“You can’t have Thanos or the Hulk without Jar Jar”: Arguably the Most Hated Star Wars Character is Highly Underrated and Fans Are Starting to Realize It Now

Star Wars fans are just realizing the immense contribution of Jar Jar Binks to the field of performance capture

"You can't have Thanos or the Hulk without Jar Jar": Arguably the Most Hated Star Wars Character is Highly Underrated and Fans Are Starting to Realize It Now

SUMMARY

  • Fans might have judged Jar Jar Binks too harshly during the release of The Phantom Menace in 1999.
  • As another Star Wars Day comes upon fans, Ahmed Best, who played the character, points out how his character paved the way for other CGI characters.
  • Fans agree that Jar Jar Binks revolutionized the tech that brought Thanos and Hulk to the screen.
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For a long time, Star Wars fans absolutely hated one character in the prequel trilogy and even launched personal attacks against the actor who played him. Jar Jar Binks, the amphibian-like CGI creature, made his first appearance in The Phantom Menace. Played by Ahmed Best, the character and actor faced severe backlash from fans. However, the character is getting more love from modern-day fans, who recognize the crucial role of the character in developing modern CGI characters.

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jar jar binks in Star Wars
Jar Jar Binks in Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace

Best revealed in an interview, a few days before this year’s Star Wars Day, that the tech behind Jar Jar Binks helped bring several fan-favorite characters onto the screens. For years, Jar Jar took a heavy toll on Best’s life but he is now proud of what the character has achieved for cinema.

Fans Agree That Jar Jar Binks May Be The Most Underrated Star Wars Character

Jar Jar Binks actor, Ahmed Best in The Mandalorian
Ahmed Best points out the role of Jar Jar Binks in revolutionizing performance capture (credits: The Mandalorian)

Another Star Wars Day is upon us and it is high time that the fandom considered righting some wrongs. Ahmed Best has revealed on multiple occasions that the relentless hate from the fans for his character Jar Jar Binks had left him feeling depressed. In a recent interview with the NY Times, Best opened up about how the character almost took a mortal toll on him.

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However, Best is in a good place now and fans have come to realize that they had judged Jar Jar too harshly. Best pointed out in the interview that Jar Jar was a character who revolutionized CGI characters in films. He was the predecessor to all the lovable characters, including Gollum from Lord of the Rings, Na’vi from Avatar, and Thanos and Hulk from the MCU. He shared with the NY Times:

“You can’t have Gollum without Jar Jar. You can’t have the Na’vi in ‘Avatar’ without Jar Jar. You can’t have Thanos or the Hulk without Jar Jar. I was the signal for the rest of this art form, and I’m proud of Jar Jar for that.”

Fans on X agreed with Best’s opinion. One fan shared how George Lucas and Best were “trailblazers” in the field of performance capture. The fan requested the Star Wars fandom to stop erasing Jar Jar Binks’ contribution to modern cinema. Other fans also agreed that the character played a key role in revolutionizing visual effects.

One comment mentioned that after watching the re-release of The Phantom Menace during its 25th anniversary celebration, it was truly impressive to see a fully CGI character in 1999. Another fan made a call for the fandom to uphold the legacy of Best. Some of the fan reactions read:

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It appears that Best fought through all the vitriol from some of the crazy fans over the years. While the brutal backlash ravaged the 26-year-old Best’s mental health almost to the point of no return, the 50-year-old Best is now a futurist, an educator, a martial artist, and a writer-director. May the Fourth Be With You, Best.

Star Wars Prequel Trilogy Has Fewer Haters Now

Fans have come to love Jar Jar Binks and Star Wars prequel trilogy more
Fans have come to love Jar Jar Binks and Star Wars prequel trilogy more

Star Wars original trilogy was a phenomenon universally celebrated by fans. However, when George Lucas came up with a prequel trilogy almost two decades later, fans found it weaker than the original films. The films had issues with some poor writing, a few cheesy performances, and the lack of a ‘big reveal’ akin to the original trilogy. Fans couldn’t accept Jar Jar too, who then became the ‘most hated’ character in film history.

However, the children of that era loved these movies and as they grew up, the prequel trilogy found a new generation of fans who vehemently defended the movies. For years, the fandom focused on the faults in the movie, but these fans began pointing out the admirable aspects, especially Anakin Skywalker’s transformation into Darth Vader. The fight choreography in the films impressed fans and they found Jar Jar Binks to be a funny goofball character.

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During this Star Wars Day, all these fans can enjoy their favorite Star Wars trilogy on Disney+. They can also enjoy the numerous other Disney+ projects from the space world. The streaming platform has also released an animated series in the Star Wars universe, Tales of the Empire, to celebrate the day.

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Written by Hashim Asraff

Articles Published: 1238

Hashim, Entertainment Writer. With over 1000 published articles on FandomWire, he covers a wide range of topics from celebrity life to comic book movies. He holds a Masters degree in Sociology and his expertise proves invaluable in handling sensitive news. His passion for crime investigation thrillers has turned him into a detective, exploring the darkest corners of the internet during his research.