Early Life

Born to George R. Binks and his wife in Otoh Gunga, Jar Jar was raised in his family traditions to be a great whaler as his ancestors had been for hundreds of years. Due to his clumsiness and ineptitude, however, Jar Jar was never able to become what his father had wanted him to be. Once, while on an expedition to hunt a whale in the southernmost seas of Naboo, George ordered his son to hold the wheel steady; Jar Jar, however, let go. This caused their ship to crash into the whale which resulted in the ship sinking to the bottom of the ocean.

A month later, George, his wife, and Jar Jar were all stranded on a desert island. This caused George to lament over what could have been; he called his son an imbecile and attempted to commit suicide. When Jar Jar offered to swim for help—a task which would have taken fifty years if it was possible at all—George first called him a fool, telling him that he would be eaten within a day, but then had a moment of clarity and told him that it was a good idea. Jar Jar was about to jump into the water when George's wife reprimanded him and stopped George from allowing him to do so. Though what happened to George and his wife is unknown, Jar Jar later found his way back to Otoh Gunga.

Kicked out of all of Otoh Gunga's schools and not able to turn to his parents for guidance, Binks hopped between job after job throughout his youth. His clumsiness inevitably got him fired before sunset. Once, Jar Jar was working as a street-side shudderup musician when a passerby paid him money to stop the music. That is when he was discovered by local lawbreaker Roos Tarpals.

Tarpals was the leader of a small band of young thieves. Jar Jar was given the job of distracting security patrols while Tarpals and his gang pulled off various scams. Unlike the other thieves, Tarpals treated Jar Jar like a valued team member and a friend. This friendship ended when Tarpals enlisted in the Gungan Grand Army. The band soon scattered and Jar Jar again began searching for his place in life. Fortunately, Boss Rugor Nass, ruler of Otoh Gunga, arranged new employment for Jar Jar, partly out of respect for his parents, and partly on the request of now-Captain Tarpals. When Jar Jar accidentally freed all of the animals in the Otoh Gunga Zoo Nass sentenced Jar Jar to six months of hard labor in the Quarry penal colony.

Nass commuted the sentence when Jar Jar saved him from drowning in an out-of-control Bongo. Jar Jar also saved the life of Nass's niece, Major Fassa. Fassa pledged a life debt to Jar Jar who was embarrassed by her devotion, but excited about a chance at romance. He was both disappointed and relieved when Boss Nass revoked the life debt on a technicality.

Meeting the Jedi

One day in 32 BBY, Binks went out foraging for food, when he stumbled across OOM-9's Trade Federation invasion force. Panicking, he bumped into Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, an ambassador who had been sent to resolve the crisis between the Naboo and the Federation and the Jedi saved the Gungan's life from a MTT. Binks, despite being an outcast, adhered to the Gungan principle of a life debt, and insisted on following Jinn, much to the Jedi's annoyance. Both Jinn and his apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi, needed to contact Queen Amidala in Theed, but had no way of reaching her. Binks suggested that they go to Otoh Gunga, his old home, but quickly regretted mentioning it. The Jedi persuaded him to take them there, but Binks rightly feared for his life.

Upon reaching Otoh Gunga, he was arrested by his old friend, Tarpals, and brought before Nass. The Jedi bartered with Nass, and persuaded him to provide them with transportation to Theed. Following that, Nass sentenced Binks to death, but Jinn quickly interceded, citing that Binks's life belonged to him, due to the Gungan life debt system. Nass had Binks freed and sent along with the Jedi to Theed. Binks was dismayed over the fact that he had to tag along with the Jedi, but he figured that he had a higher chance of survival with them than in Otoh Gunga.

Upon reaching Federation-occupied Theed, Binks watched as the Jedi rescued the Queen, and escorted her to safety. Jinn convinced the Queen to go to Coruscant, to plead her case to the Senate, a choice that would result in Binks leaving the planet for the very first time. While the Queen's ship got past the Federation blockade of the planet, it sustained mild damage, and lost its hyperdrive capacity, leaving it only enough power to reach Tatooine, the only planet in the area devoid of Federation presence.

Upon reaching Tatooine, Jinn, Binks, Amidala (disguised as a handmaiden), and R2-D2 ventured into the city of Mos Espa in search of new parts for the ship. They came across Watto's Shop, which had the parts they needed. However, they had no way of purchasing them, due to the Republic Credit's lack of use in backwater planets like Tatooine. At Watto's Shop, they encountered a young boy, Anakin Skywalker. After leaving the shop, Binks crossed paths with Sebulba, a thug who threatened to beat Binks to a pulp. Only the timely intervention of Skywalker saved him. Skywalker was but a poor slave, nonetheless, he offered the group shelter and hospitality when they were caught in a sandstorm. At his home, they discovered that he had a talent for podracing, which Skywalker thought would be a good way for Jinn and Amidala to get the money required for the new hyperdrive.

Binks was more than willing to help in the enterprise, offering to perform maintenance on Anakin's podracer. Whether or not his efforts were of any help was irrelevant; Skywalker appreciated the assistance. On the day of the Boonta Eve Classic Race, Binks continued to assist, and observed the race from a special platform reserved for the racer's family and friends. Binks was thrilled when Skywalker won, mostly at the prospect of being able to leave the inhospitable Tatooine.

If Binks was taken aback by Tatooine, nothing could prepare him for Coruscant. A sprawling ecumenopolis, Binks was out of his depth in the capital, and understandably retreated to the sidelines of the political action taking place. He stayed at Senator Palpatine's apartments in the 500 Republica, eagerly awaiting the chance to return home. The chance came when Amidala was refused aid in the Senate, and decided to take matters into her own hands. She formulated a plan, based on Binks's mention of a Gungan Grand Army, and decided to take the fight to the Federation.

Upon returning to Naboo, Binks discovered that Otoh Gunga had been evacuated due to a major battle. He knew of the Gungan sacred place however, and took the Queen there. Upon meeting Nass, she made an alliance with him, unifying the Gungan and the Naboo people after years of bitter hatred and isolation. Nass was most pleased with the new alliance, and attributed it all to Binks, much to the latter's embarrassment. As a "reward," Nass appointed Binks as joint commander of the Gungan Grand Army, giving him the rank of Bombad General – a decision that made him faint with shock. Shortly after the promotion, Amidala revealed her plan: The Gungan Grand Army would draw OOM-9's army out of Theed, leaving the capital relatively unprotected. She and her task-force, along with the Jedi, would first liberate the Theed Hangar, allowing pilots to take their starfighters and attack the Droid Control Ship, hopefully deactivating all of the droids in the Federation droid army. Then, her task force would enter the Palace and capture the Federation Viceroy, Nute Gunray.

Binks led the army out to the Great Grass Plains, where, on General Ceel's order, they would wait for OOM-9. The battle droid commander did not disappoint, and he duly attacked the Gungans. They held up a solid defense against the mechanized army, but sheer numbers overwhelmed them, forcing Ceel to call for a retreat. During the chaos, Binks accidentally sent a cascading wave of energy balls into a pack of B1 battle droids and Armored Assault Tanks, which slowed the Federation advance for a while and allowed some Gungans to escape. However, Binks and his old friend, Tarpals, were rounded up and captured. Shortly after their capture, however, young Anakin Skywalker, who had accompanied them from Tatooine, destroyed the Droid Control Ship, and deactivated all of the droids. The Gungans rejoiced, knocking over the limp droids and celebrating.

However, the victory was not without bitter loss. Qui-Gon, Binks's savior and friend, had died at the hands of the Sith Lord Darth Maul, releasing Binks from his life debt, and many Gungans had fallen at Grassy Plains. But their deaths were not in vain. Amidala had succeeded in her mission and had successfully re-taken Naboo. Binks joined in the celebrations and looked forward to a new era of peace.