The world of Star Wars has been home to plenty of rumors over the years. One of the most enduring fan theories is the idea that the much-maligned Jar Jar Binks was actually a fearsome Sith throughout the entire prequel trilogy. Fans of Star Wars have combed through the prequels and come up with a shocking amount of evidence for this claim.

While it is just a theory, it’s a compelling one that may actually have an answer. With that said, there are a number of things to keep in mind when figuring out whether the Gungan actually was a Sith. It’s possible he was lurking in the background as a villain, but it’s also possible that this theory was just a way to add levity to a character that got far too much hate.

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Who Is Jar Jar Binks?

Jar Jar Binks makes his first appearance in the first of the Star Wars prequels, The Phantom Menace. Some viewers hate this member of the Gungan race purely because he was meant to act as comedic relief, something that didn’t necessarily work for everyone. The resident of Naboo was a bit much for audiences and the people he lived around, resulting in Jar Jar being cast out from the rest of his tribe. Lucky for the Gungan, he would end up meeting the famed Jedi Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Jar Jar is a fool, though he does become a much more successful Gungan toward the end of The Phantom Menace, which seemed to turn around his bumbling ways.

Over the next two films, Jar Jar would have a much smaller role, but he would become much more successful, eventually becoming a major politician. His role had him working closely with Padme Amidala, something that pretty much no one could have seen coming when he first popped up on the big screen. Despite his change in fortune, Palpatine eventually took advantage of Jar Jar Binks, and he would soon be cast back into obscurity as the Empire began to rise.

Why Do Some Think Jar Jar Is A Secret Sith Lord?

One of the biggest reasons behind the theory that Jar Jar is a Sith Lord is that some people just can’t fathom the idea that a character could be as bumbling and incompetent as Jar Jar Binks, while going on to command some of the greatest powers in the galaxy only a few years later. All of this leads some to believe that Jar Jar Binks’ silly nature is an act to lull everyone into a false sense of security. This line of thinking goes so far that some people believe he was actively using the Force while bumbling around, without any Jedi ever sensing it.

Another major piece of evidence is just how cunning and meticulous Palpatine was. It wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility for Palpatine to have used Jar Jar Binks as a pawn in his scheme, considering he was willing to wait decades for his plan to come to fruition. This would mean that Jar Jar Binks was such an undercover agent that Palpatine ignored the revered Sith Rule Of Two in order to train Binks for his task ahead. This idea is further bolstered by the fact that Palpatine ended up getting most of his power in the Senate directly because of Jar Jar Binks.

Then there are all the people who point to some of the things that both George Lucas and Jar Jar Binks actor Ahmed Best have said over the years. Both have separately dropped pieces of information that could be seen as hints toward Jar Jar Binks being a Sith Lord, but in Lucas’ case, that’s if someone were to really stretch what he was saying. It’s true that Lucas has said that Jar Jar is the key, but that is a vague statement that can be taken many different ways. Based on what was seen on screen, it’s possible that the statement is true considering Jar Jar was manipulated by Palpatine, but further clarification hasn’t come out.

Is Jar Jar Binks Actually A Sith?

While it is interesting and somewhat funny to think that Jar Jar Binks was on the side of evil the entire time, it likely wasn’t the case. Jar Jar Binks was a useful fool that Palpatine took advantage of. What's more, the fact that Binks faded into obscurity after the Empire rose to power works against any indications of evil. A case might could potentially be made for Jar Jar Binks accidentally working for the Sith through sheer manipulation, but the idea that he would be a Sith simply comes across as wishful thinking and an interesting way to make a reviled character more palatable.

One of the biggest arguments against the idea of Jar Jar as a Sith is that it would fly in the face of one of the most important Sith decrees that allowed them to dominate the galaxy in the first place. The Rule Of Two was set in place by Darth Bane so that the Sith could move in the shadows and plot to destroy the Jedi without revealing themselves, or having enough ambitious Sith to destroy each other. It wouldn’t make much sense for Palpatine to abandon that rule after multiple lifetimes of Sith adhering to it, especially when he’s so keen on making sure that he is the one with access to ultimate power in the galaxy.

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