The Mandalorian just did the impossible. It turned Ahmed Best from one of the most hated figures in Star Wars history into one of the most beloved, thanks to an assist from Baby Yoda. But can the franchise do the same thing for Jar Jar Binks himself? It might sound absurd, but if you consider the evidence, a plot to bring Jar Jar back to Star Wars (and make fans like him, no less) may already be underway.
The Return of Ahmed Best
The Mandalorian Season 3 Episode 4 brought back the actor best known for his motion-captured performance as Jar Jar Binks as an entirely different Star Wars character: the Jedi teacher Kelleran Beq.
During a flashback to Order 66 at the Jedi Temple, we learn that it was Beq who saved Baby Yoda from murderous Clone Troopers. Not only that, but he easily fought them off with two lightsabers at once before escaping into hyperspace.
This might seem like fan service, but Beq was actually the best (and only) option Lucasfilm had for a character to save Baby Yoda. However, there’s more to it than that. Beq had some help from a troop of Naboo soldiers. But who sent them? The answer may surprise you.
Return to Naboo
We’ve probably seen the last of Ahmed Best’s Kelleran Beq, at least for a while, but there’s another way Star Wars can continue to explain the story of Grogu’s survival. If the question is, “Who sent those Naboo soldiers to help Kelleran Beq?” then there are only a few possible answers:
- Padmé somehow did it despite being in the middle of a crisis of her own at the time
- Bail Organa did it (he may be from Alderaan, but he’s close friends with a Naboo princess)
- Another new character sent those soldiers
- It was everyone’s favorite Nabooian, Jar Jar Binks
Jar Jar might seem to be the least likely answer, especially since Lucasfilm just rebooted Ahmed Best as a different Star Wars character, but there’s one key detail to consider. The franchise may already be plotting a return to Naboo during a very specific time period.
Recent reports suggest that Andor Season 2 is filming at the same castle used for some of the exterior palace scenes on Naboo in Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace. But since Andor takes place in the time gap between Episodes III and IV, most of the prequel characters are long gone. The exception? None other than Jar Jar Binks.
Outside of a few books, not much is known about what happened to Jar Jar after Revenge of the Sith. It’s possible that after realizing he’d fallen for Emperor Palpatine’s evil scheme, Binks managed to redeem himself by aiding in the rescue of Grogu. And if Andor Season 2 does feature a return to Naboo, then maybe Cassian Andor will come across a repentant Jar Jar ready to share his story with anyone willing to listen.
