Jar Jar Binks/Legends

"Mesa day startin' pretty okee-day with a brisky morning munchy, then boom! Gettin' very scared and grabbin' dat Jedi and pow! Mesa here! Mesa gettin' very, very scared!"

- Jar Jar Binks

Representative, later Senator, Jar Jar Binks was the first Gungan to represent his people in the Galactic Senate, first serving as a Junior Representative along with Senator Padmé Amidala, and then, after her death, serving as full Senator himself. Like most Gungans, Jar Jar was lanky and spoke Basic with a unique accent. Despite being naive and clumsy, Jar Jar Binks contributed greatly to the fate of the Galactic Republic, whether for good or for ill.

He was one of Qui-Gon Jinn's companions during the Invasion of Naboo, travelling to distant lands such as Tatooine and Coruscant, an activity not taken upon by many Gungans. On his return to Naboo, Binks served as a General for a short while in the Gungan Grand Army, and was a joint commander of the Battle of Grassy Plains with General Ceel.

Early life


Born to George R. Binks and his wife in Otoh Gunga, Jar Jar was raised in his family traditions to be a great whaler as his ancestors had been for hundreds of years. Due to his clumsiness and ineptitude, however, Jar Jar was never able to become what his father had wanted him to be. Once, while on an expedition to hunt a whale in the southernmost seas of Naboo, George ordered his son to hold the wheel steady; Jar Jar, however, let go. This caused their ship to crash into the whale which resulted in the ship sinking to the bottom of the ocean.

A month later, George, his wife, and Jar Jar were all stranded on a desert island. This caused George to lament over what could have been; he called his son an imbecile and attempted to commit suicide. When Jar Jar offered to swim for help&mdash;a task which would have taken fifty years if it was possible at all&mdash;George first called him a fool, telling him that he would be eaten within a day, but then had a moment of clarity and told him that it was a good idea. Jar Jar was about to jump into the water when George's wife reprimanded him and stopped George from allowing him to do so.

Though what happened to George and his wife is unknown, Jar Jar later found his way back to Otoh Gunga.

Life in Otoh Gunga
"You were banished because you were clumsy?"

- Obi-Wan Kenobi

Kicked out of all of Otoh Gunga's schools and not able to turn to his parents for guidance, Binks hopped between job after job throughout his youth. His clumsiness inevitably got him fired before sunset. Once Jar Jar was working as a streetside shudderup musician when a passerby paid him money to stop the music. That's when he was discovered by local lawbreaker Roos Tarpals.

Tarpals was the leader of a small band of young thieves. Jar Jar was given the job of distracting security patrols while Tarpals and his gang pulled off various scams. Unlike the other thieves, Tarpals treated Jar Jar like a valued team member and a friend. This friendship ended when Tarpals enlisted in the Gungan Grand Army. The band soon scattered and Jar Jar again began searching for his place in life. Fortunately, Boss Rugor Nass, ruler of Otoh Gunga, arranged new employment for Jar Jar, partly out of respect for his parents, and partly on the request of now-captain Tarpals. When Jar Jar accidentally freed all of the animals in the Otoh Gunga zoo Nass sentenced Jar Jar to six months of hard labor in the Quarry penal colony.

Nass commuted the sentence when Jar Jar saved him from drowning in an out-of-control Bongo. Jar Jar also saved the life of Nass's niece, Major Fassa. Fassa pledged a life debt to Jar Jar who was embarrassed by her devotion, but excited about a chance at romance. He was both disappointed and relieved when Boss Nass revoked the life debt on a technicality.

Later, Boss Nass threw a lavish party at his mansion and gave Jar Jar a job in the kitchen. Pretty soon, Jar Jar destroyed the gasser oven. The explosion cracked the bubble wall and flooded the party. Jar Jar tried to save Boss Nass's luxury heyblibber, but ended up crashing it instead. Boss Nass was outraged, and decided that he had had enough. In the Gungan Council Chamber of Judgement, Nass, along with his peers, enforced the Nocombackie Law, banishing Binks and preventing him from ever returning to Otoh Gunga upon pain of death. Jar Jar tried to hide in Otoh Gunga but Captain Tarpals found him in a restaurant scrounging for scraps. Tarpals escorted Jar Jar to the shores of the Lianorm Swamp, the place of Binks' bansihment.

Meeting the Jedi
"Are you brainless? You almost got us killed."

- Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn

One day in 32 BBY, Binks went out foraging for food, when he stumbled across OOM-9's Trade Federation invasion force. Panicking, he bumped into Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, an ambassador who had been sent to resolve the crisis between the Naboo and the Federation. Binks, despite being an outcast, adhered to the Gungan principle of a life debt, and insisted on following Jinn, much to the Jedi's annoyance. Both Jinn and his apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi, needed to contact Queen Amidala in Theed, but had no way of reaching her. Binks suggested that they go to Otoh Gunga, his old home, but quickly regretted mentioning it. The Jedi convinced him to take them there, but Binks rightly feared for his life.



Upon reaching Otoh Gunga, he was arrested by his old friend, Tarpals, and brought before Nass. The Jedi bartered with Nass, and persuaded him to provide them with transportation to Theed. Following that, Nass sentenced Binks to death, but Jinn quickly interceded, citing that Binks' life belonged to him, due to the Gungan life debt system. Nass had Binks freed and sent along with the Jedi to Theed. Binks was dismayed over the fact that he had to tag along with the Jedi, but he figured that he had a higher chance of survival with them than in Otoh Gunga.

Upon reaching Federation-occupied Theed, Binks watched as the Jedi rescued the Queen, and escorted her to safety. Jinn convinced the Queen to go to Coruscant, to plead her case to the Senate, a choice that would result in Binks leaving the planet for the very first time. Whilst the Queen's ship got past the Federation blockade of the planet, it sustained mild damage, and lost it's hyperdrive capacity, leaving it only enough power to reach Tatooine, the only planet in the area devoid of Federation presence.

Beyond Naboo
"This sun doin' murder to mesa skin..."

- Jar Jar Binks

Upon reaching Tatooine, Jinn, Binks, Amidala (disguised as a handmaiden), and R2-D2 ventured into the city of Mos Espa in search of new parts for the ship. They came across Watto's Shop, which had the parts they needed. However, they had no way of purchasing them, due to the Republic Credit's lack of use in backwater planets like Tatooine. At Watto's Shop, they encountered a young boy - Anakin Skywalker. After leaving the shop, Binks crossed paths with Sebulba, a thug who threatened to beat Binks to a pulp. Only the timely intervention of Skywalker saved him. Skywalker was but a poor slave, nonetheless, he offered the group shelter and hospitality when they were caught in a sandstorm. At his home, they discovered that he had a talent for podracing, which Skywalker thought would be a good way for Jinn and Amidala to get the money required for the new hyperdrive.

Binks was more than willing to help in the enterprise, offering to perform maintenance on Anakin's podracer. Whether or not his efforts were of any help was irrelevant; Skywalker appreciated the assistance. On the day of the Boonta Eve Race, Binks continued to assist, and observed the race from a special platform reserved for the racer's family and friends. Binks was thrilled when Skywalker won - most probably at the prospect of being able to leave the inhospitable Tatooine.

If Binks was taken aback by Tatooine, nothing could prepare him for Coruscant. A sprawling ecumenopolis, Binks was out of his depth in the capital, and understandably retreated to the sidelines of the political action taking place. He stayed at Senator Palpatine's apartments in the 500 Republica, eagerly awaiting the chance to return home. The chance came when Amidala was refused aid in the Senate, and decided to take matters into her own hands. She formulated a plan, based on Binks' mention of a Gungan Grand Army, and decided to take the fight to the Federation.

General
"General?!"

- Jar Jar Binks

Upon returning to Naboo, Binks discovered that Otoh Gunga had been evacuated due to a major battle. He knew of the Gungan Sacred Place however, and took the Queen there. Upon meeting Nass, she made an alliance with him, unifying the Gungan and the Naboo people after years of bitter hatred and isolation. Nass was most pleased with the new alliance, and attributed it all to Binks, much to the latter's embarrasment. As a "reward", Nass appointed Binks as joint commander of the Gungan Grand Army, giving him the rank of Bombad General. Shortly after the promotion, Amidala revealed her plan: The Gungan Grand Army would draw OOM-9's army out of Theed, leaving the capital relatively unprotected. She and her task-force, along with the Jedi, would first liberate the Theed Hangar, allowing pilots to take their starfighters and attack the Droid Control Ship, hopefully deactivating all of the droids. Then, her task force would enter the Palace and capture the Federation Viceroy, Nute Gunray.

Binks led the army out to Grassy Plains, where, on General Ceel's order, they would wait for OOM-9. The battle droid commander did not dissapoint, and attacked the Gungans. They held up a solid defence against the mechanised army, but sheer numbers overwhelmed them, forcing Ceel to call for a retreat. During the chaos, Binks accidentally sent a cascading wave of energy balls into a pack of B-1 battle droids and AAT, which, luckily, slowed the Federation advance for a while, allowing some Gungans to escape. However, Binks and his old friend, Tarpals were rounded up and captured. Shortly after their capture, however, young Anakin Skywalker, who had accompanied them since Tatooine, destroyed the Droid Control Ship, and deactivated all of the droids. The Gungans rejoiced, knocking over the limp droids and celebrating.

However, the victory was not without bitter loss. Qui-Gon, Binks' savior and friend, had died at the hands of the Sith Lord Darth Maul, releasing Binks from his life debt. And many Gungans had fallen at Grassy Plains. But their deaths were not in vain. Amidala had succeded in her mission, and had successfully re-taken Naboo. Binks joined in the celebrations, and looked forward to a new era of peace.

Clone Wars
"Dellow felegates! In response to this direct threat to the Republic, mesa propose, that the Senate give immediately emergency powers to the Supreme Chancelor!"

- Representative Jar Jar Binks

Following the Battle of Naboo, the new alliance between the Naboo and Gungans expanded to include a Gungan Representative to support the Senator for Naboo in the Galactic Senate. Jar Jar served as Gungan Representative in 22 BBY before the outbreak of the Clone Wars, along with now-Senator Amidala. When Amidala was forced to go into hiding following a series of assassination attempts, Representative Binks stood in for her in the Senate. In her absence, however, Binks was easily manipulated by more experienced politicians, and as they preyed on his innocence, they convinced that the creation of an army for the Republic was a course of action that Amidala would have taken. In fact, the creation of an army was exactly what Amidala had been fighting against. Feeling that it was his duty to act in her stead, he suggested that the Senate give Supreme Chancellor Palpatine the emergency powers required to create a Grand Army of the Republic. The motion passed, and the Clone Wars began.

End of the Clone Wars
Jar Jar Binks continued to represent the Gungans in Naboo's senatorial delegation throughout the Clone Wars, though his accomplishments in politics were never as significant as his vote on the Military Creation Act. He had also apparently learnt to keep his mouth shut after the "Emergency Powers" debacle, learning from his substantial mistake that had lead to one of the bloodiest wars in galactic history. After the death of his friend and colleague Padmé Amidala, he was one of the chief mourners at her funeral on Naboo, and succeded her as Senator of the Chommell Sector in 19 BBY.

Personality and traits
Binks was an extremely clumsy Gungan - he would often break or destroy whatever he came into contact with, a trait that would eventually lead to his exile from Otoh Gunga. He had no concept of manners - he would often lash out with his long tongue and grab food with it, much to the embarrassment of his companions. His basic accent was even more accentuated than most Gungans, which, in many cases, made him difficult to interpret.

He also held a certain irreverence for his superiors - often making faces behind their backs, but he would grudgingly obey their orders. He would also be constantly trying to make new friends - usually unsuccessfully. He had some aptitude mechanically; he was able to perform maintenance on Anakin Skywalker's pod (although several of the pod's systems failed on the race day). He also had some skill as a diplomat, helping to bring the Gungans and the Naboo together in an alliance.

His battlefield prowess, however, left something to be desired. At the Battle of Grassy Plains, he first fell of his mount, hit himself with a booma, accidentally unleashed a whole wave large boomas on the enemy, and dismounted Captain Tarpals, resulting in both his and Tarpals' capture.

As a politician, he successfully representated the Gungans for several years, but when he had to take the role of senator, he was easily manipulated by Palpatine's cronies, though Binks did not realise it at the time.

Behind the scenes
Jar Jar Binks was an entirely computer-generated character, voiced by Ahmed Best. During the filming of the prequel trilogy, Best appeared on set in costume to provide a reference point for the other actors. Jar Jar's name came from Jett Lucas, son of George Lucas.

The character's silly nature, even during tense battle scenes or when talking to Jedi and other more dignified characters, earned him the ire of many Star Wars fans. Jar Jar's mannerisms and "regional accent" also offended some viewers, who found them reminiscent of "Stepin Fetchit" characters, Minstrel show characters, and other outdated and offensive stereotypes of black people. Many fans pinned their disappointments with The Phantom Menace on Jar Jar. Possibly as a result to fan hostility, Jar Jar's role in Attack of the Clones made him a pivotal part of the story, as the one who inadvertently helped Palpatine lay the foundations of the Galactic Empire, while minimizing his screen time. However, it should be noted that without the help of Jar Jar, the clones would have never gone to Geonosis and the Jedi there would have been killed. His role in Revenge of the Sith was further reduced to two scenes and only one line, although Ahmed Best was still prominently placed in the end credits.

Jar Jar has become one of the most hated characters in all of Star Wars, prompting the creation of fan films such as "Jar Jar's Walking Papers", which depicts the much desired death of Jar Jar.

The Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (game) says that Jar Jar was imprisoned upon his return to Otoh Gunga and Obi-Wan Kenobi rescued him before leaving together for Theed. This plot was invented to give an additional action in the Otoh Gunga mission, but the movie doesn't show that this event occurred, so this event is non-canon.

He has also appeared as frozen in carbonite at least one of the Star Wars conventions. In spite of this fact, there are many fans who still love him.

Jar Jar Binks was created, in part, by a graduate of Texas A & M University, whose alumni, known as Aggies, are historically caricatured similarly to Jar Jar, despite achievements made by Aggies. As one of the university's school signs is a "thumbs up," that may explain the thumbs up given by Jar Jar in Episode I while "helping" to fix Anakin's Podracer.

Criticism
Jar Jar Binks's character has been criticized arguably more than any other character or element of the Star Wars films, and has become one of the primary reasons that fans of the original trilogy disapprove of The Phantom Menace. Jar Jar is a common subject in Lucas bashing. Some have gone to such extremes as to edit pictures of the character and add gory articulation, and/or add hateful captions (i.e. "mesa like a good beating"). Jar Jar non-fans have also spawned web sites dedicated to disparaging the character.

One of the main criticisms regarding Jar Jar Binks revolves around the character being a marketing tool. George Lucas is often accused of using "cute" characters such as Jar Jar and the Ewoks to better market his movies toward children.

Alleged racism
Another common criticism regards Jar Jar as a racist black stereotype. This criticism typically draws connections between Jar Jar's broken English and Jamaican English. Gungans have also been compared to Jamaicans and Rastafarians for various reasons, including their self-proclamation as "warriors," their hatred of the Naboo (similar to the Rastas' rebellion against Caucasians), and Jar Jar's pronunciation of his name, which draws parallels to Jah (or "Jah Jah"), which is a common name among Rastas for their god Haile Selassie I. (The name "Jah" has also become a popular name for the Judeo-Christian God among Jamaican Christians.) Lucas has denied any connection between Jar Jar Binks and black people, stating that "Jar Jar was not drawn from a Jamaican, from any stretch of the imagination."

Despite this, Jar Jar's dialect is similar to many pidgin dialects. Pidgin English is used all over the world, especially in Insular Asia. For example, his combination of words is similar to Papua New Guinean English where the phrase "hittendemroad" means "wander the streets." For this reason, it is unreasonable to assume Jar Jar is a racial stereotype of Jamaicans; bad English is universal to all English-speaking nations - including America.

Since Jar Jar was portrayed by a black man, it is reasonable to expect that Jar Jar would sound like a black man. Furthermore, it is important to note that Ahmed Best greatly enjoyed playing Jar Jar Binks and put his heart into the performance.

Possible family
According to an ambiguously-canon Star Wars Tales comic, George R. Binks, Jar Jar's father was a proud whaler named George R. Binks. Jar Jar's father, in contrast to his son, is shown in this story to be a dignified, intelligent character, who despairs at Jar Jar's foolish antics.

Jar Jar's fate
Recently, many fans have developed an erroneous belief that Jar Jar moved to Alderaan after the events of Revenge of the Sith, and was killed when the Death Star destroyed that planet. It is not clear where this bit of fanon came from, though it probably came from wishful thinking on the part of fans who wanted Jar Jar to be killed in a violent fashion. In fact, Jar Jar Binks's ultimate fate has not yet been revealed in any Expanded Universe stories.

The Liberation of Coruscant mission of the Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds: Clone Campaigns game, features a sprite identified as Jar Jar among the skyscrapers of Coruscant, seen only if the player decides to explore the whole game map with an air unit. This is a superficially canonical indication that Jar Jar was alive and well, and living on Coruscant, during the New Republic era. It may also be only an "easter egg" like many featured in the game, and thus dubiously canonical. (For example, Clone Campaigns features sprites of C-3PO and R2-D2 appear near a crashed escape pod on Tatooine during a Clone Wars-era mission.)

Appearances

 * The Death of Captain Tarpals
 * Episode I Adventures 9: Rescue in the Core
 * Episode I Adventures 10: Festival of Warriors
 * Episode I Adventures 11: Pirates from Beyond the Sea
 * Episode I Adventures 12: The Bongo Rally
 * Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
 * Episode I: Queen Amidala
 * Deep Spoilers


 * Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
 * Evasive Action: Prey
 * Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds
 * Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds: Clone Campaigns

Non-canon appearances

 * George R. Binks
 * Force Fiction
 * Failing Up With Jar Jar Binks
 * Melvin Fett
 * LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game