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The last time we saw Jar Jar Binks, he was in the procession at Padme’s funeral. And so far, there’d been no word about him at all … until Aftermath: Empire’s End, 24 years later.
Spoilers follow…
In the first Aftermath, refugee children are gathered in the capital city of Theed on Naboo for adoption. One of those refugees, Mapo, has been passed over – likely, it seems, because he’s visibly physically damaged. Missing ear, big scars, hair gone, messed-up arm. You can imagine what his mindset is like, being rejected for adoption opportunities.
But he’s encouraged by a minder to go talk to the “clown,” a Gungan who performs tricks and silly stunts once or twice a day for the refugee kids waiting to be adopted. They all love him and laugh at him. But no one else talks to him or acknowledges him. This, as fate would have it, is Jar Jar Binks.
It’s very meta in a way – Jar Jar is there to entertain the children while being shunned by the adults and his own kind. It’s exactly how George Lucas envisioned him, and how a segment of the Star Wars fan base reacted to him. And ultimately, I gained a new appreciation of his character as a result of the interlude in which he appears.
I get deeper into it in today’s podcast, and I’d love to know what you think about Jar Jar, too – share your thoughts in the comments!
Trivia Time!
Test your knowledge of the Star Wars universe!Yesterday’s answer: On Jakku to kill Lor San Tekka; on the Finalizer in a tantrum; on Takodana to fight Rey; and on Starkiller Base in a tantrum; to kill Han; to fight Finn; and to fight Rey (Thanks to Patron of the show Bobby Gordon for catching two I missed originally!)
Today’s question: How many times does Finn activate the Skywalker lightsaber?