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Jar Jar Binks is a
fictional character In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life perso ...
of the Gungan race from the '' Star Wars'' saga created by George Lucas. Jar Jar appears throughout the ''Star Wars'' prequel trilogy – as a major character in '' Episode I: The Phantom Menace'', with a smaller role in '' Episode II: Attack of the Clones'', and with only a one-line cameo in '' Episode III: Revenge of the Sith –'' as well as having a role in the television series '' Star Wars: The Clone Wars''. The first fully computer-generated supporting character in a live-action film, he has been voiced by Ahmed Best in most of his appearances, who also acted out the character with
prosthetics In medicine, a prosthesis (plural: prostheses; from grc, πρόσθεσις, prósthesis, addition, application, attachment), or a prosthetic implant, is an artificial device that replaces a missing body part, which may be lost through trau ...
prior to the CGI work. The last mention of Jar Jar is in the 2017 canonical novel '' Aftermath: Empire's End''. Jar Jar's primary role in ''Episode I'' was to provide
comic relief Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene, or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension. Definition Comic relief usually means a releasing of emotional or other tension resulting from a comic epis ...
for the audience. He was met with overwhelming dislike from both critics and audiences, and is recognized as one of the most hated characters in ''Star Wars'' and the history of film in general, with some critics even considering him a racist caricature. The hate affected Best personally, who rejected the idea that the character was based on black stereotypes. Part of the perception of the character changed in 2015, when a fan theory originating from
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gained popularity and was encouraged by Best. The theory stated that Jar Jar was originally intended to be a manipulative villain, but George Lucas replaced him in ''Episode II'' at the last minute with Count Dooku because of Jar Jar's unpopularity. Ahmed would later confirm that this was partially true, as he felt it would have happened without the backlash.


Conception

George Lucas was inspired to develop Jar Jar based on the Disney character Goofy. Singer
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
wanted to play the role, but wished to portray the character using
prosthetics In medicine, a prosthesis (plural: prostheses; from grc, πρόσθεσις, prósthesis, addition, application, attachment), or a prosthetic implant, is an artificial device that replaces a missing body part, which may be lost through trau ...
while Lucas wanted him to be all CGI. Ahmed Best was cast based on his work in the production of ''
Stomp Stomp may refer to: *Stomp (strike), a downwards kick using the heel Music and dance * ''Stomp'' (album), by Big D and the Kids Table, 2013 * Stomp (jazz), a type of rhythmic jazz tune popular in the 1920s *Stomp (theatrical show), a percussive p ...
'', as Lucas wanted someone athletic for the role. During his audition he performed several martial arts moves and flips, which according to Best was a contrast to how Lucas pictured the character, more in line with comedic silent actors such as Buster Keaton. After Lucas walked out of the audition, Best felt he had failed it. Terryl Whitlatch created the final designs for the "cowardly and insecure" character. Best wore a prosthetic costume to portray Jar Jar, which cost about $100,000 and served as a reference for the actors to interact with, animators to base the performance on, and digital artists to match the lighting. He was the first computer-generated supporting character in a live-action film, although in a small number of shots (such as those only showing the character's hands or feet), the costume was not replaced with CGI.


Appearances


Films

Jar Jar appears only in the prequel trilogy.


''The Phantom Menace''

Jar Jar Binks first appears in '' Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace'' as a bumbling, foolish Gungan from the planet
Naboo Naboo is a fictional planet in the '' Star Wars'' universe. A bountiful world with a mostly green terrain, the planet was the homeworld of two independent societies: the native Gungans, who dwelt in underwater cities, and the human Naboo, who l ...
who is banished by his tribe as punishment for his clumsiness. He is nearly killed by a Trade Federation transport, only to be saved at the last minute by
Jedi Master Jedi (), Jedi Knights, or collectively the Jedi Order are the main heroic protagonists of many works of the '' Star Wars'' franchise. Working symbiotically alongside the Old Galactic Republic, and later supporting the Rebel Alliance, the Jedi ...
Qui-Gon Jinn Qui-Gon Jinn () is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise, played by Liam Neeson. He is a main character in the prequel film trilogy, serving as the protagonist of ''The Phantom Menace'' (1999). He appears briefly as a Force ghost ...
(
Liam Neeson William John Neeson (born 7 June 1952) is an actor from Northern Ireland. He has received several accolades, including nominations for an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and two Tony Awards. In 2020, he was placed 7th on ''The I ...
). Qui-Gon and his padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi (
Ewan McGregor Ewan Gordon McGregor ( ; born 31 March 1971) is a Scottish actor. His accolades include a Golden Globe Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and the BAFTA Britannia Humanitarian Award. In 2013, he was appointed Officer of the Order of the British ...
), persuade Jar Jar's tribe to release him to their custody as a guide. He later goes with the Jedi and
Padmé Amidala Padmé Amidala Naberrie is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise, appearing in the prequel trilogy portrayed by Natalie Portman. First indirectly mentioned in '' Return of the Jedi'', she is introduced in ''The Phantom Menace'' a ...
(
Natalie Portman Natalie Portman (born Natalie Hershlag, he, נטע-לי הרשלג, ) is an Israeli-born American actress. She has had a prolific film career since her teenage years and has starred in various blockbusters and independent films, receiving mu ...
) to the planet Tatooine, where he meets and befriends nine-year-old slave Anakin Skywalker ( Jake Lloyd). Jar Jar later appears in the film's climactic battle scene, where he leads his fellow Gungans, as a general in the Gungan army, in defeating the Trade Federation. After the battle, he appears at the funeral of Qui-Gon Jinn and in the ending parade with his fellow Gungans.


''Attack of the Clones''

Jar Jar's role in '' Attack of the Clones'' is much smaller, but his actions are significant. Ten years after helping save his planet, he is a delegate to the Galactic Senate and as such, plays a role in bringing his old friends, Obi-Wan and Anakin (
Hayden Christensen Hayden Christensen (; born April 19, 1981) is a Canadian actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Anakin Skywalker / Darth Vader in the ''Star Wars'' media franchise. He first appeared in the prequel trilogy films, '' Star Wars: Episode ...
), back to
Coruscant Coruscant () is an ecumenopolis planet in the fictional '' Star Wars'' universe. Its first appearance was onscreen in the 1997 Special Edition of ''Return of the Jedi'', but was first depicted and mentioned by name in Timothy Zahn's 1991 novel ' ...
, where he greets them with enthusiasm. Later, on the behalf of the Naboo, he gives a speech to the assembled Senate in favor of granting Chancellor Palpatine (
Ian McDiarmid Ian McDiarmid (; born 11 August 1944) is a Scottish actor and director of stage and screen, best known for portraying the Sith Lord Emperor Sheev Palpatine / Darth Sidious in the ''Star Wars'' multimedia franchise. Making his stage debut in '' ...
) vast
emergency powers A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to be able to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state du ...
.


''Revenge of the Sith''

Jar Jar appears in only a few scenes in '' Revenge of the Sith'', and has no dialogue (besides a brief "'scuse me" at one point). He was originally given some dialogue in the beginning, but this was cut. Another cut scene would have shown Palpatine mocking Jar Jar for putting him in power before crowning himself emperor. He is most prominently featured in Padmé Amidala's funeral procession at the end of the film, marching sadly behind her coffin alongside
Boss Nass This incomplete list of characters from the ''Star Wars'' franchise contains only those which are considered part of the official ''Star Wars'' canon, as of the changes made by Lucasfilm in April 2014. Following its acquisition by The Walt Dis ...
.


''The Clone Wars'' television series

Jar Jar Binks is a supporting character in the animated series ''Star Wars: The Clone Wars'', once again voiced by Best, although
Phil LaMarr Phillip LaMarr (born January 24, 1967) is an American actor, comedian and screenwriter. LaMarr was one of the original featured cast members on the sketch comedy television series '' Mad TV''. His voice acting roles in animated series include J ...
voiced the character in three season one episodes under the
pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...
BJ Hughes. In this series, he is a Senate representative who sometimes accompanies the main characters—Anakin, Obi-Wan, Padmé, and Anakin's padawan Ahsoka Tano—on their adventures. He and Jedi Master Mace Windu are the two main characters of the two-part episode "The Disappeared" in which they had to search for missing elders and rescue a queen, who was Jar Jar's past love interest.


List of appearances ''The Clone Wars''

* Season 1 Episode 08 "Bombad Jedi" * Season 1 Episode 11 "Dooku Captured" * Season 1 Episode 12 "The Gungan General" * Season 1 Episode 17 "Blue Shadow Virus" * Season 1 Episode 18 "Mystery of a Thousand Moons" * Season 2 Episode 04 "Senate Spy" * Season 3 Episode 03 "Supply Lines" * Season 4 Episode 02 "Gungan Attack" * Season 4 Episode 03 "Prisoners" * Season 4 Episode 04 "Shadow Warrior" * Season 4 Episode 15 "Deception" * Season 6 Episode 08 "The Disappeared, Part I" * Season 6 Episode 09 "The Disappeared, Part II"


Literature


''Aftermath: Empire's End''

Chuck Wendig Charles David Wendig (born April 22, 1976) is an American author, comic book writer, screenwriter, and blogger. He is best known for his online blog Terribleminds, for his 2015 '' Star Wars'' novel trilogy ''Aftermath'', the first book of which ...
's 2017 novel '' Star Wars: Aftermath: Empire's End'', set after the events of ''
Return of the Jedi ''Return of the Jedi'' (also known as ''Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi'' is a 1983 American epic space opera film directed by Richard Marquand. The screenplay is by Lawrence Kasdan and George Lucas from a story by Lucas, who ...
'', finds Binks as a street performer who entertains refugee children but is loathed by adults who blame him for his part in the rise of the Empire. Chris Taylor of Mashable wrote that the situation reflects real life in that adults disliked Jar Jar in the prequel films, but children were entertained by him. In an interview, director J. J. Abrams suggested that Jar Jar's death might be referenced in '' Star Wars: The Force Awakens'', but this did not happen.


''Legends''

With the 2012 acquisition of Lucasfilm by
The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Disney Stud ...
, most of the licensed ''Star Wars'' novels and comics produced since the originating 1977 film '' Star Wars'' were rebranded as ''Star Wars Legends'' and declared non-canon to the franchise in April 2014. In the game '' Star Wars: The Force Unleashed'', Jar Jar is shown to have been frozen in carbonite by an Imperial officer and kept in his trophy room.


Other appearances

Binks is a Lego mini-figure in the ''
Lego Star Wars Lego ''Star Wars'' is a Lego theme that incorporates the '' Star Wars'' saga and franchise. Originally it was only licensed from 1999 to 2008, but The Lego Group extended the license with Lucasfilm, first until 2011, then until 2016, then ag ...
'' video games, and appears as an Angry Bird with a hook move called "Jar Jar Wings" in ''
Angry Birds Star Wars II ''Angry Birds Star Wars II'' is a discontinued puzzle video game, a crossover between '' Star Wars'' and the ''Angry Birds'' series, that was released on September 18, 2013. The game is the seventh ''Angry Birds'' game and the second where players ...
''. Ahmed Best was signed on to portray Binks in the show '' Star Wars Detours''.


Reception

Even before the release of ''The Phantom Menace'', Jar Jar Binks became the subject of significant media and popular attention. After the film's release, Binks became symbolic of what many reviewers such as Brent Staples (''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
''), David Edelstein ('' Slate''), and Eric Harrison (''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...
'') considered to be creative flaws of the film. The character was widely rejected and often ridiculed by people who felt that Jar Jar was included in the film solely to appeal to children (a criticism first leveled with the introduction of the Ewoks in ''Return of the Jedi''). Bruce Handy of '' Vanity Fair'' wrote that "Jar Jar has come to symbolize what many fans see as the faults of the prequel trilogy: characters no one much cares about; a sense of humor geared toward the youngest conceivable audience members; an over-reliance on computer graphics; and story lines devoted to the kinds of convoluted political machinations which wouldn’t have been out of place in adaptations of ''
I, Claudius ''I, Claudius'' is a historical novel by English writer Robert Graves, published in 1934. Written in the form of an autobiography of the Roman Emperor Claudius, it tells the history of the Julio-Claudian dynasty and the early years of the Ro ...
'' or ''
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich ''The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany'' is a book by American journalist William L. Shirer in which the author chronicles the rise and fall of Nazi Germany from the birth of Adolf Hitler in 1889 to the end of World W ...
'', but which fit less snugly in films with characters like Jar Jar Binks." One fan, Mike J. Nichols, created and distributed, free of charge, a modified version of the film, entitled '' The Phantom Edit'', which cut out several scenes featuring what Nichols dubbed 'Jar Jar antics.' The character was also lampooned on an episode of the television show '' South Park'' entitled " Jakovasaurs", in ''
The Fairly OddParents ''The Fairly OddParents'' is an American animated television series created by Butch Hartman for Nickelodeon. The series follows the adventures of Timmy Turner, a 10-year-old boy with two fairy godparents named Cosmo and Wanda who grant him ...
'' (Episode: "Abra-Catastrophe!"), ''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer Simpson, Homer, Marge ...
'' (Episode: " Co-Dependents' Day"), as well as the parody ''Star Wars'' episodes of '' Robot Chicken'', in which Best reprised the role in voice-over form. In response to the criticism surrounding Jar Jar, ''Star Wars'' creator George Lucas stated that he feels there is a section of the fanbase upset that "the movies are for children but they don't want to admit that... There is a small group of fans that do not like comic
sidekick A sidekick is a slang expression for a close companion or colleague (not necessarily in fiction) who is, or is generally regarded as, subordinate to the one they accompany. Some well-known fictional sidekicks are Don Quixote's Sancho Panza, ...
s. They want the films to be tough like '' The Terminator'', and they get very upset and opinionated about anything that has anything to do with being childlike." In July 2018, Best said that the widespread criticism of his character had led to him considering suicide. In April 2019, during the annual ''Star Wars'' Celebration event ahead of the 20th anniversary panel for ''The Phantom Menace'', George Lucas named Jar Jar as his favorite ''Star Wars'' character.


Allegations of racial caricature

Joe Morgenstern Joe Morgenstern (born October 3, 1932) is an American writer and retired film critic. He wrote for ''Newsweek'' from 1965 to 1983, and then for ''The Wall Street Journal'' from 1995 to 2022. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism in 2005. Morgen ...
of ''
The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
'' described the character as a "
Rastafarian Rastafari, sometimes called Rastafarianism, is a religion that developed in Jamaica during the 1930s. It is classified as both a new religious movement and a social movement by scholars of religion. There is no central authority in control ...
Stepin Fetchit Lincoln Theodore Monroe Andrew Perry (May 30, 1902 – November 19, 1985), better known by the stage name Stepin Fetchit, was an American vaudevillian, comedian, and film actor of Jamaican and Bahamian descent, considered to be the first black a ...
on platform hoofs, crossed annoyingly with
Butterfly McQueen Butterfly McQueen (born Thelma McQueen; January 8, 1911December 22, 1995) was an American actress. Originally a dancer, McQueen first appeared in films as "Prissy" in '' Gone with the Wind'' (1939). She was unable to attend the film's premiere b ...
." Patricia J. Williams suggested that many aspects of Jar Jar's character are highly reminiscent of the archetypes portrayed in blackface minstrelsy,Patricia J. Williams: while others have suggested the character is a "laid-back clown character" representing a black Caribbean stereotype. George Lucas has denied any racist implications. Ahmed Best also rejected the allegations, saying that "Jar Jar has nothing to do with the Caribbean".


Speculations of villainy

In late October 2015, a
Reddit Reddit (; stylized in all lowercase as reddit) is an American social news aggregation, content rating, and discussion website. Registered users (commonly referred to as "Redditors") submit content to the site such as links, text posts, imag ...
user by the name of "Lumpawarroo" published a detailed theory speculating that Binks was originally written as a major antagonist of the series, a manipulative, prominent collaborator of Palpatine, before being written off from his major villain's role due to the character's negative reception. This theory was related to an earlier interview with actor Ahmed Best in /r/IAmA, where he claimed that Jar Jar had been displaced from the story's main focus due to the backlash, implying at the same time that the hate received by the character was not entirely unintentional. The post quickly became popular and received significant media coverage internationally by independent bloggers and major news outlets like ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'', ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'', and ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'', which included analysis of his actions in ''The Phantom Menace'' and gave him the nickname of "Darth Jar Jar". Journalist Andrew Street from ''The Guardian'' called it a "classic twist", comparing it to
Yoda Yoda () is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' universe, first appearing in the 1980 film ''The Empire Strikes Back''. He is a small, green humanoid alien who is powerful with the Force and is a leading member of the Jedi Order until it ...
's role in ''
The Empire Strikes Back ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (also known as ''Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back'') is a 1980 American epic space opera film directed by Irvin Kershner from a screenplay by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan, based on a stor ...
'', while Matt Hickey from ''
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'' went to the extent of contacting George Lucas about the question, but received no answer. In response to the speculations, Best
tweeted Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
, "I will say this, it feels really good when the hidden meaning behind the work is seen. No matter how long it takes," apparently confirming the theory. Some months later, he expanded upon his tweet in a
YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
interview, stating, "there is a lot about he theorythat is true, there are some things about it that are not true... Could Jar Jar have evolved into that? I think the answer is yes. Because of the backlash, and rightfully so, Lucasfilm backed off of Jar Jar a lot, but a lot of the influence that I put into the character mirrored a lot of what was already in the ''Star Wars'' universe." Best concluded only Lucas could unveil the actual role of Binks, yet he also claimed that a deleted scene from ''Attack of the Clones'' would have still shown Palpatine darkly confiding his plans about the Empire to Jar Jar. J. J. Abrams, who directed two installments of the franchise's sequel trilogy after its buyout by
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
, personally approved the theory about the villainous Jar Jar. He described Lumpawarroo's argumentation as an "unbelievably lengthy analysis, in a very seriously thought-out way, as to why it's obviously true he's vil"


References

Footnotes Citations


External links

*
Jar Jar Binks quotes
from
IMDb IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...
* *
Collection of negative Jar Jar comments from major media sources.
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Binks, Jar Jar Characters created by George Lucas Fantasy television characters Fictional amphibians Film characters introduced in 1999 Fictional diplomats Fictional generals Fictional humanoids Fictional military personnel in films Fictional senators Film sidekicks Male characters in film Male characters in television Star Wars animated characters Star Wars Skywalker Saga characters Star Wars: The Clone Wars characters Race-related controversies in film