A decade before the Clone Wars, Jedi Knights Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi found themselves caught up in the Trade Federation invasion of Naboo. The Gungan exile Jar Jar Binks led them beneath the waters of Lake Paonga to Otoh Gunga, a graceful city of jewel-like bubbles.
The city’s resident Gungans stared at these new arrivals in disbelief. The Gungans resented what they saw as high-handed treatment by Naboo’s human settlers; as a result of this bad feeling, human visitors to Otoh Gunga were rare.
If the Jedi got a chilly reception, Jar Jar had it worse – he’d been banished because of his almost supernatural clumsiness. Captain Tarpals and guards riding kaadus forced Jar Jar to go before the Gungan Rep Council, with the Jedi accompanying them.
Boss Nass and the Rep Council were unmoved by the Jedi’s pleas to help the Naboo – the war on the surface was a human problem and not their business. Surely, they thought, Otoh Gunga would remain a safe refuge from attack.
A little help from the Force persuaded Nass to give the Jedi a transport to take them to Naboo’s capital city of Theed. But Jar Jar was sentenced to death for returning from banishment. Acting quickly, Qui-Gon told Nass that Jar Jar owed him a life debt, and took the luckless Gungan with him as a navigator.
The Jedi and Jar Jar left Otoh Gunga in a bongo submersible. But the way to Theed was dangerous – it led through the core of the planet, which was prowled by terrible sea monsters.
After Queen Amidala and the Jedi returned to Naboo to fight the Trade Federation, Jar Jar discovered that Otoh Gunga had been abandoned. He led the Jedi and Naboo to the Gungan Sacred Place, where Padmé begged Nass for assistance against the droid army. The Gungan boss agreed, and the allies’ victory over the droids led to an era of friendship between Naboo’s two populations.
During the Clone Wars, Yoda appealed to the new Gungan leader, Boss Lyonie, for help against Separatist forces on Mon Cala. Lyonie was hesitant, but the Gungans’ history of friendship with Padmé Amidala convinced them to join this new fight.
Later in the war, Padmé, Anakin Skywalker and Jar Jar traveled to Otoh Gunga to investigate rumors that Lyonie planned to attack Theed. Anakin discovered that a minister, Rish Loo, was controlling the Gungan leader through a strange necklace.
When Loo tried to regain control of Lyonie’s mind, Anakin intervened – but Loo stabbed the Gungan leader and fled Otoh Gunga. General Grievous was on his way to Naboo, and Loo intended to put the Gungan army at the Separatist warlord’s disposal.
With Lyonie recuperating in a medical bubble, Anakin and Padmé noticed that Jar Jar looked very similar to the Gungan leader. They convinced their friend to pose as Lyonie and address the army, ruining Loo’s plans and averting civil war on Naboo.
