There are two characters who are portrayed in all six films without once changing their names, their personality, or their materiality: R2-D2 and C3PO, the two most extraordinary servants in the galaxy.


R2-D2 saves the day again and again - he fixes the Naboo yacht under fire. He feeds Anakin when he's feverish, springs alarms when assassins come, fights buzzdroids and battledroids, spirits the Death Star plans to the Rebels, et cetera. I could spend pages detailing the heroic deeds of R2-D2.

Artoo is the greatest hero in Star Wars. Even Luke has often had ulterior motives - revenging or redeeming his father, impressing Leia, or what have you; Luke could expect a reward. Anakin fell as he sought recognition and rewards. Obi-Wan failed and withdrew into solitude.

Artoo did as much as any at as great a risk as any, and acted with no expect of reward or recognition. Doubtless, Artoo is aware that at any moment, someone could give that astromech droid a long overdue memory wipe - and yet he still served faithfully.


C-3P0 seems like comic relief. Threepio is more than that, though. Threepio is also the archetypical innocent, a figure so pure that no matter what happens, nothing bad can happen to him. His memory is even wiped, reinforcing his innocence.

It's what we wish was true. Sure, Threepio is banal, prissy, and not particularly bright, but then, none of us are perfect, either. If Threepio's innocence saves him from everything that goes wrong in the galaxy, surely we can grasp to the hope that we, too, will not suffer for the deeds we aren't responsible for.

Threepio even ascends to divine status at the end of Return of the Jedi, a living embodiment of the "meek shall inherit the Earth" principle and the hopes of religious faith. Few are meeker than Threepio - or more faithful.


This is a tale of two droids, Hero and Hope...