‘It’s good to be back’: Jar Jar Binks actor Ahmed Best addresses his return to Star Wars universe

Ahmed Best is overwhelmed by the fan reaction to his Star Wars return.

In episode four of The Mandalorian’s third season, the actor, who made his debut in the franchise in 1999, made a surprise appearance.

Viewers were left in disbelief by his presence and immediately began heaping praise upon his performance as Jedi master Kelleran Beq.

The reason why his appearance has rocked the fandom so much is because Best is the star who provided the voice and motion-capture for Jar Jar Binks in Episode I – The Phantom Menace.

The role of Jar Jar Binks was heavily criticised at the time, and Best found himself at the centre of a racist backlash from toxic franchise fans.

In the wake of his Mandalorian appearance, Best wrote on Instagram: “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.”

He then proceeded to share a flurry of excited responses from fans who were happy to see him return to the sci-fi universe.

This is not the first time Best has played Kelleran Beq. He appeared as the character in the children’s game show Star Wars: Jedi Challenge, which saw Beq supervise young contestants as they took on a “Jedi training” obstacle course.

Speaking about the character, Best previously said: “I wanted to pay homage to some Jedi of the past. There’s a mentorship that Obi-Wan Kenobi has and that Yoda has that are very much a nurturing kind of mentorship and I wanted to see if I could capture that nurturing sense.”

The Mandalorian airs Wednesdays on Disney Plus.