It’s a surprise cameo that no one saw coming. Jar Jar Binks is back to the Star Wars universe in the last episode of ‘The Mandalorian’, but breathe easy, it did not appear as you are thinking. The actor Ahmed Bestknown for playing the infamous digital creation of George Lucas, has returned to the franchise, but now without pixel capes and in a different role: as a Jedi named Kelleran Beq.
Small Spoilers of the episode 3×04 in the text
Second chances in a galaxy far, far away
In the episode titled ‘The Foundling’, Best briefly appears in a flashback to Order 66, when the clone troopers betrayed the Jedi and mercilessly slaughtered almost everyone. Best’s Jedi Knight, Kelleran, saves a young Grogu, who was left alone against a group of clone troopers. Kelleran saves the little alien and dispatches the enemies with his two lightsabers, allowing Grogu to escape with him on a ship. The episode ends without showing where Kelleran and Grogu fly to, which opens up the possibility of Best reappearing later on.
But beware, this isn’t the first time Best has played Kelleran. He got his start in the role in the web series ‘Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge’, a children’s game show where contestants completed obstacle courses to become Jedi Knights. However, for better or worse, Best is best known for playing Jar Jar in the ‘Star Wars’ prequels, a wildly unpopular role for which he was derided.
Jar Jar first appeared in ‘The Phantom Menace’ in 1999 and was received with almost universal hatred from fans of the saga for his irritating voice and goofy personality. Twenty years after playing Jar Jar, Best opened up about how that reaction almost led to his suicide.
“He hit me. He gave it directly to me. I was called every racial stereotype you can imagine. There were reviews associating it with “Jamaican dialect” which was offensive because I am of West Indian descent, not Jamaican. It was debilitating. I didn’t know how to respond. Depression hit me. Hard. It was broken. The only thing I could think of to make myself feel better was to cross the Brooklyn Bridge.
But this time, when I crossed the bridge, I didn’t see the lights of Manhattan. I didn’t see the towers [o] the potential of hard work and ingenuity. I did not see anything; I just saw a mist. I felt tired of having to explain myself. I felt tired of having to defend myself and my work. I felt tired of having to fight racism and racial stereotypes. I just wanted to play a part. I was exhausted.”
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