Though Star Wars has never confirmed Darth Jar Jar in canon, LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy finally brings him to life. When Jar Jar Binks was first introduced in 1999’s Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, he was initially received poorly, with audiences thinking he was too silly without a purpose. The backlash towards the character lasted years, but the prequel trilogy has recently enjoyed a renewed appreciation from the fans of the franchise. With that came an interesting new interpretation of Jar Jar Binks.
Jar Jar Binks might seem like a somewhat unimportant character, as his screen time in the trilogy diminishes as his reception continues to plummet. A closer look reveals his importance, right down to the fact that he’s the senator responsible for giving Chancellor Palpatine the emergency powers he needed to create the Galactic Empire. Jar Jar’s silly mannerisms put him in the unique position of flying under the radar of everyone around him, which would have acted as the perfect cover for a potential secret identity: a Sith Lord.
The Darth Jar Jar Theory Explained
There’s More To Jar Jar Than Meets The Eye… Right?
The theory that Jar Jar Binks is actually a Sith Lord might sound far-fetched, but when faced with the facts, it’s hard not to see. George Lucas always intended the prequel trilogy to mirror the original movies, and Jar Jar Binks was teed up to be the perfect “Evil Yoda,” presenting himself as an unlikely expert who would eventually become pivotal to the trilogy. Unfortunately, as the theory goes, Jar Jar was so poorly received that George Lucas decided to pivot the character, phasing Jar Jar out of the spotlight and focusing on Count Dooku and General Grievous.
It’s hard to ignore the theory once it’s been pointed out, though. Jar Jar’s “clumsiness” and apparent cluelessness always seem to pay off in unusual ways. There are several instances where, using hand gestures as he talks, he influences other characters to do certain things – almost as if he’s using the Force. Apart from his speech, he behaves differently than his fellow Gungans. In fact, for a reason unknown to the Star Wars audience, the other Gungans are afraid of Jar Jar. Paired with his Sith-yellow eyes, the evidence seems to be pretty conclusive.
LEGO Star Wars Has Finally Made Darth Jar Jar A Reality
Give The People What They Want!
When Sig removes the Cornerstone from the Jedi Temple in LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild The Galaxy, the entire Star Wars story gets a new interpretation. Villains become heroes and vice versa, and many meta jokes and fan theories get their time in the spotlight. In this version of the galaxy, the Rule of Two doesn’t exist, allowing a great number of Sith to exist at once. Former heroes are reimagined as Sith Lords, and Darth Jar Jar has the most dramatic reveal of all. In fact, of all the background Sith characters, he has some of the most screen time.
With 25 years passed since The Phantom Menace, it’s likely that this is as close to canon as Darth Jar Jar will ever be. Still, it’s fascinating to see what Darth Jar Jar might have been like outside of audiences’ imaginations. The Darth Jar Jar theory has influenced Star Wars in other ways, and this appearance in LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild The Galaxy might be the only spotlight Darth Jar Jar ever gets. After defeating the Gungan Sith, Jedi Bob puts the final nail in the theory’s coffin, saying, “Darth Jar Jar? Ridiculous.“
LEGO Star Wars Claims Darth Jar Jar Was “Always” The Phantom Menace
Everyone Knew The Truth
In a hilarious nod to the theory, Darth Jar Jar exclaims, “Mesa the Phantom Menace! Mesa has always been the Phantom Menace!” in a frenzy before being thwarted by Jedi Bob. The “Phantom Menace” in question was always likely meant to be the existence of the Sith, which the Jedi believed to be extinct at that point in time. Specifically, Sheev Palpatine is the ultimate “Phantom Menace,” lurking in the shadows until he reveals himself to be Darth Sidious. But the vague interpretation of who the “Phantom Menace” really was lent itself to the Darth Jar Jar theory nicely.
The “pathetic lifeform” rescued by Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan on Naboo always seemed like he should play a larger role than simply providing comic relief. After all, he played a huge role in Anakin’s journey, not to mention Palpatine’s successes. Though it seems that Star Wars is resigned to leaving Darth Jar Jar in the alternate galaxy created in LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild The Galaxy, it’s a blast to have such a fun theory acknowledged by the franchise.
