Star Wars Finally Makes Darth Jar Jar Binks A Reality
"Mesa going to hurt yousa." Never before has something so silly sounded so intimidating.
Of course, only Jar Jar Binks (Ahmed Best) would say something like that. While the Star Wars franchise has tried to downplay the character and other poorly-received elements of the prequel trilogy in recent years, this character has returned in a whole new form. It comes with the release of the "LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy" trailer, which depicts how the galaxy far, far away gets its building blocks all mixed up. But when the bricks all come back together, things aren't how they were before, with AT-ATs now sporting the emblem of the Rebellion and Ewoks becoming bounty hunters.
It's basically one big Star Wars-themed "What If..." story designed to explore new ideas. The biggest reveal is Darth Jar Jar, who will once again be voiced by Ahmed Best (whose future in the Star Wars franchise looks better than ever before, these days). It looks like a fun LEGO Star Wars adventure with plenty of Easter eggs for fans to enjoy. Plus, it pays tribute to a long-running Star Wars fan theory.
The Darth Jar Jar Binks fan theory comes full circle
"Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace" is one of the worst-received Star Wars movies of all time. Jar Jar Binks and his ridiculous escapades surely play a big role in that reputation, but some people hoped to redeem the character with a viral fan theory about how Jar Jar was a Sith Lord all along. The theory essentially posits that George Lucas intended Jar Jar Binks to be a significant threat later on in the franchise, even though he's a bumbling idiot at first. His behavior and demeanor were, according to the fan thesis, all a ruse to gain access to the Rebellion's inner circles, with Jar Jar eventually helping Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) rise to power.
The only reason this didn't happen explicitly was due to the backlash fans had toward Jar Jar Binks ... or so the theory goes. The upcoming LEGO Star Wars special clearly takes place in a reality where everything goes topsy-turvy, and in this new, re-bricked reality, Jar Jar Binks is evil. It's certainly not canon, but it is fun to see a fan theory come to life in an official project.
The response to the trailer and Darth Jar Jar has been overwhelmingly positive on social media, with people getting hyped over the new Sith Lord. On X (formerly known as Twitter), @Chinonso_nornor seemed to speak for many fans when they wrote, "NGL, Darth Jar Jar looks amazing!" Even if the evil Gungan only exists in this one special, it will allow fans to finally experience just how despicable the character can be when "LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy" debuts on Disney+ on September 13, 2024.