Major spoilers for season 3 of The MandalorianThe Mandalorian has finally answered one of the series’ biggest mysteries. The series follows the titular character played by Pedro Pascal as he cares for a force-sensitive child named Grogu, who was collectively referred to as Baby Yoda by the public because it was of the same species as the famous Jedi. Since this Star Wars series premiered Grogu is a character surrounded by mystery and his real name was not revealed until season two.
Season two also revealed that he was in fact in the Jedi Temple during Order 66 and a Jedi Master helped him escape. A quick glimpse of Grogu’s escape was seen Boba Fett’s book and in the fourth episode of The Mandalorian season three, audiences finally got a glimpse of the Jedi Master who saved him.
Audience theories ranged from favorite characters like Quinlan Vos to Barriss Offee. Still, the revelation was one Star Wars character probably few people suspected that this is a great reward for the wider Star Wars franchise. Here’s who saved Grogu.
Grogu has been saved by a new character
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In season three, episode four of The Mandaloriantitled “Chapter 20: The Foundling”, Grogu has a flashback to the night of Order 66. He is surrounded by Jedi Knights who are holding back Clone Troopers when you can faintly hear someone say “take him to Beq.” Grogu gets into an elevator alone because all the Jedi who were protecting him have been killed. The door opens but instead of a Clone Trooper waiting for him, it’s a Jedi.
Still, the Jedi is not a household name, and probably not one anyone suspected. The door opens to reveal that it is Jedi Master Kelleran Beq standing there, and he helps get Grogu to safety and off Coruscant. Many onlookers were probably wondering who he is, and possibly what was so important about his character being the one to save Grogu. The character is played by Ahmed Best which most audiences may not recognize at first, but has a long history with Star Wars that has not always been pleasant for him.
Who is Kelleran Beq?
Kelleran Beq is a new character in the Star Wars universe, as he made his web series debut in 2020 Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge. The series is a Jedi-themed children’s game show where the young contestants compete as Jedi Padawans in a series of obstacle courses and knowledge tests to achieve the rank of Jedi Knight.
Kelleran Beq is the host of the series and is played by actor Ahmed Best. Jedi Temple Challenge premiered in June 2020, five months before the episode of The Mandalorian revealing that Grogu had been rescued by a Jedi in the temple, hinting that this had been planned for some time.
While Jedi Temple Challenge is non-canonical, the idea being that Beq is a real character in the Star Wars universe similar to the Jedi Training: Trials of the Temple in several Disney theme parks, including Darth Vader and Darth Maul. In the Star Wars universe, Beq is a Jedi master who oversees padawans as they go through the Jedi processes and therefore explains his role in the game show.
It also explains why he is the character Grogu saves. Ahsoka said only a select group of masters knew about Grogu, so it makes sense that a Jedi master most associated with training young Jedi would not only know Grogu, but be the one to save him .
Ahmed Best has a complicated relationship with Star Wars
Kelleran Beq is played by actor Ahmed Best. Best is most famous for playing the character Jar-Jar Binks in the Star Wars precursors. A much hyped character before the release of The Ghost ThreatJar-Jar Binks’, was critically disliked by fans and casual viewers alike, with many calling the character one of the worst in Star Wars.
Best took a lot of the criticism, with many even making personal attacks on the actor rather than the character, which is a sad trend that some Star Wars “fans” continue to do so to this day. The character of Jar-Jar Binks was so unpleasant that the actor even contemplated suicide.
But in recent years, the prequel trilogy has seen a new resurgence among fans, mainly because the young audiences who saw them as children are now old enough to shape the discourse. Best received a standing ovation at ‘Star Wars Celebration.’ Probably in a way to make up for how badly he was treated by the fan base, Lucasfilm brought Best back in Star Wars. First was as the host of Jedi Temple Challenge, but now plays a central role The Mandalorian.
There’s a nice meta commentary there on the actor that was associated with one of the most hated aspects of Star Wars be the one responsible for saving the new fan favorite. There is always a link to Best Star Warsbut now the association can hopefully be more positive.
Will Kelleran Beq return?
Grogu’s flashback ends with him and Kelleran Beq jumping into hyperspace from Coruscant. The episode may have revealed who rescued Grogu, but it also raised more questions that needed answering. Beq says he got help from a friend and then approaches a Naboo starfighter.
The events of Order 66 took place before Padme knew that Anakin had turned to the dark side, so it would have to be another Naboo character who lent them the ship. Could it possibly be Jar-Jar Binks himself, and is this the franchise trying to give the character some form of redemption?
There is also the question of what happened to Beq. Grogu is found by the Mandalorian about 28 years after the events Revenge of the Sith, and Grogu is alone. Beq probably died at some point, but when and how he died is unclear. This is a storyline that will probably be planted everywhere the Mandalorian, but can also be revealed in series like ahoska And The Skeleton Squad.
The bad party takes place in the immediate aftermath of Revenge of the Sith so there is a chance that the story will be picked up in that series. Kelleran Beq has now gone from a fairly new obscure character to a pivotal part of the Star Wars franchise.