 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Relevant discussion may be found on thetalk page. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "C-3PO" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(July 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| C-3PO | |
|---|---|
| Star Wars character | |
 | |
| First appearance | Star Wars (1977) |
| Created by | George Lucas |
| Portrayed by | Anthony Daniels (1977–present) |
| Voiced by | |
| Performed by | Michael Lynch |
| In-universe information | |
| Class | Protocol droid |
| Affiliation | |
| Creator | Anakin Skywalker |
C-3PO (/ˌsiːˈθriːpioʊ/) orSee-Threepio is a humanoid robot character in theStar Wars franchise. He is a protocoldroid designed to assist in etiquette and translation, and is fluent in over six million forms of communication.[1][2] The character appears in all nine films of theSkywalker Saga—which includes theoriginal trilogy, theprequel trilogy and thesequel trilogy.Anthony Daniels portraysC-3PO in all the Skywalker Saga films and the standalone filmRogue One, and he voices the droid in the animated seriesThe Clone Wars.[3][4] In addition to films,C-3PO appears in television series, novels, comics, and video games. Daniels' memoirs,I Am C-3PO: The Inside Story was released byDorling Kindersley on 5 November 2019. The book detailed howGeorge Lucas' ideas, Ralph McQuarrie's paintings, Liz Moore's character designs and the art department's work led to the creation of C-3PO - as well as Daniels' experience and portrayal of the character from 1977'sStar Wars to 2019'sThe Rise of Skywalker.[5]
Ralph McQuarrie, a concept artist for the original 1977Star Wars film,[a] based the initial design forC-3PO on thefemale robot from theFritz Lang filmMetropolis (1927).[5][6][7] When Anthony Daniels saw one of McQuarrie's paintings ofC-3PO, he was struck by the vulnerability in the droid's face, and he wanted the role.[8][9] George Lucas, who created theStar Wars franchise and directedStar Wars, selected Daniels for the physical performance. He was planning to hire another actor for the droid's voice, because he was hesitant to give the character Daniels's British accent.[10] According to Daniels, Lucas wantedC-3PO to have a "sleazy New York second-hand car dealer" type of voice.[11] Daniels recalled that thirty well-established actors auditioned for the voice role—includingRichard Dreyfuss andMel Blanc—but Daniels ultimately received the part after one of the actors suggested the idea to Lucas.[12][8][13] With Daniels voicing him,C-3PO's persona transformed from oily used-car salesman to neurotic English butler.[b]
For the second film,The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Lucas wanted to create audience sympathy forC-3PO by having him get dismantled.[15] He considered having the villain Darth Vader destroy the droid's heart or "turn it into an alarm clock".[16] In the finished film,C-3PO is blasted into pieces by an offscreen foe, then rescued from a scrap pile by Chewbacca.[c] Because bothC-3PO and Chewbacca were likeable characters—and disliked one another—Lucas wanted them to have a bonding experience. Towards this end, theWookiee carries and then repairs the dismantled droid.[16]
Among all the characters inStar Wars, C-3PO stands apart as actorAnthony Daniels is the only performer to have played the same role—both inside the suit and behind the microphone— in ten live-action films (all nineSkywalker Saga films andRogue One)[17] and oneanimated film.[3] He both physically portrays the character and provides the voice in all of these films except forThe Phantom Menace. For that film, aC-3PO puppet was operated by Michael Lynch, with Daniels providing the voice.[5]
Ironically, Daniels wasn’t drawn to the role at first. He reportedly disliked the early design until he came acrossRalph McQuarrie’s concept art. The painting, which gave the droid a fragile, almost human vulnerability, changed his mind[18]. AlthoughStar Wars was immensely successful, Daniels was initially hesitant to return for the first sequel,The Empire Strikes Back. According to Daniels, the publicists forStar Wars wanted to give the impression that C-3PO was portrayed by a real robot, and not an actor in a costume.[19] Although Daniels felt his acting was undervalued,[5] he eventually agreed to return for a higher salary.[20]
ShootingA New Hope in 1977 proved rough for Daniels. In his memoirI Am C-3PO: The Inside Story, Daniels described the first fiberglass costume as “claustrophobic and painful”[21]. The thing barely moved, cracked easily, and had no ventilation. He overheated, scraped himself up, and could hardly see where he was going[22]. Oddly enough, those limits became part of the character: the stiff stance, the nervous hand motions, the fussy tone. Over time, Daniels shaped C-3PO’s voice into something between a fretful butler and a refined gentleman perpetually on edge.[23]
Daniels portrays C-3PO in the television seriesObi-Wan Kenobi andAhsoka, and voices the droid in the animated filmThe Clone Wars.[24][25][26] He also voices the character in theStar Wars Holiday Special,[27] theradio drama adaptations of the original trilogy,[28] variousLego Star Wars series and specials, and the seriesDroids,Clone Wars,The Clone Wars,Forces of Destiny,Star Wars Rebels andStar Wars Resistance.[5][26] In video games, C-3PO is voiced by Daniels,Tom Kane andTony Pope.[26][29][30]Simon Pegg voices the character in aStar Wars-themed episode of the animated television seriesPhineas and Ferb.[31]
WhenStar Wars debuted in 1977, reviewers mostly saw C-3PO as a technical marvel and a bit of comic relief[32].Rolling Stone called the droids “two minor miracles of technology,” noting C-3PO’s “considerable urbanity”[32]. The golden worrywart quickly became essential to the films’ rhythm—a polished, anxious foil to the impulsive humans around him.[21]
In later years, critics and scholars began reading more into him. Some argued that C-3PO mirrors systems of servitude and hierarchy within the saga’s universe.[33] Built to obey, he’s anxious, deferential, and almost entirely without agency—a “cosmic eunuch,” as one critic put it, or even a symbol of enslavement.[33] His unshakable manners and fear of confrontation throw the rebellion’s defiance into sharper relief, hinting thatStar Wars has always carried a quiet commentary on class, control, and the uneasy status of sentient machines treated as property.[33]
C-3PO first appears inStar Wars (1977) aboard aRebel ship that is boarded by theEmpire.Princess Leia hides C-3PO and his companion droidR2-D2 in an escape pod, which she jettisons over the planetTatooine. There, the droids are captured byJawas, who sell them toOwen Lars. While cleaning R2-D2, Lars's nephewLuke Skywalker discovers a message in the droid that Leia recorded forObi-Wan Kenobi. AfterImperial stormtroopers destroy the Lars homestead, C-3PO and R2-D2 go along with Luke and Obi-Wan on a mission to rescue Leia, transported by the smugglersHan Solo andChewbacca on board theMillennium Falcon. While on theDeath Star, C-3PO and R2-D2 shut down the space station's trash compactor to save the lives of their companions. The group then escapes the station and joins the Rebels at their base. When R2-D2 is damaged during theBattle of Yavin, a grief-stricken C-3PO offers to donate his own parts to repair his counterpart.
InThe Empire Strikes Back (1980), C-3PO identifies an Imperial probe droid, which gives the Rebels advance warning of an Imperial attack on their base onHoth. C-3PO escapes the planet with Han, Chewbacca and Leia on theMillennium Falcon. They eventually arrive inCloud City, where C-3PO is blasted apart by a stormtrooper.[34] After searching for the protocol droid, Chewbacca finds him dismantled on a conveyor belt. The Wookiee later tries to rebuild C-3PO, but puts his head on backwards. Chewbacca carries the partially-rebuilt droid on his back during Han's encasement incarbonite. With the help ofLando Calrissian, C-3PO and his friends escape from Darth Vader. On board theFalcon, R2-D2 successfully repairs C-3PO.
At the beginning ofReturn of the Jedi (1983), Luke sends C-3PO and R2-D2 to the palace of the crime lordJabba the Hutt, who has purchased the frozen Han from thebounty hunterBoba Fett. To C-3PO's dismay, R2-D2 plays a recorded message in which Luke offers the droids as a goodwill gift to Jabba. Now in the service of the crime lord, C-3PO acts as a translator as Leia, Chewbacca, Lando and Luke arrive at the palace to liberate Han. Jabba foils the plan, but Luke leads a successful escape attempt and the group departs the planet. OnEndor, C-3PO and his companions are captured byEwoks, but are released after they perceive C-3PO to be a deity.[34] Later that night, C-3PO narrates the history of the Rebellion's fight against the Empire to the Ewok tribe, which convinces them to help the Rebels. After the second Death Star is destroyed, C-3PO and his friends celebrate the fall of the Empire.
C-3PO returns inThe Phantom Menace (1999), the first film of the prequel trilogy. The film reveals that C-3PO was built on Tatooine by the nine-year-old slave boyAnakin Skywalker. The protocol droid meets his future companion, R2-D2, along withJedi MasterQui-Gon Jinn, QueenPadmé Amidala ofNaboo and theGunganJar Jar Binks. C-3PO and R2-D2 help improve Anakin's podracer for theBoonta Eve Classic race, and C-3PO becomes part of Anakin's pit crew. C-3PO and Anakin part ways when Qui-Gon frees the boy from slavery and takes him off-planet. Before leaving, Anakin assures the droid that his mother Shmi will not sell him.
Attack of the Clones (2002) is set ten years afterThe Phantom Menace. Shmi is kidnapped by a group ofTusken Raiders. Sensing that his mother is in danger, Anakin travels with Padmé to Tatooine, where they reunite with C-3PO. He presents Anakin and Padmé to Anakin's stepfamily:Owen Lars,Cliegg Lars andBeru Whitesun. When Anakin returns with his mother's body, C-3PO attends her funeral. When Anakin and Padmé depart Tatooine, C-3PO accompanies them to the planetGeonosis to rescue Obi-Wan from theSith LordCount Dooku. Shortly afterward, he follows R2-D2 into a droid-construction factory, where his head is exchanged with that of abattle droid. Influenced by the battle droid's programming, C-3PO reluctantly participates in the film's climactic battle scene. After being restored by R2-D2, he leaves Geonosis with his companions. At the end of the film, he is a witness to Padmé and Anakin's marriage on Naboo.
InRevenge of the Sith (2005), C-3PO is aware of Padmé's pregnancy. After Anakin falls to the dark side of the Force and becomes the Sith Lord Darth Vader, he takes C-3PO and R2-D2 with him as he massacres the Jedi. C-3PO rationalizes Vader's behavior by saying he has been under a great deal of stress. The protocol droid accompanies Padmé toMustafar, where he witnesses Vader strangle her into unconsciousness. C-3PO and R2-D2 then take her to safety. When Obi-Wan returns to their spaceship following his duel with Vader, C-3PO pilots it toPolis Massa and witnesses Padmé give birth to the Skywalker twins, Luke and Leia. C-3PO and R2-D2 become the property of CaptainRaymus Antilles, who orders C-3PO's memory erased to protect the Skywalker children from their father and the newly createdGalactic Empire.
C-3PO appears inThe Force Awakens (2015), the first installment of the sequel trilogy. He has a red left arm at one point, and is now fluent in seven million forms of communication. He is first seen with Leia and aResistance team picking up Han, Chewbacca,Finn,Rey, andBB-8 on the planet Takodana. During their adventures, C-3PO is reunited with R2-D2, who is reactivated after being shut off for years. InThe Last Jedi (2017), C-3PO serves as an assistant to Leia and the Resistance pilotPoe Dameron. Daniels complained that his character was a "table decoration" in this film, and that C-3PO is "worth more than that".[35]
InThe Rise of Skywalker (2019), the droid and his companions travel to Passana, where they search for a clue to the location of a Sith wayfinder. With the help of Lando, they locate the clue—a dagger with inscriptions in the Sith language. C-3PO is able to translate the runes, but his programming prevents him from sharing the translation with his friends. The group travels toKijimi, where a black-market droid-smith extracts the message from C-3PO, erasing his memory in the process. When C-3PO returns to the Resistance camp, R2-D2 is able to restore his memory.
InRogue One (2016), C-3PO makes acameo appearance alongside R2-D2.[36]
C-3PO appears in the live action seriesObi-Wan Kenobi (2022) andAhsoka (2023), and the animated seriesThe Clone Wars (2008–2020),Forces of Destiny (2017–2018)Star Wars Rebels (2014–2018) andStar Wars Resistance (2018–2020). He is also featured in thefilm version ofThe Clone Wars (2008).
C-3PO appears in the comicsStar Wars (2015–present),Shattered Empire (2015),Star Wars: C-3PO (2016) andStar Wars: Poe Dameron (2016–2018), as well as the novelBloodline (2016).[37] He also appears in theradio adaptations of the original film trilogy (1981, 1983, and 1996).
Following the acquisition ofLucasfilm byThe Walt Disney Company in 2012, most of the licensedStar Wars novels and comics produced between 1977 and 2014 were rebranded asStar Wars Legends and declared non-canon to the franchise. TheLegends works comprise a separate narrative universe.[d]
InThe Truce at Bakura (1994), C-3PO translates Ssi-ruuvi, the language of the Ssi-ruuk, to aid the Alliance.[42] C-3PO andR2-D2 are members of the Senate Planetary Intelligence Network (SPIN) inThe Glove of Darth Vader (1992), and are disguised as Kessel droids so they can infiltrate a gathering of Imperials.[43] InThe Courtship of Princess Leia (1994), C-3PO is led to believe thatHan is ancestrally the King ofCorellia during Han's competition with Prince Isolder forLeia's hand in marriage. C-3PO agrees to assist Han as a counselor droid, but is shocked when Han kidnaps Leia and takes her toDathomir. He later discovers that Han's ancestor was merely a pretender to the throne.[44] Following Han and Leia's marriage, C-3PO travels with them toTatooine inTatooine Ghost (2003). He helps them search for an Alderaanian moss painting storing a valuable code. He also reunites with Kitster Banai and Wald, childhood friends ofAnakin Skywalker. With their help, C-3PO discoversShmi Skywalker's diary.[45]
InHeir to the Empire (1991),Lando reprograms C-3PO to sound like Leia in order to hide from Imperials on Nkllon. TheEmpire, led byGrand Admiral Thrawn, sees through the deception.[46] InDark Force Rising (1992), C-3PO goes to Honoghr with Leia during theThrawn Crisis to discover what caused the plight of theNoghri. He is forced to hide with Leia andChewbacca when Imperial forces arrive, but later returns toCoruscant, where Leia gives birth toJaina andJacen Solo. He cares for the twins, and laterAnakin Solo as well.[47] C-3PO accompanies Han, Lando, R2-D2,Luke, Chewbacca, andMara Jade to Wayland inThe Last Command (1993).[48] The party recruits aid from the local population and destroys the Mount Tantiss storehouse.
InDark Apprentice (1994), the Solo twins elude Chewbacca and C-3PO during a trip to a Coruscant zoo, and arrive in the planet's sub-levels. C-3PO frantically searches for them, but they are found by King Onibald Daykim and reunited with their parents.[49] C-3PO and R2-D2 accompany Leia on a diplomatic mission to Nam Chorios inPlanet of Twilight (1997).[50] They are unable to prevent her kidnapping and fail to stop the Death Seed plague unleashed by Seti Ashgad and Dzym. Eventually rescued by Han and Lando, the two droids convey their message for help. InThe Crystal Star (1994), C-3PO accompanies Luke and Han to Crseih Station to investigate the possible existence of Jedi trainees, but instead find Waru, a creature from another dimension. They learn of Waru's alliance with LordHethrir and of the kidnapping of the Solo children. Hethrir is destroyed following a confrontation with Leia, Han, and Luke.[51]
InThe Black Fleet Crisis trilogy, C-3PO accompanies Lando, R2-D2, and Lando's associateLobot to investigate the runaway alien shipTeljkon Vagabond. They eventually discover that the ship contains the last vestiges of theQuella civilization. InThe New Rebellion (1997), C-3PO and several companions are instrumental in stopping Kueller from regaining power by disabling explosive devices he had placed in a large number of droids.[52] During the outbreak of the First Corellian Insurrection inAmbush at Corellia (1995), C-3PO and Chewbacca retrieve Jaina, Jacen, and Anakin from the burning Corona House.[53] InShowdown at Centerpoint (1995), the protocol droid accompanies Luke, Lando, Gaeriel Captison and Belindi Kalenda to Centerpoint Station. He informs them that the temperature inside Hollowtown has increased to dangerously high levels.[54] He serves as a translator forTalon Karrde's expedition to the Kathol Sector inVision of the Future (1998).[55]
According to theStar Wars comic strip,C-3PO was activated on the planet Affa hundreds of years before the events of the originalStar Wars film.[56]A Guide to the Star Wars Universe states his activation date as 112 years beforeStar Wars.[57] In theStar Wars Tales story "Thank the Maker", Vader remembers finding the defunct droid inWatto's junk heap and guessing it was several decades old.[58] In theStar Wars: Republic story "The New Face of War",Queen Jamillia appoints C-3PO to serve as a liaison to the Jedi. In 1994,Dark Horse Comics serialized a story titledDroids,[59] which led to a 14-issue comic series continuing the adventures ofC-3PO andR2-D2 before the events ofStar Wars.[60][61] Lucasfilm did not require this series to align narratively with the animated seriesDroids.[62] Anthony Daniels andRyder Windham also co-wrote a 1997 one-shot comic titledThe Protocol Offensive.[62][63]
InEmpire's End (1997), C-3PO and R2-D2 are nearly destroyed after they spot an Imperial installing a homing beacon on the Millennium Falcon, but are saved by Han and Chewbacca.[64] 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 is mortally wounded by Han and destroyed whenEmpatojayos Brand sacrifices himself to save Anakin Solo. C-3PO is found partially destroyed and abandoned by two slave boys, Otalp and Remoh, in theStar Wars Tales storyStoryteller, which takes place after the original film trilogy. The droid tells them stories of Luke's adventures, and they imagine the stories played out by members of their own alien race. As he is finishing his tale, a Vindar slavedriver appears, blasts C-3PO's head off, and kills Otalp. Later, Remoh finds hope for his people's freedom when he discovers a lightsaber in the remains of C-3PO's body.[65]
In addition to novels and comics, some animated series are part ofStar WarsLegends. InDroids (1985), which takes place betweenRevenge of the Sith andStar Wars, C-3PO and R2-D2 are traded among various masters. InClone Wars (2003), C-3PO's outer plating is upgraded during his tenure as Padmé's servant.[66][67] He is a reluctant participant in many of her adventures, including a hazardous mission during the Battle of Ilum.[68] On this mission, he helpsYoda rescue the Jedi MasterLuminara Unduli and thePadawanBarriss Offee.[69]
Outside of the official canon and theLegends universe, C-3PO appears in theStar Wars Holiday Special (1978),The Muppet Show, The Stars of Star Wars (1980),[70][5]Sesame Street (1980),[5]The Lego Movie (2014),[5]Lego Star Wars: The Resistance Rises (2016),[5]The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special (2020),Lego Star Wars Summer Vacation (2022), the animated shortHow NOT to Draw R2-D2 (2024),[71]Lego Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy (2024-2025)[72][73] and various video games. The character also appears in a 2014Star Wars-themed episode of the animated television seriesPhineas and Ferb.
C-3PO, often paired withR2-D2, has played a surprisingly influential role in shaping how people imagine robots and artificial intelligence. Commentators have pointed out that theStar Wars franchise helped form public perceptions for what robots should look and behave like, particularly when designed to interact with humans rather than worker robots operating in factories or warehouses.[74] Unlike the quintessential portrayal of robots as threatening or emotionless, C-3PO is anxious, polite, and focused on translation and etiquette. That combination of traits aligns closely with what researchers today describe as asocial robot.[75] Discussions about automation and future labor often reference this portrayal, noting thatStar Wars presented robots as collaborators and helpers long before those ideas entered mainstream policy debates.[76]
C-3PO's impact is also evident in how the Roboticist community communicate their research with the public. Science writers and engineers frequently use C-3PO as a benchmark when explaining how far current technology still is from producing a robot capable of natural conversation or cultural fluency.[77] Human–robot interaction studies echo this pattern: people’s expectations of real robots are often shaped by the fictional ones they grew up with, and C-3PO is one of the figures most commonly cited in this context.[78] Even within academic writing on android design, C-3PO is frequently brought up as an example of a artificial being built to learn from and adapt to the humans around it.[79]
Beyond technology, C-3PO’s design and role tie into longer-running cultural questions about artificial labor and personhood. The humanoid form traces back to iconic cinematic robots like theMaschinenmensch fromMetropolis, which established visual and narrative traditions around automated mechanical workers.[76] In theStar Wars universe, C-3PO clearly expresses fear, worry, and personal preference, yet he and other droids remain property. Analysts have argued that this tension of sentient beings being treated as tools reflects the films’ depiction of droids as an exploited labor class.[80] Commentators have examined this dynamic through moral, political, and class-based perspectives, describing droids as a permanent servant group within the galaxy’s social order.[81] Some writers extend this critique by focusing on how droid suffering is framed: the films often show droids in pain or distress but rarely treat that pain as meaningful or deserving of empathy.[82]
Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker takes control of the Swinetrek along with C-3PO and R2-D2 on a rescue mission to find Chewbacca.
Anthony Daniels channeled his dark side to play a bounty Hunter version of C-3PO.
Anthony Daniels as C-3PO
{{cite web}}:|last= has generic name (help)
Links to related articles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
