Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones’ biggest battle was influenced by an unlikely source. Lucasfilm has released the second season of its Light & Magic documentary, which explores the history and the extraordinary special effects of Industrial Light & Magic in beloved movies like Star Wars, Jurᴀssic Park, and Terminator. The second season shifts its focus to ILM’s pioneering digital effects department, which famously allowed George Lucas to create the second Star Wars trilogy he’d always dreamed of, nearly 15 years after the release of Return of the Jedi.

One of the biggest changes the Star Wars prequel trilogy made was to Yoda, who, when he appeared in the original trilogy, was portrayed by a puppet, controlled by the legendary Frank Oz. Yoda’s role in the prequels was different, though – this was when he was at the height of his power; the character’s movement needed to reflect that. The first time we see Yoda draw his lightsaber in his battle against Count Dooku in Attack of the Clones is legendary, and according to Light & Magic, one Star Wars actor had a surprising role in bringing it to life.

Ahmed Best’s Influence Was Bigger Than Jar Jar Binks

Ahmed Best is perhaps best known for his role as Jar Jar Binks, but his influence on the Star Wars prequel trilogy didn’t stop there. When it came time to figure out how Yoda’s fight against Count Dooku would play out (George Lucas had told Rob Coleman, an award-winning animation supervisor at ILM, that the duel between master and former apprentice needed to “defy description”), Coleman was stressed. Along came Best, who offered to help:

Best: “I saw Rob walking across the set, and I was like, ‘Hey man, what are you going to do for this Yoda fight?’ And he goes, ‘I have no idea.’ No one has ever seen Yoda move. This will be the biggest moment of Attack of the Clones. Let me just help you craft this fight.”

Coleman: “Ahmed studied martial arts. He’s also a huge anime fan.”

Best: “So I said, ‘Come to the crib. We’ll watch some videos.’”

Coleman: “He was showing me some samurai anime, and we were talking about different fighting styles.”

Best: “Like Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan and stuff.”

Coleman: “It’s just all starting to go into my head. Then I saw Swordsman II, the Jet Li film, and these ninjas, and they started flying. The panic just went … boop. Now I could see Yoda.”

Best: “My biggest thing was like, Rob, if you don’t hit anything else, he has to hit a stance. Has to be like, boom … like that Bruce Lee stance.”

Despite the unnecessary vitriolic backlash Best received after Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace was released, the actor remained enthusiastic about Star Wars. When you watch the documentary, you can see how excited he is to talk about the filming process and being a part of the franchise. Knowing that he had a hand in creating one of Star Wars’ most iconic duels is so gratifying.

Best deserves to be recognized for his hard work. His knowledge of movement and martial arts is a major part of his talent. Being featured in Light & Magic to such an extent, and his return as Jedi Master Kelleran Beq, is a great step forward.

Yoda’s First GCI Battle Needed To Be Extraordinary

Best and Coleman knew Yoda’s first action-packed scene needed to blow audiences away. More than anything, it needed to establish why Yoda was considered one of the most powerful Jedi, not just because of his age or wisdom, but because of his sheer connection to and control over the Force. By having Yoda fight Dooku right after Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker had easily been taken out by Darth Sidious’ apprentice, the scene establishes the sheer difference in power between the three Jedi.

The same can be said of how Yoda catches Dooku’s Force lightning and pushes it back at him. Best even told Coleman that Yoda needed to hit a certain “stance” like “Bruce Lee.” Every move, every strike, every jump, and every somersault tells a story, and the influence of anime and Japanese samurai movies can be felt in every sH๏τ. Best’s legacy goes beyond being Jar Jar Binks – Star Wars was, and always has been, a group effort, and this pivotal scene in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones proves that.

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