New Mandalorian episode fixes fandom’s biggest mistake

In the latest episode of Disney+’s The Mandalorian, a cool Jedi appeared to save the day in a short but awesome flashback. However, what really made this sequence so memorable and exciting was that after more than two decades, the man who played the widely despised prequel CG character Jar Jar Binks finally got a chance to do something cool war of stars.

Before we go any further, a warning that you will find spoilers for both below The Mandalorian‘s latest season and episode. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Last night I curled up on my couch to watch the latest episode of The Mandalorian‘s third season. What wild adventures would Baby Yoda and Space Daddy Mando come this week, I wondered. And while I enjoyed the episode’s main plot – which featured a giant flying alien dino thing and lots of Mandalorian warriors – the standout highlight of episode 20 was a flashback sequence. Not just because it was cool and revealed more of Grogu’s past, which it did, but because it was starred Jar Jar Binks actor Ahmed Best as the badass Jedi Master Kelleran Beq. Don’t take it the wrong way, though, and assume that this was Best’s first appearance as Master Beq war of stars. No, that’s actually the second one Best has played this particular Jedi, although the first time was in a very different context: Best played Beq as the host of a war of stars game show. let me explain.

The Return of Jedi Master Kelleran Beq

During the events of Episode 20, Bo-Kotan, Mando and some members of his sect/family chasing after a big monster that ran away with a kid. Meanwhile, Baby Yoda aka Grogu stays behind, too young to embark on such a dangerous hunt. While he awaits his father’s return, the leader of the group fashions him more armor, and in the process all the pounding metal, liquid steel, and noisy machines trigger a memory in Grogu. In particular, he seems to remember more about surviving Palpatine’s genocide Order 66. We’d seen a hint of this before, but last night it finally came time to learn what happened. And it turns out Jedi Master Kelleran himself rescued Groguas seen in a very cool action scene featuring two lightsabers, speeder bikes and even the naboo royal guard.

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While we have to wait and see what happens next, I can explain who Kelleran Beq is. The Jedi Master, played by Best, first appeared in the 2019 Disney+ Game Show Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge. He was the host of the whole thing and in canon this wasn’t a game show but a way to test young Jedi. It’s a little weird. Anyway, back then it was cool to see Ahmed Best coming back war of stars as Jedi. And while Beq doesn’t have much to do during episodes of the game show, it was still a wonderful moment for Best after all the shit he went through as Jar Jar Binks.

Ahmed Best received death threats for playing Jar Jar

In 1999, 25-year-old Ahmed Best played alien sidekick Jar Jar Binks in his first major film role Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace. And as you probably know, the character didn’t go over well with adult fans and critics at the time. (As a 9-year-old kid, I liked Binks!) But a lot of people didn’t just hate Binks, they loathed him the character and often harassed and taunted Best for his role as Jar Jar.

“I had death threats over the internet” Best told Wired in 2017. “I’ve had people come up to me and say, ‘You ruined my childhood.’ That’s hard for a 25-year-old to hear.” Indeed, Best finally admitted on social media that it was at one point during the worst he thought of suicide.

And let’s be clear: you don’t have to like Jar Jar. But the bullshit that best got for the character was wrong and is a great reminder that real people make the things you love and hate. Thankfully, Best has moved away from Jar Jar and has a wonderful family and solid career. Still, I and many others wanted Best to come back war of stars on a large scale. Sure, the hosting gig on his game show was neat. But I wanted more. Best deserved.

So you can imagine how pumped I was last night when Grogu was rescued by Best’s Jedi character. It took 20 years of abuse and harassment. 20 years of suffering. He had to go through so much. He even wanted to end everything. But finally, in 2023, Ahmed Best was able to portray a badass Jedi Master, wielding dual lightsabers and battling clone troopers without breaking a sweat. Not only that, he saved Grogu, a new beloved character who might as well have ended up as the next Jar Jar in a different timeline. It almost feels like Best is, in a way, saving Grogu from a similar fate as it was over two decades ago.

I expect we’ll see more of Best’s Jedi in a future installment of the series. There are still many unanswered questions about Grogu. But whatever. For now, I’m just glad that Ahmed Best finally escaped the shadow of Jar Jar. Dude deserves this moment.