There are only a handful of characters in fiction as hated as Jar Jar Binks was in Star Wars, and while we can hardly do anything about how people react to their favorite stories, it’s good to know that Ahmed Best has done everything he can to not let all the backlash and toxic behaviour get to him.
Still, this sense of entitlement from the fans has plagued the actor’s life for nearly 20 years now. There’s nothing wrong with not liking a character, mind you, but harassing an actor and blaming them is plainly stupid. This is the same thing that Kelly Marie Tran went through with The Last Jedi, where a handful of people who didn’t like Rose Tico in Rian Johnson’s flick continued to insult the actress on social media platforms. Fortunately, Ahmed seems to be over that period of his life, and he’s actually coming back to the world of Star Wars in a new show.
Relax, he’s not reprising his role as Jar Jar Binks. Rather, Best will play a Jedi Master this time. Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge is a brand new kids series based around the old TV game show Legend of the Hidden Temple, starring the actor as the host, Jedi Master Kelleran Beq. Apparently, though, Best himself never thought that they’d ask him to return.
“I never thought that I would be asked back, to be honest,” He revealed recently. “I was very pleasantly surprised. What really made me say yes was the fact that this was breaking new ground in the Star Wars universe.”
The actor also explained why he’s still passionate about returning to the world of the galaxy far, far away, saying:
“I think what’s the most important about the representation of someone like Kelleran Beq as far as being a person of color and the leader of this Temple — kind of like the Dean of Jedi — is it breaks down what’s possible,” Best continued. “It breaks down what you can do, and creates just a brand new world of possibilities out there.”
Some months ago, a report claimed that Jar Jar Binks would make an appearance in the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi show on Disney Plus. That remains to be confirmed, however, and it might be a while until we know for sure if this game show will be Best’s only contribution to Disney’s Star Wars in the near future.
