If there is one Star Wars actor that has paid his dues more than any other, then that would be Ahmed Best, the man behind the much-maligned prequel character of Jar Jar Binks. There are few characters in the history of cinema that have received the outright hate that Best’s character received when The Phantom Menace was released in 1999. Yet now, over 25 years later, Best is co-writing a new Star Wars one-shot from Marvel Comics that will be focused on Jar Jar.
During the Lucasfilm panel at New York Comic Con (via Bleeding Cool), it was revealed that Marc Guggenheim, Kieran McKeown, and Laura Braga will be bringing Star Wars: Jar Jar to print in February 2026, with the help of Best. According to the blurb, Star Wars: Jar Jar has the following story:
“Jar Jar Binks returns – co-written by Jar Jar himself, Ahmed Best! Jar Jar faces the consequences of giving emergency powers to Chanellor Palpatine. What pivotal role does Jar Jar play in the formation of the Rebel Alliance? Guest starring fan-favorite Jedi Knight Kelleran Beq!”
This makes the comic even more centered on Best, as he also played Beq in The Mandalorian, so the story could not be in better hands than those of the man who was behind both characters. All in all, Best has come a long way since the traumatic time he suffered two decades ago, and this latest project is just another step along Jar Jar and Best’s long road to redemption.
Ahmed Best Shared How Jar Jar Binks Backlash Hit Him Hard
While it is very easy for fans of any franchise to air their grievances, frustrations, and even outright hateful comments online without a second thought, the result can have a profound impact on those on the receiving end of a torrent of what amounts to bullying and abuse.
This is something that Best can attest to, as the harsh reaction to Jar Jar Binks actually led to him contemplating taking his own life. Speaking on The Redemption of Jar Jar Binks podcast in 2023, Best explained:
“I’m on the edge [of the Brooklyn Bridge], and I see the Statue of Liberty. And I see the East River. And the only thought in my head is, ‘I’ll show all of you. I’ll show you, I’ll show you what you are doing to me. And when I’m gone, then you’ll feel it.’”
Best went on to say that his “logical brain” finally began to kick in, and he started to think about his family and what such an action would mean to them, and after the incident on the bridge, he realized that he could not control other people and what they said about him, but he could control what he did. What he did was leave New York for Los Angeles. In the years that followed, he has built up an impressive resume in Hollywood, but more importantly to some, not only has he returned to the Star Wars saga as Kelleran Beq for his own redemption, but Jar Jar Binks is also no longer the hated figure he once was.
- Release Date
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May 19, 1999
- Runtime
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136 minutes
- Producers
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Rick McCallum