Two decades ago, Ahmed Best’s Jar Jar Binks became the punchline of the Star Wars prequel trilogy. Fans blasted the character’s slapstick humor, and Best endured years of online scorn—a low point long before “toxic fandom” became a household phrase.
Yet the actor never fully left the faraway galaxy. Not only did he return to voice Jar Jar in the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008–2020), but more recently, he appeared briefly as the enigmatic Jedi Kelleran Beq in The Mandalorian Season 3.
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But in 2010, the Darth Jar Jar theory turned the tables. Reddit user “Lumpawarroo” argued that creator George Lucas secretly intended Jar Jar to be a hidden Sith Lord allied with Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid). Footage of uncanny flips and suspicious gestures fueled the claim, and Best later suggested that the character was originally slated for a bigger role .
Lucasfilm finally acknowledged the meme in 2024’s animated short, Star Wars LEGO: Rebuild the Galaxy, casting Best as a full‑blown Sith Lord version of Jar Jar. Now, that darker persona is finally about to step into the world of Star Wars gaming.
Revealed at last weekend’s Star Wars Celebration, Darth Jar Jar will appear in “Fortnite Battle Royale”. Watch the new trailer for the upcoming “Fortnite” event below:
Whether Disney and Lucasfilm are starting to entertain the idea of Darth Jar Jar on a more serious level, or whether his appearances over the past year amount to nothing more than a fun wink at the fans, remains to be seen. Still, if this is the only dark version of the character we ever get in official Star Wars tie-in media, we can’t really complain.
The new Star Wars-themed season launches on May 2 ahead of Star Wars Day.
Would you like to see Darth Jar Jar make more appearances in the faraway galaxy? Let us know in the comments down below!
