Let’s give Jar Jar Binks a hearty welcome at Star Wars Celebration

With Ahmed Best — the man who played Jar Jar Binks — headed to Star Wars Celebration, the fans should give him a giant welcome.

Jar Jar Binks is headed back to Star Wars.

No, he won’t be in a movie or TV show, but the actor who played Jar Jar is headed to Star Wars Celebration as a guest – and we should all give Ahmed Best a hearty welcome.

More from Star Wars Celebration

• Diary of a first-time Star Wars Celebration attendee
• Every Star Wars project still in development
• The opening crawl is coming back to Star Wars movies
• Dave Filoni consulted Heir To The Empire author about Thrawn
• New Ahsoka trailer reveals live-action Thrawn

While Jar Jar Binks may not have been a favorite in the prequel series, the actor was harassed and belittled. The aftermath of that was so awful that Best contemplated suicide.

This has been one of the darker sides of the Star Wars fandom, but we have seen another, brighter side too.

Two years ago, Hayden Christensen made his triumphant return to the Star Wars world. The man who played Anakin Skywalker shied away from Star Wars for years due, in part, to the reception and criticism the prequel trilogies received.

But at that Star Wars Celebration, Christensen was one of the most welcomed and popular guests. Fans were thrilled for Anakin to be at Celebration.

Now, it’s time to do the same for Best.

I think this is happening in part due to those Star Wars fans who grew up with the prequel trilogy being 20 years older. Now, those that first fell in love with Star Wars because of Padme, Anakin, Qui-Gon Jinn and the rest of that crew are much older, have money to spend and get to vocalize their love for Star Wars.

It’s also why many Star Wars fans are so protective of the franchise. Those that grew up on the original trilogy defend it vigorously. Those that started with the prequel trilogy have a different type of love for those characters.

Just imagine how those are growing up the sequel trilogy are going to feel in 20 years. They would have seen representation and a cast different from the others – and will love those movies and characters in the same way.

Let’s give Ahmed Best the love he deserves – after all Jar Jar Binks just might be the greatest mastermind of all time.

Star Wars Celebration is scheduled for April 11-15 in Chicago.