Warning: this article features spoilers for episode four of The Mandalorian season three.
How Grogu managed to flee from Coruscant after the Empire put Order 66 into action was a mystery until now, with this week’s episode of The Mandalorian finally revealing who was responsible for his rescue mission.
After months of fierce speculation following a flashback sequence in The Book Of Boba Fett, it was revealed that the various fan theories about who Grogu’s saviour was were unanimously wrong.
Our apologies to those who inexplicably thought Anakin was the one who saved him.
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Instead the true identity of the person responsible for getting Grogu out of the Jedi Temple safely was a character nobody predicted: one that was invented for a children’s Star Wars game-show, making his debut within a fiction narrative. Yes, really.
Played by Ahmed Best – who is best known for portraying other Star Wars character Jar Jar Binks – Kelleran Beq is probably new to the majority of viewers (this one included).
So, here’s everything you need to know about the Jedi who made sure Grogu is still with us today.
Who Is Kelleran Beq?
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Created for Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge, a children’s game-show you can watch in its entirety on YouTube, Kelleran Beq is a Jedi master who earned the nickname “The Sabered Hand” due to his skill with a lightsaber.
His function there translates well to how he is used here. Beq’s backstory given in that show is that he helps Padawans as they go through their Jedi trials – based on this it was safe to assume he already had a connection with Grogu, helping the Youngling flee from the Temple.
In one episode of the show, Beq’s droid companion AD-3 highlights that he’s “halfway through his lifespan” – meaning that, if this sticks to wider universe canon, the character could reappear in future flashbacks as he still has plenty years ahead of him.
Best has previously stated in an interview that he believes Kelleran is directly related to another character he played in the franchise: the minor part of Achk Med-Beq, who appeared briefly in Attack Of The Clones.
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This has never been confirmed in canon but I do like the idea of every one of Best’s Star Wars characters being related – where is Jar Jar in this family tree?
In the game-show, it’s shown that despite Beq’s ego (he REALLY likes reminding people of his nickname), he never hides his gratitude to other Jedi.
For conclusive proof, look at his lightsaber in the YouTube series, which was the same shade of purple as Mace Windu’s, although it’s a different colour here.
Coincidentally, Samuel L. Jackson’s character was one of several that fans theorised was Grogu’s saviour. Due to them sharing a choice of lightsaber, it is the closest one of the many outlandish ideas got to the truth.
The Importance Of Ahmed Best’s Return/h2>
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The actor’s relationship to the world of Star Wars is a patchy one. At 25 he was hired by George Lucas to play Jar Jar Binks, a decision that affected his career up to this day.
In a 2017 interview with Wired, Best said: “I had death threats through the internet. I had people come to me and say, ‘you destroyed my childhood’. That’s difficult for a 25-year-old to hear.”
Elsewhere, the actor has spoken candidly about the effects the fan reaction had on his own mental health, stating that the threats even made him consider taking his own life.
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Getting the chance to play a Jedi hero on Jedi Temple Challenge was therefore a significant move, setting him up for a heroic return to a franchise he has a complicated relationship with.
At the time of the show’s premiere in 2020, Best said: “I never thought that I would be asked back to be honest, so I was very pleasantly surprised.
“What really made me say yes was the fact that this was breaking new ground in the Star Wars universe.
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“I think what’s most important about the representation of someone like Kelleran Beq as far as being a person of colour and the leader of this Temple – kind of like the Dean of Jedi – is it breaks down what’s possible.
“It breaks down what you can do and creates a brand new world of possibilities out there.”
His entrance into this narrative timeline has only furthered his status as a hero Jedi, being deeply integral to The Mandalorian‘s story – without him, Grogu would have never made it into Mando’s arms safely.
What Happened To Grogu Next?
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With this episode’s flashback taking place concurrently with the implementation of Order 66 seen in Revenge Of The Sith, we know that Grogu spends a long time in hiding whilst the Jedi are outlawed.
Let’s not forget that The Mandalorian takes place following the events of Return Of The Jedi, with the prequel trilogy and original trilogy having a gap of 19 years between them – meaning that Grogu was on his lonesome for at least two decades.
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The big question going forward into future episodes is what happened to The Child next – was he immediately taken to Arvala-7, the remote desert planet where Mando was sent to retrieve him back in the show’s first episode, or is there more hidden backstory about his wilderness years that we’re yet to discover?
With last week’s episode almost entirely focusing on Doctor Pershing, it feels safe to assume the rest of the season will continue to lean into the flashbacks going forward, meaning many more of Grogu’s secrets are likely to be revealed…
The Mandalorian Season 3 airs every Wednesday on Disney+.
