It’s May the 4th, which means it is the annual day of the year that I get to scream about my love of Jar Jar Binks without the idea being vetoed by my boss. A glorious day, if you ask me.
Jar Jar Binks, in my professional opinion, is the most underrated (and best) character in the Star Warsuniverse. Not only because he’s a loveable and highly relatable character, but also because I’m wholeheartedly convinced that he is actually a Sith Lord.
Meesa, and I cannot stress this enough, Sith Lord.
On account of the fact that diehard Star Wars have no other hobbies, there are a lot of fan theories that exist within the SWU. We’ve got Palpatine being Anakin’s father, we’ve got the theory of Bigger Luke, but nothing compares to Darth Jar Jar.
So sit down, grab yourself a snack and let’s unpack the theory that occupies far too much space in my dumb brain.
Why Jar Jar Binks Is For Sure A Sith Lord
Sure, I could just say meesa Sith Lord and call it a day, but this theory actually has some pretty significant evidence to support it.
For starters, both George Lucas and actor Ahmed Best have all but confirmed it.
Back in 2019, Lucas said that “Jar Jar is the key to all of this,” confirming that the loveable character is his personal favourite.
Perhaps this is because he was the first fully CGI-created character in a live-action film, so he’s a pretty important part of film history. Or maybe it’s because he’s a sweet angel.
But maybe, just maybe, it’s because he’s a Sith Lord.
Additionally, in an interview with YouTuber Jamie Stangroom, Best revealed that there was a lot more to Jar Jar’s story than meets the eye but plans to further develop his character were scrapped because Star Wars fans were giant bullies and hated him.
“What I can say about it is – and I kinda said this on Twitter –there’s a lot about it that’s true,” Best said. “There are some things 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 from Jar Jar a lot. But a lot of the influence I put into the character mirrored a lot of what was already in the Star Wars universe.”
“So, was there an official Darth Jar Jar in the works? That’s really a George Lucas question, I cannot answer that question,” he added.
(George Lucas, if you’re reading this, give me a Darth Jar Jar spin-off, I’m BEGGING you.)
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Where Did The Theory Start?
The Darth Jar Jar theory, like many great things, originates from Reddit.
Reddit user u/Lumpawarroo sparked the conversation ahead of the premiere of The Force Awakens, claiming: “Jar Jar Binks was a trained Force user, knowing Sith collaborator, and will play a central role in The Force Awakens.”
“Here I will seek to establish that Jar Jar Binks, far from being simply the bumbling idiot he portrays himself as, is in fact a highly skilled force user in terms of martial ability and mind control,” he wrote in the theory.
“Furthermore, I assert that he was not, as many people assume, just an unwitting political tool manipulated by Palpatine — rather, he and Palpatine were likely in collaboration from the very beginning, and it’s entirely possible that Palpatine was a subordinate underling to Binks throughout both trilogies.
“And finally, given the above, I will conclude with an argument as to why I believe it is not only possible, but plausible that Jar Jar will make a profound impact on the upcoming movies, and what his role may be.”
The Evidence
This theory is extensive and I don’t believe anybody should invest as much time in it as I already have. So, to keep it nice and simple, I have pointed to the most important Easter Eggs for your reading pleasure.
- His fighting skills – While it is disguised in clumsiness, Jar Jar Binks performs somersaults and other warrior stunts that are only ever seen by Jedi, Sith or force sensitive beings.
- His clumsiness is a coverup – Jar Jar always manages to pull off wild stunts like taking down multiple enemies with a blaster that’s caught around his ankle. Is he just a really lucky guy? Or is he a highly-trained Sith Lord who is disguising his powers?
- His hand gestures – No, Jar Jar Binks isn’t your Nonna who talks too much with her hands, but he does use a lot of hand gestures when he’s trying to convince somebody. Coincidence? Or is he using the Force mind trick?
- He gave power to Palpatine – Jar Jar is the sole reason Palpatine was able to assume absolute power during the intergalactic emergency. Is this because he was in cahoots with Jar Jar? Or is Palpatine just a pawn in Jar Jar’s master plan?
- Palpatine’s whole plan was too perfectly orchestrated for Jar Jar Binks to be a coincidence – Palpatine’s plan for galaxy domination was so meticulously planned, with everyone from Padme Amidala to Anakin Skywalker being mere pawns in his plan. So if that was all so perfectly planned, there’s no way that Jar Jar Binks wasn’t part of it.
Sure, there are some holes in the theory, but it makes re-watching The Phantom Menace for the 700th time a little more interesting.