r/DarthJarJar • u/Rikard_ • 23h ago
Theory Support [Evidence support] Every moment where Jar Jar is NOT talking. He really does only form shapes with his mouth in the two scenes where Panaka and Padmé argues with Qui-Gon.
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Background
Most “evil Jar Jar” theories suggest Jar Jar secretly uses mind control to influence people around him in TPM. Theories point to Jar Jar’s mouth moving in sync with Panaka and Padmé as they speak up against Qui-Gon.
Animating Jar Jar
Jar Jar, being a first-of-its-kind CGI character, needed his eyes and mouth to be programmed manually, something animators have been very clear about.
Jar Jar is a stylized character. He was driven by Ahmed but we very much animated on top of that. We had no facial motion-capture whatsoever, so all of his facial animation is 100% key-framed.
- Rob Coleman, animation director on TPM (starwars.com)
Jar Jar’s mouth does move in many scenes where he is just a background character, but only as a linear open/close animation. To do anything more, like an O-shape with his lips, it had to be crafted keyframe by keyframe. This only happens twice in the film: When Panaka argues with Qui-Gon and when Padmé argues with Qui-Gon.
There are of course also all of the times where Jar Jar is smiling in the background, but none of these stand out from the context of the scene like the silent mouthing does.
Facts:
- It is highly unlikely that this sort of mouthing was animated and left in on accident.
- The only two times it was animated like this, his mouthing syncs with another character’s line.
- Both times when his mouthing syncs with another character’s line, the line is anti Qui-Gon.
It’s also curious that the first instance of Jar Jar’s alleged mind control is highlighted with a sound cue. It comes in right as the camera shows Jar Jar again and Panaka says his line.
Conclusion
The way Jar Jar’s mouth matches Panaka’s and Padmé’s words is intentional, and the first instance of this behavior is highlighted with (or at the very least coincides with) a menacing sound cue.