To say the internet has a vivid imagination would be an understatement. For every fandom that exists, there are countless theories within that community. Whether it’s Ash Ketchum dying at the beginning of Pokemon or the theory that Jack in The Titanic is actually a time-traveller from the future, fans can jump to some genuinely interesting conclusions.
Star Wars is bursting at the brim with fascinating fan theories. The best of which is the theory that Jar Jar Binks is infact a Sith Lord. Reddit user Lumpawarroo posted the theory way back in 2015 and caused quite a stir. The theory, which you can read here, made international headlines at a number of websites. The likes of J.J Abrams and Ahmed Best - the actor behind Jar Jar - both backed up the theory, adding credence to the Darth Jar Jar story.
So, why bring it up again now? It’s been over six years since the post went viral. Lumpawarroo claimed Darth Jar Jar would play a central role in The Force Awakens, a film which didn’t feature Jar Jar in any way. The entire trilogy came and went without a single mention of the Gungan, much to the dismay of those who bought into the villainous theory.
This doesn’t mean the theory is irrelevant though. The upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi series set between the events of Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope could breathe life into the claims that Jar Jar Binks is in fact a Sith Lord.
Jar Jar Binks, The Sith
Before we go into the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, let’s briefly touch on the theory itself. This will give us a better understanding of how Jar Jar could play into the events between the trilogies. It’s also just a really fascinating theory that’s backed up by really well thought out evidence.
Lumpawarroo theorises Jar Jar Binks is not the clumsy, oafish Gungan he presents himself as. The redditor proposes Jar Jar Binks is instead a very powerful Sith. In the theory, Jar Jar simply acts like this to avoid detection and influence events from a position of secrecy. When you consider Jar Jar is linked to many of the trilogy’s pivotal story points, it makes sense. The Gungan is responsible for influencing Anakin from a young age and he plays a crucial role in Palpatine's ascent to emperor.
There’s also a number of occasions when Jar Jar Binks shows the kind of athletic prowess that only a user of the force could pull off. Watch him pull off a 20 foot twisting somersault with absolute ease in the GIF below. He also always manages to come out of fights without a scratch. While his moments in battle look silly, Lumpawarroo theorises that Jar Jar uses the martial art known as Wushu. An anchient martial art style we’ve seen used elsewhere in the Star Wars universe.
Even though Jar Jar didn’t appear in the new trilogy, Lumpawarroo is definitely onto something.
Obi-Wan Kenobi Series
We know very little about the series so far, other than it is set ten years after the events of Revenge of the Sith. It will feature an older Obi-Wan Kenobi. Considering events at the end of episode three, it's likely the series will follow Obi-Wan as he deals with the slaughter of the Jedi and the rise of the empire.
Darth Vader will also feature in the series. It's likely we'll see the two former friends turned bitter rivals meet again. When Kathleen Kennedy announced the series, she hinted the two might have a rematch.
So where does Jar Jar Binks play into this new series? Canonically, he ends up back on Naboo. Shunned by the world around him for the part he played in destroying democracy. In the legends lore, he ends up a senator, taking over from Padme upon her death. Should the show’s directors consider the legends lore, we could see Jar Jar Binks acting as a conduit for Darth Sidious in politics.
Better yet, Jar Jar could reunite with Obi-Wan in his mission to keep Luke and Leia safe from the grasps of Darth Vader, but could ultimately betray him. The Gungan worked alongside Obi-wan and Anakin numerous times, so it would make a lot of sense to have Jar Jar involved in the story after Episode III. A lot of this is obviously conjecture, but there’s a really interesting story to be told with Jar Jar, a story the prequel trilogy backed out of due to the negative reception of the character.
Whatever direction the Obi-Wan Kenobi series takes, we like to imagine that Jar Jar Binks is in fact Darth Binks. He’s out there somewhere in the universe and is playing a role in events from the shadows. It’s certainly a better reality than what the prequel trilogy provided us.
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