The Mandalorian: Who is Jedi Kelleran Beq? Jar Jar Binks Actor Ahmed Best

The Mandalorian This week shed some light on exactly how Grogu was saved from the Order 66 bloodbath years ago — and the reveal involved a major (iffa polarizing!) prequel trilogy sort of recall.

The early core of Season 3, Episode 4 (entitled “The Foundling”) began with the first steps in Grogu’s training to eventually rise to become a Mandalorian apprentice. This included a challenge against a Mandalorian child to a game of “darts” – in this case, wrist-fired paintballs. The first to score three hits wins, and sure enough, Grogu’s opponent easily beats him with his first two volleys. Din advises Grogu to do the extra special thing he can, and as the next color dart comes his way, Grogu somersaults over the kid – and then does a backflip to his launch spot – before quickly splashing all three of his darts over his opponent.

After Grogu is declared victorious, he is led to the forge, where the armorer transforms beskarreste into a rondel (small breastplate) that the child can attach to their mail and grow into. But as the Armorer stomps on the steel and sparks fly, Grogu’s face melts into the saddest frown you’ve ever seen as he looks back on the night Order 66 was issued.

We’ve seen bits of this memory before, namely several Jedi being felled by incoming clone troopers while a particularly small grogu looks on from his nearby stroller. But this time the sequence continues with a Jedi yelling, “Take the youngling to Kelleran Beq!”

Grogu’s stroller is then ushered into a nearby elevator, the doors of which close behind him as more Jedis fall. As the doors open again, we meet Kelleran Beq, played by Ahmed Best – aka the mo-cap and voice actor for Jar Jar Binks from the prequel trilogy!

(Best initially portrayed Kelleran Beq as the host of the 2020 online game show Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge; He also played a character named Achk Med-Beq in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones. I leave it to ours fine commenters to describe any family connections that may exist.)

After using his dual lightsabers to fend off numerous clone troopers, Beq loads Grogu’s stroller into a speeder sidecar, and they fly into the Coruscant skyline, leaving the burning Jedi Temple behind. Gunships give chase, but Beq dodges them by nimbly maneuvering in and out of a train tunnel. They make a hard landing on a platform, and just before a V-wing arrives with more soldiers, Beq and Grogu transfer to a spaceship and fly away at the speed of light. Grogu comes out of the difficult memory to get his rondel from the armorer.

Elsewhere in the Mandalorian lair: A giant raptor swooped down on the Cult’s lakeside training session and stole a child, who we eventually learn is Paz Vizsla’s son Ragnar. Din, Paz and others give chase, but their jetpacks run out of fuel – a rare occurrence in Star Wars! However, Bo-Katan in her ship tracks the beast to a nest on a high peak. She later leads Din, Paz and others on a mission to scale the steep mountain and get Ragnar back. When they reach the nest, they find a trio of raptor chicks, whereupon Mama arrives and coughs (a live) Ragnar out of her mouth. The Mandalorians fight the beast with flamethrowers, winches and the like. Finally, Bo stabs him in the eye, forcing him to free Paz from his claws. Moments later, Ragnar is dropped by the other Claw and crashes to the ground, but Din catches him. The wounded raptor eventually falls into the lake, where the season premiere dinosaur turtle makes a quick meal of it.

Bo’s leadership in successfully rescuing the foundling is considered “the highest honor of the creed” by the armorer, who then leads the new member of the clan to the forge. The Armorer makes a shoulder plate to replace one that Bo lost during the fight and asks if she would like another Nite Owl insert. Bo asks if she can get a Mythosaur instead, and the Armorer is happy to oblige.

Speaking of mythosaurs….

“What would you say if I told you? seen one?” Bo asks the armorer. The Armorer says Bo was “lucky” that walking the path they see all sorts of noble visions.

“But it was real‘ Bo asserts, to which the Armorer simply and indirectly replies – you guessed it – ‘That’s the way.’

What did you think of The Foundling, Grogus training and the Order 66 revelation?