New Star Wars novel reveals the depressing fate of Jar Jar Binks

Oh, Jar Jar Binks, you floppy eared fool. Introduced by George Lucas in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace as a goofy comic relief, the Gungan became one of the most hated characters in the entire franchise thanks to his annoying bumbling. That hatred was just amplified exponentially in Episode II: Attack of the Clones when it turns that Jar Jar, now a Senate delegate for Naboo, is the one that actually convinces the Republic to grant Chancellor Palpatine the emergency powers he would use to become the evil Emperor and wipe out both the Republic and the Jedi. Okay yes, Jar Jar was manipulated into that one, but his idiocy basically crippled a galaxy.

That being said, as much as you may despise Jar Jar, you may still feel some pity for the poor Gungan when you learn of his eventual fate. The last we saw Jar Jar was in Episode: Revenge of the Sith, but he only had a few very brief scenes with virtually no dialogue, mainly just showing up in Padme’s funeral. But in the soon to be released novel Star Wars Aftermath: Empire’s End we will discover what’s happened to him. Empire’s End is the final chapter in a trilogy of books by Chuck Wending that officially fills in the huge gap between Episode VI: Return of the Jedi and 2015’s The Force Awakens. And it would appear that somewhere in that period Jar Jar’s family and the people of Naboo realized the ramifications of his actions in the Senate and did not take kindly to him.

i09 has a breakdown of the scene in question, which takes place on Naboo:

Since children started coming in by the shipload as refugees, the Gungan has served them, performing for the kids once or twice a day. He does tricks. He juggles. He falls over and shakes his head as his eyes roll around inside their fleshy stalks. He makes goofy sounds and does strange little dances. Sometimes it’s the same performance, repeated. Sometimes the Gungan does different things, things you’ve never seen, thing’s you’ll never see again. Just a few days ago, he splashed into the fountain’s center, then pretended to have the streams shoot him way up in the air. He leapt straight up, then back down with a splash. And he leapt from compass point to compass point, back and forth, before finally conking his head on the edge and plopping down on his butt. Shaking his head. Tongue wagging. All the kids laughed. Then the Gungan laughed, too.

The clown, they called him “Bring the clown. We want to see the clown. We like it how he juggles glombo shells, or spits fish up in the air and catches them, or how he dances around and falls on his butt.”

The adults, though. They don’t say much about him. Or to him. And no other Gungans come to see him, either. Nobody even says his name.

The passage goes on when one of the child refugees named Mappo apporached this unnamed Gungan then asks him why that is. Why doesn’t anyone talk to him?

“My no so sure.” The Gungan makes a hmm sound. “Mesa thinks it cause-o Jar Jar makin some uh-oh mistakens. Big mistakens. Der Gunga bosses banished me longo ago. Mesa no been to hom in for-ebbers. And desa hisen Naboo tink I help the uh-oh Empire.”

Yes, Jar Jar has been completely ostracized by everybody who knows him, and now ekes out a pitiable existence as a street clown on Naboo. Damn, that’s rough. Even for a character most of us have had violent fantasies about. Meesa depressed now.

Star Wars Aftermath: Empire’s End officially releases tomorrow, 21 February.

Last Updated: February 20, 2017