Star Wars Doesn’t Quite Redeem Its Most Divisive Character In Jar Jar #1 (Review)

When it comes to divisive characters in the Star Wars franchise, there are few more divisive than Jar Jar Binks. From his first appearance in Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace, the well-meaning Gungan was comic relief in the Star Wars universe but was also extremely polarizing for fans and the backlash was so extreme that it even negatively impacted Ahmed Best, who brought the character to life. And, of course, it didn’t help Jar Jar’s case when he ended up being instrumental in Chancellor Palpatine getting vast emergency powers in Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones because, well, we all knew where that was going.

But over the years the tide has been turning for Jar Jar Binks. People’s perspectives have shifted with time, especially as Star Wars fans who were kids when the prequel series debuted have grown up and now, Jar Jar is even being canonically redeemed thanks to the new Star Wars: Jar Jar #1 comic, revealing his key role in the origin of the Rebel Alliance. The one-shot, which features an appearance by Jedi Kelleran Beq (portrayed by Best in an episode of The Mandalorian) and is co-written by Best along with Marc Guggenheim fills in a few details in the “whatever happened to Jar Jar” of it all and is certainly a charming entry in the overall Star Wars story, but ultimately only serves as a taste of what could be a much bigger and more interesting story for the Gungan.

Rating 3 out of 5

PROS	CONS
Very true to Jar Jar as a character	Story feels superficial and “added on”
Fan service (in a good way)	Overall feels like there’s more to be told

Star Wars: Jar Jar #1 Is Very True to Who the Character Is (And Reminds Us He’s More Adept Than He Seems)

The story of Star Wars: Jar Jar #1 picks up not too long after Chancellor Palpatine was given expanded emergency powers, with Senator Binks going to Quarrant City on Urubai for a meeting with an ambassador. However, the meeting ends up being not what it seems or even what Jar Jar assumed it would be when Jedi Kelleran Beq shows up, not only to save Jar Jar from a mugging, but reveals that the meeting with the ambassador was a ruse because Beq needs him to see what’s really going on.

Beq reveals to Jar Jar that the laws of the galaxy when it comes to labor are not being followed thanks to Chancellor Palpatine’s new powers and what is happening to the unseen peoples on Urubai is not only exploitative to the workers but is destabilizing the planet as well. Beq wants Jar Jar to be the voice for the people but things get complicated when the discovery of something that has the potential to create a secure communication network sets of events requiring a daring escape. And make no mistake, while Jar Jar might not be the smartest figure in the Star Wars universe, sometimes it’s his naivete that ends up making him one of its most adept and that’s in full force here.

Jar Jar Is Positioned As Being Instrumental In the Survival of a Critical Star Wars Hero But Feels Like The Story Doesn’t Go Far Enough

While Star Wars: Jar Jar #1 is largely just Jar Jar being is usual well-meaning and almost irritatingly innocent self, the story does show how Jar Jar’s story intersects with a significant character in the Star Wars universe, one who is key to the Rebellion: Mira Bridger. It’s revealed that Mira is on Urubai and is already on the wrong side of the law, is it were, as her work is already threatening the Chancellor. Getting Mira and her work to safety becomes paramount and Jar Jar is accidentally instrumental in that. Star Wars fans know that Mira will go on to broadcast anti-Imperial underground revolutionary messages and that she would go on to be the mother of Ezra Bridger, so it’s interesting to see how the intervention on behalf of the exploited workers on Urubai leads to a chain reaction of events where Jar Jar helps save her life and allows for her to continue on that path, but it also doesn’t really feel like enough of a story. If this is supposed to be part of Jar Jar’s “redemption” by showing how crucial he is to the Rebellion, it’s a nice addition but it doesn’t quite go far enough.

Like much of what we see from Jar Jar in the movies, in the book he mostly seems to luck his way into being useful and even then, somewhat reluctantly. His biggest role in all of this is that he ends up taking over piloting duties to escape bounty hunters only when the actual pilot is injured and even then, he largely needs to be told what to do. Things take a more potentially interesting turn when Jar Jar meets with the Chancellor and starts to put two and two together for himself. As the issue closes, we see Jar Jar finally do something decisive, taking the big step to begin putting together what will eventually become the Rebellion. It’s in those final pages that we really get to see the potential in what Jar Jar will actually do, but the issue feels more like a bit of fan service and filler to set up for it. The effect is more of a retcon of sorts, but never fully absolves Jar Jar of being a key player in Palpatine’s rise. It’s just a nice little asterisk in the story to show that he did, actually, realize he made a mistake and tried to fix things as best he knew how.

Realistically, Star Wars: Jar Jar #1 doesn’t fundamentally change anything fans know about Star Wars or the rise of the Empire and Rebellion. Instead, it sort of metaphorically fluffs the pillows and adds a few little color details that might, for some, shift how you see a deeply maligned character. It’s also just nice to see Best getting to do something good with Jar Jar and positioning the character as someone whose heart actually is in the right place and one who can grow and change as an example of quiet resistance is pleasant. No one’s opinion about Jar Jar Binks is going to change after this comic; if you don’t like the character, you’re still not going to. But if you were ever on the fence, it’s a nice little nudge — I just wish we’d get to see more of what Jar Jar does next as he begins his own subtle resistance.

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