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C-3PO
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C-3PO ([], nicknamed Threepio) is a fictional character from the Star Wars universe, who appears in both the original Star Wars films and the prequel trilogy. He is also a major character in the television show Star Wars: Droids, and appears frequently in the series' "Expanded Universe" of novels, comic books, and video games. C-3PO is one of the four characters to appear in all six of the Star Wars feature films, and one of only two characters portrayed by the same actor in all six installments of the series (the other being Kenny Baker as R2-D2).
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C-3PO ([], nicknamed Threepio) is a fictional character from the Star Wars universe, who appears in both the original Star Wars films and the prequel trilogy. He is also a major character in the television show Star Wars: Droids, and appears frequently in the series' "Expanded Universe" of novels, comic books, and video games. C-3PO is one of the four characters to appear in all six of the Star Wars feature films, and one of only two characters portrayed by the same actor in all six installments of the series (the other being Kenny Baker as R2-D2). In all his various appearances, he is portrayed by Anthony Daniels.
C-3PO is a protocol droid designed to serve humans, and boasts that he is fluent "in over six million forms of communication." C-3PO is generally seen with his long-time counterpart, R2-D2, a small, quirky astromech droid. Threepio's main function as a protocol droid is to assist with etiquette, customs, and translation so that meetings of different cultures run smoothly. Together with his fellow droid R2-D2, Threepio played a vital and pivotal role in the Galaxy's history.
Film appearances
Original trilogy
A New Hope
In Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, C-3PO and R2-D2 are aboard the Tantive IV when it is attacked by Darth Vader’s Star Destroyer Devastator. C-3PO and R2-D2 are launched in an escape pod on the orders of Princess Leia Organa to deliver a secret message to Obi-Wan Kenobi. On Tatooine, C-3PO and R2-D2 are captured by Jawas, taken into their Sandcrawler, and sold to Owen Lars. In the process of being sold, C-3PO convinces Owen's nephew, Luke Skywalker, to buy R2-D2.
During a conversation with Luke, C-3PO reveals that he and his counterpart are well acquainted with the Rebel Alliance and its fight against the Galactic Empire. While cleaning R2-D2, Luke stumbles across the hidden message from Princess Leia, although C-3PO claims he had no idea who she is and that it may be old data. That night, R2-D2 makes a daring escape from the homestead after Luke had removed his restraining bolt. C-3PO attempts to stop him but is unsuccessful. He later joins Luke in his search through the Jundland Wastes. When they find R2, they are attacked by Tusken Raiders, causing C-3PO to stumble over and have his arm ripped off. Obi-Wan Kenobi saves them and assists them back to his home. Soon after being repaired, R2 shows Obi-Wan the message from Leia. They discover the ruined Sandcrawler and Jawas who had sold him, and Luke speeds off to discover that Owen and his wife Beru have been murdered by Imperial stormtroopers, leaving C-3PO and R2-D2 in Luke's care. After traveling to Mos Eisley while evading stormtroopers, C-3PO and R2-D2 escape on the Millennium Falcon with Luke, Obi-Wan, the ship's captain Han Solo and his first mate, Chewbacca.
C-3PO and his allies end up on the Death Star after it is found that their destination, the planet Alderaan, no longer exists. The droids are left behind in a hangar control center while Luke and Han venture off to rescue the princess. Threepio has trouble with the comlink as the trio are endangered by a closing garbage compactor. R2 reverses the compactor, saving their lives, though C-3PO thinks the worst has happened. The group escapes after Obi-Wan sacrifices himself in a duel with Vader.
The set up with the Rebel Base on Yavin 4. When C-3PO realizes that R2-D2 is going with on the Death Star attack, he says that he'd better take care of Luke — and of himself. When Artoo returns damaged, C-3PO offers to donate any of his parts that would be helpful in his repair. R2-D2 is repaired and looks good as new.
The Empire Strikes Back
In The Empire Strikes Back, C-3PO is responsible for identifying the Empire's probot, alerting the Rebels to the Empire's awareness of their location on the planet Hoth. Things get worse when Luke Skywalker goes missing on a scouting mission. After failing to pinpoint his exact location, Threepio can do little but wait until Han Solo returns with Luke. Fortunately, Solo has saved Luke. Soon afterward when the Empire attacks, C-3PO escapes with Han Solo, Chewbacca and Princess Leia in the Millennium Falcon, while Artoo joins Luke in his pursuit of the mysterious Yoda.
During this time, C-3PO and Han develop a strange relationship, with C-3PO quoting odds and Han defying them. Normally, Han would have simply shut C-3PO down but due to the mechanical failures on the Falcon, C-3PO is plugged into the ship and communicated with it to determine the problem. After a chase through the Hoth asteroid field, the Falcon escapes to Cloud City on Bespin.
While exploring a room after his arrival, C-3PO is blasted by a stormtrooper. In search of Threepio, Chewbacca heads to the Ugnaught recycling facility where he finds the dismembered droid. When Darth Vader reveals his presence to the group, Chewbacca is sent into a holding cell, but is permitted to rebuild the droid, which he does poorly. Chewbacca carries the partially-rebuilt C-3PO on his back during Han Solo's encasement in carbonite.
With the help of the city's administrator, Lando Calrissian, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, and C-3PO are able to escape. Although Chewbacca attempts to choke Lando for his betrayal, C-3PO apologizes for the enraged Wookiee's behavior, which he fears would be the end of him. Having C-3PO on Chewbacca's back is beneficial: when Boba Fett escapes the city with Han Solo, C-3PO notifies them of pursuing stormtroopers. Finally, after a chase through the corridors of Cloud City, the group makes it to the Millennium Falcon. R2-D2, whom they find after Luke Skywalker arrives to rescue them, unlocks the door to the landing pad under C-3PO's command. After successfully escaping Vader's flagship, the Executor, C-3PO is fully repaired by R2-D2.
In Shadows of the Empire, C-3PO and Artoo pilot Han's ship, the Millennium Falcon, and rescue Leia from Prince Xizor.
Return of the Jedi
In Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, Luke commands C-3PO and R2-D2 to deliver a message to Jabba the Hutt, the gangster who had the encased Han Solo in his palace. Unbeknownst to Threepio, Luke had given the droids to Jabba as a ploy to gain entrance. C-3PO is placed as Jabba's replacement translator while R2-D2 serves on his sail barge. C-3PO's first translation for the crime lord is of the bounty hunter Boushh — Leia in disguise — claiming the bounty for Chewbacca. The meeting becomes intense, but Threepio negotiates the deal.
Luke Skywalker infiltrates the palace and kills Jabba's pet rancor in a fierce duel. This angers Jabba, and he transfers his court to the sail barge with Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Chewbacca as food for the Sarlacc, while Leia serves as Jabba's slave. Just as Luke Skywalker is pushed off the plank, he bounds back up and R2-D2 tosses him his lightsaber. In the midst of the battle, C-3PO is attacked by Salacious B. Crumb, yanking one of his sensors out its socket. Salacious is forced off by R2-D2, which gives C-3PO and R2-D2 a chance to escape the sail barge. Making their way to the platform, R2-D2 pushes C-3PO off and rolls off himself into the sands of the Dune Sea. As the sail barge burns, the two are quickly rescued and the group heads off planet to the Rebels' gathering.
C-3PO accompanies the strike force to the forest moon of Endor to disable the shield generator protecting the second Death Star. When he, Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Chewbacca, and R2-D2 are captured by the Ewoks, who think he was a prophesied god known as the "Golden One", the droid is treated as an honored guest worshiped by the tribe. Meanwhile, his companions are brought to the Ewok village as prisoners, intended to be the main course at a banquet honoring "the Golden One."
Despite the droid's reluctance, Luke Skywalker convinces C-3PO at the banquet to demand that the release of the prisoners. C-3PO tells the Ewoks he'd bring down lightning and fire and wrath if his friends are not released. Luke then levitates the frightened droid above the clamoring crowd, "proving" to the Ewoks that the droid really does have "magic" powers. Later that night, C-3PO acts as a storyteller, explaining the history and intentions of the Rebels to the tribe. This gains sympathy from the Ewoks and convinces them to help the Rebels at the Battle of Endor.
After the Rebels infiltrate the shield bunker and are captured by Imperial forces, C-3PO begins the Ewoks' assault on the Empire by calling over a group of stormtroopers with a false surrender. Chaos ensues as Ewoks jumps from hiding and attacks the Imperials, allowing for Han Solo and Leia to reach the bunker controls. When R2-D2 is needed in infiltrating the bunker, C-3PO nevertheless follows, evading enemy fire. The battle ends with the Death Star's destruction and the death of the Emperor. C-3PO is present at the celebration afterward.
Prequel trilogy
The Phantom Menace
In the Star Wars series' narrative chronology, C-3PO first appears in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace as the creation of Anakin Skywalker, who builds him out of spare parts. (The non-canon story "Thank the Maker!" in Star Wars Tales explains that Anakin found the parts in a junk heap, and guessed that they were very old).
Having originally designed him to help his mother, Shmi, Anakin carries Threepio along when he barters with nearby Jawa traders. On one occasion Anakin comes across a wounded Tusken Raider. Due to 3PO's fluency in millions of languages, Anakin is able to nurse the Tusken Raider back to health, although the Tusken Raider is not fond of Threepio, and roars at him to "shut up" in his own language.
In The Phantom Menace, C-3PO meets his future partner, R2-D2, Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, Queen Padmé Amidala of Naboo and Jar Jar Binks. C-3PO and R2-D2 form a fast friendship, working together to perfect Anakin's podracer for the Boonta Eve Classic. The more experienced droid tells Threepio of the danger of space travel, to which Threepio proclaims that no one would get him to go on a starship.
Shortly afterwards, C-3PO becomes part of Anakin's pit crew during the Boonta Eve Classic, where he sees Anakin defeat Sebulba. C-3PO and his master part ways when Qui-Gon frees the boy after winning a bet with Anakin's master, Watto. Before parting with his master, Anakin assures the droid that he would make sure Shmi didn't sell him and says his final goodbye.
Attack of the Clones
In Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, set 10 years later, Shmi is kidnapped by a group of Tusken Raiders. Sensing that his mother is in danger, Anakin travels with Padmé to Tatooine, where they reunite with Threepio. C-3PO recognizes Anakin and Padmé instantly and presents them to Beru Whitesun, Owen, and Cliegg Lars. Once Anakin returns with his mother's lifeless body, C-3PO attends her small funeral in back of the Lars homestead.
After Anakin and Padmé's visit to Tatooine, C-3PO leaves with his old master at Owen's suggestion, as it was what Shmi would have wanted. Threepio accompanies his master to the planet Geonosis to rescue his Jedi Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Shortly afterward, he follows R2 after the little droid disobeys direct orders from Anakin. He finds himself in a droid construction facility and, after being pushed onto one of the platforms by R2, his head is taken off and temporarily attached to the torso of a battle droid, while the head of the droid is placed onto Threepio's torso. Due to the combat droid's programming, Threepio reluctantly participates in the film's climactic battle scene, where he is stopped by Kit Fisto. After being rescued by R2 and reunited with his body, he, with the rest of the main characters, leaves Geonosis. At the end of the film, he is one of the three witnesses to Padmé and Anakin's marriage on Naboo.
Revenge of the Sith
In Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Threepio becomes concerned about Padmé and Anakin's behavior. He is aware of Padmé's pregnancy and the meetings she held with the Senate opposition to Palpatine, which includes Bail Organa and Mon Mothma. After Anakin and R2-D2 return from Anakin's massacre of the Jedi, Threepio and R2 hold a quiet discussion about Anakin, but he assures the little droid that he must have been under stress.
However, C-3PO becomes a witness to his maker's turn to the dark side of the Force when he accompanies Padmé to Mustafar and Anakin, now the Sith Lord Darth Vader, uses the Force to choke her into unconsciousness. When Obi-Wan's duel with Vader moves to the interior of the facility on Mustafar, C-3PO and R2-D2 take it upon themselves to get the injured Senator aboard her cruiser. When Obi-Wan returns to the ship, C-3PO pilots it to the asteroid facility of Polis Massa and witnesses Padmé give birth to the Skywalker twins, Luke and Leia, and die shortly afterwards. C-3PO and R2-D2 fall into the custody of Bail Organa, who orders his memory wiped on the Tantive IV in order to protect the twins from Palpatine and Vader, and the Empire that has taken over the galaxy.
Expanded Universe
Pre-A New Hope
In all Star Wars media involving the Clone Wars, C-3PO serves as Padmé Amidala's personal protocol droid. In "The New Face of War", a story in Star Wars: Republic, Queen Jamillia appoints the droid to serve as liaison to the Jedi during that campaign following the defense of Naboo and the bio-plague of Ohma-D'un by the Separatists. He is a reluctant participant in many of Padmé's adventures, including a rather hazardous mission during the Battle of Ilum, in which his loyalty is essential in helping Jedi Master Yoda rescue fellow Jedi Luminara Unduli and Barriss Offee.
In Clone Wars, C-3PO finally earns what he had long desired: his coverings are upgraded to a shiny bronzium coating due to his tenure as Padmé's servant. He also severely disapproves of combat droids, once demanding to "have a serious talk with their programmer."
During the Droids series, set between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, C-3PO and R2-D2 are traded around to various masters. Highlights include an early encounter with bounty hunter Boba Fett, and a change in personality brought on by remodeling.
Post-Return of the Jedi
In the Expanded Universe material set after Return of the Jedi, C-3PO assists Leia Organa, Luke Skywalker, and their allies in the Alliance (and later, the New Republic) on many missions. Due to his function as a protocol droid, he most often stays with Leia Organa-Solo on Coruscant, assisting with her various political duties, while R2-D2 often stays with Luke Skywalker at the Jedi Academy.
In The Truce at Bakura, he translates Ssi-ruuvi, the language of the Ssi-ruuk, to aid the Alliance. In The Glove of Darth Vader, C-3PO and R2-D2 are members of the Senate Planetary Intelligence Network (SPIN), and undergo transformation by the Droid Modification Team to be disguised as Kessel droids so that they could infiltrate a gathering of Imperials to find out who is planning to take control of the Empire.
In The Courtship of Princess Leia, C-3PO is led to believe that Han Solo is actually the King of Corellia during Solo's competition with Isolder for Leia's hand in marriage. Threepio agrees to assist Solo in his efforts, as one of his functions is as a counselor droid, but is shocked when the Corellian kidnaps the princess and takes her to Dathomir. Threepio continues to present Han in the best possible light and writes a song for him entitled "The Virtues of King Han Solo". He surprises everyone when he performs the song, which he not only sings, but backs with the sound of a full symphony orchestra. He later discoveres that Solo's "royalty" is actually fake. After surviving the hazards of Dathomir and the Imperial occupation fleet, he is present at Han and Leia's wedding.
In Tatooine Ghost, C-3PO returns to Tatooine, where he helps Han and Leia in their search for an Alderaanian moss painting storing a valuable code. Here, Threepio reunites with Kitster Banai and Wald, childhood friends of Anakin Skywalker. With their help C-3PO and the others discover Shmi's diary and in it, valuable information on the man who became Darth Vader. After reading the diary, Leia remarks that the droid her grandmother described reminds her of Threepio. The code is eventually found and destroyed.
In Dark Force Rising, Threepio goes to Honoghr with Leia during the Thrawn Crisis during her quest with Khabarakh to discover what had caused the plight of the Noghri. Threepio is forced to hide with Leia and Chewbacca when Imperial forces arrive overhead, but later return with Leia to Coruscant, where she gives birth to Jaina and Jacen Solo. Threepio serves as caretaker for both the twins, and later Anakin Solo as well. In The Last Command, Lando reprograms Threepio to sound like Leia in order to hide from Imperials on Nkllon. However, the Empire, led by Grand Admiral Thrawn, sees through the deception. Threepio also accompanies Han, Lando, Artoo, Luke, Chewbacca, and Mara Jade to Wayland on a mission to destroy the Mount Tantiss storehouse. Thanks to Threepio and some Noghri, the party recruits aid from the local population and destroys the storehouse.
In Dark Apprentice, the Solo twins escape from Chewbacca's and Threepio's watch during a trip to a zoo on Coruscant and ended up in the planet's sub-levels. Distraught, Threepio frantically searches for them, but they had been found by King Onibald Daykim and are reunited with their parents.
In Empire's End, Threepio and Artoo are nearly destroyed after they spot an Imperial installing a homing beacon on the Millennium Falcon. They are saved due to the timely arrival of Han Solo and Chewbacca. The resurrected Palpatine and his fleet discover the Alliance's existence, leading C-3PO and the others to flee to Iziz, a city on the planet of Onderon. Palpatine eventually finds them, but Han Solo shoots him in the back. He is finally destroyed when Empatojayos Brand sacrifices himself to save Anakin.
In Planet of Twilight, Threepio and Artoo accompany Leia on a diplomatic mission to Nam Chorios but are unable to save her from being drugged and kidnapped. They also could not stop the Death Seed plague from being unleashed on the crew by Seti Ashgad and Dzym. Taking flight with one of the few surviving crew, the two flee in a small ship, but the crewman dies and they are stolen. Eventually rescued by Han and Lando, the two droids finally convey their message for help, though the sector is rife with chaos due to the plague.
In The Crystal Star, C-3PO accompanies Luke and Han Solo on their mission to Crseih Station to investigate rumors of a healing cult, and the possible existence of Jedi trainees. Instead of finding Jedi trainees, they find Waru, a creature from another dimension. Though astonished at first, Threepio and the others soon learn of Waru's alliance with Lord Hethrir and the kidnapping of the Solo children. Hethrir is destroyed following a confrontation with Leia, Han, and Luke while Waru returns to his dimension.
In addition to becoming the caretaker of the Solo children, C-3PO would also undertake several missions with his family and friends. In The Black Fleet Crisis, Threepio accompanies Lando Calrissian, R2-D2, and Lando's associate Lobot on a mission to investigate the mysteries of the runaway alien ship Teljkon Vagabond. After a long exploration of the ship's innards, and some minor damage to Threepio's circuitry, the team discovers that the ship actually contains the last vestiges of the Quella civilization.
In The New Rebellion, Threepio, along with Artoo and a young mechanic named Cole Fardreamer, is instrumental in stopping Kueller from regaining power by disabling the explosive devices he had placed in a large number of droids.
In Ambush at Corellia, Threepio accompanies the Solos on a vacation to Corellia. During the outbreak of the First Corellian Insurrection, Threepio and Chewbacca get Jaina, Jacen, and Anakin away from the burning Corona House. In Showdown at Centerpoint, Threepio accompanies Luke, Gaeriel Captison, Belindi Kalenda, and Lando to Centerpoint Station, and alerts them to the fact that the temperature inside Hollowtown is increasing to dangerously high levels. In Vision of the Future, C-3PO participates in Talon Karrde's expedition to the Kathol Sector to find Jorj Car'das, serving as a translator.
Behind the scenes
C-3PO was played by Anthony Daniels in all six Star Wars films. In Episode I, someone else puppeteered the skeletal C-3PO model while Anthony Daniels voice is heard in the C-3PO model, and the puppeteer was then digitally removed in post-production. For Episode II Daniels requested to take over the puppeteering duties, but those scenes were edited out and replaced with Daniels voicing the C-3PO model during post-production. For Episodes III to VI, Daniels wore the costume during principal photography and provided the voice of the droid.
Daniels also played C-3PO in the live-action segments of The Star Wars Holiday Special, while only voicing the character in the animated portion. He also vocally played 3PO in the three Star Wars animated series Star Wars: Clone Wars, Star Wars: Droids, and Star Wars: The Clone Wars as well as in the radio drama adaptations of the three films of the original trilogy.
Daniels reprised his role of C-3PO for the Disneyland ride Star Tours, which was co-created by George Lucas in 1987. He was videotaped while recording the dialogue, and this tape served as reference for the Imagineers to program the Audio-Animatronic C-3PO in the queue area. Daniels also donned the costume for certain video segments played before and after the simulator ride itself, and also portrayed an electronically disguised Ewok announcer heard in the queue area. Daniels also appeared in the C-3PO costume for various promotional materials for Star Tours, including the electronic press kit, a Disney special on Star Tours hosted by Gil Gerard, and various opening day skits. When Star Tours opened a bilingual version at Disneyland Paris, Daniels re-recorded C-3PO's dialogue in French, although none of his French movie voice actors included Daniels.
Daniels made several appearances as 3PO on numerous TV shows and commercials, most notably on a Star Wars-themed episode of The Donny and Marie Show in 1977, on a Star Wars-themed episode of The Muppet Show in 1980. Plus, he had a recurring role as the character of the hit TV show Sesame Street.
Daniels revealed that initially he did not agree to be cast as a robot he imagined to be just a mindless box on legs, as was the stereotypical robots in many of the science fiction stories of the time. He changed his mind after reading 3PO's part in the script and seeing a concept painting by Ralph McQuarrie.
Miscellanea
Many fans believe that older accounts of Threepio's creation on Affa in 112 BBY have been overruled by his portrayal in The Phantom Menace. In fact, the older version of Threepio's origin also originated with George Lucas, and both versions were harmonized from the outset: in 1977, Lucas provided a guide for early Expanded Universe creators, in which Threepio's origin on Affa was established, and also the fact that he was "totally reassembled by a young boy working for a junk dealer" before joining the Alderaanian diplomatic corps "several years" later. While some of the early material in this guide has been superseded, there is no reason for discarding this particular plot-point.
In the Italian version of the original trilogy, C-3PO's name is changed to D-3BO. The original name was restored in the new trilogy. In the French version of the original trilogy, the name is Z-6PO, but the original name was restored in the new trilogy as well, like most characters (except for Darth Vader and a few others in France).
He was spoofed as Dot Matrix, voiced by entertainment host Joan Rivers in Mel Brooks' 1987 Star Wars parody Spaceballs. Although Dot Matrix is female, her gait, design and color resemble C-3PO's.
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