Ahmed Best's new Jedi character in nearly drove him to suicide, but he thankfully recovered. After spending years away from the franchise, Best returns to the Star Wars universe for Jedi Temple Challenge, the new game show aimed at children. In Jedi Temple Challenge, kids will compete in a series of challenges on the way to becoming a Jedi. Best hosts the series as Jedi Master Kelleran Beq, a brand new character Best has crafted just for the series.
Veep). The Clone Wars voice actor Sam Witwer also has a role in the series as the dark side of the Force, no doubt there to serve as an obstacle for the young Padawans.
StarWars.com took a behind the scenes look at Jedi Temple Challenge, and more information about Kelleran Beq was revealed. When it came to the purple lightsaber, Best has previously mentioned the connection to Mace Windu, but it turns out his character was inspired by other Jedis as well. The two main sources of inspiration for Kelleran Beq were Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda, with the added touch of the Shaolin monks from Best's favorite childhood movies. "This is the first Jedi that we’ve seen that is dedicated to just teaching," Best said. "And I wanted to pay homage to some Jedi of the past. There’s a mentorship that Obi-Wan Kenobi has and that Yoda has that are very much a nurturing kind of mentorship and I wanted to see if I could capture that nurturing sense."
The level of detail Best has put into Kelleran's backstory almost makes one wonder if the character could appear in a future Star Wars movie. At the very least, it provides an extra layer of depth to Jedi Temple Challenge, one that really makes it feel like it's taking place within the Star Wars universe. Jedi Temple Challenge will surely appeal to younger fans, though some older ones might find themselves getting caught up in the fun too.
Jedi Temple Challenge was initially slated to premiere on the Star Wars Kids YouTube channel and the Star Wars Kids website last week, but Best made the decision to postpone it by a week because of the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests. Because of that delay, the first episode of Jedi Temple Challenge debuted online just yesterday. Fans can watch it now and meet Master Kelleran Beq for themselves.
Source: StarWars.com