The shock of contemplating Jar Jar Binks as an integral part of the Star Wars saga provoked expressions of dread and dismay among many.

 Shock! Dismay! Chocolate?

Aaaaagggggrrrrrhhhhhhh!!! NO! It can't be true! Yet it must be.

That's it. I'm going to the Dark Side. Way cooler people if you ask me.

Or maybe I'll stick to the middle and do a Boba Fett kinda thing. "Mercenary." "Neutral." "Self-centered." Yeah that's it!

P.S. Just got a flyer in the mail from the local supermarket. They've got chocolate Jar Jar heads for Easter -- I'm going to get my revenge! :-)

-- Stephen Anderson

Thanks for the article. It will be the source of much discussion at our D&D session tonight.

I am scared by this concept . . . not because it is a really bizarre idea as such but because IT REALLY DOES FIT!! It scares me that Lucas -- who certainly is a nut about Campbell -- would keep this part of the story under wraps.

How heroic would someone look if they start out as a bumbling fool and end up a calm powerful wielder of the Force? A lot more heroic than if they were a normal, intelligent, competent and fit young man – like Luke Skywalker – to start with.

The path to heroism would be longer and the struggle greater and all that stuff.

"Oh! Goober Fish!!" Jar Jar, you're not fooling anyone.

-- Chris Brady

 Skeptical but scared

There were similar protracted and in-depth discussions after The Empire Strikes Back hinting at what Han Solo's character might be under the surface and so might possibly evolve into. There was much speculation that the "there is another" that Yoda spoke of was in fact to be Han Solo.

The reasons included his use of a lightsaber on Hoth and the way that he found Luke in those same icy wastes. In the end, all this speculation proved to be just that.

What I am getting at here is that we can try and guess at Mr. Lucas' master plan as much as we like. Chances are we will all be way off the mark once again, but the truth will be a pleasant surprise, of course!

On the other hand, healthy speculation is fine, but the prospect of Jar Jar Binks being an unsung hero of such great proportions scares the daylights out of me!

-- Phil Wright

Good article, but in the famous words of our beloved annoyance, "Are yousa crazy or something?"

-- Steve Bayze

 In relation to the whole Jar Jar Stinks as a key player article, I think that’s just a case of too much free time, and too much imagination.

-- Paul Fulbright