Star Wars Fans Hate Jar Jar Binks But That's Because His Best Moment Never Made It to Film
Jar Jar Binks is one of the most despised characters in Star Wars history, and it’s not because he’s a despicable, irredeemable villain, but because many fans simply find him insufferably annoying. But, if one moment from the comics made it into the film, it’s likely Star Wars fans wouldn’t hate Jar Jar Binks so much.
In Star Wars: The Phantom Menace 25th Anniversary Special by Greg Pak and Will Sliney, fans are shown the events of Episode I just as they played out in the original movie, but with a few extra scenes added to more fully flesh out those events. Among the many added scenes were a vision Anakin had of becoming a Jedi before even meeting Qui-Gon or Obi-Wan, a scene where Anakin saves the life of a Tusken Raider, and a tender moment between Anakin and Jar Jar Binks right after Anakin stood before the Jedi Council for the first time.
In that scene, Anakin Skywalker is sitting alone in the Jedi Temple, saddened by the news that the Jedi Council would not permit Qui-Gon Jinn to train Anakin as a Jedi. Anakin is then approached by Jar Jar Binks, and rather than being a chaotic mess for the sake of a cheap laugh, Jar Jar actually comes off as a strong and kind character. Jar Jar relates to Anakin’s experience of being denied and dismissed, before telling Anakin that he has a good heart, and that everything will be fine.
Star Wars Fans Need to See Jar Jar Binks in a More Serious Light
Jar Jar Binks Clearly Doesn’t Work as a Comedic Character
When Jar Jar Binks was introduced, he was meant to be funny, but instead he came off as incredibly annoying - and it’s easy to see how. Jar Jar bumbled through every scene he was in, breaking things left and right, and just creating chaos wherever he went. Even during high-stakes scenes in the film, Jar Jar’s unyielding buffoonery persisted, making the viewing experience frustrating for fans.
Obviously, comedy isn’t working for Jar Jar Binks. This scene in the Anniversary Special comic confirms that Jar Jar can actually be a serious character - or, at least have more serious moments. All the annoying antics he got into in The Phantom Menace could have been forgiven if this scene made it into the original film. It would have shown that there is more to Jar Jar than his absurd ‘comedic’ moments, and it would have made his relationship with Anakin much more significant.
1 Scene May Not Be Enough to Redeem Jar Jar Binks in Star Wars
Some Star Wars Fans Hate Jar Jar Binks for Another Reason
While Jar Jar Binks’ moment with Anakin in this comic is a nice addition to his character that serves to offshoot his more annoying qualities, it might not be enough to redeem him. As the Star Wars prequels went on, Jar Jar became a political figure representing the Gungans on Naboo, meaning he had political influence in the galaxy. In fact, it was Jar Jar who convinced the senate to extend the Emergency Powers Act in Episode III, effectively paving the way for Supreme Chancellor Palpatine to become Emperor Palpatine.
Jar Jar Binks literally played a role in the rise of the Empire, and while he wasn’t the sole cause, his stupidity helped throw the galaxy into a Sith-ruled dictatorship. A tender moment with Anakin Skywalker may fix one aspect of why Jar Jar Binks is despised, but nothing can fix the pain and suffering he helped cause across the galaxy. But, his politics aren’t the reason Star Wars fans hate Jar Jar Binks, they hate him because they find him annoying, which is something that’s fixed with this one added scene.
- Created by
- George Lucas
- First Film
- Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
- Cast
- Mark Hamill, James Earl Jones, David Prowse, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Ian McDiarmid, Ewan McGregor, Rosario Dawson, Lars Mikkelsen, Rupert Friend, Moses Ingram, Frank Oz, Pedro Pascal
- TV Show(s)
- The Mandalorian, Andor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka, The Acolyte, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, Lando, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars: The Bad Batch, Star Wars: Resistance, Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures, Star Wars: Visions
- Movie(s)
- Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi, Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens, Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi, Star Wars: Episode IX- The Rise of Skywalker, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi, Star Wars: New Jedi Order
- Character(s)
- Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Rey Skywalker, Emperor Palpatine / Darth Sidious, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka Tano, Grand Admiral Thrawn, Grand Inquisitor, Reva (The Third Sister), The Fifth Brother, The Seventh Sister, The Eighth Brother, Yoda, Din Djarin, Grogu, Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, Leia Organa, Ben Solo/Kylo Ren
Star Wars is a multimedia franchise that started in 1977 by creator George Lucas. After the release of Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope (originally just titled Star Wars), the franchise quickly exploded, spawning multiple sequels, prequels, TV shows, video games, comics, and much more. After Disney acquired the rights to the franchise, they quickly expanded the universe on Disney+, starting with The Mandalorian.
