Readers expressed their support for Jar Jar with unexpected sincerity and eloquence. The following testimonials are only a representative sample.

I totally agree. Lucas wouldn’t add a character just as comic relief.

Although most of my friends dislike him, I was one of his fans from the beginning – I knew he would be one of the big characters when he received his own trailer along with Qui-Gon, Amidala, Anakin and Obi-Wan.

-- Raymond Woo

Oh, and I, for one, thoroughly enjoyed Jar Jar. What this says about me is left up to the audience to decide.

-- Patrick E. Goodman

I think that your assessment of Jar Jar is right on the money. As a huge Star Wars fan, it always upsets me that Jar Jar's character ignites controversy and even hatred.

Star Wars is meant to be both innocent and dark. That contrast has always played a role in the movies, and Jar Jar is one of the innocent factors in Episode I, without which it would be a pretty sad and depressing movie.

I wish I had Jar Jar when I was growing up because I felt a lot of the same emotions that Jar Jar felt. He’s funny, loving and very childlike -- what's wrong with embracing someone with those qualities?

-- David Fraley II

I think it would be excellent to have Jar-Jar be the one to save Luke and Leia from their father.

Of all the characters for Palpatine or Anakin to worry about, Jar-Jar would be at the bottom of that list and would make it easier for him to save Luke and Leia. Palpatine would think of Jar-Jar as a lower life form.

I hope the article is close to the truth.

-- Brian Oare

Your premise that Jar Jar could be a hidden Jedi certainly makes sense. As I watched the movie, I tried to understand why a Jedi Knight would spend time and attention on Jar Jar -- he certainly didn't "like" him.

The analysis of Jar Jar's "luck" in being in the right place at the right time and doing the right thing, seemingly accidentally sounds like planning for the future. I spent a great deal of time during the movie trying to see relationships of various characters to their later personalities.

As for Jar Jar's ability to irritate -- perhaps it was because I had seen and read interviews of the man whose voice and movements were used for his framework, but he didn't strike me as that silly. He was no Roger Rabbit, a character who still sets my teeth on edge.

Neither did I sense any ethnic slurs or putdowns, and I’m a very sensitive Jew. In fact, I felt that the trader was less oily than the usual flea market trader I see in my area.

--Barbara Uhrig

Jar Jar sucks!

Just kidding. It’s very nice to see an actual analysis of Jar Jar instead of those oft repeated words.

Jar Jar has certainly grown on me, and now I can't imagine The Phantom Menace without him.

-- Paul McDonald

Thanks for a different perspective on Jar Jar.

Few people seem to be looking past Jar Jar's clumsiness and speech patterns. Although there will always be a few things that annoy me about Jar Jar, there are also some that annoy me about Luke.

-- Laura Burns

I just got done reading your story about Jar Jar Binks. That would be great if Jar Jar kept the kids safe and in hiding.

I'm a big fan of Jar Jar Binks -- I'm glad Lucas is bringing him back for Episode II, and I hope he brings him back for Episode III too.

-- Debbie Burns

I have always wondered the same about Jar Jar – I liked him and thought he was somewhat good comic relief, but I always sensed a hint of more to come.

Do you remember the look Jar Jar gave the audience when he said, "steady steady"? It was a look of confidence -- something changed in him from that moment on.

Jar Jar will be an important character in the future -- Lucas has always known it, and his lack of reaction to the many shots Jar Jar has taken from fans is evidence. He just sort of sits back with a smile, saying to himself, "You just wait and see."

-- Joshua Rudisill

Thank you so very much for addressing this topic. I have felt for a very long time that Jar Jar was so much more than he seemed, though I attributed it less to Campbell and more to clues lying within the Star Wars universe.

One thing that I noticed is that Ben specifically says in A New Hope that in his experience there is no such thing as luck. We are being shown supposed "luck" in The Phantom Menace -- and while Obi-Wan was not always present during Jar Jar's exploits, he probably knows of them later on.

If it were not for Jar Jar's stealing of the creature in the Mos Espa market, Anakin and Qui-Gon would never have met a second time, which would have avoided the rippling events that formed the future of the galaxy.

Jar Jar met Qui-Gon to lead him in the direction of balance to the force. He put Qui-Gon back in Anakin’s path, and defeated many droids in battle, apparently more than any other Gungan.

Lucky?? Something Ben saw in his past lead him to believe that there was no such thing as luck.

-- Rey Barrera