Lit Would a Jar Jar book really be that bad?

I'm actually being serious. Everyone seems to HATE Jar Jar, and think he's the biggest embarrassment in Star Wars lore. They hated him so much that the Aftermath series made him a street preforming homeless clown. I don't think this is fair. Jar Jar showed extreme bravery and brevity during the Clone Wars, and while he isn't a genius, calling him a hapless retard isn't fair. I think this character should be helped out with a novel. Give Jar Jar some positive press; flesh out the character, get inside his mind and show that he isn't as useless as we think. We could explore his role of being a senator AND UNITING THE GUNGAN AND NABOO PEOPLE and see how he continued to serve the Naboo as a senator. We'll see what was going through his mind when he granted Palpatine emergency powers and how he got his Dagoyan girlfriend. Then rescue him from his sad post-Return of the Jedi fate and give this character a proper, kinder ending.

 

Maybe a colouring book or something . . .

 

But who could write such a masterpiece? Luceno? Zahn? Reda? Gray? JJM? Wendig? I don't know if any of them are brave enough to tackle Jar Jar in a proper, deep way.

Sent from my SM-G386W using Tapatalk

 

Maybe he could have a role in a hypothetical Padme novel. I'd like to think that they were friends after TPM.

 

Good Jar Jar book plot ideas:

1) Novel adaptation of George R. Binks
2) Novel adaptation of that storyline from the Boondocks comic strip where Jar Jar rejects his stereotyped personality and becomes a Black Panther-type figure, renaming himself Jabari Jabari Binko

 

It could be interesting as a kind of retrospective look, like how Kenobi was for Obi-Wan. Jar Jar was a hero of TPM, and had a pivotal role in AOTC. In ROTS we see him sad as everything he worked for was betrayed and one of his best friends was dead. It would be interesting to have him maybe look back and try to figure out what went on, how to move forward with his life. And yes, I agree -- the "ending" provided in this new canon is imo not good enough and is a little too pathetic.

I think it may serve Jar Jar even better if he has a pivotal role in someone else's story, but enough of a role where we get to see how he feels about things, perhaps some pain or regrets he tries to keep out of his mind. There's material to work with, because the character actually had a little arc of his own, so it's not impossible. If it was done right it could deepen the character.

 

To write a serious post, and I can't believe I'm making this comparison, but Jar Jar in Aftermath 3 is essentially the same sort of thing that Johnson did with a lot of stuff in TLJ. It was much more a meta take on the character than an actual use of the character, if that makes sense - Wendig trying to show that Jar Jar being a character meant for children rather than getting involved in whatever adults have to say. Not that I agree, but I think it's pretty clear that's how (and why) Jar Jar was used in Aftermath.

It's unfortunately behind a paywall now for anyone who doesn't have Stitcher Premium, but Ahmed Best was on the podcast I Was There Too a few months ago talking about playing Jar Jar. The Aftermath scene gets brought up, and he was fine with that being Jar Jar's fate. The whole episode was worth listening too, though, especially for the bizarre story of Lucas meeting with Michael Jackson along with Best, Natalie Portman, and one of his daughters when Jackson was lobbying to play Jar Jar. Best also claims to have helped choreographed Yoda's lightsaber fight in AOTC.

 

If a novel can be written where the Aftermath: Empire's End appearance can be retconned with Jar Jar perhaps being on Alderaan meeting with Bail and Breha when it was destroyed, it's a much better ending then a clown.

 

I always wanted something better from/for Jar Jar. I'd read that novel in a minute.

 

Jar Jar novel is a great idea!

It could be set between ROTS and ANH and be about Jar Jar as the new Naboo senator in the Imperial Senate being manipulated to propose laws that empower the Empire even more and legalise slavery and genocides all over the galaxy. It could have lots of backstabbing, politics and corruption. Children would love it!

 

I am an utter completist when it comes to collecting SW publishing and I would not pick up any Jar-Jar book. Meesa sayin NO!

 

But who's gonna buy it, kid? You?

Seriously, think about trying to market this book to the audience. Unlike a lot of things Star Wars, hardcore fans and casual fans are pretty united in disliking Jar-Jar. People don't want to see the character done justice; they just want to be done with him.

I could see maybe giving him a positive spin as a subplot in another book, but making him the headliner of a novel is just a great way to make a flop.

I see what you did there, and I like it.

 

Get yourself together mate, and understand the true god of all is Jar Jar. Meesa no likey you



Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk

 

Apparently I'm the only person here who liked what Wendig did with Jar Jar in Aftermath? I thought it was quite fitting, not an insult at all for him. *shrug*

I would not read a Jar Jar book, because reading his dialogue for an interlude was bad enough. An entire novel where you have to use Gungan speak for dialogue? I don't think I could handle it.

 

I don't think I'd read a Jar-Jar novel.

I'm perfectly happy to sit and hope that he'll one day become a regular in Doctor Aphra.

 

What we really need is a new Waru book.

 

I could see it as a book for younger readers. But an adult novel with JarJar as the main character? I don't think so. A subplot in an adult novel, maybe - depends on the story. It might work in a Padme adult novel.

 

1) A Jar Jar novel would (hopefully) stop the rabid Reddit fanboys from taking seriously the Sith lord Binks fan theory.

2) Why not a Jar Jar book (YA presumably) or a short story? It can be an opportunity to redeem the character by fleshing him out a bit more. It can explore the post-TPM rebuilding of relations between Naboo's 2 sentient cultures. It can show a person overcoming his incompetence to become the first representative of his people in galactic affairs, then succumbing to Palpatine's manipulations due to impostor syndrome.

While I was never a fan of Jar Jar, I guess he, and the Prequels in general, are hated more due to the Internet hive mind's stance that it is cool and trve to hate on the PT, than they actually deserve.
Gungan-speak would be annoying to read though.

 

I think the bigger problem about doing a full length novel about Jar Jar is that it would be a full length novel about a minstrel caricature.

 

I can see it being like BB8 on the run or chewie and the porgs type book! have it set between TPM and AOTC

 

That was the type of thing I was thinking about.

 

Not the only one. I actually really enjoyed that interlude. It seemed pretty fitting to his character.

 

This. Especially after the Cult Encounters article.

 

A good Jar Jar book.would be...good.

I'd absolutely read it.

There were a few good TCW Jar Jar episodes. Better than any if his move appearances.

I thought what Wendig did was interesting as hell.

There will never be one, but I would hope for a boom to flesh out his character more and have his role in the films make more sense and be more meaningful.

In ways, Jar Jar is a wildly popular character.

Sent from my Moto X-Wing