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George Lucas’ Favorite Star Wars Character Is the One Everyone Hates

2 minute read

When George Lucas was asked which Star Wars character he’d most like to be during a video interview for Vanity Fair’s New Establishment Summit, he gave a pretty shocking response. The 71-year-old director would choose Jar Jar Binks, the gangly Gungan alien from the prequels. Binks is widely considered to be the galaxy far far away’s most disliked character, a sentiment that Lucas does not support.

This answer led to a discussion of why Lucas chose to step away from the Star Wars universe and leave the franchise in the hands of J.J. Abrams and Lucasfilm. “You go to make a movie and all you do is get criticized and people try to make decisions about what you’re going to do before you do it,” he said. “It’s not much fun and you can’t experiment. You can’t do anything. You have to do it a certain way. I don’t like that.”

The latest installment of the series, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, hits theaters in exactly one month as of Wednesday, and Lucas has some questions about where Abrams decided to take the film’s plot. “I’m curious about what happened to Darth Vader’s grandkids,” he said.

Rare Photos of George Lucas Behind the Scenes of Star Wars

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George Lucas and Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) on the set of Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope in a galaxy far, far away.Lucasfilm
Lucas gives direction to Sir Alec Guinness (Obi-Wan Kenobi) in Episode IV.Lucasfilm
Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia) and Harrison Ford (Han Solo) sit around Lucas on the set of The Empire Strikes Back.Lucasfilm
Lucas with Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca), along with Hamill and Ford on the set of Episode IV.Lucasfilm
Lucas directs Peter Cushing (Grand Moff Tarkin) and Carrie Fisher.Lucasfilm
Harrison Ford and Lucas share a moment in Endor on the set of Return of the Jedi.Lucasfilm
Lucas on set filming the opening scene of Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope.Lucasfilm
Lucas reviews concept art for Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones.Lucasfilm
Lucas inspects a model pod racer for Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace.Lucasfilm
Lucas makes sure that the Death Star is fully armed and operational for Return of the Jedi.Lucasfilm
Lucas holds up Jango Fett's helmet.Lucasfilm
Natalie Portman (Queen Amidala) and Ewan McGregor (Obi-Wan Kenobi) listen to Lucas' directions on the set of Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith.Lucasfilm
Lucas directs a lightsaber battle between Ian McDiarmid (Chancellor Palpatine/Darth Sidious) and Samuel L. Jackson (Mace Windu) on the set of Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith.Lucasfilm
Lucas sets up camp next to a Bantha on the set of Episode IV.Lucasfilm
Lucas finds the droid he was looking for.Lucasfilm

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Write to Megan McCluskey at megan.mccluskey@time.com