L ong before galactic strife enveloped his native Naboo, Jar Jar Binks was exiled from the underwater city of Otoh Gunga. His main sin? Being clumsy in front of the head of his clan. An outcast, the Gungan bides his time in the Naboo swampland, surviving on raw shellfish or just about anything else that the murky ecosystem has to offer. Jar Jar's fate takes a twist when the hapless Gungan encounters a pair of Jedi as they elude enemy forces at the beginning of the Trade Federation invasion of Naboo. Although his bungling, haphazard mannerisms constantly land him in hot water, his good nature and loyalty somehow help him triumph in the end. Conceptual design by Doug Chiang

J ar Jar Binks was the first character to be developed for Episode I, in part because of the prominence of his role in the movie. Conceptualization began with George Lucas' vision of a talking, feeling, walking, running, falling, fainting bundle of amphibious comic relief. Development of the character then continued for upwards of a year-and-a-half. During that time, design sketches evolved considerably, although the character's final body shape and gangly legs were there from the start. In many ways, the character's personality was absolutely vital to the design team's work throughout the development process.