Remember This Guy? They Finally Reveal What Happened To Him After Revenge Of The Sith.

#1

If anyone ever mentions the Star Wars prequel films, there's one character who almost always comes to mind: Jar Jar Binks. Now, we finally know what happened to him after the prequels.

If you've ever found yourself wondering "I wonder what that lovable scamp Jar Jar Binks ended up doing for a living," a new Star Wars novel reveals the official, canon answer.

It's appropriate. It's a little sad. And no, it isn't "Sith Lord."

#2

The Gungan character, portrayed by Ahmed Best, was very clearly designed as a kid-friendly member of the ensemble for comic relief. But, Jar Jar ended up being almost universally hated by Star Wars fans, and the portrayal was criticized for being racist and wildly annoying. Jar Jar played a very big role in Star Wars – Episode I: The Phantom Menace, but after the immense backlash, his role was drastically reduced in the next two prequel films.

In Star Wars chronology, the accident-prone Gungan hasn't actually shown up much beyond his much-maligned screen introduction in The Phantom Menace. He was last seen briefly in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, attending the funeral of Padme Amidala. Before that, he showed up for a few episodes in the Clone Wars cartoon.

And before that, as an interim Galactic Senator in Attack of the Clones, the clownish Jar Jar is likely best remembered for pushing the Galactic Senate to give Chancellor Palpatine the authority he needed to eventually start the Galactic Empire. Oops.

#3

Once the prequel trilogy wrapped, Jar Jar pretty much dropped off the radar (aside from a few appearances in the animated Star Wars: The Clone Wars series). But, now we finally know where his life ended up all those years later thanks to the in-canon novel Star Wars Aftermath: Empire's End. The Aftermath trilogy is set between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens, and fills in a whole lot of gaps during those decades of downtime. Part of Empire's End takes place on the planet Naboo, and we see a young boy meet a Gungan performing for children on the street. His name? Jar Jar. Jar Jar was haunted by and shunned for his political screw-up. In exile he has become a literal clown, performing for kids. The clownish Jar Jar tells the young boy that he "makin some uh-oh mistakes" in the past that "help the uh-oh Empire." Yeah, that's putting it mildly there, Jar Jar.

#4

Of course, the scene can also be read as an elaborate trolling — a commentary on older Star Wars fans who went apoplectic over what they saw as Jar Jar's tone-deaf character.

Meanwhile, generations of younger kids actually enjoyed Jar Jar's puerile performance in Phantom Menace — the same tricks he's performing here on the streets of Naboo while the grown-ups try their best to ignore him.

And of course, in the era of Trump, it's pretty timely for a creature to reflect on the fact that he basically got snowed by Emperor Palpatine.

#5

The scene likely serves a few purposes. For one, it serves to wrap up Jar Jar's story and show where he wound up all these years later. But, on another level, author Chuck Wendig might be making a comment about Jar Jar's place in the Star Wars universe at large. Jar Jar is playing with the kids, but mostly avoided by the adults. You know, kind of like his role in the films.

Now that we know Jar Jar survived the Empire, there's always the chance — slim though it may be — that he shows up in future Star Wars movies.

Let's just hope he doesn't get fooled again.