Jar Jar Binks

Jar Jar Binks
Homeworld	Naboo
Species	Gungan
Gender	Male
Height	1.96 meters
Hair Color	None
Eye Color	Orange
Affiliation	Galactic Republic

Representative Jar Jar Binks (born 52 BBY) was the first Gungan senator in the Galactic Senate. Like most Gungans, Jar Jar was gangly and spoke Basic with a unique accent. Despite being naïve and clumsy, Jar Jar Binks contributed greatly to the fate of the Galactic Republic, whether for good or for ill.

Biography

Banished from his childhood home in Otoh Gunga for his clumsiness, Jar Jar lived in the swamps of Naboo. During the Blockade of Naboo, the Jedi Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi arrived on Naboo, ending up in the swamps rather than the capital as intended. Qui-Gon inadvertently saved Jar Jar's life. In a Gungan life debt, Jar Jar was obligated to stay by Qui-Gon's side until his death. Jar Jar acted as guide for the two Jedi, eventually accompanying them and Queen Padmé Amidala as they escaped to Tatooine and continued to Coruscant. He also took part in the Battle of Naboo, playing a key role as a Bombad General in the Gungan Grand Army. In his clumsiness, Jar Jar sent a cascading wave of energy balls into a bunch of B-1 battle droids which, luckily, decreased the Trade Federation army's numbers drastically.

Following the Battle of Naboo, the new alliance between the Naboo and Gungans extended to including 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, and when Senator Amidala was forced to go into hiding following a series of assassination attempts, Representative Binks stood in for her in the Senate. As the spokesbeing for Naboo, he was responsible for making the motion which first granted Chancellor Palpatine emergency powers and formed the Army of the Republic, setting the stage for the Clone Wars. This was a reversal of the previous Naboo position, as Senator Amidala had been one of the leading senators in favor of negotiation to quell the Separatist crisis and against the Military Creation Act. Jar Jar had been manipulated, and his innocence had betrayed him as he inadvertently helped set in motion the replacement of the Old Republic with the Galactic Empire.

Jar Jar Binks continued to represent the Gungans in Naboo's senatorial delegation through the Clone Wars, though his accomplishments in politics were never as significant as his vote on the Military Creation Act. After the death of his friend and colleague Padmé Amidala, he was one of the chief mourners at her funeral on Naboo.

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.

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 many 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. 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.

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 I 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' ultimate fate has not yet been revealed in any Expanded Universe sources.

He has also appeared as frozen in carbonite at least one of the Star Wars conventions.