This article contains spoilers for The Mandalorian Season 3, Episode 4.
The Mandalorian‘s new episode has just dropped and delivers a genuinely heartwarming moment for a past Star Wars legend. The episode primarily focuses on a mission to recover a Mandalorian child snatched by a dragon-like creature. Grogu can’t join the hunting party, so spends some quality time with the Armorer, with the pounding of the forge giving him a flashback to the trauma of Order 66.
Star Wars has shown that fateful day from many angles, with The Mandalorian‘s take seeing the young Grogu being spirited away from the Jedi Temple by the dual saber-wielding Kelleran Beq. This Jedi proved to be a capable fighter, pilot, and kept his cool under pressure, eventually fleeing aboard a Naboo ship into hyperspace.
And who played this dashingly cool Jedi warrior? Jar Jar freakin’ Binks. That’s right folks, Ahmed Best, the pratfalling “how wuude,” poop-stepping klutz of The Phantom Menace has made his return to Star Wars as one of the coolest Jedi we’ve seen in a hot minute. Best has actually played Beq before, though in the YouTube ‘Star Wars Kids’ show Jedi Temple Challenge, and it’s safe to say we didn’t expect to see him here.
This is something of a redemption for Best, who hadn’t anticipated the sheer level of Jar Jar hatred in the wake of The Phantom Menace‘s release in 1999. Best later revealed that Lucasfilm gave him no support during this and that at one point he even contemplated taking his own life.
All of this means that to see Star Wars recasting him as a supreme badass is a very touching moment. After all, if you’re going to blame anyone for Jar Jar Binks (who, let’s be clear, is awful) blame George Lucas for writing him into the movie, not the actor who played him.
The Mandalorian airs Wednesdays on Disney Plus.