Jar Jar Binks

Biography

The Invasion of Naboo

From the [Mid Rim Territories](/article/mid_rim_territories] planet of Naboo, Jar Jar Binks was an Otolla Gungan. In 32 BBY, Boss Nass banished Jar Jar from his home, Otoh Gunga, a submerged city situated beneath Naboo's Lake Paonga, due to his destruction of his personal heyblibber submarine. During the initial week of his exile, the Trade Federation initiated an invasion of Naboo. While searching for sustenance, Binks stumbled upon OOM-9's invasion force. In a panic, he collided with Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, an ambassador dispatched to resolve the Naboo-Federation conflict. Jinn rescued the Gungan from being trampled by a Multi-Troop Transport. As a result, Binks felt obligated to Jinn, insisting on following him, much to the Jedi's irritation. Jinn and his apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi, needed to reach Queen Padmé Amidala in Theed, but lacked the means to do so. Despite his fear, Binks reluctantly agreed to guide them.

Upon arriving in Otoh Gunga, Binks was apprehended by his friend Tarpals and brought before Boss Nass, the city's leader. Having unlawfully returned, Binks faced punishment. However, Qui-Gon, needing a guide to Theed, persuaded Nass to commute the sentence, citing Binks' life debt. Nass reluctantly complied and provided a bongo submarine for travel through the planet's watery core. After encountering an Opee sea killer and a Colo claw fish, Binks and his companions arrived in Theed, only to find it occupied by Trade Federation forces.

After Jinn and Kenobi liberated Queen Amidala and her entourage, Binks and his companions escaped aboard a Naboo Royal Starship. Despite evading the Trade Federation's blockade, the ship's hyperdrive was damaged, forcing them to land on Tatooine. This marked Binks' first off-world experience. Binks accompanied the Jedi and Amidala to Mos Espa to acquire replacement parts. They attempted to purchase the parts from a Toydarian dealer named Watto, who refused Republic credits.

Returning to their starship, Binks was confronted by Sebulba, a Dug podracer, who was enraged when Binks ruined his meal by spitting out a Gorg leg. Anakin Skywalker, a local human boy, defended Binks, offering shelter at his home, where he lived with his mother, Shmi Skywalker, and his droid, C-3PO. Binks and his companions discovered that Anakin and his mother were slaves and that Anakin wished to compete in the Boonta Eve podracing event.

Subsequently, Qui-Gon wagered with Watto, offering Anakin's freedom and the parts if Anakin won the race. Qui-Gon also sensed Anakin's Force-sensitivity and decided to train him as a Jedi. Despite a difficult race, Anakin won, and Watto reluctantly provided the parts and freed Anakin. Binks' visit to Tatooine was his first encounter with Skywalker. After repairing Amidala's starship, Binks and his companions traveled to Coruscant. After failing to convince the Galactic Senate to aid her people, Amidala turned to Binks, who revealed the existence of the Gungan Grand Army.

Armed with this information, Amidala and her Jedi protectors returned to Naboo. Binks visited Otoh Gunga, finding that his people had evacuated to a Sacred Place. After guiding them there, Amidala persuaded the Gungans to unite with the Naboo against the Trade Federation's droid army. Boss Nass agreed and promoted Binks to Bombad General. During the Battle of Naboo, General Binks led his forces against the droid army at the Great Grass Plains. The droid army overwhelmed Binks' forces, leading to their surrender. However, Skywalker destroyed the Droid Control Ship, disabling the Federation's droids.

Despite the Republic's victory, Qui-Gon was killed by Darth Maul during their duel, although Kenobi seemingly killed the Sith Lord. That night, Binks attended Qui-Gon's funeral with members of the Jedi Council, Nass, and Anakin. Shortly after, Binks attended the joint victory celebrations.

Searching for treasure

Boss Nass dispatched Binks with a map to find a soshinyday blobball. Binks requested Queen Padmé Amidala's assistance in retrieving it. Queen Amidala initially declined, citing a reluctance to intrude on Boss Nass' territory, but Binks clarified that it was Nass' idea. Eventually, she agreed to join Binks. Shortly thereafter, Binks and Queen Amidala rode kaadus through a jungle, encountering a cluster of slitherfish. They repelled the slitherfish with light. Upon entering the cave containing the blobball, they overcame numerous obstacles. When Queen Amidala lifted the blobball, a gundark appeared, attempting to attack them. Binks' scream startled the gundark, which had sensitive hearing. They then delivered the blobball to Boss Nass, who consumed it, revealing it to be a traditional Gungan delicacy.

The Separatist Crisis

In the years that followed the Naboo crisis, Jar Jar Binks was promoted to Junior Representative within Naboo's delegation to the Galactic Senate. Amidala first considered adding him to her senatorial retinue when Senator Mon Mothma suggested she add an official representative to it, noting that they helped add a new perspective to affairs. After deciding she would put thought into the matter, she immediately told her she had the perfect individual in mind for the job. As he transitioned into his new role, Binks notably had to learn Diplodialect.

Representative Binks gained significance when Senator Padmé Amidala was forced into hiding due to assassination attempts on Coruscant. At Amidala's request, Binks substituted for her in the Senate. However, in her absence, Binks was easily manipulated by seasoned politicians. They exploited his naiveté, convincing him that creating a Grand Army of the Republic was a course of action that Amidala would have supported. In actuality, Amidala had been opposing the creation of an army. Believing it his duty to act in her stead, he proposed granting Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine the emergency powers required to establish the Grand Army. The motion was approved, and shortly thereafter, the Clone Wars commenced with the First Battle of Geonosis.

The Clone Wars

Battle of Mimban

Laan Tik, a Jedi Master, commanded the Battle of Mimban. Upon Tik's death, Binks assumed command. Several hours later, Binks rescued Clone Captain CT-7567, known as "Rex," using Laan Tik's lightsaber. Initially, Rex mistook Binks for Laan Tik, but Binks revealed his identity. Rex then took the lightsaber from Binks for safekeeping.

Mission to Toydaria

Following the Separatist invasion of Ryloth, Representative Binks journeyed to Toydaria with Bail Organa, the Senator from Alderaan. Their mission was to seek permission from King Katuunko to utilize the planet as a staging base for Republic forces to relieve Ryloth. Their negotiations with King Katuunko were complicated by the presence of Lott Dod, the Trade Federation's Senator. Dod convinced the king to deny the Republic access, arguing that such military activity would violate Toydaria's neutrality. However, Katuunko privately sympathized with the Twi'leks of Ryloth and agreed to secretly supply Organa's ship. While Binks distracted Senator Dod during a banquet, Organa loaded his ship with supplies for Ryloth. Subsequently, the king announced that he would reconsider his government's neutrality policy.

Negotiations on Rodia

Later, Representative Binks accompanied Senator Amidala and C-3PO on a mission to Rodia to secure the planet's loyalty to the Republic. Senator Amidala was close to Onaconda Farr, the Rodian Senator, whom she affectionately called "Uncle Ono." However, Farr had already allied with the Separatist leader Nute Gunray, who offered food supplies in exchange for Rodia's allegiance. Amidala was quickly captured by Gunray, who intended to execute her.

Binks attempted to communicate with local natives, resulting in a fruit being thrown at C-3PO. Binks and C-3PO were then attacked by Separatist B1-series battle droids and a crab droid. While trying to escape, Binks accidentally destroyed Amidala's yacht with a magnetic crane, preventing them from calling for help. He then donned a Jedi robe, which led the droids to mistake him for a Jedi. While fleeing the Separatist droids, Binks fell into a grate leading to the sea. Meanwhile, C-3PO was captured and presumed Binks dead.

After escaping a Kwazel Maw, Binks attempted to rescue Amidala, only to find that she had already escaped. Later, Binks reunited with Amidala but was spotted by a B2-series super battle droid. Fleeing underwater to evade the droid's thermal detonators, he encountered the Kwazel Maw again but befriended the creature, naming it "Bogey." He and Bogey rescued Senator Amidala and C-3PO and defeated Gunray's droids. Shortly after, Republic reinforcements arrived on Rodia and arrested Nute Gunray. Senator Farr revealed that his collaboration with the Separatists was a ploy to capture Gunray. Despite their efforts, Gunray later escaped Republic custody with the help of Asajj Ventress and Faro Argyus.

Dealing with pirates

After the Separatist leader Count Dooku was captured by Weequay pirates led by Hondo Ohnaka, the Republic agreed to pay a large reward. Representative Binks, the Gran Senator Kharrus, and clone troopers led by Clone Commander Stone were sent to the pirates' lair with spice as ransom for Dooku. However, Turk Falso, one of the pirates, made a deal with the Separatists and shot down the shuttle carrying Binks and Kharrus. The pilots and Kharrus died in the crash, leaving Binks in command of the surviving clones.

Binks and the survivors evaded Turk and his men by hiding near acid geysers. While the clones wanted to wait for reinforcements, Binks decided to fight. He tamed several skalders and defeated Turk and his pirates. They reached the pirate base, where Stone sent Binks to "negotiate," hoping his ineptitude would be useful. Before the pirates could take him hostage, Binks rammed a tank into another, crippling the pirate's power grid. The Weequays tried to kill Binks but were stopped by the clones. During the blackout, Dooku and the Jedi Kenobi and Skywalker escaped, while Turk was killed.

The Blue Shadow Virus crisis

After Separatist droids were found on Naboo, Representative Binks and Senator Amidala were summoned by Queen Neeyutnee to eliminate the Separatist presence. Binks was present when his companions interrogated a captured T-series tactical droid, which had its photoreceptors removed. Through C-3PO, they learned that a secret laboratory was producing a virus. Before they could get more information, Binks destroyed the droid.

Despite this, Binks noticed a blue bug emerging from the droid. Deducing that the droids came from the Eastern swamps, Binks and Amidala traveled there. During their travels, Peppi Bow, a Gungan farmer, attacked them, believing they were responsible for the deaths of her shaaks. After Amidala convinced Bow they were not a threat, the farmer informed them that a nearby river was polluted. Binks and his companions entered a swamp and found a secret hatch.

They were captured by Separatist droids led by Nuvo Vindi, a scientist. He revealed that the Separatists had a secret laboratory on Naboo and had been developing the Blue Shadow Virus. The Jedi Obi-Wan, Skywalker, and his Padawan Ahsoka Tano rescued Binks and his companions, overpowering Vindi and his droids. During the struggle, Binks and Amidala stopped one of Vindi's droids from escaping, containing the virus.

Despite Vindi's capture, one of his droids released the virus throughout the facility. The Jedi and clones locked down the facility, preventing the virus from spreading. While Anakin and Kenobi traveled to Iego for the reeksa root antidote, Binks, Amidala, Ahsoka, and the clones stayed behind. During the fighting, Amidala accidentally ripped her envirosuit while tackling Jar Jar to save him from blaster fire, exposing herself to the virus. Fortunately, Anakin and Kenobi returned with the antidote. Binks and his companions survived.

War on Mon Cala

Following the regicide of the Mon Calamari monarch, Yos Kolina, conflict erupted between the Mon Calamari and Quarren races, the two most populous groups on the aquatic planet of Mon Cala. The Quarren believed that Kolina's heir, Prince Lee-Char, lacked the experience to govern. The Separatist representative, the Karkarodon named Riff Tamson, incited discord between the Mon Calamari and Quarren. Consequently, the Republic dispatched Senator Amidala along with Jedi Knights Skywalker and Kit Fisto in an attempt to mediate between the warring factions. With Separatist support, the Quarren faction deposed the Mon Cala government and initiated hostilities against the Mon Calamari and their Republic allies.

The Republic's limited resources prevented them from deploying sufficient Clone SCUBA troopers to Mon Cala, leading to Master Kenobi being sent to enlist the aid of the Gungans, an amphibious civilization possessing a formidable army. Prompted by Kenobi, Binks successfully persuaded the Gungan High Council to deploy their Grand Army to reinforce Republic forces stationed on Mon Cala. Binks and the Gungan reinforcements arrived at a crucial moment, providing invaluable support to Skywalker, Amidala, and Lee-Char. However, the Separatist commander, Tamson, launched a counteroffensive, utilizing his Trident-class assault ships to generate whirlpools that disoriented the Gungan forces. During the ensuing chaos, Binks and a significant number of Gungan soldiers were captured by Tamson's Separatist forces.

After their subjugation, Representative Binks, alongside Skywalker, Amidala, and Kit Fisto, were presented before Commander Tamson, who interrogated them about the whereabouts of Prince Lee-Char. During the interrogation process, Tamson damaged Amidala's helmet, but Binks used his unique Gungan physiology to seal the crack by spitting a slimy mucus onto her faceplate. Simultaneously, Prince Lee-Char and Anakin's apprentice, Ahsoka, successfully liberated the Mon Calamari prisoners and fostered collaboration between the Mon Calamari and Quarren to expel the Separatist invaders. During the subsequent battle, Binks and the other prisoners were rescued, and Tamson was killed by Lee-Char. In the aftermath of the conflict, Lee-Char was recognized as the legitimate King of Mon Cala by both the Mon Calamari and Quarren peoples.

Conflict on Naboo

As the Clone Wars continued, tensions between the Gungans and the human populace of Naboo intensified due to rumors suggesting that the Gungans were plotting to assist a Separatist invasion of the planet. These tensions escalated further when the ruling Boss Lyonie declared that the Gungan Grand Army would march upon Theed, the capital city of Naboo. In response to the growing unrest, Representative Binks arranged a meeting with his longtime friends Senator Amidala and Jedi Knight Skywalker in Paonga. From there, they proceeded to Otoh Gunga to confront Lyonie. Skywalker discovered that Lyonie was under the influence of a mind-control necklace provided by his new Minister Rish Loo, who was secretly conspiring with Count Dooku.

During a confrontation involving Lyonie, the Jedi, and Loo, Binks inadvertently placed Lyonie's crown upon his head, prompting Amidala and Skywalker to observe his striking resemblance to the Boss. Skywalker then devised a plan to utilize Binks, disguised as Boss Lyonie, to command the Grand Army to cease their attack on Theed. Skywalker's strategy proved successful, but Loo managed to evade capture. Shortly thereafter, a Separatist landing craft arrived and addressed Binks, mistaking him for Boss Lyonie and believing that everything was proceeding according to Dooku's scheme. Forced to maintain his deception, Binks and his old comrade General Tarpals boarded the ship to "coordinate the attack," only to discover that the Separatist commander was the cyborg General Grievous.

Overwhelmed and frightened, Jar Jar Binks stalled for time while dispatching Tarpals to inform Amidala of Grievous' presence. Following Amidala's advice, they agreed to disable the General's droid forces and capture him. Grievous quickly realized that Lyonie was an imposter, but the two Gungans managed to disable the Separatist droid army. The Gungans then engaged Grievous in combat and succeeded in capturing him after a fierce struggle that resulted in the demise of Tarpals, Binks' closest friend. However, the Gungans were compelled to release General Grievous after Count Dooku successfully lured Skywalker into a trap and held him for ransom. Despite this setback, Binks received praise from both Boss Lyonie and Queen Neeyutnee for restoring peace between the Gungans and the Naboo.

Expedition to Bardotta

In the wake of the near civil conflict on Naboo, Representative Jar Jar Binks was summoned by the Galactic Republic to address a new crisis on the planet Bardotta. Several Dagoyan Masters had vanished under mysterious circumstances. A prophecy foretold that if the Masters were not recovered, a profound darkness would engulf the planet. Distrustful of the Jedi Order for inducting Bardottan children, Queen Julia requested a private meeting with Binks to discuss the matter. Despite the queen's preference for Binks to travel to Bardotta alone, Jedi Master Mace Windu suspected foul play and accompanied Binks, disguised as his servant.

Binks met with the queen, but she was abducted during their meeting. In response, the remaining Dagoyan Masters convened the Bahk-tov Council, where High Seneschal Peteen informed them of a prophecy stating that if the queen was not found within three rotations, she would be lost forever, and an era of darkness would descend upon the galaxy. Binks and Windu also learned from another Council member named Savatte that the prophecy originated from the sinister Frangawl Cult, whose shrine to the demon Malmourral was located beneath the Dagoyan temple. While exploring the catacombs beneath the temple, Binks was captured by a Frangawl cultist, who sprayed a glowing powder into his face, rendering him temporarily invisible.

The cult members confined Binks in a cage suspended above a lava pit, where he encountered the other captured Dagoyan masters, who informed him that they were to be sacrificed to Malmourral. Binks managed to contact Master Windu using his comlink and relay his location. However, the Frangawl cult leader discovered the communication and destroyed the device. Binks also encountered Julia, who revealed that the Frangawl cultists were stealing the Force from the Dagoyan masters. The Frangawl cultists then attempted to sacrifice Binks. However, Master Windu arrived and successfully fought off the cult members and freed Binks. Nevertheless, the cult leader escaped the planet with the queen aboard a starship. In response, Binks vowed to rescue Queen Julia with the assistance of Master Windu.

During their journey through space, Binks recounted to Master Windu how he had witnessed the cultists sacrificing one of the Dagoyan Masters and extracting the Living Force from his body, which they stored within a living sphere. Based on this information, Windu deduced that the cultists intended to extract the Living Force from Queen Julia and used his Force powers to track her. Their travels led them to a marketplace on the moon Zardossa Stix. Amidst the crowd, Binks located the captive Julia but found himself surrounded by several cultists. Binks managed to evade his pursuers and attempted to pursue the group with the captive queen. During the ensuing chaos, Windu saved Binks from being shot by a cultist wielding an EWHB-12 heavy repeating blaster.

Continuing their pursuit, Binks and Windu were attacked by an animal trainer and his two gundarks. During the struggle, the trainer disarmed Windu of his lightsaber using his whip. Binks then punched the trainer, retrieved the lightsaber with his tongue, and returned it to the Jedi Master. Windu managed to stun one of the gundarks and kill the other. Binks continued the pursuit, but the cultists escaped in two speeders. After questioning the trainer, Binks and Windu resumed their rescue mission on an eopie and dalgo. Meanwhile, the cultists arrived at a Zardossan temple, where they were joined by the Nightsister Mother Talzin, who sought to sacrifice Queen Julia to steal her Force energy.

After battling the temple's stone guardians, Windu and Binks stormed the temple. While Windu and Mother Talzin engaged in combat, Binks used one of the stone guardians' weapons to eliminate the cult members and free Queen Julia from her restraints. While Binks grappled with the cult leader, the planets aligned, and a beam of energy passed through a series of lenses. The cult leader was killed by the energy blast, and Julia pushed Binks out of the way of harm. The Force sphere fell from its pedestal and shattered, releasing a powerful explosion. Binks, Windu, and Julia survived the explosion and escaped the temple. Following her rescue, Queen Julia thanked Binks and Windu and expressed hope that these events would foster greater understanding between the Bardottans and the Jedi.

The Republic's Demise

In 19 BBY, the Republic was deeply involved in the Outer Rim Sieges, scattering its military forces across the Outer Rim territories. Despite the Republic appearing to be on the verge of victory, Confederate General Grievous initiated a counteroffensive. Exploiting the Republic military's inadequately defended Core-ward regions, Grievous and Dooku led a Confederate fleet to Coruscant. During the battle, Grievous personally abducted Chancellor Palpatine, intending to use his capture as a bargaining chip against the Republic. Generals Kenobi and Skywalker arrived at Coruscant with reinforcements, and during the subsequent rescue of Palpatine, Skywalker killed Dooku. Grievous' audacious attempt ended in failure, and he withdrew his fleet from Coruscant, evading capture. In the aftermath of the battle, Binks and a group of senators gathered outside the Senate building to welcome Palpatine's return. As they entered the Senate Building, Binks and Orn Free Taa collided.

Later, Binks was present in the Senate chamber when Palpatine transformed the Galactic Republic into the first Galactic Empire, thereby transforming the Galactic Senate into the Imperial Senate. Following the death of his colleague and close friend Senator Amidala, Binks was among the primary mourners at her funeral, along with Boss Nass. Binks and the other Gungans present walked slowly, abandoning the characteristic exuberance of their movements.

Era of Imperial Rule

During the invasion of Mon Cala, Jedi Padawan Ferren Barr instructed his droid Endee to display a holographic list of files detailing his past exploits. Among these files was one pertaining to Binks, positioned directly beneath a file on Darth Plagueis and above the file for Amidala.

The New Republic's Ascendancy

Due to his complicity in facilitating the Empire's rise, Binks was once again ostracized by his people. Following the Battle of Endor and the establishment of the New Republic, he worked as a clown in the streets of Theed, gaining popularity among children but not among their parents. Many Gungan and Naboo adults refused to acknowledge him or utter his name. Binks entertained the children with various acts, including wagging his tongue, juggling glombo shells, spitting fish into the air and catching them, dancing, and expelling water through his ears.

In 5 ABY, Binks encountered a young refugee boy named Mapo while performing in Theed's Plaza of the Catalan. Mapo, a resident of a nearby orphanage, had suffered severe burns following an Imperial bombing of his home on the fuel depot Golus Station. Due to his disfiguring burns, Mapo struggled to find people willing to interact with him, let alone adopt him. After Binks caught a pik-pok fish with his long tongue, he inquired about the boy's origins. Mapo recounted how he had lost his parents during the Imperial bombardment of Golus Station. Moved by the boy's plight, Binks performed another trick, expelling water through his ears.

When Mapo revealed that nobody spoke to him, Binks disclosed that he was an outcast because many Gungans and Naboo believed he had aided the Empire. Mapo sympathized, stating that he did not believe Binks had assisted the Empire and suggesting that they were both outcasts. While Binks seemed resigned to his fate, Mapo pointed out his slim chances of being adopted due to his disfigurement. When Mapo suggested they could go nowhere together, Binks replied that it was a "bombad"—or great—idea. When Mapo asked Binks to teach him to be a clown, Binks gratefully accepted Mapo's request and friendship.

Post-Imperial Legacy

At some point after the fall of the Empire, some individuals mistakenly believed that Binks and Darth Vader were the same person.

Binks was remembered after the Galactic Civil War's Battle of [Endor](/article/endor], and he was mentioned by a member of the Whills as someone to be remembered in galactic history. Ultimately, Binks' courageous actions during the Clone Wars were overshadowed by his role in the collapse of democracy, which, in turn, led to his second exile.

Personality and Characteristics

Jar Jar Binks was frequently perceived as clumsy and irritating by his contemporaries, traits that led many to mock and underestimate him. His clumsiness resulted in his expulsion from his home city of Otoh Gunga. On another occasion, his habit of grabbing food with his tongue led to a confrontation with a local bully named Sebulba on Tatooine. Despite these shortcomings, Binks was also capable of bravery, loyalty, and reliability. Binks played a crucial role in shifting the momentum of the Invasion of Naboo by assisting Queen Amidala in securing the support of the Gungans to expel the Trade Federation invaders. As a result of his involvement in the Battle of Naboo, the former Gungan outcast gained considerable respect among both his people and the Naboo.

Despite his kind and unassuming nature, Binks was naive and easily manipulated. Chancellor Palpatine exploited Binks' naivety by persuading him to advocate for the creation of a Grand Army of the Republic, which enabled Palpatine to dismantle the Jedi Order and establish the first Galactic Empire. Binks also possessed a knack for making friends, as evidenced by his friendship with Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his success in befriending a Kwazel Maw named "Bogey" during a mission on Rodia. On other occasions, Binks was able to leverage his humble, unassuming demeanor to outwit more formidable adversaries.

Binks was also dependable in the most challenging of circumstances. On one occasion, Binks demonstrated bravery when he impersonated Boss Lyonie during a mission to prevent the Separatists from turning the Gungans against the Naboo. Later, Binks displayed remarkable courage, loyalty, and resilience when he and Mace Windu participated in a perilous mission to rescue his friend Queen Julia of Bardotta from the malevolent Frangawl Cult. Binks' actions contributed to the restoration of relations between the Jedi Order and the Bardottans.

Due to his role in facilitating the rise of the Galactic Empire, Binks was ostracized by many Gungans and Naboo following the Battle of Endor. Although he did not fully grasp the gravity of the situation, Binks was vaguely aware of the reasons for his ostracism. Binks was popular with refugee children due to his humorous antics and cheerful disposition. Binks found an unlikely friend in the form of the disfigured refugee boy Mapo, who was one of the few individuals willing to engage with him. After Mapo suggested that Binks was not to blame for assisting the Empire, the Gungan gratefully accepted the boy's request to be trained as a clown.

Skills and Talents

As a Gungan, Jar Jar Binks possessed the ability to thrive both on land and underwater. He possessed a long tongue which he utilized to grasp food and other objects. Binks also possessed proficiency in piloting a bongo sub and possessed extensive navigational knowledge of Naboo's aquatic core. While Binks was not a skilled combatant, he was courageous, loyal, and dependable even under the most trying circumstances. On one occasion, he employed his slime to seal Senator Amidala's damaged faceplate during a mission to Mon Cala, preventing her from drowning in the planet's oceans. Binks also demonstrated an aptitude for communicating with animals, as evidenced by his taming of several skalders, beasts of burden that provided transportation for him and his clone trooper comrades.

Following the Battle of Endor, Binks was exiled by the Gungans and ostracized by the Naboo. Homeless, Binks found employment in Theed as a clown and street performer. Binks' humorous antics and acrobatic displays in a water fountain made him popular with refugee children.

Behind the Curtain

Jar Jar Binks was portrayed by Ahmed Best in the prequel trilogy. The character's reception in Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace was overwhelmingly negative: Best stated that the criticism "hurt me emotionally and it was hard to take at the time, [although] it wasn't debilitating for me. I just put my shoes on and went back to work." In response to the negativity, George Lucas jokingly titled the first draft of Episode II Jar Jar's Great Adventure.

Due to the negative feedback the character received in both The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones, Ahmed Best suggested to George Lucas during the development of Revenge of the Sith that Jar Jar be killed off by Anakin Skywalker. Although Lucas rejected Best's idea, Jar Jar's role in the finished film was reduced to a mere cameo with only two lines. According to Best, a scene in which Palpatine thanked Binks for granting him the emergency powers that allowed him to seize control of the galaxy was cut from the final version.

Best also voiced the character for some episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, although BJ Hughes is credited for a few episodes. Best claimed in early 2020 that this was in fact Phil LaMarr, who confirmed it at the end of the year during an Avatar: The Last Airbender rewatch panel, where he talked about the roles he took over in the Clone Wars series.

Jar Jar's fate following the events of the prequels was finally revealed in 2017 when Binks made a cameo appearance in Chuck Wendig's novel Aftermath: Empire's End, the final installment of The Aftermath Trilogy, which is set after the events of Return of the Jedi. According to book reviewer and author Chris Taylor, Binks' popularity with children and ostracism by adult Naboo and Gungans was a subtle commentary on the polarized attitudes towards the character within the Star Wars fan community.

George Lucas cited Goofy, a comical Walt Disney cartoon character as the inspiration for Jar Jar and named him as his favorite character, praising Ahmed Best for his performance.

Alternative Interpretations

In William Shakespeare's The Phantom of Menace: Star Wars Part the First, Jar Jar Binks was depicted as a sagacious figure who publicly adopted the persona of a clown to those such as the Jedi in order to conceal his astute observations regarding culture and politics. He was expelled from Gungan society for his unorthodox views on uniting Gungan culture with that of the humans of Naboo, but he maintained to Qui-Gon Jinn that he was ejected due to being "clumsy." While he played the role of the fool, his frequent asides revealed his true nature and his disdain for those who would refer to him using terms such as "native" or "buffoon." Despite this, he joined forces with the Jedi in the hopes of fostering greater understanding between the two cultures he sought to bridge.

In the LEGO Star Wars: Droid Tales episode "Exit from Endor," Jar Jar Binks is swept into space during the escape from Naboo. Later, in "Gambit on Geonosis," he is seen floating outside the Second Death Star.

In LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, Jar Jar Binks could be seen in a Sith Eternal clone vat in the Sith Citadel laboratory on Exegol. He waved cheerfully at the Supreme Leader of the First Order, Kylo Ren, who was traversing the Sith Citadel looking for the resurrected Emperor. Once Sidious appeared to Ren he began to speak of what he could give him, but then his hand fell off, and Binks started giggling at the unfortunate situation.

The Darth Jar Jar Phenomenon

In late October 2015, a Reddit user named "Lumpawarroo" proposed a theory that Binks was originally intended to be a major antagonist of the series, known as Darth Jar Jar, and a key collaborator with Sheev Palpatine, before being removed from the villainous role due to the character's initial (and ongoing) negative reception. The post quickly went viral and garnered significant international media coverage from independent bloggers and major news outlets such as Forbes, The Washington Post, The Guardian and The New York Times that included analysis of his actions during The Phantom Menace. After the speculation went viral, Ahmed Best tweeted his thoughts on how it "feels good" when the truth comes out. In 2020 American podcaster and comedian Jon Lovett tweeted his story of asking George Lucas about the theory to which the shocked Lucas responded "No. No. Absolutely not."

Jar Jar Binks was subsequently reimagined as the Sith Lord Darth Jar Jar for LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy. Darth Jar Jar was the apprentice of Darth Devastator alongside Darth Kit Fisto, Darth Nubs, Darth Rose Tico, Darth Rey and others. He was defeated by Jedi Bob, who considered him "ridiculous."