The most recent episode of The Mandalorian season three, “The Foundling,” surprised fans with a cameo that no one could have thought possible in a galaxy far, far away. In another flashback revisit to the fateful Order 66 sequence, the show featured Ahmed Best making a return to the Star Wars franchise. The actor previously portrayed Jar Jar Binks, a somewhat universally despised and highly ridiculed character in the prequel films, debuting in The Phantom Menace. It’s a role many blame George Lucas for, but Best was the one who took a massive blow to his career.
Fortunately, in this new cameo, Best portrayed not a Gungan but a Jedi Knight called Kelleran Beq, who plays a crucial role in saving Grogu and helping him escape the Order.
Garnering massive attention from fans, the cameo has somewhat redeemed Best despite his Jar Jar connection, and the actor couldn’t be happier either. In a recent Instagram post, Best opened up about his comeback to Star Wars, expressing his gratitude. Best teased that though there is “much to share,” he might take a few more days to process this. He said,
“Gratitude! Good to be back. There is so much to say and share. It’s going to take a couple of days. But, for now, I’ll just say thank you to all that have held me up and made me better.”
In the picture, Best can be seen wearing a t-shirt featuring a Jedi symbol, marking his retrospective inclusion into the prestigious order of the knights.
Could he mean that he has to share where his cameo might lead? In the episode, Beq manages to subdue the troopers and take Grogu to safety in time. He also survives the ordeal, making his future appearance as Beq quite probable. The episode doesn’t show where Beq and Grogu fly off to, meaning there is still the potential to further develop a relationship between Beq and Grogu. It’s hard to say what the studio feels about it. Still, glimpses of Best making Kelleran Beq a big deal gradually would be an interesting subplot to vouch for.
Best’s promotion from Jar Jar Binks was particularly exciting as, this time, Best was an able fighter, a skilled pilot, and was even capable of flying a ship into hyperspace. Honestly, after writing him as a weirdly talking space creature, it is befitting to restore Best as a character who is a more prominent part of the galaxy. And fans have been emotional to see him return again.
We have seen Order 66 play out from several perspectives. This one in The Mandalorian may become memorable for establishing Grogu’s connection to the Jedi and the heart-touching and nostalgic surprise.
Do you guys think Kelleran Beq has a future in The Mandalorian? And if it has, would you be up for having Ahmed Best for a more significant and high-value role?
