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George Lucas loves funny sidekicks, from C3P0 to the Ewoks and Salacious B. Crumb to the Porg.
And Star Wars fans always hate them.
I think it’s fair to say that no character is more hated in the entire galaxy far away than the Gungan with the pseudo-Caribbean accent Jar Jar Binks (voiced by Ahmed Best and later Phil LaMarr aka BJ Hughes in the Clone Wars animated series).
But as with all things Star Wars, even the most hated characters tend to transform into a nostalgic memory as time passes. They become part of our pop culture, so much so that fans create their own theories about their life and destiny.
Do you think you can beat the hardcore sci-fi movie quotes quiz?
Thus even a much-hated character like Jar-Jar Binks now lives on in our collective memory with fan theories ranging between him becoming both a Sith and a Jedi.
I tend to imagine that he chose the path of the dark side. After all, he is the embodiment of chaos. And he has those vicious yellow Sith eyes like Lord Darth Maul, Anakin Skywalker (aka Darth Vader), and Chancellor Palpatine (aka Darth Sidious) also do.
Plus, let’s not forget that Binks persuaded the Senate to give emergency powers to Palpatine after all and allowed for the birth of the Empire!
All Sith theories aside, I thought it would be fun to revisit some famous quotes from the prequels’ most despised fictional character.
So let’s take a deep dive into Lake Paonga on Naboo and enjoy some of the best and funny Jar Jar Binks quotes.
1. “I spake!”
From: Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999).
This quote is from when Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) first encounters Jar Jar on Naboo.
Qui-Gon saves Jar Jar’s life, and now Jar Jar sees himself as Qui-Gon Jinns’ “humble servant” as demanded by the gods.
The whole exchange between Qui-Gon Jinn and Jar Jar is pretty hilarious, and I think the “I spake!” line pretty much sums up our perception of Jar Jars character and intelligence as a whole.
Here’s the exchange in full:
Jar Jar Binks: Ooh, mooey mooey! I love you!
Qui-Gon Jinn: You almost got us killed! Are you brainless?
Jar Jar Binks: I spake!
Qui-Gon Jinn: The ability to speak does not make you intelligent. Now get out of here.
Jar Jar Binks: No, no, mesa stay. Mesa culled Jar Jar Binks. Mesa your humble servant.
Qui-Gon Jinn: That won’t be necessary.
Jar Jar Binks: Oh, but it ’tis. ‘Tis demanded by the gods, it ’tis.
2. “Ex-squeeze-me, but de mostest safest place would be Gunga City. Is where I grew up. ‘Tis a hidden city.”
From: Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999).
Jar Jar reveals to Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) that there is a hidden city on Naboo called Gunga City.
The quote gives us a glimpse into Jar Jars’ backstory and his naivete (unless you believe it’s a part of his evil Sith master plan, of course.)
The full dialogue shows that Jar Jar was expelled from Gungan city and establishes the initial bond between the Jedi and the Gungans.
Here is the quote in full:
Jar Jar Binks: Ex-squeeze-me, but de mostest safest place would be Gunga City. Is where I grew up. ‘Tis a hidden city.
Qui-Gon Jinn: A city?
Jar Jar Binks: Uh-huh.
Qui-Gon Jinn: Can you take us there?
Jar Jar Binks: Uh, on second thought, no. Not really, no.
Qui-Gon Jinn: No?
Jar Jar Binks: ‘Tis embarrassing, but, uh, my afraid my’ve been banished. My forgotten. Da bosses would do terrible tings to me. Terrible tings to me if me gone back dare.
[Rumbling sounds from the droid army going through the woods]
Qui-Gon Jinn: You hear that?
Jar Jar Binks: Yah.
Qui-Gon Jinn: That is the sound of a thousand terrible things heading this way.
Obi-Wan Kenobi: If they find us, they will crush us, grind us into tiny pieces and blast us into oblivion.
Jar Jar Binks: Oh. Yousa point is well seen. This way. Hurry!
3. “So… good bein home!”
From: Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999).
Jar Jar not only enters the secret underwater Gunga City from which he has been banished. He also brings Kenobi and Qui-Gon, whom he just met.
That doesn’t stop him from declaring that it’s good to be back again, even though the murmur from all the other Gungans is pretty obvious.
A guard patrol led by Captain Tarpals quickly stops the trio. Here is the dialogue in full:
Jar Jar Binks: So good bein home!
[Gasping and chattering from other Gungans, who quickly walk away]
Random Gungan: Oh, me gusa.
Random Gungan 2: Hata-hata!
[More murmurs from the crowd. Growls from a creature approaching]
Cap’n Tarpals: Hey, yousa! Stop-pa dere!
Jar Jar Binks: Heyo-dales, Cap’n Tarpals. Mesa back!
Cap’n Tarpals: Noah gain, Jar Jar. Yousa goen tada bosses. Yousa in big doo-doo dis time.
Jar Jar Binks: Ohh. Ay Ay.
[A second guard rides to Jar Jar on a creature and zaps him with a pole]
Jar Jar Binks: How wude.
4. “Senators, Dellow Felagates.”
From: Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002).
This funny mispronounciation is part of the infamous scene in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones where Jar Jar successfully advocates that Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) should be given emergency powers.
This is the green light needed to start the clone wars and the reign of Darth Sidious and the Empire.
The full quote is:
Jar Jar Binks: It’s-a clear desa separatists made a pact wesa desa Federation du Trade. Senators, fellow felagates. In response to this direct threat to the Republic, mesa propose that the senate give immediately emergency powers to the supreme chancellor.
5. “Wesa got a grand army. That’s why you no liking us mesa tinks.”
From: Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999).
On Coruscant (the ecumenopolis planet of the Senate), Jar Jar Binks is in conversation with the handmaiden Sabé (Keira Knightley), who poses as Queen Padmé Amidala Naberrie (Natalie Portman).
Jar Jar still thinks Sabé is Queen Amidala and reveals that the Gungans are warriors and have a grand army.
Here’s their conversation in full:
Jar Jar Binks: Yousa tinking yousa people ganna die?
Sabé: I don’t know.
Jar Jar Binks: Gungans get pasted too, eh?
Sabé: I hope not.
Jar Jar Binks: Gungans no dyin’ without a fight. Wesa warriors. Wesa got a grand army. Dat’s why you no liken us, mesa tinks.
6. “How Wude!”
From: Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999).
This is something Jar Jar says multiple times. But in this particular case from the Phantom Menace, it’s very fitting because the context is the harsh reality of slaves’ lives on Tatooine.
Jar Jar has traveled to Mos Espa on Tatooine with Que-Gon Jinn and Padmé where they encounter a young Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd), his mother Shmi Skywalker Lars (Pernilla August), and his father, the *cough* midi-clorians.
Shmi Skywalker: All slaves have a transmitter placed inside their body somewhere.
Anakin: I’ve been working on a scanner to try and locate mine.
Shmi Skywalker: Any attempt to escape…
Anakin: And they blow you up! BOOM!
Jar Jar Binks: How wude!
Padmé: I can’t believe there’s still slavery in the galaxy. The Republic’s antislavery laws…
Shmi Skywalker: The Republic doesn’t exist out here. We must survive on our own.
7. “Gungans no liken outsiders, so don’t spect a warm welcome.”
From: Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999).
After Jar Jar has agreed to take Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn to underwater Gungan city, he leads them to Lake Paonga on Naboo but warns them that they shouldn’t expect a warm welcome.
Here’s the quote in full:
Jar Jar Binks: Yousa should follow me now, okeeday? My warning yous: Gungans no like outsiders. Don’t ‘spect a warm welcome.
Qui-Gon Jinn: How much further?
Jar Jar Binks: Wesa gone underwater, okeyday? Ah, my warning you. Gungans no liken outsiders, so don’t spect a warm welcome.
Qui-Gon Jinn: Oh, don’t worry. This hasn’t been our day for warm welcomes.
Jar Jar Binks (jumps into the lake): Ar, ar, ar! Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh!
8. “Mesa day startin pretty okee-day witda brisky morning munchen. Then BOOM! Gettin very scared and grabbin dat Jedi and POW! Mesa here! Mesa gettin’ very very scared!”
From: Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999).
Jar Jar meets Padmé, aka Queen Amidala in disguise, for the first time and tells her how exactly he ended up with Qui-Gon on a spaceship.
This meeting marks the beginning of the friendship between the Gungan and the Royal House of Naboo.
Here’s the dialogue in full:
Jar Jar Binks: Hello. [Surprises Padmé]. Sorry. Husa are yousa?
Padmé: I’m Padmé.
Jar Jar Binks: Mesa Jar Jar Binks.
Padmé: You’re a Gungan, aren’t you?
Jar Jar Binks: Uh-huh.
Padmé: How did you end up here with us?
Jar Jar Binks: My no know. Mesa day starten pretty okee-day witda brisky morning munchen. Then BOOM! Gettin berry scared and grabbin dat Jedi and POW! Mesa here! Mesa gettin’ very very scared!
9. “When in trouble, Gungans go to sacred place. Mesa show you.”
From: Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999).
Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn travel back to Naboo with Anakin and Queen Amidala after the queen grows frustrated with the corruption in the Senate and the lack of help against the Trade Federation.
Amidala has decided to ask for help from the Gungans instead, although the two nations have not been on friendly terms for many years.
Jar Jar travels to Gungan City only to discover it has been fled, and Kenobi fears the worst. But Jar Jar reveals that the Gungans have another secret hideout they flee to.
Here’s the quote in full:
Jar Jar Binks: Desa nobody dare. The Gungan city is deserted. Some kinda fight, mesa tinks.
Obi-Wan Kenobi: Do you think they have been taken to the camps?
Captain Panaka (Hugh Quarshie): More likely, they were wiped out.
Jar Jar Binks: Mesa no tink so.
Qui-Gon Jinn: Do you know where they are, Jar Jar?
Jar Jar Binks: When in trouble, Gungans go to sacred place. Mesa show you. Come on. Mesa show you!
9. “Mesa cause mabbe one, two-y little bitty axadentes, huh? Yud say boom de gasser, den crashin der bosses heyblibber, den banished.”
From: Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999).
In this funny scene Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon and Jar Jar have been granted a submarine (after a little mind trick from Qui-Gon, of course) and will take a shortcut through Naboo’s planet core to travel to Theed – the capital city of the Naboo people.
Jar Jar isn’t thrilled about the whole situation. Here the dialogue is in full:
Jar Jar Binks: Count me outta dis one. Better dead here than dead in da core. Yee gods whatta meesa sayin?
[The trio gets in the submarine and starts their journey]
Jar Jar Binks: Dis is nutsen. Oh, gooberfish!
Obi-Wan Kenobi: Why were you banished, Jar Jar?
Jar Jar Binks: It’s a longo taleo buta small part of it would be mesa… clumsy.
Obi-Wan Kenobi: You were banished because you were clumsy?
Jar Jar Binks: Yousa might’n be saying dat.
[A big gooberfish begin to follow the submarine]
Jar Jar Binks: Mesa cause mabbe one, two-y little bitty axadentes, huh? Yud say boom de gasser, den crashin der bosses heyblibber, den banished.
[The big gooberfish grabs hold of their submarine]
Jar Jar Binks: Wuh-oh! Big gooberfish! Huge-o teeth!
10. “Ohh, maxi big da Force.”
From: Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999).
Also, check out the best Star Wars quotes about the force.
Still traveling in their submarine Qui-Gon, Kenobi, and Jar Jar have barely survived scary encounters with some of the huge deep sea creatures living in Lake Paonga on Naboo.
Qui-Gon decides to take a safer route through some deep underwater tunnels, leaving Jar Jar confused.
Here’s the dialog in full:
Jar Jar Binks: Where wesa goin?
Qui-Gon Jinn: Don’t worry. The Force will guide us
Jar Jar Binks: Ohh, maxi big da Force. Well, dat smells stinkowiff.
11. “Shesa happy. Happier den mesa seein her in a longo time.”
From: Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002).
In one of his few appearances in SW Ep. II, Jar Jar sees Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin again for the first time in ten years. It’s when they traveled to Coruscant to meet Senator Padme (yes, she’s become a Senator of Naboo now).
It’s an important scene. It reveals, that Anakin doesn’t respect his master’s authority and shows that when his own love for Padmé isn’t reflected back, he gets angry. Even though Jar Jar assures him she’s happy, it still isn’t enough for Anakin.
If you’re going with the Darth Binks theory, you could say that Jar Jar actually puts gasoline on the fire to enrage Anakin further and drive him towards the dark side. He’s basically saying that Padmé is happy without Anakin.
Here’s the dialogue in full:
Jar Jar Binks: Obi? Obi! Mesa so smilen to seein yousa!
Obi-Wan Kenobi: Good to see you again, Jar Jar.
Jar Jar Binks: Senator Padme. Mesa palos here! Lookie, lookie, Senator. Desa Jedi arriven.
Obi-Wan Kenobi: It’s a great pleasure to see you again, milady.
Senator Padmé: It has been far too long, Master Kenobi. [Looks over at Anakin]. Ani? My goodness you’ve grown.
Anakin: So have you. Grown more beautiful, I mean. Well, f-for a senator, I mean.
Senator Padmé: Ani, you’ll always be that little boy I knew on Tatooine.
Obi-Wan Kenobi: Our presence here will be invisible, milady. I can assure you.
Captain Typho: I’m Captain Typho of Her Majesty’s security service. Queen Jamillia has been informed of your assignment. I am grateful you are here, Master Kenobi. The situation is more dangerous than the senator will admit.
Senator Padmé: I don’t need more security. I need answers. I want to know who’s trying to kill me.
Obi-Wan Kenobi: We are here to protect you, Senator, not to start an investigation.
Anakin: We will find out who’s trying to kill you, Padme. I promise you.
Obi-Wan Kenobi: We will not exceed our mandate, my young Padawan learner.
Anakin: I meant in the interest of protecting her, Master, of course.
Obi-Wan Kenobi: We will not go through this exercise again, Anakin. And you will pay attention to my lead.
Anakin: Why?
Obi-Wan Kenobi: What?
Anakin: Why else do you think we were assigned to her if not to find the killer? Protection is a job for local security, not Jedi. It’s overkill, Master. Investigation is implied in our mandate.
Obi-Wan Kenobi: We will do exactly as the council has instructed. And you will learn your place, young one!
Senator Padmé: Perhaps with merely your presence the mystery surrounding this threat will be revealed. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I will retire.
Captain Typho: I know I’ll feel better having you here. I’ll have an officer stationed on every floor, and I’ll be in the control center downstairs.
Jar Jar Binks: Mesa busten wit happiness seein yousa again, Ani.
Anakin: She hardly even recognized me, Jar Jar. I’ve thought about her every day since we parted, and… she’s forgotten me completely.
Jar Jar Binks: Shesa happy. Happier den mesa seein her in a longo time.
Obi-Wan Kenobi: You’re focusing on the negative, Anakin. Be mindful of your thoughts. She was pleased to see us. Now, let’s check the security.
12. “Dissen berry berry bad. Oh! Icky icky goo.”
From: Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999).
Padme, Qui-Gon, and Jar Jar travel to Mos Elba, where they meet Anakin and his mom.
Qui-Gon tells Padmé what they can expect to meet in such a space port, which isn’t nice. Jar Jar gets scared and immediately steps into a big dung pile one of the local creatures has left on the ground.
This is a typical example of George Lucas breaking an ominous scene with a gag.
13. “Mesa just sharing my Gungan art ‘wit yousa.”
From: Star Wars: The Clone Wars – “Supply Lines” (S3E3) (2010)
When the planet Ryloth is under siege, the Jedi council sends Senator Bail Organa and Representative Binks of Naboo to the planet Toydaria to convince King Katuunko to send help to Ryloth.
However, Senator Lott Dod from the Trade Federation wants to prevent this.
In this scene, Jar Jar distracts Lott with a suspicious set of table setting skills and creates a Gungan conceptual work of art from plates and cups. While doing this, Organa loads his ship with supplies to help Ryloth.
Here’s the sequence in full:
Lott Dod: What are you looking at?”
[Jar Jar begins skillfully setting the table]
Jar Jar Binks: Mesa look at nothing! Oh, no, no, no, mesa look at nothing! Mesa, uh, creating…and sharing…Gungan ritual style art…with Trade Federation…to promote love and understanding!
14. “Meesa eyeball stuck in da sleeve”
From: Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Bombad Jedi (S1E8) (2008)
Padmé discovers her old friend senator Onaconda Farr has betrayed her and allied his planet with the Separatists. Onaconda captures Padmé and promises to deliver her to Nute Gunray, In exchange for resources for his people.
To help Padmé, Jar Jar Binks disguises himself as a Jedi but wearing a Jedi robe isn’t without problems when you’re not used to it. Especially not if you have eyes like a snail.
Maybe you’ll enjoy these funny (almost intelligible) quotes from Minions.
About the author:
Jan Sørup is a videographer and photographer from Denmark. He owns filmdaft.com and the Danish company Apertura, which produces video content for big companies in Denmark and Scandinavia. Jan has a background in music, has drawn webcomics, and is a former lecturer at the University of Copenhagen.