Jar Jar Binks

**Jar Jar Binks** was a male Gungan military commander and politician who played a key role during the Invasion of Naboo and the Clone Wars that culminated in the fall of the Galactic Republic and the rise of the Galactic Empire. Once an outcast from Gungan society due to his clumsy behavior, he regained favor with his people by helping secure an alliance between the Gungan boss Rugor Nass and Queen Padmé Amidala of Naboo, an alliance vital in ending the Trade Federation's invasion of their shared homeworld. In the years that followed, Binks became a Junior Representative for his people in the Galactic Senate, serving alongside Amidala once she became the planet's senator.

Ten years after the Naboo Crisis, growing tensions between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems threatened an outbreak of full-scale galactic war. In the absence of Senator Amidala, whose life was under threat by Separatist assassins, Binks was convinced by Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine to propose that the chancellor receive emergency executive powers to raise a Grand Army of the Republic. The proposal passed, leading to the outbreak of the Clone Wars, during which time Binks participated in several diplomatic missions for the Galactic Senate.

The emergency powers Binks proposed were used by the chancellor, secretly the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, to amass total power and transform the Republic into the Empire. At some point Binks became a janitor working for Boss Nass Galactic Cleaning Service. In the years that followed, Binks once again became an outcast on Naboo due to his role in the rise of the Empire. In 5 ABY, Boba Fett found a bounty posted on Binks by Maximilian Veers and pursued the Gungan throughout the galaxy to collect the bounty, eventually failing as Binks managed to elude him successfully. By the time of the Battle of Jakku, Binks had become a street performer in the Naboo capital city of Theed, where he was scorned by adults but beloved by the children who came to watch his antics.

## History

Because of his role in abetting the rise of the Empire, Binks was once again exiled by his people. After the Battle of Endor and the rise of the New Republic, he performed in the streets of Theed as a clown who was popular with children but not so much with their parents. Many Gungan and Naboo adults refused to speak to him or say his name. Binks entertained the children by performing numerous antics including wagging his tongue, juggling glombo shells, spitting fish up in the air and catching them, dancing around, and swallowing and flushing out water through his ears. Some years ago, he had started working as a janitor for Boss Nass Galactic Cleaning Service at different locations in the galaxy, continuing this even after his second exile by the Gungans.

On Son-tuul in 5 ABY, Binks was hanging out in a cantina, listening to Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes play "Mad About Me." However, he was unaware that Boba Fett was on his way to capture him for the bounty on his head placed by General Veers. During the Battle of Hoth, Binks did not mop up a wet floor in Echo Base, resulting in it freezing up from the cold; when Veers infiltrated the base with his snowtroopers he slipped on the frozen floor and fell, and so the Imperial general placed a bounty on the Gungan for making him fall, having a persronal vendetta against him. When Fett arrived, he ducked behind the bar and took aim at Binks. At the same time, a Rodian pulled out a vacuum cleaner for Jar Jar and pulled the rip cord on the vacuum, activating it. Out of control, Jar Jar sucked in almost everyone including the Bith playing in the Cantina. Fett chased Jar Jar out of the cantina, and the rogue Gungan fled aboard a G9 Rigger-class light freighter with Fett in pursuit aboard ALC-8.

Binks landed aboard the Haven-class medical station Station 2341, and proceeded to walk across a hallway, listening to music and vacuuming. Fett followed Binks, only to get interrupted when a whole group of stormtroopers chasing a rebel spy ran by. Then as Fett tried to take aim again, Indiana Jones ran by, followed by a large boulder that Fett could not avoid in time as he tried to cross the hall. Binks was playing with his vacuum cleaner like a guitar, getting so carried away that he inadvertently pressed the self-destruct button of the station. The medical station exploded, sending Boba and Jar Jar into the vacuum of space. Binks had been jettisoned while standing inside a piece of wreckage, and as a result both he and the debris landed on Hoth, in an area of remains left over from the Battle of Hoth. A Tauntaun saw the wreckage fall onto the planet. A Wampa then suddenly picked up Jar Jar and the piece of wreckage he was in, throwing him all the way to Tatooine.

Jar Jar and the piece of debris crashed onto a group of Tusken Raiders on Tatooine's surface as a result. Meanwhile, Fett landed ALC-8 in Mos Eisley. Fett hid in the wreckage of Jabba's sail barge, *Khetanna*, and spotted Jar Jar vacuuming up debris left from the Battle of Carkoon. Fett fired, and Jar Jar tried to flee. As Fett flew out of the wreck with his jetpack, he tried to attack Jar Jar, who was at the same time being attacked by Tusken Raiders. One of the Tuskens' Gaderffii sticks hit Fett, and set him flying, yet again...into the Sarlacc. Binks let out an exclamation of disgust as the bounty hunter fell into the mouth of the Sarlacc.

After that, Jar Jar went to Umbara, only for Fett, who had been vomited by the sarlacc out of its mouth, to follow him there. Fett chased Jar Jar off the planet, and the Gungan stowed away aboard a departing GS-100 salvage ship headed to Jakku. He hid inside one of the cargo containers in the ship's cargo hold, though he was unaware that Fett was able to board the salvage ship and also stow away in the cargo hold. However, Fett did not find where Binks was hiding aboard the ship. Once the ship arrived on Jakku, Binks exited the cargo container he was hiding in once it was off-loaded. When Fett spotted Binks after disembarking from the GS-100 slavage ship, he fired his blaster at the rogue Gungan. As a result, Binks hitched a last-minute ride to Nar Shaddaa aboard a Gozanti-class cruiser. Of course, Fett followed, having fired a homing beacon onto the cruiser's hull before it could leave Jakku entirely.

After a while, Fett caught up with Jar Jar, and tried to attack him once more. This time, ironically, when Jar Jar began spewing pieces of salvage out of his vacuum cleaner, it was an act of self-defense. As Boba pulled out a grenade, he activated it, preparing to toss it at Binks. However, one of the parts being spewed out hit Fett, causing him to tumble off the roof they were on. The grenade exploded, presumably killing Fett. Binks once more thought Fett was dead. However, the notorious bounty hunter survived, and was taken to a medical facility.

Later, Binks went to Endor to party with the Ewoks. He inspected his Vacuum and then got an idea. Binks turned the Vacuum onto reverse mode and blew everything that he sucked in out. The pieces became a stage shaped like Jar Jar's head. The Modal Nodes appeared and a rock band consisting of the individuals that were sucked up by the vacuum cleaner started playing after getting blown out, with Binks playing guitar. The concert was watched across the galaxy, being broadcast on planets from Coruscant to Tatooine.

Sometime later, Binks returned to Naboo. There, he encountered a young refugee boy named Mapo while performing in Theed's Plaza of the Catalan. Mapo was a charge at a nearby orphanage who had been severely burned after the Empire had bombed his home on the fuel depot Golus Station. Due to hideous burns, Mapo found few people who were willing to talk to him, let alone adopt him. After Binks caught a pik-pok fish with his long tongue, he asked the boy where he came from. Mapo related how he had lost his parents during the Imperial bombardment of Golus Station. Taking pity on the boy, Binks did another trick by swallowing water and spraying it out through his ears.

When Mapo told Binks that nobody talked to him, Binks revealed that he was an outcast because many Gungans and Naboo believed he had helped the Empire. A sympathetic Mapo opined that he did not think that Binks had aided the Empire and suggested that they were both outcasts. While Binks appeared to accept his fate, Mapo pointed out that he had a low chance of being adopted due to his disfigurement. When Mapo suggested that the two could go nowhere together, Binks replied that that was a "bombad"—or great—idea. When Mapo asked Binks if he could teach him to be a clown, Binks gratefully accepted Mapo's request and the boy's friendship.

Sometime after the fall of the Empire, some individuals wrongly believed that Binks and Darth Vader were the same person.

## Personality and traits

Jar Jar Binks was often regarded by his peers as clumsy and annoying, traits that led many people to deride and underestimate him. His clumsiness led to his banishment from his home city of Otoh Gunga. On another occasion, his tendency to grab food with his tongue got him into trouble with a local bully on Tatooine named Sebulba. Despite these flaws, Binks was also capable of being brave, loyal, and dependable. Binks played a significant role in turning the tide of the Invasion of Naboo by helping Queen Amidala to win the support of the Gungans in driving out the Trade Federation invaders. Due to his role in the Battle of Naboo, the former Gungan outcast won much respect among both his people and the Naboo.

Despite his good and humble nature, Binks was naïve and easily manipulated. Chancellor Palpatine exploited Binks' naïvety by convincing him to support the creation of a Grand Army of the Republic, which enabled Palpatine to destroy the Jedi Order and to establish the first Galactic Empire. Binks was also good at making friends, as shown by his friendship with Master Qui-Gon Jinn and in winning over a Kwazel Maw called "Bogey" during a mission on Rodia. On other occasions, Binks was able to use his humble, unassuming nature to outsmart stronger foes.

Binks was also dependable in the most challenging of situations. On one occasion, Binks displayed courage when he impersonated Boss Lyonie during a mission to stop the Separatists from turning the Gungans against the Naboo. Later, Binks displayed much courage, loyalty, and endurance when he and Mace Windu took part in a dangerous mission to rescue his friend Queen Julia of Bardotta from the malevolent Frangawl Cult. Binks' actions helped restore relations between the Jedi Order and the Bardottans.

Due to his role in aiding the rise of the Galactic Empire, Binks was ostracized by many Gungans and Naboo after the Battle of Endor. While not comprehending the gravity of the situation, Binks was vaguely aware of the reasons he had been ostracized. Jar Jar worked as a janitor during that time and sometimes during the Empire's reign. Binks was popular with refugee children due to his funny antics and a good sense of humor. Binks found an unlikely friend in the form of the disfigured refugee boy Mapo, who was one of the few people willing to speak to him. After Mapo opined that Binks was not to blame for helping the Empire, the Gungan gratefully accepted the boy's request to receive training to be a clown.

## Trivia

* In the episode "Bombad Bounty" Jar Jar's role is a nod to the one he has in *LEGO Star Wars: Bombad Bounty*, of which the episode is a parody, where Boba Fett chases him all over the galaxy.
* He has received a massive hatred from fans.
* When Binks is celebrating on Endor, he and the rock band play the exact same song seen at the end of *Lego Star Wars: Bombad Bounty*.
* The music he listens to while using his mop and vacuum cleaner is the same music he listens to in *LEGO Star Wars: Bombad Bounty*.

## Appearances

* Bombad Bounty (First appearance)
* The Perfect Weapon (Mentioned only)