We now know what happened to Jar Jar Binks, in case this Gungan keeps you up at night
Do you ever find yourself still awake at 3 a.m., starring at the ceiling, wrought with your leftover thoughts of the day, like “What ever happened to that lovable Jar Jar Binks, everyone’s favorite character from Star Wars: The Phantom Menace?
If this has ever happened to you, prepare to start sleeping like a baby at night. The character everyone loved-to-hate in the prequels has a conclusion, and the end of his saga is strangely fitting.
Okay, it’s strangely fitting considering that if you think about it, Jar Jar is actually KINDA TECHNICALLY responsible for the downfall of the Galactic Senate, since he was the one who proposed that all power be given to the Supreme Chancellor, Palpatine — AKA DARTH SIDIOUS — and, though unknowingly, started the chain of events that led to the beginning of the end for peace in the Republic.
Just one of the myriad of reasons why Jar Jar is not received with loving, open arms.
In the latest Star Wars: Aftermath novel, Empire’s End, we travel back to Naboo for a hot second, and catch up with Jar Jar once again. And great news, he’s the newly elected King of Naboo!
Just kidding, he’s a clown who hangs out in a fountain.
According to Mashable (who snagged an early copy of Empire’s End):
A refugee boy named Mapo encounters a Gungan performing for kids on the streets, clowning around in a fountain twice a day while being studiously avoided by the grown-ups.
“Meesa Jar Jar,” says the clown when Mapo introduces himself.
The clown distracts the orphan from his own sadness by popping his eyes and bulging his cheeks, but is hiding a sadness of his own.
“Jar Jar makin some uh-oh mistakens,” the Gungan says, explaining why he isn’t wanted anywhere either. “Desa hisen Naboo tink I help the uh-oh Empire.” He stares into the distance, suggesting he knows more than he’s saying.
Empire’s End fills in some details from the end of Return of the Jedi to Force Awakens, and this means that Jar Jar has been alive and kicking this whole time (last time we saw him on-screen, it was for Padme’s funeral at the end of Revenge of the Sith). What Mashable’s got is just a quick snippet of a longer chapter, so there might be more to this Jar Jar story — since be honest, you’re DYING to know how he got into this fountain.
Empire’s End hits shelves on February 21st. Sounds like yousa gonna be very happy reading it.
