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Star Wars-themed land Galaxy’s Edge officially opened in Disneyland, and thousands of guests now have a chance to comb through the hundreds of franchise references, big and small, tucked throughout the space.
I had a chance to tour Galaxy’s Edge ahead of the opening, and I humbly believe I have already found its finest Easter egg: a tribute to Jar Jar Binks.
[Ed. note: this post contains spoilers for a specific reveal at Galaxy’s Edge.]
Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities, one of the land’s best shops, is where guests can purchase high-end replicas of lightsabers wielded by iconic Star Wars characters, or drop a serious chunk of change on a Star Wars-inspired painting. It’s also home to a golden bust of Jar Jar Binks.
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The walls of Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities are filled with relics from the Star Wars universe. Galaxy’s Edge is set during the sequel trilogy on a distant planet called Batuu, so Imperial Guard helmets from the original trilogy hang on the wall like precious remnants from a lost time. Which raises the question: what happened between the prequels and the events of Galaxy’s Edge that would make a Jar Jar Binks statue a coveted objects?
Sure, this could be a golden bust of a different Gungan. Or perhaps it’s a wink at the unidentified Gungan sacred statues. But I choose to believe it marks the beginning of Jar Jar’s comeback in Star Wars fiction.
I know Jar Jar isn’t perfect. However, in a universe of superhuman Force-wielders, my heart hopes the series’ least loved character has a backstory that justifies him being captured in precious metals. Worth noting: In the 2018 novel Aftermath: Empire’s End, we learn that, after accidentally empowering the Empire during the events of Revenge of the Sith, the Gungans banished Jar Jar. In the book, he’s surviving as a street performer on the streets of Naboo.
While the canon looks bleak, is there any greater underdog than Jar Jar Binks? (Assuming, of course, he isn’t pure evil.) Maybe that gungun got a second chance that earned him the gold.
We will have more info on Galaxy’s Edge Easter eggs soon, especially those in Dok-Ondars. But sweet, golden Jar Jar will always hold this spot at the top of my list.