Ahmed Best Reveals Why There’s a Jar Jar Renaissance With Star Wars Fans

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Ahmed Best, who played the role of Jar Jar Binks in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, is surprised by the character’s recent surge in popularity. However, he believes that George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars, had foreseen this all along. In interviews, Best has openly discussed how the widespread dislike for his character affected him personally. Today, Jar Jar Binks is often met with fond nostalgia from fans, and Best has certainly noticed this shift. During an interview at Star Wars Celebration, Best revealed that Lucas had anticipated this change in fan sentiment.

Absolutely! It’s astonishing to me, and I believe the reason is that as those children who cherished Jar Jar Binks have grown up, they now have kids of their own. So, for many people, Jar Jar served as their gateway into the Star Wars universe, much like A New Hope, Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi were my Star Wars. Consequently, it’s only natural that we’re experiencing a resurgence, and truth be told, George Lucas foresaw this. He was quite visionary, so he understood that by now, things would turn out as they have.

It’s widely observed that fans’ growing appreciation for Jar Jar Binks mirrors the reaction to Ewoks. Initially, some viewers disliked these characters due to their overly adorable appearance during the climactic battle of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. However, children who first saw them found them endearing, and with hindsight, it’s rare to find someone who would argue they didn’t belong in the story.

Admittedly, I used to be unaware of any issues regarding the Ewoks. However, my perspective has shifted over time. They remain a favorite of mine.

At age 24, he landed the role of Jar Jar Binks, a significant career milestone for him. In later interviews, he admitted pouring his own character into the part. However, when criticism started pouring in, he found it challenging to separate the negative responses from himself. He perceived these criticisms as personal attacks and shared that he experienced suicidal thoughts during this time.

There’s a deeper side to Jar Jar’s story within Star Wars fandom, including aspects related to racism. Yet, Ahmed Best has managed to move beyond that, partly due to his transformation into Jedi Master Kelleran Beq in The Mandalorian Season 3. Best expressed his eagerness to explore this character more and display even more of his personal martial arts skills.

Right now, you can stream Best’s impressive portrayals in both the Star Wars prequel trilogy and The Mandalorian Season 3 on Disney+. As of this moment, there are no new roles for Best currently listed on IMDb.

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2025-04-21 20:40