There are many Star Wars characters who have earned the ire of fans. However, few have inspired as much loathing as Jar Jar Binks from the Prequel Trilogy. Beyond being comic relief aimed at amusing children, Binks is hated for being responsible for the rise of Palpatine. However, a new comic from Marvel reveals an untold tale that redeems the clumsy Gungan.
Star Wars: Jar Jar #1 is notable for being co-written by Ahmed Best, who played Jar Jar Binks. He also plays Jedi Master Kelleran Beq, most famous for his role in saving Grogu in The Mandalorian. Both characters play a major role in this one-shot comic, which was co-written by Marc Guggenheim. It also features art by Laura Braga and Kieran McKeown.
Set sometime in between Episode II and Episode III, Star Wars: Jar Jar #1 finds Senator Binks summoned to the distant world of Urubai. Apparently, he was contacted by an unknown Ambassador named Upsina. In truth, he was contacted by Kelleran Beq, who wanted to avoid attracting notice by reaching out to Jar Jar officially.
Beq reveals that Urubai is far from the idyllic resort planet it promotes itself as. In truth, much of the planet is devoted to mining. The workers, who are called the Unseen due to their being hidden, are little better than slaves. Jar Jar is shocked to see the poor conditions under which the workers labor. However, his shock turns to horror as he realizes the conditions are the result of Chancellor Palpatine evoking the emergency powers that Jar Jar helped him secure.
How Star Wars: Jar Jar #1 redeems Senator Binks
Somehow, the situation becomes worse as Jar Jar learns the purpose behind these particular mines. The mines are devoted to digging for coaxium, a rare and dangerous substance used as hyperdrive fuel. This suggests Palpatine is planning on expanding the Republic’s fleet.
However, the mines are also full of a new form of crystal, the miners dubbed cyphristal. Considered worthless, the miners discovered that cyphristal could be used to build radios capable of private interstellar transmissions. Star Wars fans may recognize these as the “code-crystals” used by the Rebel Alliance in the series Andor.
The technical explanations are beyond Jar Jar, but even he realizes the value this revolutionary technology could hold in the coming battle. However, he and Beq are barely able to escape Urubai with their lives. Once they return to Coruscant, Jar Jar reports the abuse of the workers on Urbai to an indifferent Palpatine. Moreover, he learns that Palpatine has been spying on him and knows of his meeting with Kelleran Beq.
This revelation leads Jar Jar to one conclusion. It is not enough for the Republic loyalists to plan to set up a network using cyphristal in the future. Palpatine clearly has a hidden agenda, and they need to start planning now. Beq agrees, and together they plan to form “a network of the people like the Unseen” united by the new radios. This means that the spy network that ultimately became the backbone of the Rebel Alliance in Star Wars was due to Jar Jar Binks.
Star Wars: Jar Jar #1 is now available at comic shops everywhere.
