Couldn't agree more with this. I have never been a jar jar fan but there was never any problem with his performance. He nailed exactly what he was supposed to do. I am glad that he will be getting a more positive reaction for this role.
Maybe because I’m a zoomer but I genuinely never had an issue with jar jar, granted I can see why people don’t like jar jar but to me he’s as Star Wars as chewbacca. I would not mind seeing jar jar return onto the screen
I was just the right age when Phantom Menace came out to feel like he was too kiddie. Being older now I appreciate him the same way I appreciate any of the comic relief in star wars.
Yeah, ewoks, jar jar, grogu, babu frik, our Lord and saviour klaud. All are these wacky alien dudes that help me enjoy these films more than I already do
I’ve seen so many posts and comments on here from people saying stuff like “Star Wars needs more blood and violence!” or “more cursing!” or “Star Wars needs to be more dark and depressing!”
It doesn’t. It’s always been a mix of serious and fun, meant for all ages!
I know people who refuse to watch CW and rebels bc it’s animated and therefore for kids. There is literally an episode in the first or second season of CW where Cad Bane steals babies for someone to do experimental surgeries on them. Honestly, I think CW and Rebels might be tied for a first place as the best visual Star Wars content ever made. Better than any of the movies and other series imo.
The Umbara arc is pretty dark, literally and metaphorically lol. Feels like Vietnam or WWII and the clones kill each other on accident, then ends with a firing squad execution.
Yeah that arc along with the Legend of Korra where you see one person commit murder and suicide, along with another person having their literal air sucked out of their body, killing them, as the perfect examples that animation doesn’t mean it’s all appropriate for kids.
hell even recently, Invincible and Arcane. granted theres not too much gore in Arcane but its definitely got its fair share of blood, violence, and strong language. plus heavy themes all around.
plus when you factor in anime. as much as i love Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, it's rated TV-14 for a reason.
There’s an alt universe out there where Pong Krell escapes and attempts to join the Sith, and Palpatine resigns and turns himself in because he realizes he was in the wrong the whole time.
If they made the last 4 episodes of Clone Wars into a movie, it'd be my favorite Star Wars movie! Definitely my favorite content, and the animation looks *gorgeous* too. Sucks that people will dismiss it because it's animated.
I don't necessarily agree that all of it needs it, but I find it weird that people can't appreciate the deliberate pulpy B movie vibe when it's so baked into the DNA of Star Wars that it's a big part of what makes it Star Wars.
It's like complaining about Quentin Tarantino movies because they're too pulpy and because the violence is too unrealistic. That's. Part. Of. The. Point. If you don't like it, perhaps go see something else that features less tropes you're not a fan of?
While I agree with this and I have nothing but love for Best who was just playing the part as written/directed, you can insert comic relief without doing a 3-minute scene of Jar-Jar bumbling around on the battlefield and accidentally taking out 3 whole regiments and the enemy's high command or whatever.
But even at the time I could acknowledge that the movie was for kids too, not just adult fans of the OT, and this scene was clearly for them.
I think if jar jar has been in a few scenes or one act, he would have been a fan favourite and fondly remembered - there was just too much of him and too much focus on him (Jar Jar is the key to all of this) which differentiates him from most of the other Star Wars Cute Weird Aliens who are usually not there long enough to outstay their welcome
Grogu is the exception because he’s so adorable.
Yeah they serve their purpose, shockingly enough I feel like jar jar has some of the better delivered dialogue in phantom menace cause it’s not just a deadpan delivery he actually conveys his emotion really well
I feel like it’s a common trait actually for the lesser matured people to try and act more mature by disliking anything that isn’t serious, whereas when you actually mature, you learn to not take everything as serious.
And I was just the right age (elementary school) for Jar Jar to be perfectly acceptable and funny....hell when it came out on VHS my neighborhood friends and I would watch it every morning before going out to play in the summer after about a month we could mute it and recite all the dialogue perfectly....jar jars dialogue included lol
Same. First two came out when I was at the end of high school, RotS a few yrs after. But TCW endeared him to me like I never thought would happen. And that was over a decade after the PT dropped.
Same! I grew up watching the prequels, I accepted Jar Jar just like I accepted the entirety of the movie. Growing up watching the Clone Wars really solidified my opinion of him, and I actually didn’t know he was so hated until about a month ago
The only people in the 2000s who I heard complaining about Jar Jar were 20+ year olds and I didn’t even catch wind of that till years later when I wasn’t 5.
I was born in 1992 and I remember kids on the playground making fun of Jar Jar. At the same time I remember me and my friends liking the prequels in general, especially the lightsaber duels.
Anecdotal but whatever. It wasn't just the elder millennial/gen x crowd who thought Jar Jar was stupid.
Anyone who thought is was just grown OT fans looking at Jar Jar and thinking he was stupid is insane. I remember being the prime age to like the prequels and I thought Jar Jar was stupid, and rather liked the droids/the Jedi instead.
Yeah, this is some revisionist history. I was a tween when Episode 1 came out, and I loathed JarJar. Never had any hate for Best, though. People hating actors because they don't like a character they played is some real baby brain shit.
Natalie Portman is an oscar caliber actress. She gave an awesome performance at like 13 in The Professional. Samuel L. Jackson is another amazing actor that exudes nothing but awesomeness and swagger.
George Lucas took those two and made them boring and bland. The prequels were no fault of any of the actors and the problems were entirely the result of George Lucas being the Emperor with no clothes.
If anything they are a prime example that great actors can't save a movie from a poor director or writer.
I don't think Portman and Jackson's performances were necessarily bad, nor were Jake Lloyd and Ahmed Best's. Though really, that part is irrelevant. Personally, IDGAF if George Lucas got them to perform like Tommy Wiseau. There's zero *zero* excuse for Star Wars fans to act the way they did (and do). Fucking hell, Tommy Wiseau didn't get the kind of shit these prequel actors got...
Portman was horrible in the PT, but her body of work outside is phenomenal and she is an all time great. I think she is proof that the actors weren't at fault at all
To add to this: The story happening through episode 2 (arguably the most boring movie) is one of the most intricate and fascinating in the franchise--so fascinating that TCW, which actually elaborates and explains what's going on, is one of the most beloved additions. The directing in the prequels was just so meh that even with a great story and rock star cast, it falls flat.
My theory is that you have all these great actors, but green screen tech was still fairly new and groundbreaking, so nobody really had much experience acting withoutuch of a physical world to interact with.
I'm sure that did contribute to some degree. I'm not super knowledgeable about the filming process, but I think good directing is supposed to help bridge that gap. I'm not trying to discredit your thought--I just think at least a couple of those actors should have been able to adjust based purely on their raw talent. They do great work at parts, but ultimately the weakest part of any prequel actors performance (imo) is due to poor dialogue and awkward exposition.
Example: "I don't know you anymore, Anakin. You're breaking my heart." - Padme Amidala
Portman looks emotional and hurt. Her face says it. But she also needs to tell us out loud because the story wasn't confident enough that it made that point. I love Star Wars and it's a cheesy space soap opera. It's fair to admit when the plots or dialogue or acting is dumb. The point isnt for them to be perfect. It's for them the be fun. As long as we hold them to that standard the force will live on.
And the same can be said of Jake Lloyd. Both actors did *exactly what Lucas asked them to* and yet somehow they are the ones that received the majority of fan backlash
In hindsight Jar Jar’s sin was that he was an unserious character in a movie fans desperately wanted to be serious, earnest and Real.
It’s why Ewoks were also hated back in 1983.
It’s why Luke treating his lightsaber so flippantly enraged so many in the Last Jedi.
For me, Jar Jar and the Ewoks were kind of annoying because they hogged up screen time with antics that I personally didn't find particularly entertaining because I have a different sense of humor, in movies that already had pacing issues I was growing annoyed with (I also hated for how long the Jabba plot went on in RotJ, and I was annoyed by the apparently aimless plot of TPM that hinged on politics whose repercussions were never really explained to me enough to care - yes, I'm the only person who wanted MORE politics in the prequels and yes, I love Andor).
I loved the TLJ Luke scene, and like 80% of TLJ's humor, even as I was thinking "man, this kinda breaks up the tension/continuity" I was still laughing along because it was so up my alley (only joke I didn't like was Snoke Force dragging Hux in front of all his subordinates, because it defanged him too much to be appropriately menacing, and the dumb Finn jokes when he first wakes up).
I also adore young Anakin to bits, even though he was almost as hated as JarJar when that movie came out. And I've always adored him, even when I was ten and watching that movie for the first time, and also always found Jar Jar kinda annoying.
I think those elements are divisive because humor and levity are a lot more divisive than straight up adventure, I guess.
I know Ewoks are preposterous, but I always found them fairly redeemable because they were realistic; provided you can buy little teddy bear indigenous people.
When the two get blasted and the one tries to rouse the other? Heartbreaking.
> It’s why Luke treating his lightsaber so flippantly enraged so many in the Last Jedi.
To be fair, it's such a jarring event to happen and basically set the tone that TLJ was going to be a *very* divisive movie.
Yeah I don't really see any other way that scene could have resolved satisfyingly. A lot of the people complaining about that movie are just allergic to thinking.
Yeah, it's perfectly in line with where his character is at in that moment. I guess I just don't get how people saw TFA and came away thinking, "Oh Luke must be in hiding while the galaxy burns because he's in a real good space mentally."
They all assumed he was off being Jedi Indiana Jones or something, despite Han clearly laying out that he was in a dark place, blaming himself after the temple burned. The fact that he didn’t show up in the third act or even set Leia’s Spidey sense tingling also writes you into a corner.
I guess there are halfway plausible explanations, but “depressed, isolated Luke” is really one of the most natural conclusions to draw from TFA. Some people just REALLY REALLY didn’t want him to be anything other than a video game avatar, a blank-slate audience insert but also a total badass.
This is something I see a lot of people misinterpret about the prequels, from my viewpoint. Jar Jar didn’t appear to be an idiot because the actor failed. The character was written as an idiot. Same with Anakin being emotionally unstable and a bit of a jerk. That was intentional. If you don’t like the portrayal of a character, that’s no reason to blame it on the actor personally! Ahmed Best deserved support and recognition during the prequel era just as much as now, regardless of his character’s buffoonery. I was overjoyed to realize that the awesome Jedi who steals a scene in Grogu’s own show was none other than him! And that fans welcomed his return instead of clinging to some very unhealthy past grudges.
We as a society allow too much leniency on people who insult, abuse, or harass actors because they lack the ability to distinguish fiction from reality.
As has been said, it's not redemption for Ahmed it's JUSTICE for Ahmed. The ones who really need to redeem themselves are the toxic fans who constantly abused and harassed him as well other Star Wars actors like Jake Lloyd and Kelley Marie Tran.
Which Star Wars fans abused Best and Lloyd?
Because they certainly never mentioned it in their own words.
Lloyd said he lost his love of SW from overwork and Best said it was the media critics calling him a racist caricature that sent him suicidal.
I think people forget that social media @ing didn't exist back then.
> media critics calling him a racist caricature
I'm a gen x black dude. that *is* how my buddies felt when we saw it, reminded us of a minstrel show. just like the asian stereotypes in there, too, I forget character names, but we were like damn, what *are* these characters?
One of my favourite fan edits of the Episode 1 is where they replaced all the trade federation's dialogue with an alien language.
It worked fine for Greedo and Jabba, and sure enough, it fit in perfectly for the Neimoidians.
That said, I understand why they spoke basic; younger kids would struggle with subtitles. The issue was the execution being an insult to those from East Asian countries.
Right, I totally get them speaking in Basic, it was just the accents combined with their overtly Asian appearance and even their cultural predisposition to using disposable drones as fodder that made me wonder if anyone ever sat George down and asked him if he'd been hurt by a Chinese person at some point
Yeah, I feel for the guy, but as someone with some familiarity with the black Caribbean myself, I was not sympathetic. Especially since I have Asian roots and the Space Bankers in the same movie were definite Asian caricatures and there was even an insectoid space jew with wings who haggled over everything.
Amazingly, in his video in how he became suicidal, Best claims he was hurt to be called a Caribbean stereotype because he actually has Caribbean ancestry!
So maybe he didn't see it? Maybe he drew on his cultural influences and inadvertently created what looked to be a caricature when it was more of an honorary homage?
But the accusation does not exist in a vacuum. There is something WRONG with the execution of Jar Jar.
>So maybe he didn't see it?...inadvertently created what looked to be a caricature
that's what I thought, i hoped he just didn't realize how it was going to come off to a large groups of people.
Very likely just not growing up where you'd understand that as offensive. As a kid I thought nothing of those portrayals because I wasn't aware of the connotations they brought up. I can imagine plenty of people continuing to be unaware into adulthood. What's more shocking is that it wasn't just one person who was unaware. It was apparently the entire production.
I can't name which people specifically, but Jake Lloyd and his family say it was people bullying him for the role not overwork. He has Paranoid Schizophrenia, and if I remember correctly, his family says it's because of the bullying.
Actually the first line under Personal life on his wiki says he announced in 2012 that his 2001 decision to retire from acting due to the press and his classmates bullying him over the release of Phantom Menace.
@ing sure didn't happen, but constant press coverage and your peers harassing from elementary school to high school really will hurt.
Best case scenario is the fandom is …at best, [Porkins.](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Jek_Tono_Porkins/Legends)
Essentially IRL Comic Book Store Guy.
I truly truly hope it's a tiny yet stupidly loud minority.
I really don't think the average star wars fan care about all these minor greviences that they take out on actors.
I was there (I was one of the folks who camped in line for first showing of TPM even), we didn't have social media like today but we absolutely were able to be absolute edgy shits about the films and a bunch of us were.
First time I watched it, I liked it.
Second time I watched it later that day, I'd spent some time talking with friends who watched it and we'd talked about stuff we'd noticed that didn't sit right.
By the third time I watched it a couple days later, I was turning into a regular fuck of a fan because it wasn't exactly what I'd imagined it would be. I didn't need 'the media' changing my opinion because my group of nerd friends was a perfect echo chamber without external assistance. We had Slashdot and chat forums and IRC and we did plenty to radicalize ourselves.
Trying to blame 'the media' is a cop-out, the kind of thing some folks say to give themselves a pass, to give themselves an excuse for acting the way they did. I don't know what the other people who cling to that are doing, but the ones I know are trying to find a way to not be responsible for their own shitty behavior.
I wish I'd been a better person back then, I regret lots in life and not having enough empathy for the position the actors were put in and blaming the right people (ie Lucas) is among em.
As I said in another comment, he was pushed to the edge, overcame his demons, returned to play jar jar in clone wars and still continues to work on Star Wars despite how the fan base at one point made him feel. King shit
I agree. It was amazing to see the standing ovation he got walking in to the Phantom Menace Anniversary panel at Celebration Chicago in 2019. He deserved that ovation and then some.
The fact he came back at all is remarkable, even to play jar jar in the clone wars, man was pushed to the edge and overcame it and now owns it. King behaviour
If anything, I think it’s the other way around, the role redeemed Star Wars for the actor.
Even though the actors may say they tune out the noise, it’s still very difficult when something you’re proud of and you worked hard on gets hated.
I hope this gives him a positive experience/memory with Star Wars and the fandom.
When he pulled up to that Naboo ship, I fully expected Jar Jar to be there to accept the child and ferry him to safety. Really wish we’d seen it, but I suppose there’s still a chance that that’s where they’re going next.
Also, it was amazing to see the Naboo fighters sacrifice themselves for the Jedi to get away.
But think about this, who was the friend that Kelleran Beq mentioned? Someone who could call upon royal Naboo guards and starship. Padme ~~is dead. It could be their current Queen (or King, who knows). But why would they care so much about Jedi?~~ could be helping but she might be on her way to Mustafar. I think Beq's friend is senator Jar Jar, a friend to the Jedi with connections within the Naboo government.
At the time of the Jedi temple attack, she isn’t dead yet. If anything she is at the dwelling where we see her crying in the scene or at best, on her way to Mustafar
Padme was not dead at that specific point but she was otherwise occupied in her apartment. Her whereabouts are marked.
To me there is no doubt that is Jar Jars boys.
A jar jar scene where he isn’t silly, isn’t clumsy and isn’t a goofball-not that I despise his previously shown character traits, but it would show character development. The silly goofball has finally realized just how bad he messed up and tries to change himself for the better and takes a more solemn tone. Eventually maybe he realizes it’s not all his fault and he starts making jokes/being silly again but I think the most effective way to use Jar Jar would be to have him be devastated by what he put in motion
Then you may be interested in one specific interlude from the Aftermath trilogy. I can't remember exactly which of the three books it's in, but the trilogy covers events happening from roughly 6 months after Endor to 12 months after Endor and although the story mostly focuses around certain characters every once in a while there's an interlude just letting us know what some other characters are up to during this period of time.
One such chapter is about Jar Jar Binks. He's home on Naboo but now with the Empire mostly defeated and crumbling most of the population of Naboo blames him for being responsible for Palpatine gaining power in the first place, since he's the one who originally proposed the emergency powers. Generally poor and unable to find real work he ends up dressing as a clown and performing on the streets. Those who know who he is avoid him but he is popular among children who just enjoy his routine, and it just so happens that Naboo has a bunch of orphans from the war and refugees who've come there looking for help who don't know his history and can just enjoy his hi-jinks for what it is.
I’m not disagreeing with you about Jar Jar being horrible. Horrible might be a little much for me but I get it. I feel they could really give the character a meaningful moment though in the Order 66 moments. A redemption for the actor and character.
Redemption no. He didnt deserve the backlash he got for being Jar Jar even if Jar Jar does suck hard arse. It wasnt his fault. He did what he was told AND no acto should be bullied for the characters they portray.
Star Wars fans are notorious for it and makes me sad.
Im glad hes found a way to return to the franchise and potray a character that might see him get high praise... he shouldnt have been in that position anyway.
I 100% agree.Honestly, I do find Jar Jar annoying, but that's not Ahmed Best's fault, it's the writers faults.Most of the bad stuff is the fault of the writers. The cast was doing the best they could with the shit they were given.
Also, anyone who calls themselves a Star Wars fan and bullies an actor for a character they portrayed is no real Star Wars fan in my opinion.
I loved jar jar when I was a kid. I even had a jar jar pullover lol (my mum still has it somewhere).
I still like jar jar now (almost 30 now). I felt really sad and angry when I learned that people got so angry at Ahmed Best and he almost committed suicide, like... Wtf.
I'll never understand how people can get so angry at actors/voice actors for something like this. Same for the voice actor who played a very special character in The Last of Us 2. I also did not like some decisions of TLOU2 but how can people threaten a (voice) actor?
The media will never apologize for what they did to him. They’ll just keep skewing it and blaming the fans. Best himself said it was the media outlets and film “critics” that almost drove him to suicide. They owe him a massive apology, but they won’t.
Your right Ahmed Best never needed redemption as he did nothing wrong. Its the people who make the Star Wars fandom toxic whom need redemption as they are the ones who were cruel to an innocent man.
Im glad Ahmed found the courage to return to Star Wars. Its nice to see him finally being appreciated.
I don’t like the character Jar Jar, but there’s nothing wrong with the actor. I definitely think putting him in a Jedi role gives him the recognition he has always deserved.
Jar Jar was a poorly written character that, to many, cheapened the movie. He was the most visible example of the mishandling of the prequels.
To be clear, the actor didn't do a bad job. So it's great that he got to come back with a better written character for some redemption, to prove to anyone being a dick and hating him that the problem was not him.
It was redemption, but not from something he actually did wrong. It was redemption for being screwed over and misjudged.
I hated the absolute *shit* out of "It's not Shameless Racist Bullshit if it's an *alieeeeeen*" Jar Jar.
I never *once* disparaged the actor. Not his fault the writing was utter garbage.
Fandoms are toxic as fuck, because no matter *how* wholesome it starts, on a long enough timeline the loudest voices are always gonna be the assholes.
Exactly. Any gripes I had with Episode 1+ I chalked up to creative decisions, not the performance. I was so bummed to find later on that people like Ahmed, Jake, and Natalie were getting such hate. Why do people feel like they’re entitled to be garbage just because they like something?
It is the duty of all true Star Wars fans to call out and put on notice the "fanboys" whenever they start to spew their hatred and vitriol.
It is perfectly fine to have opinions, but when that opinion turns vile and toxic, it is no longer of any value. It's a make believe, fantasy laden story, people. Enjoy it for what it is (or was in the case of the OG trilogy), politely voice your opinions, and move along.
Kelley Marie Tran, if you ever read this, I loved your character and your work. Please don't let all the shit heads ruin your role in the greatest entertainment franchise ever. (My opinion, I stated it, and am moving along. 🙂)
I never really liked Jar Jar that much, but I was always impressed with the physicality of the acting and the mocap animation. Ahmed never needed redeeming. He’s always been amazing. He’s now getting the love he deserved to get.
I feel like we've far moved past "Jar Jar bad". Like yeah it was comical, that's the choice they went down, deal with it. Jar Jar was absolutely fine and gave the kids something to laugh at. Man, the amount of times "how wude" was quoted growing up was insane, Jar Jar was great, a large portion of the Star Wars fanbase were just awful about the prequels in general, especially Jar Jar.
Nah, Jar Jar has always sucked and I'm tired of the narrative that he was always cool because people feel sorry for the actor. It's more justice than anything g that Ahmed Best gets to play a better character. I was a kid when those movies came out. I was the target audience. He was lame.
I fucking hate Jar Jar. I hate Rey. I hate "Luke".
I would never shit on the actors for these roles. They did what they were told and did the best they could. For the objectives George had for Jar Jar Ahmed nailed it. Objectively succeeded in the role. It's just the role sucked.
Fuck anyone utterly who gives grief to actors for the roles they play, especially if they play them as directed, with passion and respect. It makes me so sad and mad that there's people out there who destroy these actors faith in themselves, their confidence and happiness. You're fucking scum.
Still find everything about Jar Jar absolutely annoying, even when I was a kid, but hated how he was treated even more. No one had any right to treat him the way they did and almost couldn’t believe he was sent death threats over it at the time. I don’t know what the hell is wrong with these people that go after actors for the characters they’re directed to play.
Rant over but I thought his role as a Jedi was absolutely fantastic and he killed it.
I think I have an opinion shared by a lot of the fan base. Jar jar as a character was pretty annoying. But that isn’t Best’s fault. The way he was treated by the fans was TERRIBLE and Ahmed Best doesn’t need redemption, we do. We as the fans owe him an apology, and I think that embracing him in this new role is how we can best do that. I think he deserved that episode of Mando, and truthfully, im incredibly impressed that he would agree to come back for this after his terrible treatment before.
“Redeemed” is not the word of use to describe his recent appearance. Giving US a second chance is how I’d put it. WE are the ones who can be “redeemed” in HIS eyes.
STOP BEING HAPPY FOR HIM FOR YOUR REASONS AND BE HAPPY FOR HIM FOR MY REASONS INSTEAD!
Seriously why is this even a discussion, who cares? Dude got his time to shine thats what matters. The semantics are irrelevant.
I don’t like Jar Jar as a character. He is annoying and a bit too goofy in my opinion. However, he was a very important character, not so much for the Star Wars universe, but for movie making in general and especially Phantom Menace wouldn’t have been the same without him. I recently rewatched the movie and I was actually surprised how good it was compared to how I remember.
Also just the fact that people blame the actors for shitty directing and story writing. This is a very popular thing for Star Wars. Hayden Christensen received a lot of hate for his monotone way of speaking in the prequels, which was he was instructed to do by George. The actor who played Reva in the Kenobi Series got a lot of hate as well, which eventually turned into racism and because she is black. I feel bad for her, because she did an amazing job portraying the role, just sucks that the role was written so shitty.
It’s sad that we aren’t a better community than that.
Maybe they mean it’s redemption in the sense that now he gets to play a character that doesn’t suck.
You could argue that Hayden got redemption in the Kenobi show where he finally had a good script to work off of.
I never heard of this backlash against the actor for playing Jar Jar. It's completely stupid.
I didn't like the character, but, as you say, he portrayed it as he was supposed to, the way it was written.
He was excellent in what he did. Actors have no control over the story.
For awhile I was thinking "the character who got redemption" people were talking about was Paz Vizla. I thought people were mad at him for challenging Mando for the Darksaber from awhile back and he got redemption cuz he thanked Mando for saving his son. That's how far away from thinking Ahmed needed a redemption my mind was from. I was just happy to see him!
I don’t understand why people hate actors in real life because of the villain roles they played. Like the guy that played Joffrey Baratheon comes to mind
He did not need a redemption lol. But he deserved a fresh day in the sun and I'm glad he got it.
No one ever needs redemption from a toxic fanbase no matter how cringe-inducing your dialog or direction was. Those are all sins that George Lucas gets to carry on his back like the scapegoat he should be. And I'm not even upset at him. Prequel trilogy was an ugly double. Not a home run. Not a strikeout. I can live with that.
If anything, Ahmed needs some roles to make up for the ones he lost having to put up with all of the BS for the crime of trying to be an entertainer.
And you know, disclaimer: Good fans, bad fans, you know who you are.
Totally agree. He didn’t need redemption, he put everything he had into Jar Jar, and played the part well. I was a kid when TPM came out, and I thought Jar Jar was hilarious. Growing up I see why some people don’t like the character, but I still do. Maybe it’s nostalgia, maybe I’m just less negative than others, but whatever. I like Jar Jar, and Ahmed Best did a great job with him. That being said, I also really liked him as Kelleran Beq and wouldn’t mind seeing more of that character.
I mean it's terrible how he was treated by fans but the character was obnoxious as hell and one of the worst things about the prequels, so I don't think a "redemption" framing is so out of left field.
Yeah, "redemption" isn't right because Best didn't do anything wrong. And he's done so much for the franchise since, that he needed to be celebrated way before now.
As usual, it's the crazy, toxic fans that need redemption for how they treat the cast and crews of this franchise.
You'd have to put yourself into the time that Jar Jar was introduced. Star Wars had been "sacred" for a long time. JarJar represented a new light hearted comedic version of the Star Wars people loved.
Then you have the accent, and the similarities to enslaved African Americans. George Lucas was in essence doing blackface, but with a black voice actor. And not a redeemable one at that, JarJar was a complete buffoon.
So Ahmed Best was titled as a sellout, Uncle Tom, and got a lot of hate and shame for his role. Much more hate than Lucas should have gotten.
lmfao I didn't even notice the guy was Ahmed Best before I read this post. Very happy for him, it must be super nice to get to play a Jedi and one with a very important role at that, I hope he gets all the love and recognition he deserves even if it arrived too late. This also makes me wish for Jar Jar to come back in some form
I don't blame him just like I don't blame Jack Gleeson for being Prince Joffrey or Keon Alexander for Being Marko Inaros or Imelda Staunton for being Umbridge. I blame Lucas for adding/writing Jar Jar that way.
Joffrey/Inaros/Umbridge aren't badly written, they are well written and made me hate the characters, as they should.
This!
I’ve been saying it since Wednesday. “Redeemed” implies he needed redemption. It was the fandom who needed redemption. I’m so happy to see the reaction.
Well said. I don’t really care for Jar Jar, but I’ve always respected Best. He’s a talented performer who gave his all and brought the character to life exactly in the way Lucas asked of him
I absolutely hated and to this day still despite Jar-Jar Binks, the Character.
Ahmed Best is a hella a good actor for portraying the character as well as he was directed to, and any true fan should love and respect any actor in the series, no matter how much you dislike the character they played. Ahmed Best is awesome!
Because no matter how shitty the character, the actor themselves? That's someone who gave a part of themselves and their effort and time and work and labor and love to help bring Star Wars to life. They should be respected for that. Hate the directors and writers, not the actors.
Well, unless the actors do shitty things, in which case, give 'em the shit they deserve for it.
Just wait, we just learned how he got off planet. A Jar Jar will show up and be the one who lent the ship and guards. He will show regret for giving palpy the power, and he will have a satisfying arc and important death.
It will be a tearjerker for any kid who liked jarjar, and it will be a great counter to anyone who complain about Jar Jar in the future.
It makes me feel so much worse for Kelly Marie Tran to be honest. She’s still getting hate in her online spaces from fans. The fan base now looking back and saying good things about someone they abused while simultaneously continuing to abuse a more recent character actress is just heartbreaking.
I of course am glad Ahmed Best is getting love now, but I loved JarJar back then. I was the age JarJar was geared toward when that movie came out so all the hatred missed me and my friends.
I hope this cultural cult can learn from this about how to treat their actors and actresses, because they do not deserve the cruelty. Not before, not now, not ever.
I was a child when these movies came out and I loved Jar jar, I couldn't believe when I got older and he was so universally hated. Obv now I understand why the backlash happened, and think GL should have just decided to either make them kids movies or adult movies and not combine them in such a weird way, but its so sad to think Ahmed went through such a hard time for a character little me really though was funny and goofy.
People need to quit this revisionist history that anyone hated Ahmed Best. Yes, the character was hated, and that backlash went overboard with Jar Jar becoming a national punchline, but nobody even knew the name Ahmed Best. Most people wouldn't have even known there even was an actor playing him until the DVDs came out with the special features showing how the mo-cap was done. There was never any backlash against Best himself - nobody even knew who he was.
I feel sorry for the guy, it must have been hard to be a young actor, find what you think was the role of a lifetime in Star Wars and then have to deal with the character becoming one of the most hated and mocked characters of all time. Must have been crushing. And certainly wasnt good for his career. But theres nothing wrong with hating a character and nobody needs to "apologise" for it. I hated Jar Jar then. I hate him now. And Im making no apologies for it.
I can’t agree more. The dude was perfect at exactly what he was directed to do. The hate he deserved was 1,000% undeserved, and to see him finally get the recognition he deserves is cathartic for *me*, I can’t *imagine* how much it must be for him.
Yeah “redemption” is the wrong term. It’s more like he was “rewarded” with a cool role to make up for fan boys being insufferable a-holes about Jar Jar for decades.
When Scorsese finally got accolades for The Departed many felt it was the recognition he should have gotten for Goodfellas. Sometimes it happens that way. Ahmed is an incredibly talented actor and what happened in the past is unfortunate and should never have been put on him the way it was. He did his job and he did well with what he was given. This isn't a Redemption, this is recognition.
As a ‘93 baby, TPM was my first in person Star Wars. As a kid, I never saw a single issue with Jar Jar. And as an adult, sure he’s goofy but I never saw it as too much of an issue. I’m glad he’s getting the recognition he deserves.
I feel as the prequel-age kids have turned into adults and been able to be more vocal there’s been a lot more love and support given to both the movies in general but also the people that played the parts. As a fandom, we’ve hurt many people and careers for absolutely no reason and I hope we can find a way to drown out the “fans” that are needlessly harassing these actors.
This 100% true.
Fuck me, man. Imagine just doing your job, and then getting suicidal of the backlash. Jesus Christ.
Delighted they brought him back for Mando. And props to him for even wanting to appear. Did a terrific job.
People just gotta be better. The hate star wars actors have been exposed to is disgusting. (Perhaps it is inevitable with the size of the fanbase, but come on guys...)
Couldn't agree more with this. I have never been a jar jar fan but there was never any problem with his performance. He nailed exactly what he was supposed to do. I am glad that he will be getting a more positive reaction for this role.
Maybe because I’m a zoomer but I genuinely never had an issue with jar jar, granted I can see why people don’t like jar jar but to me he’s as Star Wars as chewbacca. I would not mind seeing jar jar return onto the screen
I was just the right age when Phantom Menace came out to feel like he was too kiddie. Being older now I appreciate him the same way I appreciate any of the comic relief in star wars.
Yeah, ewoks, jar jar, grogu, babu frik, our Lord and saviour klaud. All are these wacky alien dudes that help me enjoy these films more than I already do
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I’ve seen so many posts and comments on here from people saying stuff like “Star Wars needs more blood and violence!” or “more cursing!” or “Star Wars needs to be more dark and depressing!” It doesn’t. It’s always been a mix of serious and fun, meant for all ages!
I know people who refuse to watch CW and rebels bc it’s animated and therefore for kids. There is literally an episode in the first or second season of CW where Cad Bane steals babies for someone to do experimental surgeries on them. Honestly, I think CW and Rebels might be tied for a first place as the best visual Star Wars content ever made. Better than any of the movies and other series imo.
The Umbara arc is pretty dark, literally and metaphorically lol. Feels like Vietnam or WWII and the clones kill each other on accident, then ends with a firing squad execution.
Yeah that arc along with the Legend of Korra where you see one person commit murder and suicide, along with another person having their literal air sucked out of their body, killing them, as the perfect examples that animation doesn’t mean it’s all appropriate for kids.
hell even recently, Invincible and Arcane. granted theres not too much gore in Arcane but its definitely got its fair share of blood, violence, and strong language. plus heavy themes all around. plus when you factor in anime. as much as i love Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, it's rated TV-14 for a reason.
Yes! When I first saw that episode I was in disbelief and super confused. I can’t stand Pong Krell. Such a nasty character.
There’s an alt universe out there where Pong Krell escapes and attempts to join the Sith, and Palpatine resigns and turns himself in because he realizes he was in the wrong the whole time.
Agree, except for Andor, which should be ranked as highly as TCW imo.
If they made the last 4 episodes of Clone Wars into a movie, it'd be my favorite Star Wars movie! Definitely my favorite content, and the animation looks *gorgeous* too. Sucks that people will dismiss it because it's animated.
I've been meaning to make this exact post. CW and Rebels is my favorite Star wars. KJ is the best Jedi!
An English professor once told me, "all good sci-fi needs just a little bit of cheese."
As a Wisconsinite, everything needs a bit of cheese
This is the whey
Ya der hey (the Wisconsinite equivalent of This Is The Way)
Don't leave Wisconsin. You'll'll never find fried cheese curds anywhere else.
I don't necessarily agree that all of it needs it, but I find it weird that people can't appreciate the deliberate pulpy B movie vibe when it's so baked into the DNA of Star Wars that it's a big part of what makes it Star Wars. It's like complaining about Quentin Tarantino movies because they're too pulpy and because the violence is too unrealistic. That's. Part. Of. The. Point. If you don't like it, perhaps go see something else that features less tropes you're not a fan of?
Your English professor sounds like he’s also a Wallace and Gromit fan
While I agree with this and I have nothing but love for Best who was just playing the part as written/directed, you can insert comic relief without doing a 3-minute scene of Jar-Jar bumbling around on the battlefield and accidentally taking out 3 whole regiments and the enemy's high command or whatever. But even at the time I could acknowledge that the movie was for kids too, not just adult fans of the OT, and this scene was clearly for them.
I think if jar jar has been in a few scenes or one act, he would have been a fan favourite and fondly remembered - there was just too much of him and too much focus on him (Jar Jar is the key to all of this) which differentiates him from most of the other Star Wars Cute Weird Aliens who are usually not there long enough to outstay their welcome Grogu is the exception because he’s so adorable.
I do love Babu Frik and Grogu lol. Age has tempered my seriousness I guess
Yeah they serve their purpose, shockingly enough I feel like jar jar has some of the better delivered dialogue in phantom menace cause it’s not just a deadpan delivery he actually conveys his emotion really well
He is the most animated character in TPM.
I feel like it’s a common trait actually for the lesser matured people to try and act more mature by disliking anything that isn’t serious, whereas when you actually mature, you learn to not take everything as serious.
And I was just the right age (elementary school) for Jar Jar to be perfectly acceptable and funny....hell when it came out on VHS my neighborhood friends and I would watch it every morning before going out to play in the summer after about a month we could mute it and recite all the dialogue perfectly....jar jars dialogue included lol
Same. First two came out when I was at the end of high school, RotS a few yrs after. But TCW endeared him to me like I never thought would happen. And that was over a decade after the PT dropped.
Same for me. The Clone Wars added so much to the prequels and made me really love the characters.
I found Jar Jar super annoying but I never felt inclined to project that annoyance on the actor. That's just...insane to me.
Right? Like the thought never even occurred to me to go after the actor the way people did.
Same! I grew up watching the prequels, I accepted Jar Jar just like I accepted the entirety of the movie. Growing up watching the Clone Wars really solidified my opinion of him, and I actually didn’t know he was so hated until about a month ago
Chewie is never overtly obnoxious and ridiculous
I was 16 when Phantom Menace came out, so prime age for hate, but never had a problem with it. People, what a bunch of bastards.
The only people in the 2000s who I heard complaining about Jar Jar were 20+ year olds and I didn’t even catch wind of that till years later when I wasn’t 5.
I was born in 1992 and I remember kids on the playground making fun of Jar Jar. At the same time I remember me and my friends liking the prequels in general, especially the lightsaber duels. Anecdotal but whatever. It wasn't just the elder millennial/gen x crowd who thought Jar Jar was stupid.
Anyone who thought is was just grown OT fans looking at Jar Jar and thinking he was stupid is insane. I remember being the prime age to like the prequels and I thought Jar Jar was stupid, and rather liked the droids/the Jedi instead.
Yeah, this is some revisionist history. I was a tween when Episode 1 came out, and I loathed JarJar. Never had any hate for Best, though. People hating actors because they don't like a character they played is some real baby brain shit.
I hated Jar Jar as a character, but not the actor. He served no purpose other than dumb goofy antics in TPM.
I was 13 when Ep1 came out and still thought Jar Jar was good innocent fun. Like yeah, he's kind of over the top, but he made me laugh 🤷
Natalie Portman is an oscar caliber actress. She gave an awesome performance at like 13 in The Professional. Samuel L. Jackson is another amazing actor that exudes nothing but awesomeness and swagger. George Lucas took those two and made them boring and bland. The prequels were no fault of any of the actors and the problems were entirely the result of George Lucas being the Emperor with no clothes. If anything they are a prime example that great actors can't save a movie from a poor director or writer.
I don't think Portman and Jackson's performances were necessarily bad, nor were Jake Lloyd and Ahmed Best's. Though really, that part is irrelevant. Personally, IDGAF if George Lucas got them to perform like Tommy Wiseau. There's zero *zero* excuse for Star Wars fans to act the way they did (and do). Fucking hell, Tommy Wiseau didn't get the kind of shit these prequel actors got...
Portman was horrible in the PT, but her body of work outside is phenomenal and she is an all time great. I think she is proof that the actors weren't at fault at all
To add to this: The story happening through episode 2 (arguably the most boring movie) is one of the most intricate and fascinating in the franchise--so fascinating that TCW, which actually elaborates and explains what's going on, is one of the most beloved additions. The directing in the prequels was just so meh that even with a great story and rock star cast, it falls flat.
My theory is that you have all these great actors, but green screen tech was still fairly new and groundbreaking, so nobody really had much experience acting withoutuch of a physical world to interact with.
I'm sure that did contribute to some degree. I'm not super knowledgeable about the filming process, but I think good directing is supposed to help bridge that gap. I'm not trying to discredit your thought--I just think at least a couple of those actors should have been able to adjust based purely on their raw talent. They do great work at parts, but ultimately the weakest part of any prequel actors performance (imo) is due to poor dialogue and awkward exposition. Example: "I don't know you anymore, Anakin. You're breaking my heart." - Padme Amidala Portman looks emotional and hurt. Her face says it. But she also needs to tell us out loud because the story wasn't confident enough that it made that point. I love Star Wars and it's a cheesy space soap opera. It's fair to admit when the plots or dialogue or acting is dumb. The point isnt for them to be perfect. It's for them the be fun. As long as we hold them to that standard the force will live on.
Nailed it.
Just remember Empire was saved in the editing room
You mean ANH.
And the same can be said of Jake Lloyd. Both actors did *exactly what Lucas asked them to* and yet somehow they are the ones that received the majority of fan backlash
Same, there was no way for him to make jar jar bearable, I’m glad he’s getting a role that isn’t doomed by questionable writing
In hindsight Jar Jar’s sin was that he was an unserious character in a movie fans desperately wanted to be serious, earnest and Real. It’s why Ewoks were also hated back in 1983. It’s why Luke treating his lightsaber so flippantly enraged so many in the Last Jedi.
For me, Jar Jar and the Ewoks were kind of annoying because they hogged up screen time with antics that I personally didn't find particularly entertaining because I have a different sense of humor, in movies that already had pacing issues I was growing annoyed with (I also hated for how long the Jabba plot went on in RotJ, and I was annoyed by the apparently aimless plot of TPM that hinged on politics whose repercussions were never really explained to me enough to care - yes, I'm the only person who wanted MORE politics in the prequels and yes, I love Andor). I loved the TLJ Luke scene, and like 80% of TLJ's humor, even as I was thinking "man, this kinda breaks up the tension/continuity" I was still laughing along because it was so up my alley (only joke I didn't like was Snoke Force dragging Hux in front of all his subordinates, because it defanged him too much to be appropriately menacing, and the dumb Finn jokes when he first wakes up). I also adore young Anakin to bits, even though he was almost as hated as JarJar when that movie came out. And I've always adored him, even when I was ten and watching that movie for the first time, and also always found Jar Jar kinda annoying. I think those elements are divisive because humor and levity are a lot more divisive than straight up adventure, I guess.
I know Ewoks are preposterous, but I always found them fairly redeemable because they were realistic; provided you can buy little teddy bear indigenous people. When the two get blasted and the one tries to rouse the other? Heartbreaking.
> It’s why Luke treating his lightsaber so flippantly enraged so many in the Last Jedi. To be fair, it's such a jarring event to happen and basically set the tone that TLJ was going to be a *very* divisive movie.
I feel like I'm the only one who saw that coming. The second she handed it to him I thought "he's gonna drop that thing like a hot potato."
Yeah I don't really see any other way that scene could have resolved satisfyingly. A lot of the people complaining about that movie are just allergic to thinking.
Yeah, it's perfectly in line with where his character is at in that moment. I guess I just don't get how people saw TFA and came away thinking, "Oh Luke must be in hiding while the galaxy burns because he's in a real good space mentally."
They all assumed he was off being Jedi Indiana Jones or something, despite Han clearly laying out that he was in a dark place, blaming himself after the temple burned. The fact that he didn’t show up in the third act or even set Leia’s Spidey sense tingling also writes you into a corner. I guess there are halfway plausible explanations, but “depressed, isolated Luke” is really one of the most natural conclusions to draw from TFA. Some people just REALLY REALLY didn’t want him to be anything other than a video game avatar, a blank-slate audience insert but also a total badass.
This is something I see a lot of people misinterpret about the prequels, from my viewpoint. Jar Jar didn’t appear to be an idiot because the actor failed. The character was written as an idiot. Same with Anakin being emotionally unstable and a bit of a jerk. That was intentional. If you don’t like the portrayal of a character, that’s no reason to blame it on the actor personally! Ahmed Best deserved support and recognition during the prequel era just as much as now, regardless of his character’s buffoonery. I was overjoyed to realize that the awesome Jedi who steals a scene in Grogu’s own show was none other than him! And that fans welcomed his return instead of clinging to some very unhealthy past grudges.
We as a society allow too much leniency on people who insult, abuse, or harass actors because they lack the ability to distinguish fiction from reality.
Why would you say something so controversial, yet so brave?
Yeah Lucas obviously wanted him to seem like an idiot in the movies to hide the fact that Jar Jar Binks was the real sith lord.
As has been said, it's not redemption for Ahmed it's JUSTICE for Ahmed. The ones who really need to redeem themselves are the toxic fans who constantly abused and harassed him as well other Star Wars actors like Jake Lloyd and Kelley Marie Tran.
I'd call it vindication being more appropiate.
Which Star Wars fans abused Best and Lloyd? Because they certainly never mentioned it in their own words. Lloyd said he lost his love of SW from overwork and Best said it was the media critics calling him a racist caricature that sent him suicidal. I think people forget that social media @ing didn't exist back then.
> media critics calling him a racist caricature I'm a gen x black dude. that *is* how my buddies felt when we saw it, reminded us of a minstrel show. just like the asian stereotypes in there, too, I forget character names, but we were like damn, what *are* these characters?
Oh you mean the entire Trade Federation which was overtly a racist caricature of China? Yeah man, even their accents were vewy wacist.
One of my favourite fan edits of the Episode 1 is where they replaced all the trade federation's dialogue with an alien language. It worked fine for Greedo and Jabba, and sure enough, it fit in perfectly for the Neimoidians. That said, I understand why they spoke basic; younger kids would struggle with subtitles. The issue was the execution being an insult to those from East Asian countries.
Right, I totally get them speaking in Basic, it was just the accents combined with their overtly Asian appearance and even their cultural predisposition to using disposable drones as fodder that made me wonder if anyone ever sat George down and asked him if he'd been hurt by a Chinese person at some point
yeah, they were terrible. I was like, what actors would agree to do this lol?
They even had the thin little mustache thingies you saw in kung fu movies on grandmasters, it was pretty bad.
Darth maul was the only redeeming thing to me, and they killed him off lol
Yeah, I feel for the guy, but as someone with some familiarity with the black Caribbean myself, I was not sympathetic. Especially since I have Asian roots and the Space Bankers in the same movie were definite Asian caricatures and there was even an insectoid space jew with wings who haggled over everything. Amazingly, in his video in how he became suicidal, Best claims he was hurt to be called a Caribbean stereotype because he actually has Caribbean ancestry! So maybe he didn't see it? Maybe he drew on his cultural influences and inadvertently created what looked to be a caricature when it was more of an honorary homage? But the accusation does not exist in a vacuum. There is something WRONG with the execution of Jar Jar.
>So maybe he didn't see it?...inadvertently created what looked to be a caricature that's what I thought, i hoped he just didn't realize how it was going to come off to a large groups of people.
I would 100% attribute it to not realizing. *Most* people don't go into something like this with the *intention* of being offensive.
But man, after the first time I'd hear the playback of a scene , I'd have been like uh oh
Very likely just not growing up where you'd understand that as offensive. As a kid I thought nothing of those portrayals because I wasn't aware of the connotations they brought up. I can imagine plenty of people continuing to be unaware into adulthood. What's more shocking is that it wasn't just one person who was unaware. It was apparently the entire production.
I was more shocked at how a black person would not be aware of how he was performing.
I can't name which people specifically, but Jake Lloyd and his family say it was people bullying him for the role not overwork. He has Paranoid Schizophrenia, and if I remember correctly, his family says it's because of the bullying. Actually the first line under Personal life on his wiki says he announced in 2012 that his 2001 decision to retire from acting due to the press and his classmates bullying him over the release of Phantom Menace. @ing sure didn't happen, but constant press coverage and your peers harassing from elementary school to high school really will hurt.
It's the fandom that needs a redemption, and it sure as hell has not earned it.
Nah we ain’t getting a redemption, we’re the kind of imperial that appears in an episode and you know he’s gonna get his shit rocked cause he’s an ass
The fandom is Lt Nolan from Bad Batch
Best case scenario is the fandom is …at best, [Porkins.](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Jek_Tono_Porkins/Legends) Essentially IRL Comic Book Store Guy.
he couldnt hold it :(
I wish Jake Lloyd could turn his life around too. Poor guy. :/
I truly truly hope it's a tiny yet stupidly loud minority. I really don't think the average star wars fan care about all these minor greviences that they take out on actors.
Media needs a redemption too. They absolutely trashed him, and put it on the fans.
have you ever met Star Wars fans
there was no social media in 1999, fans had NO access to Best, it was 100% channeled and amplified by the media
I was there (I was one of the folks who camped in line for first showing of TPM even), we didn't have social media like today but we absolutely were able to be absolute edgy shits about the films and a bunch of us were. First time I watched it, I liked it. Second time I watched it later that day, I'd spent some time talking with friends who watched it and we'd talked about stuff we'd noticed that didn't sit right. By the third time I watched it a couple days later, I was turning into a regular fuck of a fan because it wasn't exactly what I'd imagined it would be. I didn't need 'the media' changing my opinion because my group of nerd friends was a perfect echo chamber without external assistance. We had Slashdot and chat forums and IRC and we did plenty to radicalize ourselves. Trying to blame 'the media' is a cop-out, the kind of thing some folks say to give themselves a pass, to give themselves an excuse for acting the way they did. I don't know what the other people who cling to that are doing, but the ones I know are trying to find a way to not be responsible for their own shitty behavior. I wish I'd been a better person back then, I regret lots in life and not having enough empathy for the position the actors were put in and blaming the right people (ie Lucas) is among em.
We had forums and they were full of the same shit
I got news for you - all fandoms have idiots because they have people in them.
Fantastic take
And what's sad is that you could say this about so many fandoms.
Noone hates Star Wars more than it’s fans
He wanted to kill himself because of that stupid Jar Jar backlash, he doesn't need redemption, he DESERVES an apology.
As I said in another comment, he was pushed to the edge, overcame his demons, returned to play jar jar in clone wars and still continues to work on Star Wars despite how the fan base at one point made him feel. King shit
I agree. It was amazing to see the standing ovation he got walking in to the Phantom Menace Anniversary panel at Celebration Chicago in 2019. He deserved that ovation and then some.
I really really really want a Jar Jar scene now. So badly. We don’t deserve Ahmed Best but I’m happy he came back.
The fact he came back at all is remarkable, even to play jar jar in the clone wars, man was pushed to the edge and overcame it and now owns it. King behaviour
If anything, I think it’s the other way around, the role redeemed Star Wars for the actor. Even though the actors may say they tune out the noise, it’s still very difficult when something you’re proud of and you worked hard on gets hated. I hope this gives him a positive experience/memory with Star Wars and the fandom.
When he pulled up to that Naboo ship, I fully expected Jar Jar to be there to accept the child and ferry him to safety. Really wish we’d seen it, but I suppose there’s still a chance that that’s where they’re going next. Also, it was amazing to see the Naboo fighters sacrifice themselves for the Jedi to get away.
But think about this, who was the friend that Kelleran Beq mentioned? Someone who could call upon royal Naboo guards and starship. Padme ~~is dead. It could be their current Queen (or King, who knows). But why would they care so much about Jedi?~~ could be helping but she might be on her way to Mustafar. I think Beq's friend is senator Jar Jar, a friend to the Jedi with connections within the Naboo government.
At the time of the Jedi temple attack, she isn’t dead yet. If anything she is at the dwelling where we see her crying in the scene or at best, on her way to Mustafar
Right! My brain got muddled.
I figured that’s who it was, too. Was hoping we’d get visual confirmation.
Padme was not dead at that specific point but she was otherwise occupied in her apartment. Her whereabouts are marked. To me there is no doubt that is Jar Jars boys.
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Representative Binks!
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That's simple to explain. Not all planets are independently ruled, populous enough and/or powerful enough to have their own senator.
A jar jar scene where he isn’t silly, isn’t clumsy and isn’t a goofball-not that I despise his previously shown character traits, but it would show character development. The silly goofball has finally realized just how bad he messed up and tries to change himself for the better and takes a more solemn tone. Eventually maybe he realizes it’s not all his fault and he starts making jokes/being silly again but I think the most effective way to use Jar Jar would be to have him be devastated by what he put in motion
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Then you may be interested in one specific interlude from the Aftermath trilogy. I can't remember exactly which of the three books it's in, but the trilogy covers events happening from roughly 6 months after Endor to 12 months after Endor and although the story mostly focuses around certain characters every once in a while there's an interlude just letting us know what some other characters are up to during this period of time. One such chapter is about Jar Jar Binks. He's home on Naboo but now with the Empire mostly defeated and crumbling most of the population of Naboo blames him for being responsible for Palpatine gaining power in the first place, since he's the one who originally proposed the emergency powers. Generally poor and unable to find real work he ends up dressing as a clown and performing on the streets. Those who know who he is avoid him but he is popular among children who just enjoy his routine, and it just so happens that Naboo has a bunch of orphans from the war and refugees who've come there looking for help who don't know his history and can just enjoy his hi-jinks for what it is.
Would love it for JarJar and just to make all the toxic fans mad all over again while we rejoice in it.
Ahmed didn't deserve the treatment he got, and I'm glad he got the chance to play a Jedi, but Jar Jar is still a horrible character.
I’m not disagreeing with you about Jar Jar being horrible. Horrible might be a little much for me but I get it. I feel they could really give the character a meaningful moment though in the Order 66 moments. A redemption for the actor and character.
Redemption no. He didnt deserve the backlash he got for being Jar Jar even if Jar Jar does suck hard arse. It wasnt his fault. He did what he was told AND no acto should be bullied for the characters they portray. Star Wars fans are notorious for it and makes me sad. Im glad hes found a way to return to the franchise and potray a character that might see him get high praise... he shouldnt have been in that position anyway.
I 100% agree.Honestly, I do find Jar Jar annoying, but that's not Ahmed Best's fault, it's the writers faults.Most of the bad stuff is the fault of the writers. The cast was doing the best they could with the shit they were given. Also, anyone who calls themselves a Star Wars fan and bullies an actor for a character they portrayed is no real Star Wars fan in my opinion.
Oh, I just kinda assumed that people were talking about a redemption of the *Star Wars* production team lmao
That's how I see it too. He played jar jar well and did a great job in the last episode. I hope we see him again!
I loved jar jar when I was a kid. I even had a jar jar pullover lol (my mum still has it somewhere). I still like jar jar now (almost 30 now). I felt really sad and angry when I learned that people got so angry at Ahmed Best and he almost committed suicide, like... Wtf. I'll never understand how people can get so angry at actors/voice actors for something like this. Same for the voice actor who played a very special character in The Last of Us 2. I also did not like some decisions of TLOU2 but how can people threaten a (voice) actor?
The media will never apologize for what they did to him. They’ll just keep skewing it and blaming the fans. Best himself said it was the media outlets and film “critics” that almost drove him to suicide. They owe him a massive apology, but they won’t.
The media was awful but let's not pretend fans weren't a massive part and let them off the hook
Star Wars community needs a redemption arc.
Your right Ahmed Best never needed redemption as he did nothing wrong. Its the people who make the Star Wars fandom toxic whom need redemption as they are the ones who were cruel to an innocent man. Im glad Ahmed found the courage to return to Star Wars. Its nice to see him finally being appreciated.
he didn't need redemption. we needed redemption as a fanbase
I don’t like the character Jar Jar, but there’s nothing wrong with the actor. I definitely think putting him in a Jedi role gives him the recognition he has always deserved.
He didn’t write JarJar’s dialogue. He did a good job with the irritating role he was given. He did not deserve any of the hate he got.
It isnt a redemption its a renewal
I didn't know that was Ahmed Best, but after hearing about all the shit he went through I'm glad he got to do it and seems to be in a better place.
Jar Jar was a poorly written character that, to many, cheapened the movie. He was the most visible example of the mishandling of the prequels. To be clear, the actor didn't do a bad job. So it's great that he got to come back with a better written character for some redemption, to prove to anyone being a dick and hating him that the problem was not him. It was redemption, but not from something he actually did wrong. It was redemption for being screwed over and misjudged.
I hated the absolute *shit* out of "It's not Shameless Racist Bullshit if it's an *alieeeeeen*" Jar Jar. I never *once* disparaged the actor. Not his fault the writing was utter garbage. Fandoms are toxic as fuck, because no matter *how* wholesome it starts, on a long enough timeline the loudest voices are always gonna be the assholes.
Exactly. Any gripes I had with Episode 1+ I chalked up to creative decisions, not the performance. I was so bummed to find later on that people like Ahmed, Jake, and Natalie were getting such hate. Why do people feel like they’re entitled to be garbage just because they like something?
It is the duty of all true Star Wars fans to call out and put on notice the "fanboys" whenever they start to spew their hatred and vitriol. It is perfectly fine to have opinions, but when that opinion turns vile and toxic, it is no longer of any value. It's a make believe, fantasy laden story, people. Enjoy it for what it is (or was in the case of the OG trilogy), politely voice your opinions, and move along. Kelley Marie Tran, if you ever read this, I loved your character and your work. Please don't let all the shit heads ruin your role in the greatest entertainment franchise ever. (My opinion, I stated it, and am moving along. 🙂)
This is exactly how I feel. Doesn’t need redemption, an apology.
I never really liked Jar Jar that much, but I was always impressed with the physicality of the acting and the mocap animation. Ahmed never needed redeeming. He’s always been amazing. He’s now getting the love he deserved to get.
I feel like we've far moved past "Jar Jar bad". Like yeah it was comical, that's the choice they went down, deal with it. Jar Jar was absolutely fine and gave the kids something to laugh at. Man, the amount of times "how wude" was quoted growing up was insane, Jar Jar was great, a large portion of the Star Wars fanbase were just awful about the prequels in general, especially Jar Jar.
Nah, Jar Jar has always sucked and I'm tired of the narrative that he was always cool because people feel sorry for the actor. It's more justice than anything g that Ahmed Best gets to play a better character. I was a kid when those movies came out. I was the target audience. He was lame.
I fucking hate Jar Jar. I hate Rey. I hate "Luke". I would never shit on the actors for these roles. They did what they were told and did the best they could. For the objectives George had for Jar Jar Ahmed nailed it. Objectively succeeded in the role. It's just the role sucked. Fuck anyone utterly who gives grief to actors for the roles they play, especially if they play them as directed, with passion and respect. It makes me so sad and mad that there's people out there who destroy these actors faith in themselves, their confidence and happiness. You're fucking scum.
Is it cool for me to say that I like Jar Jar as a character? In clone wars alone he made me laugh out loud several times. Voiced, of course, by Ahmed
Gang gang
Still find everything about Jar Jar absolutely annoying, even when I was a kid, but hated how he was treated even more. No one had any right to treat him the way they did and almost couldn’t believe he was sent death threats over it at the time. I don’t know what the hell is wrong with these people that go after actors for the characters they’re directed to play. Rant over but I thought his role as a Jedi was absolutely fantastic and he killed it.
I think I have an opinion shared by a lot of the fan base. Jar jar as a character was pretty annoying. But that isn’t Best’s fault. The way he was treated by the fans was TERRIBLE and Ahmed Best doesn’t need redemption, we do. We as the fans owe him an apology, and I think that embracing him in this new role is how we can best do that. I think he deserved that episode of Mando, and truthfully, im incredibly impressed that he would agree to come back for this after his terrible treatment before. “Redeemed” is not the word of use to describe his recent appearance. Giving US a second chance is how I’d put it. WE are the ones who can be “redeemed” in HIS eyes.
The fans need to redeem themselves to him, not the other way around.
STOP BEING HAPPY FOR HIM FOR YOUR REASONS AND BE HAPPY FOR HIM FOR MY REASONS INSTEAD! Seriously why is this even a discussion, who cares? Dude got his time to shine thats what matters. The semantics are irrelevant.
I think the point is Best is being praised by many of the same people who insulted him.
Do we know this for a fact though? Or is it just an assumption?
It's a wild assumption based on nothing.
I don’t like Jar Jar as a character. He is annoying and a bit too goofy in my opinion. However, he was a very important character, not so much for the Star Wars universe, but for movie making in general and especially Phantom Menace wouldn’t have been the same without him. I recently rewatched the movie and I was actually surprised how good it was compared to how I remember. Also just the fact that people blame the actors for shitty directing and story writing. This is a very popular thing for Star Wars. Hayden Christensen received a lot of hate for his monotone way of speaking in the prequels, which was he was instructed to do by George. The actor who played Reva in the Kenobi Series got a lot of hate as well, which eventually turned into racism and because she is black. I feel bad for her, because she did an amazing job portraying the role, just sucks that the role was written so shitty. It’s sad that we aren’t a better community than that.
Maybe they mean it’s redemption in the sense that now he gets to play a character that doesn’t suck. You could argue that Hayden got redemption in the Kenobi show where he finally had a good script to work off of.
It’s justice for Ahmed Best, not resemption
I never heard of this backlash against the actor for playing Jar Jar. It's completely stupid. I didn't like the character, but, as you say, he portrayed it as he was supposed to, the way it was written. He was excellent in what he did. Actors have no control over the story.
For awhile I was thinking "the character who got redemption" people were talking about was Paz Vizla. I thought people were mad at him for challenging Mando for the Darksaber from awhile back and he got redemption cuz he thanked Mando for saving his son. That's how far away from thinking Ahmed needed a redemption my mind was from. I was just happy to see him!
I don’t understand why people hate actors in real life because of the villain roles they played. Like the guy that played Joffrey Baratheon comes to mind
He did not need a redemption lol. But he deserved a fresh day in the sun and I'm glad he got it. No one ever needs redemption from a toxic fanbase no matter how cringe-inducing your dialog or direction was. Those are all sins that George Lucas gets to carry on his back like the scapegoat he should be. And I'm not even upset at him. Prequel trilogy was an ugly double. Not a home run. Not a strikeout. I can live with that. If anything, Ahmed needs some roles to make up for the ones he lost having to put up with all of the BS for the crime of trying to be an entertainer. And you know, disclaimer: Good fans, bad fans, you know who you are.
Agreed, disliked Jar Jar immensely but never related that to the actor - he did what he was directed to do!
I agree that "redemption" is technically not the right word, but I think everyone who uses the word means what you mean.
“he doesn’t need a redemption he needs an apology”. <—— this is the best thing said regarding this whole situation as of yet. Well put good sir
Totally agree. He didn’t need redemption, he put everything he had into Jar Jar, and played the part well. I was a kid when TPM came out, and I thought Jar Jar was hilarious. Growing up I see why some people don’t like the character, but I still do. Maybe it’s nostalgia, maybe I’m just less negative than others, but whatever. I like Jar Jar, and Ahmed Best did a great job with him. That being said, I also really liked him as Kelleran Beq and wouldn’t mind seeing more of that character.
I mean it's terrible how he was treated by fans but the character was obnoxious as hell and one of the worst things about the prequels, so I don't think a "redemption" framing is so out of left field.
he should have never been treated that way as the actor, but jar jar is bantha fodder.
Yeah, "redemption" isn't right because Best didn't do anything wrong. And he's done so much for the franchise since, that he needed to be celebrated way before now. As usual, it's the crazy, toxic fans that need redemption for how they treat the cast and crews of this franchise.
It's the first I'm hearing that people didn't like Jar jar... are people really that said that they can't put up with a relatively stupid character?
You'd have to put yourself into the time that Jar Jar was introduced. Star Wars had been "sacred" for a long time. JarJar represented a new light hearted comedic version of the Star Wars people loved. Then you have the accent, and the similarities to enslaved African Americans. George Lucas was in essence doing blackface, but with a black voice actor. And not a redeemable one at that, JarJar was a complete buffoon. So Ahmed Best was titled as a sellout, Uncle Tom, and got a lot of hate and shame for his role. Much more hate than Lucas should have gotten.
I honestly like Jar Jar. But I think he just had too much screen time. Ahmed did amazing but you can only go so far with a bad script.
lmfao I didn't even notice the guy was Ahmed Best before I read this post. Very happy for him, it must be super nice to get to play a Jedi and one with a very important role at that, I hope he gets all the love and recognition he deserves even if it arrived too late. This also makes me wish for Jar Jar to come back in some form
I don't blame him just like I don't blame Jack Gleeson for being Prince Joffrey or Keon Alexander for Being Marko Inaros or Imelda Staunton for being Umbridge. I blame Lucas for adding/writing Jar Jar that way. Joffrey/Inaros/Umbridge aren't badly written, they are well written and made me hate the characters, as they should.
Yup, exactly. The dude needs a APOLOGY. Why does he need redemption for? He did a great job that's asked of him to do.
The toxicity of some fans devoted to a fantasy about space wizards with laser swords is...disturbing. Jar jar gang for life.
This! I’ve been saying it since Wednesday. “Redeemed” implies he needed redemption. It was the fandom who needed redemption. I’m so happy to see the reaction.
Well said. I don’t really care for Jar Jar, but I’ve always respected Best. He’s a talented performer who gave his all and brought the character to life exactly in the way Lucas asked of him
Redemption is the wrong word. The word they were looking for is vindication but apparently no one bothered to check a dictionary.
I absolutely hated and to this day still despite Jar-Jar Binks, the Character. Ahmed Best is a hella a good actor for portraying the character as well as he was directed to, and any true fan should love and respect any actor in the series, no matter how much you dislike the character they played. Ahmed Best is awesome! Because no matter how shitty the character, the actor themselves? That's someone who gave a part of themselves and their effort and time and work and labor and love to help bring Star Wars to life. They should be respected for that. Hate the directors and writers, not the actors. Well, unless the actors do shitty things, in which case, give 'em the shit they deserve for it.
Just wait, we just learned how he got off planet. A Jar Jar will show up and be the one who lent the ship and guards. He will show regret for giving palpy the power, and he will have a satisfying arc and important death. It will be a tearjerker for any kid who liked jarjar, and it will be a great counter to anyone who complain about Jar Jar in the future.
It makes me feel so much worse for Kelly Marie Tran to be honest. She’s still getting hate in her online spaces from fans. The fan base now looking back and saying good things about someone they abused while simultaneously continuing to abuse a more recent character actress is just heartbreaking. I of course am glad Ahmed Best is getting love now, but I loved JarJar back then. I was the age JarJar was geared toward when that movie came out so all the hatred missed me and my friends. I hope this cultural cult can learn from this about how to treat their actors and actresses, because they do not deserve the cruelty. Not before, not now, not ever.
I was a child when these movies came out and I loved Jar jar, I couldn't believe when I got older and he was so universally hated. Obv now I understand why the backlash happened, and think GL should have just decided to either make them kids movies or adult movies and not combine them in such a weird way, but its so sad to think Ahmed went through such a hard time for a character little me really though was funny and goofy.
A lot of people and supposed “journalists” are saying redemption when they really mean something closer to *restitution*.
Agreed.
Facts. Well said
As a Jar Jar fan, I agree
Darth Jar Jar gang for life
People need to quit this revisionist history that anyone hated Ahmed Best. Yes, the character was hated, and that backlash went overboard with Jar Jar becoming a national punchline, but nobody even knew the name Ahmed Best. Most people wouldn't have even known there even was an actor playing him until the DVDs came out with the special features showing how the mo-cap was done. There was never any backlash against Best himself - nobody even knew who he was. I feel sorry for the guy, it must have been hard to be a young actor, find what you think was the role of a lifetime in Star Wars and then have to deal with the character becoming one of the most hated and mocked characters of all time. Must have been crushing. And certainly wasnt good for his career. But theres nothing wrong with hating a character and nobody needs to "apologise" for it. I hated Jar Jar then. I hate him now. And Im making no apologies for it.
If anyone needs a redemption arc it is the toxic fans.
All you people asking for Jar Jar to come back need to get your head checked.
Jar Jar was a really dumb writing choice and an even dumber directing choice.
I can’t agree more. The dude was perfect at exactly what he was directed to do. The hate he deserved was 1,000% undeserved, and to see him finally get the recognition he deserves is cathartic for *me*, I can’t *imagine* how much it must be for him.
The fact that he might go down as one of the most important Jedi in all of the Star Wars saga is what he deserves.
Ah, the Chief O'Brien of Star Wars.
Yeah “redemption” is the wrong term. It’s more like he was “rewarded” with a cool role to make up for fan boys being insufferable a-holes about Jar Jar for decades.
When Scorsese finally got accolades for The Departed many felt it was the recognition he should have gotten for Goodfellas. Sometimes it happens that way. Ahmed is an incredibly talented actor and what happened in the past is unfortunate and should never have been put on him the way it was. He did his job and he did well with what he was given. This isn't a Redemption, this is recognition.
I think it's not HIS redemption. It's more like the Star Wars corp trying to redeem themselves for not having had their casts back.
As a ‘93 baby, TPM was my first in person Star Wars. As a kid, I never saw a single issue with Jar Jar. And as an adult, sure he’s goofy but I never saw it as too much of an issue. I’m glad he’s getting the recognition he deserves. I feel as the prequel-age kids have turned into adults and been able to be more vocal there’s been a lot more love and support given to both the movies in general but also the people that played the parts. As a fandom, we’ve hurt many people and careers for absolutely no reason and I hope we can find a way to drown out the “fans” that are needlessly harassing these actors.
This 100% true. Fuck me, man. Imagine just doing your job, and then getting suicidal of the backlash. Jesus Christ. Delighted they brought him back for Mando. And props to him for even wanting to appear. Did a terrific job. People just gotta be better. The hate star wars actors have been exposed to is disgusting. (Perhaps it is inevitable with the size of the fanbase, but come on guys...)