Jar Jar Binks once stood at the center of Star Wars ridicule. First introduced in George Lucas’ highly anticipated prequel trilogy-opener, Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace (1999), the slapstick Gungan warrior was performed through motion-capture performance by Ahmed Best (who also provided the voice).
However, Jar Jar suddenly became the target of widespread mockery. The backlash went beyond jokes, though; Best himself, the non-fictional part of the character, became a target of online harassment then dubbed “cyberbullying,” similar to Jake Lloyd, who portrayed Anakin Skywalker in the first film, back when the Internet was relatively new.
As a result, Jar Jar’s screen time shrank significantly in Star Wars: Episode I — Attack of the Clones (2003) and Star Wars: Episode I — Revenge of the Sith (2005). Although Best returned to voice the character in the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008–2020), which is now widely considered a cult classic by fans.
However, just as the world was starting to forget Jar Jar, in 2010, Reddit user “Lumpawarroo” floated the now‑infamous “Darth Jar Jar” theory, which suggests that the Gungan was meant to be a Sith collaborator, working in the shadows with Sith Lord Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid), all along. Clips highlighting Jar Jar’s odd background moves—acrobatic flips, suspect hand waves—fed the speculation and gained millions of views.
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While Lucasfilm have stayed quiet on the theory for years, last year, the studio winked at fans by bringing Best back to voice Darth Jar Jar in the animated short Star Wars LEGO: Rebuild the Galaxy (2024).
Now, hot off of last weekend’s Star Wars Celebration, Lucasfilm has extended that nod, as Epic Games revealed that Darth Jar Jar will join “Fortnite Battle Royale” for a limited Star Wars‑themed season starting May 2, just in time for this year’s May 4th celebrations.
Watch the new trailer for the upcoming “Fortnite” event below:
Whether this appearance opens the door to animation or live‑action remains uncertain. Best—now beloved by fans after a brief turn as Jedi Kelleran Beq in The Mandalorian Season 3—has welcomed the idea of exploring Jar Jar’s darker alter ego on screen.
But for now, the faraway galaxy’s most divisive Gungan lives on through plastic bricks and a battle‑royale arena, proof that no Star Wars character is, as Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) once put it, “ever truly gone”.
Would you like to see Darth Jar Jar make more appearances in Star Wars? Let us know in the comments down below!
