in case you need another hit of the Binks. For example, take issue #18 of the comic book series "Star Wars Adventures," which features the story "Raiders of the Lost Gundark."
In this tale that no one asked for, Jar Jar surprises Queen Padmé Amidala with news of his discovery of a map that supposedly reveals the location of an ancient Gungan relic. Padmé, most likely out of pity, agrees to accompany Jar Jar deep into the Naboo swamps to look for the sacred object. They traverse a series of dangerous creatures and terrain, with each scenario generally consisting of Jar Jar nearly getting them killed and Padmé saving them at the last second.
Eventually, the pair make their way to a dark cave that houses the object, which appears to be a gray sphere. But just before they're about to abscond with it, a giant creature attacks them. Luckily, Jar Jar's annoying scream is enough to hurt it, and they escape with their bounty. Of course, when Jar Jar gives the object to Boss Nass, he takes a bite out of it, revealing it to be nothing more than a fruit called soshinyday blobball. Nass then asks the exasperated Jar Jar to get him another one.
Despite his clumsiness, he's actually a good actor
Jar Jar Binks is anything but graceful, coordinated, or careful. However, his unusual alien anatomy gives him a lot of physical versatility, enabling him to impersonate others with relative ease. While the Force isn't particularly strong among the Gungans, that hasn't stopped Jar Jar from tricking others into thinking he's a Jedi. In the "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" episode "Bombad Jedi," Padmé is kidnapped by Separatists forces while visiting family friend Onaconda Farr on Rodia. It's then up to Jar Jar and C-3PO to rescue her, prompting the Gungan to don a robe and trick some battle droids into thinking he's a Jedi. Heck, even Viceroy Nute Gunray believes Jar Jar uses the Force to call a giant alien creature to his aid in the ensuing battle.
Jar Jar deceiving some droids and a dumb viceroy into believing he's a Jedi isn't that impressive, and to be fair, luck had a lot to do with that victory. However, Jar Jar actually manages to fool his own people into thinking he's their leader, Boss Lyonie. In the "Clone Wars" episode, "Shadow Warrior," Separatist forces manipulate Lyonie into joining them in their upcoming assault on Naboo. However, Lyonie is injured, and when Anakin and Padmé notice how much Jar Jar looks like the ruler, they convince him to take his place and successfully foil the scheme. You're no James Bond, Jar Jar, but we'll give you credit for that.
He's quite the war veteran
Ugh. I really hate the idea of decorating this amphibious airhead with, well, anything. But it's got to be said: He's a true patriot and served his underwater city well. Even though he was banished from that very city — twice. "The Phantom Menace" saw him accompany Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi into numerous scrapes, and he was more than willing to join his people in the Battle of Naboo. Despite not resembling a brave soldier, his ineptitude did result in wiping out quite a few battle droids. Boss Nass recognized his efforts with an extreme — very extreme — promotion to General, causing Jar Jar to faint from happiness. I don't know how the Gungan military ranking system works, but surely there are a few levels between "exiled" and "general," right?
Throughout "Star Wars: The Clone Wars," Jar Jar participated in even more missions. In addition to his aforementioned adventures, there was the time he took command after Jedi Master Laan Tik was killed during the Battle of Mimban. Jar Jar also took charge of a squad of clone troopers when they were stranded on Florrum and even managed to take out some pirates. His character and demeanor are about as far as one can get from typical warrior qualities like bravery, stoicism, and resilience, but let's not pretend he won't have your back in a fight. Not that you'd want him having your back.
His fate is mostly unknown
The "Star Wars" mythology is already incredibly expansive and detailed, but there are still quite a few gaps between storylines that haven't been filled yet. The novel "Aftermath: Empire's End" is set after "Return of the Jedi," chronicling the collapsed Empire's various attempts to retake power from the New Republic, which has been struggling to establish peace and stability in the galaxy. "Empire's End" mostly focuses on rebel pilot Norra Wexley's mission to apprehend Grand Admiral Rae Sloane, whose whereabouts are unknown following the Battle of Endor.
The novel helps bridge George Lucas' original mythos with Disney's recent films and TV series. There are revelations aplenty, but one of the more interesting additions is an interlude involving Jar Jar Binks. Here, it's revealed that he's back on Naboo, living in its capital city of Theed — but not as a decorated veteran. He's now a shunned street performer, putting his gangly talents to use by entertaining children. Everyone knows that during his time as a politician, he helped bring about the rise of the Empire that led to the subjugation of countless people across countless planets throughout the galaxy. He's in deep shame for his actions and realizes that the only way that he can give anything positive back is by working as a clown. This is all we know about the Gungan following his role in the prequel trilogy.
He almost appeared in Star Wars: The Force Awakens
At this point in writing this article, I'm actually starting to feel a little bad for the obnoxious Gungan. Yeah, he was arguably a largely unnecessary addition to the "Star Wars" mythology, doing little more than providing some entertainment to the kiddies in a largely serious narrative. But he meant well, and he loved his friends. Did he really deserve to be relegated to spending the rest of his life as a street performer in "Aftermath: Empire's End"? Couldn't he have gotten a slightly honorable sendoff?
Well, J.J. Abrams certainly doesn't think so. During an interview with Vanity Fair leading up to the release of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," the director and co-writer pointed to a dune in an effects review and said, "I have a thought about putting Jar Jar Binks' bones in the desert there. I'm serious! Only three people will notice, but they'll love it." Jeez, J.J. The Gungan probably died a struggling artist; you know how hard it is to make it in the entertainment world! While many fans are undoubtedly disappointed at being unable to point and laugh at Jar Jar's sandy grave, I still think Jar Jar could've been kicked out of the galaxy with a little more dignity.
His role was completely cut out in an acclaimed Episode I re-edit
Poor Jar Jar. Not only was he banished from his home of Otoh Gunga, but he was also banished from "Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace." Following the negative response to the character, a shadowy fan-slash-critic of the film re-edited it to tighten up certain scenes and speed up the pace, but most importantly, cut Jar Jar almost completely out. Known as "Star Wars Episode I.I: The Phantom Edit," this updated version made the rounds in the early 2000s, with many applauding the decision to turn Jar Jar into a mostly silent background character.
"The Phantom Edit" caused such a stir that it even caught the attention of Lucasfilm; Jeanne Cole, the production company's spokeswoman at the time, told Zap2it.com (via Salon), "When we first heard about the [re-edits], we realized that these were fans having some fun with 'Star Wars,' which we've never had a problem with ... And we realized then that we had to be very clear that duplication and distribution of our materials is an infringement." Despite Lucasfilm's stern warning, that didn't stop other fans from trying their hands editing the film, with the altering or outright removal of Jar Jar being the main reason for revising "The Phantom Menace." Hell hath no fury like a scorned "Star Wars" fan with editing software, it seems.
He was almost played by Michael Jackson
This very idea is so outlandish that it almost sounds like a rumor. However, Ahmed Best confirmed it to Vice, recalling that he, Natalie Portman, George Lucas, and Lucas' children saw Jackson perform live when they were taken backstage to meet the King of Pop himself. Best was understandably perplexed when Lucas introduced him as "Jar Jar" to the late singer. When Best asked Lucas about the interaction, he claimed that Lucas said, "'Well, Michael wanted to do the part but he wanted to do it in prosthetics and makeup like "Thriller."' George wanted to do it in CGI. My guess is ultimately Michael Jackson would have been bigger than the movie, and I don't think he wanted that."
It's certainly an odd casting choice, as Jackson's smooth criminal moves wouldn't gel well with Jar Jar Binks' bumbling nature. However, had the character been played with more grace, perhaps fans wouldn't have hated him as much. Best himself believes that the derision Jar Jar got from audiences is largely why his role was reduced in the subsequent films. He told Vice that "narratively, they moved on to something else. There's really no room in 'Revenge of the Sith' for him; that was a very dark story. There was nothing about it that needed to be comedic, which was Jar Jar's whole purpose."
He's actually really important in the world of CGI
Computer-generated imagery (or CGI) has become so prominent in many movies over the last couple of decades that we often forget about how it took talented visual effects artists years to develop it. Sure, we can point to such milestones as the T-1000 in "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" or the dinosaurs in "Jurassic Park," but there were so many other achievements made before and after those films that deserve more recognition.
For example, the creation of everyone's favorite Gungan, Jar Jar Binks. Hate him or ... strongly dislike him, he is one of the very first completely computer-generated characters in a major film. Ahmed Best portrayed him through motion capture, a process in which an actor's movements are recorded and used for an animated character. While commonplace today, it was a technique that was still in its infancy in the 1990s. Dani Di Placido covers how Jar Jar's important place in the development of visual effects is largely forgotten today in Forbes, writing that "Best may have portrayed a character so cringe-worthy that he single-handedly embodied everything that was wrong with the prequels, but he was still very much a pioneer, albeit one we'd all rather pretend didn't exist."