Originally published February 19, 2017. Updated April 16, 2018.
Tuesday sees the release of the third and final chapter of Chuck Wendig’s Star Wars: Aftermath book trilogy, which serves as a bridge between the events of Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens, and Mashable is reporting that the novel will reveal the fate of one of the most reviled characters from the galaxy far, far away – Jar Jar Binks!
As you may recall, the Gungan was instrumental in ushering in the Empire by proposing that Chancellor Palpatine be granted emergency powers, which in turn allowed the Sith Lord to create a Grand Army of the Republic that would ultimately turn on and destroy the Jedi. And it seems that is weighing heavily on Jar Jar, who we meet during one of Empire’s End’s interludes on the planet of Naboo.
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.
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So, with Jar Jar still alive after the fall of the Empire, perhaps we’ll get to see him redeem himself in Star Wars: The Last Jedi or Episode IX? Or maybe there is some weight to those old Jar Jar / Snoke theories after all…
