STAR WARS Fan Theory Pegs Jar Jar Binks as The Most Evil Mastermind in The Galaxy

Recently, I wrote about a Batman v Superman "rumor" that's a good example of how fan theories can go too far. For me, it's all about the tone of these things. By nature, a lot of theories necessitate inventing aspects of what might have happened off screen and occasionally denying factual evidence in order to make them work, but when someone goes as far as to claim that their theory is the end-all be-all one and only truth, the tone goes from being a fun alternate reading of a movie into willful ignorance.

But here's a fun theory that, even though it claims Jar Jar Binks will show up in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, does so in a lighthearted way that doesn't position it as an actual rumor that people should take seriously. So let's get to it.

Jar Jar is, deservedly, the most hated character in Star Wars history. But Redditor Lumpawarroo has a different idea about him than everyone else:

Here I will seek to establish that Jar Jar Binks, far from being simply the bumbling idiot he portrays himself as, is in fact a highly skilled force user in terms of martial ability and mind control.

Furthermore, I assert that he was not, as many people assume, just an unwitting political tool manipulated by Palpatine-- rather, he and Palpatine were likely in collaboration from the very beginning, and it's entirely possible that Palpatine was a subordinate underling to Binks throughout both trilogies.

And finally, given the above, I will conclude with an argument as to why I believe it is not only possible, but plausible that Jar Jar will make a profound impact on the upcoming movies, and what his role may be.

I'll quickly break down a few of the points made here. First up, Jar Jar's spastic movements (especially on the battlefield) isn't the result of cowardice or dumb luck — he's actually using a fighting technique similar to Drunken Fist wushu. And while the movies don't explicitly state that he's a Force user, there's a surprising amount of evidence that shows he knows exactly what he's doing, going as far as to manipulate his way into the Galactic Senate and becoming buddy-buddy with Palpatine.

There's even a section that talks about how, if this theory was true and Jar Jar was better received in the first movie, that character could have fought Yoda in Attack of the Clones and added to the whole thematic "rhyming" that George Lucas wanted to put in place between the prequels and the original trilogy.

The whole thing is absolutely worth a read, because the logic and evidence presented is almost enough to convince me it's true. This is the kind of fan theory I can get behind: something that recontextualizes what we think we know in a fun way that doesn't take itself too seriously or present its claims as indisputable fact. What do you think?