The most hated Star Wars characters of all time

Photo credit: LucasFilm

Jar Jar Binks

You may be surprised to learn that Jar Jar Binks is not the most hated Star Wars character of all time. At least, probably not. But he still made the list, as you probably expected him to.

Prequel kids (those of us who were young enough when Episode I came out to maybe sort of think Jar Jar was OK) don’t seem to loathe this Gungan as much as die-hard Original Trilogy fans. But don’t worry. We still think he’s super annoying.

Why is he still so disliked — enough for the actor who played him to receive enough harassment to consider suicide? Think of his character compared to those of the OT. There really wasn’t a major character as silly or “out there” as he was.

People don’t like change. It’s basically a universal struggle. People didn’t like that The Phantom Menace felt more like a kids’ movie than other Star Wars films before it had, despite that the main character is, oh I don’t know, a kid.

Admittedly, Jar Jar Binks is a character that can’t be taken seriously. According to the expanded universe, he eventually ends up back on Naboo basically banished as a street clown for the rest of his life after the collapse of the Old Republic.

He’s a goofy, obnoxious character that somehow ends up as a representative in actual Coruscant politics. He had pretty much zero role or influence in any of the universe’s events after he served his purpose in Episode I. He really shouldn’t have appeared in more than one movie.

This might all change if you subscribe to the theory that Darth Jar Jar exists and J.J. Abrams is just waiting to reveal it as canon in Episode IX. But to each their own.