Fortnite’s Darth Jar Jar Explained: Real Star Wars Theory Behind Dark Jar Jar Binks

Fortnite is bringing Darth Jar Jar into the fray with its new Star Wars-themed Battle Pass. Just in time for May the 4th, Epic Games' hit multiplayer shooter will debut a bevy of new in-game content focused on the beloved series of sci-fi films, including new skins, in-game changes to the Battle Royale map, and a live end-of-season narrative event. 

As a part of the new Galactic Battle season, which was announced at Star Wars Celebration 2025, the fan-favorite meme character Darth Jar Jar (a Sith version of the divisive Jar Jar Binks character from Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace), was revealed to be one of the skins coming to the uber-popular battle royale. 

Fortnite's Galactic Battle season is set to kick off on Friday, May 2, starting part one of an epic five-part saga that will push the in-game narrative forward through the entire season. 

Alongside the dark side-using take on the iconic Gungan, the trailer included new weapons being teased (like the fan-favorite lightsaber), vehicles like the X-Wing and Tie Fighter to pilot, and even a few familiar Star Wars faces set to make their presence known on the Battle Bus (i.e., Emperor Palpatine, various Mandalorians, and Chewbacca).

The Darth Jar Jar Theory Explained

For years, the name 'Darth Jar Jar' has percolated among the Star Wars fan community, but it was not until recently that those Darth Jar Jar heads finally started to attract Lucasfilm's attention, along with the Star Wars brand as a whole. 

The idea of Darth Jar Jar dates back to the days of the Star Wars Prequels as a way for some fans to show their love of Ahmed Best's first Star Wars character—one cannot forget that he did return in The Mandalorian Season 3 as another character in this universe.

As those movies were coming out (and in the years since), a popular theory emerged among a certain contingent of the Lucasian faithful that instead of Ian McDiarmid's Emperor Palpatine pulling the strings behind the fall of the Republic, it was secretly the bumbling Gungan. 

This theory stems from the fact that Jar Jar managed to weasel his way into the Galactic Senate, get close to the Jedi, and witness the rise of the Empire, all because he stumbled upon Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn during the Separatist invasion of Naboo in The Phantom Menace. 

Darth Jar Jar believers argue that the character's bumbling actions, goofs, and guffaws are anything but accidental. Instead, these were clever ways to hide his true intentions of hoping to bring down the Jedi Order from within its ranks. 

While the idea of Darth Jar Jar may have started as a small niche idea among a couple of fans, it has grown to be a full-on Star Wars movement, becoming the stuff of internet memes and one of the most popular fan theories in the galaxy far, far away. 

For years, these fans talked of Darth Jar Jar in the shadows without any proper acknowledgment from Lucasfilm; however, that has all recently changed. 

In 2024, the beloved sci-fi series tipped its hat toward the Darth Jar Jar diehards of the world by including the character in the multiversal LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy special on Disney+ (read more about the Rebuild the Galaxy special here).

The theoretical Sith lord would then get another acknowledgment from the franchise with this inclusion in the latest Fortnite season.