Born to George R. Binks and his wife in Otoh Gunga, Jar Jar Binks, 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, Binks 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; Binks, 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 Binks, his wife, and Jar Jar were all stranded on a desert island. When Binks offered to swim for help—a task which would have taken fifty years if it was possible at all—George Binks first called him a fool, telling him that he would be eaten within a day, but then realized this would result in Jar Jar Binks death and told him that it was a good idea. Binks was about to jump into the water when George's wife reprimanded him and stopped George from allowing him to do so. Unable to take it anymore George lamented over what could have been; he called his son an imbecile and attempted to commit suicide by shooting himself with his blaster pistol but only grazed his head, resulting in it not being lethal. Though what happened to George and his wife is unknown, Binks later found his way back to Otoh Gunga.

Banished in 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, Binks 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.[1]

Tarpals was the leader of a small band of young thieves. Binks was given the job of distracting security patrols while Tarpals and his gang pulled off various scams. Unlike the other thieves, Tarpals treated Binks like a valued team member and a friend. This friendship ended when Tarpals enlisted in the Gungan Grand Army. The band soon scattered and Binks again began searching for his place in life. Fortunately, Boss Rugor Nass, ruler of Otoh Gunga, arranged new employment for Binks, partly out of respect for his parents, and partly on the request of now-Captain Tarpals. When Binks accidentally freed all of the animals in the Otoh Gunga Zoo Nass sentenced Binks to six months of hard labor in the Quarry penal colony.[1]
Jar Jar banished

Boss Rugor Nass banishes Jar Jar Binks

Nass commuted the sentence when Binks saved him from drowning in an out-of-control Bongo. Binks also saved the life of Nass's niece, Major Fassa. Fassa pledged a life debt to Binks 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.[10]

Later, Boss Nass threw a lavish party at his mansion and gave Binks a job in the kitchen. However, Binks destroyed the gasser oven. The explosion cracked the bubble wall and flooded the party. Binks tried to save Boss Nass's luxury heyblibber, but ended up crashing it instead. Boss Nass was outraged, and decided that he had had enough. In the Gungan High Council Chamber of Judgment, Nass, along with his peers, invoked the Nocombackie Law, banishing Binks and preventing him from ever returning to Otoh Gunga upon pain of death. Binks tried to hide in Otoh Gunga but Captain Tarpals found him in Chef Brass Marshoo's restaurant scrounging for scraps. Tarpals apprehended him and prepared to take him to the surface, however, he was ambushed by Marshoo and several thugs. Tarpals was knocked out in the scuffle, but Binks saved him. The hapless Gungan pleaded with Tarpals for clemency, but was ignored. Tarpals then escorted Binks to the shores of the Lianorm Swamp, the place of Binks's banishment.[11]
Blockade of Naboo
Meeting the Jedi

"I spake."
"The ability to speak does not make you intelligent. Now get out of here."
―Jar Jar and Qui-Gon Jinn[3]

QGJSavesJJB-SWE

Qui-Gon Jinn saves Binks's life.

One day in 32 BBY,[12] 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. Jinn tackled Binks to the ground and held him there to prevent them both from getting crushed by a Multi-Troop Transport that was passing by. As a result of this life-saving act, 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.[3]

The two Jedi escorted Binks past twenty battle droids and a half-built droid camp. Binks panicked and ran off, leaving the Jedi to Force Jump up mushrooms to reach the top of the tree and the nearby plateaus, which they traversed, eventually moving into a cave, where they faced a Slaatik hagworm. After defeating the hagworm, they then rejoined Binks and continued their journey.[13]
Jar Jar meets Jedi

Binks meets Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Upon reaching Otoh Gunga, Binks was arrested by his old friend, Tarpals, and brought before Nass, the former also telling Binks upon arresting him that he was in "big doo-doo thisa time." 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.[3]

Upon reaching Federation-occupied Theed, the central bridge across the river was blasted apart by an Armored Assault Tank, cutting the city off from other regions and separating the group. Kenobi eventually met back up with Jinn and Binks.[14] 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.[3]
Beyond Naboo

"This sun doin' murder to mesa skin…"
―Jar Jar Binks[3]

Sebulba bullying Binks

Binks being bullied by Sebulba

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 after an incident where Binks inadvertently ruined his meal by spitting out a Gorg that he attempted to eat before learning from Gragra that the Gorg cost seven wupiupi. 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.[3]

Binks was more than willing to help in the enterprise, offering to perform maintenance on Skywalker's podracer. Whether or not his efforts were of any help was irrelevant (having once gotten his hand stuck in one of the compressors of the engines of Skywalker's podracer, as well as inadvertently causing his tongue to go numb from making contact with the energy binders while getting up to retrieve a wrench he dropped); 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.[3]

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.[3]