Jar Jar Binks, bumbling comic relief and target of ubiquitous hatred, actually deserves a lot more respect than people give him credit for.

Jar Jar's actions have some of the most significant and fa reaching effects of anyone in the galaxy. Oh what a world it would be if this silly gungan hadn't stepped out for that brisky morning munching.

Let's start from the beginning, shall we?

Jar Jar gets in Qui-Gon Jinn's way, knocking him over, and the Trade Federation MTT behind him passes over harmlessly.
What if that hadn't happened? Where would Qui-Gon have ended up, would Obi-Wan have made it out like he did? What would have happened to Qui-Gon if the droids behind him had recieved the order to find and stop him while he was still in sight?

Jar Jar leads the Jedi to Otah Gunga, where they meet Boss Nass and get transport to the Naboo.
If Jar Jar hadn't led Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon to a city, they would have been virtually lost in a giant forest fith no transportation to get them across the planet to their destination.

While the Royal Starship is running the Trade Federation blockade, the shield generator was hit. Had it not been repaired by R2-D2, the passengers would have been sitting ducks, and they surely would have perished. Notice carefully that when Artoo first emerges onto the hull of the ship, he is just barely missed by a deadly laser bolt. Had he been half a second earlier, he would have been instantly vaporized. What took him so long? Back in the ship, he bumped into Jar Jar, which delayed Artoo just long enough to live.
Now we all know the significance of R2-D2 and his actions throughout the sage. Surely the galaxy would be effected by his absence. But had R2 been killed at this point, not only would he be gone, but Padme, Qui-Gon, and Obi-Wan would all be dead before they even made it to Tatooine.

In Mos Espa, Jar Jar decides to grab a bite. When he found out that it cost money he didn't have, he launched it through the air, conveniently onto the table of Sebulba. The Dug's threatening response attracted the attention of young Anakin Skywalker, who rescued Jar Jar and therefore was fortuitously reaquainted with the whole gang.
Anakin met up with them because of Jar Jar's incident, and if they hadn't, they never would have gone to Anakin's home, met his mother, and figured out how to get off the planet. Perhaps the imminent sandstorm would have even eliminated them entirely.

At the dinner table, thanks to Jar Jar's appetite for whole apples, and his quick tongue, Qui-Gon involuntarily reveals his own Jedi reflexes, and practically puts on a giant sign that says "Hi Anakin, I'm a Jedi."
Anakin already had his suspicions about Qui-Gon, but Qui-Gon's tongue catching reflexes sure sealed the deal. The following questions then led to the revelation of all that was going on to the little boy.

On her eventual return to Naboo, Queen Amidala seeks Jar Jar as a lead to find the Gungans.
Jar Jar locates the Gungans, and the following meeting leads to the extremely important alliance between the Naboo and the Gungans, one which makes the success of the Battle for Naboo possible.

Jar Jar is then promoted by Boss Nass to become a general of the Gungan Grand Army.
Ironically, not until he is given command of an army does Jar Jar become in fact totally useless.
Fun Fact! During the battle, Jar Jar killed or disabled five droids, an AAT, and was partially responsible for the death of one Gungan, as well as the capture of Captain Tarpals. Too bad none of that really effected anything.


...10 Years Later...

The big one. Jar Jar, more readily than Palpatine could have wished for, is the first to propose awarding Chancellor Palpatine emergency powers in the face of galactic conflict.
Those powers were exactly what gave Palpatine his power and control, and they were how he formed the Galactic Empire. That's kind of important. Thanks a lot, Jar Jar.


So there you have it. Jar Jar's unwitting, foolish actions, make the smallest changes, which have the biggest effects. Jar Jar Bink's shenanigans turned out to be the some of the most important shenangigans of them all, making possible some of the most important events ever in Star Wars history.

What does this mean? Well, I feel that this is a fascinating bookend to George Lucas' idea that the little guys can make the biggest difference. Jar Jar set up the galaxy for it's greatest horrors, just as the Ewoks unexpectedly saved the galaxy from the same.

So next time you look at Jar Jar, don't think of some stupid fool, think about the effect he's having on those around him, and look for those little moments of tom-foolery... that change the galaxy forever.