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The New Star Wars: Aftermath Novel Reveals the Pitiful Fate of Jar Jar Binks

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Toxi

Banned
This. When people say the old EU had more bad then go I would agree if we're talking about the New Jedi Order and some of the books that came after that. I really don't understand what the hell was going on there with many of the decisions they made. However between Return of the Jedi to the New Jedi Order I feel there is far more good then bad and even the bad isn't horrible but perhaps bland or weird. Yes how much one likes some trilogies over others will vary but I always felt the stories were a more natural progression of how events would naturally play out. There is just so much of the New Jedi Order that it tips the scales unfairly. I normally don't have a problem with the Vong. I have a problem with how that storyline was largely planned and thew writing of a number of authors and that plans seemed to change mid-story and some stuff simply didn't get written.
The Crystal Star, The Courtship of Princess Leia, the Callista trilogy, and the Jedi Academy trilogy are all pretty damn bad; the Crystal Star is often considered the worst Star Wars book ever (But that's wrong, because the worst is half the books in Legacy of the Force).
 

Nairume

Banned
Where did this happen? I'm way behind on all the new canon material cause I stopped paying attention after TFA and now I'm starting to get back into it for the run up to TLJ.
The C-3P0 oneshot comic, which is ends up being totally not what you'd expect out of a comic that focused entirely on 3P0.
 

The Technomancer

card-carrying scientician
They've actually done something of the sort with him.

It's been revealed that the constant cycle of traumatic events and memory wipes have actually left him with lingering psychological damage that manifests in the form of faint flashbacks haunting him of memories he can never get back. Also he's slowly realized the existential dread of his lot as a droid, having him come to terms with the fact that droids are treated like shit in the galaxy and that he's basically expendable.

Yo this needs to culminate with
3PO snapping and becoming an assassin droid

I would read the shit out of that
 

Wag

Member
51SWlJODJnL.jpg
 

The Technomancer

card-carrying scientician
Every time I go to read up about the Yuuzhan Vong again I always end up following the same links that take me to this page and I remember that Star Wars is so dumb in the best way

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Abominor

The idea that, in Star Wars, the franchise built on ludicrous power requirements, a galaxy devastating war could be fought with a robot race that requires actual furnaces to operate is so incredible
 

Defuser

Member
When I think about it. I don't really hate Jar Jar, he is a victim of Lucas bad writing.

I would say his situation is kinda fitting for his character. Not like suffering hell which alot of people wants him to end up.

He already lost his friends,family and his homeplace... how much more can he suffer?
 
When I think about it. I don't really hate Jar Jar, he is a victim of Lucas bad writing.

I would say his situation is kinda fitting for his character. Not like suffering hell which alot of people wants him to end up.

He already lost his friends,family and his homeplace... how much more can he suffer?

I mean, originally he was a victim of Lucas' writing. But other series that involve him afterwards haven't done anything to redeem the character. He continues to be a bumbling comic relief, who gets competent and important people killed.
 

Rymuth

Member
Bump for author expanding on people's reaction:

I wrote what was ideally, hopefully, a good interlude – not an end for Jar Jar, it's not like he gets shot in the head or anything – but arguably a new beginning for Jar Jar, in a way. So I did that.

But what's been interesting is the response to it. I've seen so many different responses. It's almost like a mirror, that interlude. People respond to it in the way that they feel about him already. Some are people like, "Yeah, he got what he deserved," and some people are like, "Oh, you made me feel sad for him, and I love him now," and some people are like, "He should have been killed and run over with a droid tank" or something. It's all these different reactions – some people thought I was punishing him, and some people thought I was redeeming him, and some people thought I was giving him his sweet moment, some people thought I was giving him a hateful moment...

http://www.glixel.com/interviews/qa-star-wars-aftermath-author-chuck-wendig-w477841
 
If you haven’t read the books (they’re good)

In the chapter, a young boy is walking around the city and runs into an old Gungan who is performing on the streets. The boy introduces himself to the creature and the creature responds “Meesa Jar Jar.”

Talking to the boy, Jar Jar explains that he’s “makin some uh-oh mistakens” in the past that led him here;

Why do people lie to me constantly?
 
To be fair, in the old EU the Emperor knew the Vong were coming and the Republic would have stood no chance while a military dictatorship would have so his forming the Empire was both a power grab and a galaxy saving initiative since he was eventually proven to be completely correct. So at least there Jar Jar backhandedly saved the galaxy.

Seriously? That has to be the stupidest retcon of a character I've ever seen.

Can't just let evil dudes be evil, there has to be some underlying reason that ultimately serves to redeem their evilness.
 
I don't think Lucas really cared that much about what the EU did, especially at that point. I mean, shit, there was some book where the Emperor came back post ROTJ and Luke turned to the Dark Side and basically took away all of the importance of ROTJ's ending.

Uh how did he come back after being vaporized?
 

Faiz

Member
Seriously? That has to be the stupidest retcon of a character I've ever seen.

Can't just let evil dudes be evil, there has to be some underlying reason that ultimately serves to redeem their evilness.

It doesn't really make it less evil IMO. The story didn't justify the means to the end, and I think it kinda requires the reader to examine themselves if they DO think it turns out his means were justified.
 
It doesn't really make it less evil IMO. The story didn't justify the means to the end, and I think it kinda requires the reader to examine themselves if they DO think it turns out his means were justified.

Yeah, it kind of does. It shifts him from "evil power hungry would be ruler of the galaxy" to "misunderstood saviour of the galaxy who does what he does to eventually save lives". It's a stupid shift, and one that makes especially little sense given the events of the Clone Wars.

Basically it tries to make him into Magus from Chrono Trigger, and Magus doesn't deserve that.
 
I remember something shitty about him having clone bodies and transferring his mind or soul or whatever to a clone body.

Not sure but I think it was something as ridiculous as that.

It was more a force essense transfer, incredibly dangerous as it can fail and then you cease to exist even in the force and pure dark sided as you do the same to whomever you take over.

And it wasn't as bad as you make it out to be. When you are dealing with a universe where every living being is connected galaxy wide through the force, it's not much of a stretch at all to see this happening. Plus the entire comic run was done in watercolor, which redeems it for anything bad you could say.
 

Chuckie

Member
It was more a force essense transfer, incredibly dangerous as it can fail and then you cease to exist even in the force and pure dark sided as you do the same to whomever you take over.

And it wasn't as bad as you make it out to be. When you are dealing with a universe where every living being is connected galaxy wide through the force, it's not much of a stretch at all to see this happening. Plus the entire comic run was done in watercolor, which redeems it for anything bad you could say.

Well like we say in the Netherlands: "Al draagt een aap een gouden ring, het is en blijft een lelijk ding" (A monkey with a golden ring on, is still an ugly ass thing)

I don't care how great the art was, having Palpatine come back sucks ass.
 

Arttemis

Member
It was more a force essense transfer, incredibly dangerous as it can fail and then you cease to exist even in the force and pure dark sided as you do the same to whomever you take over.

And it wasn't as bad as you make it out to be. When you are dealing with a universe where every living being is connected galaxy wide through the force, it's not much of a stretch at all to see this happening. Plus the entire comic run was done in watercolor, which redeems it for anything bad you could say.
It's shit like this that makes me glad the EU was purged.
 
That's.... surprisingly sad, actually. He helped save Naboo and eventually gets exiled because he got coerced into giving The Emperor his dictatorship powers.

Did he help save Naboo though? Didn't Amidala/Obi-Wan/Qui-Gon do all of the political work with the Gungans, and despite being some kind of captain in the battle against the droids everything good Jar-Jar did was by accident.

I don't think Lucas really cared that much about what the EU did, especially at that point. I mean, shit, there was some book where the Emperor came back post ROTJ and Luke turned to the Dark Side and basically took away all of the importance of ROTJ's ending.

I had that comic. It was pretty bad. Was also an excuse to get Boba Fett chasing Han as well, which was never not cringeworthy.

Yo this needs to culminate with
3PO snapping and becoming an assassin droid

I would read the shit out of that

Check out Auralnauts' Star Wars dubs on YouTube. C-3PO (aka Creepio) is the real mastermind behind everything that goes wrong, including the destruction of Alderaan.
 

Arttemis

Member
Did he really have to be mentioned again at all?
This was my thought, and I hope that's the case for further movies, but I don't mind seeing him mentioned living an unremarkable and destitute life. He's finally getting treated the way he always should have.
 

Faiz

Member
Yeah, it kind of does. It shifts him from "evil power hungry would be ruler of the galaxy" to "misunderstood saviour of the galaxy who does what he does to eventually save lives". It's a stupid shift, and one that makes especially little sense given the events of the Clone Wars.

Basically it tries to make him into Magus from Chrono Trigger, and Magus doesn't deserve that.

I couldn't possibly disagree more. So Palpatine "knew" the Republic would stand no chance? That's kinda bullshit. (We all know he loved to bullshit his way with "I have foreseen" nonsense.) He believed they stood no chance, or convinced himself of that. He knew they were coming, the Republic didn't, and the Republic was, at the time, a mess. He may have used this to justify the murderous power grab to himself but it was still brutally evil and in no way altruistic - you can't rule a galaxy that's been conquered by outside invaders.

And really... all we really know here is that he knew they were coming and that he was making preparations. This assigning of supposed altruistic motives is fan theory.
 

Rymuth

Member
It doesn't really make it less evil IMO. The story didn't justify the means to the end, and I think it kinda requires the reader to examine themselves if they DO think it turns out his means were justified.
Taking it one step further, the live-action Star Wars series (penned by God of War's writer) was supposed to start young Palpatine, falling in love with a female crime boss and end up betrayed.

And that, kids, is why the Jedi got wiped out. Sheev's heart broke.
 

Effect

Member
The Crystal Star, The Courtship of Princess Leia, the Callista trilogy, and the Jedi Academy trilogy are all pretty damn bad; the Crystal Star is often considered the worst Star Wars book ever (But that's wrong, because the worst is half the books in Legacy of the Force).

Nah. I'll never agree the Jedi Academy Trilogy was bad. I love that stuff. Kevin J Anderson's writing isn't the most exciting thing in the world but in the context of that story and how it plays out it's one of my favorite pieces of the EU. Combine it with I, Jedi and it's one of the high points for me. I give you some of the other stuff was pretty eh but even then I feel people exaggerate a lot with some of the stuff. I actually happen to find a good deal of the Callista stuff really interesting but hated how it ended. That's also in part because I can't stand Mara Jade being paired with Luke. I like her outside of that but that pairing bothered me a lot. It's actually in part of lead me to slowly stop reading the EU around that time.

I want to continue to give the new stuff a fair shake though. Just that for me a extremely significant part of Star Wars and what made me a Star Wars fan were these books, games, and comics that are now just tossed to the side. That still annoys me even though I know and maybe agree with why it was done.
 

Markitron

Is currently staging a hunger strike outside Gearbox HQ while trying to hate them to death
Nah. I'll never agree the Jedi Academy Trilogy was bad. I love that stuff. Kevin J Anderson's writing isn't the most exciting thing in the world but in the context of that story and how it plays out it's one of my favorite pieces of the EU. Combine it with I, Jedi and it's one of the high points for me. I give you some of the other stuff was pretty eh but even then I feel people exaggerate a lot with some of the stuff. I actually happen to find a good deal of the Callista stuff really interesting but hated how it ended. That's also in part because I can't stand Mara Jade being paired with Luke. I like her outside of that but that pairing bothered me a lot. It's actually in part of lead me to slowly stop reading the EU around that time.

I want to continue to give the new stuff a fair shake though. Just that for me a extremely significant part of Star Wars and what made me a Star Wars fan were these books, games, and comics that are now just tossed to the side. That still annoys me even though I know and maybe agree with why it was done.

I also liked the Jedi Academy trilogy, it gave us some really important characters and backstory that were staples of the EU from then on.

The worst SW book is Balance Point, the only reason I finished that boring POS was because it was in the middle of the TNJO series and I had to.
 
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