C-3PO

Template:Star Wars Droid C-3PO (pronounced IPA: [si.'θɹi.pi.oʊ].', often shortened to 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 few characters to appear in all six of the Star Wars feature films, and one of the very few to be played six times by the same actor. In all his various appearances, he is portrayed by Anthony Daniels. In one of the films, Anthony does not act in the C-3PO suit as the character is computer generated, however he does provide the voice.

Character overview

He 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.

File:Karl Stefanovic.jpg

C-3PO without his outer covering, Courtesy of Get This Fan

In the films

Prequel trilogy

In the timeline of the series, he is introduced in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace as a protocol droid built from spare parts by the young Anakin Skywalker on the planet Tatooine. He is introduced to R2-D2 when his owners, Qui-Gon Jinn and Padmé Amidala, take refuge in the Skywalkers' home. After Anakin leaves to be trained as a Jedi, Threepio is left with his mother, Shmi, on Tatooine. He appears mainly in a skeletal state in the film, without the gold plating made famous in the original films.

He next appears in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, set 10 years later and has silver plating. He is the property of Cliegg Lars, Shmi's new husband. After Anakin and Padmé visit the planet, Threepio follows his maker and becomes Padmé's butler. On the planet Geonosis, C-3PO's head is knocked off his body. The head is placed on the body of a battle droid, and a battle droid head is placed on C-3PO's body. R2 later takes C-3PO's head and restores it to his body during the movie's final battle scene. He and R2-D2 witness Anakin and Padmé's secret wedding at the end of the film.

As revealed in the animated series Star Wars: Clone Wars, Threepio is fitted with his familiar gold plating to better fit his role as Padmé's servant. Throughout the series, he and R2-D2 are unwitting pawns in the main characters' adventures, foreshadowing their roles in the original films.

In Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, C-3PO watches, confused and helpless, as the Galactic Republic collapses and Anakin turns to the dark side of the Force and becomes Darth Vader. He and R2-D2 are present when Padmé dies in childbirth after delivering twins, Luke and Leia. He and R2 are then given to a new master, Captain Antilles, and C-3PO's memory is erased.

Original trilogy

C-3PO's next chronological appearance (and first in real time) is in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. He and R2-D2 are aboard the Tantive IV when it is attacked by Darth Vader's troops. He escapes with R2 (who is carrying a distress message from Leia, now the Princess of Alderaan) to Tatooine, where they are found by Luke Skywalker. The two droids lead their new master to Obi-Wan Kenobi, for whom Leia's message is intended, and are eventually taken along in the mission to rescue her. By the end of the film, they have helped the heroes escape from the Death Star, and have helped the Rebel Alliance destroy it.

In Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, C-3PO and his counterpart accompany Leia, Han Solo and Chewbacca on a flight from Vader's grasp after the Empire invades the Rebel base on the planet Hoth. On the planet Bespin, C-3PO is blasted apart by an Imperial stormtrooper, and spends the rest of the film in pieces, carried on Chewbacca's back. By the film's final scene, however, he has been put back together.

In Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, he and R2 go to Tatooine to negotiate Han Solo's release from Jabba the Hutt. They deliever a holographic message from Luke — who gives possession of the droids to the Huttese gangster in exchange for Han's freedom. Jabba does not release Han, but takes the droids anyway, and makes C-3PO his personal translator and slave. Luke eventually frees his friends, however, including his beloved droids. C-3PO then accompanies the Rebels to the planet Endor, where he is worshipped as a god by the native Ewoks. C-3PO is last seen beside R2, celebrating the Rebels' final victory over the Empire.

Anthony Daniels

• C-3PO was originally to have the voice and mannerism of an American used car salesman. However, when Daniels was rehearsing with his usual voice, the image conveyed, which many see as something of a prissy, high strung butler (reminiscent of the character type created by Franklin Pangborn), proved very appealing and the character was changed accordingly.
• American voice actor Mel Blanc was one of hundreds of individuals that were auditioned by director George Lucas to provide the voice for the C-3PO character, and it was he (Mel Blanc) who ultimately suggested that the producers utilize Daniels' own voice in the role.
• Daniels appeared without his C-3PO costume in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. He can be seen in the bar on Coruscant as Lt. Dannl Faytonni, and again in Episode III during the opera house scene.
• Daniels also appeared as C-3PO in the Discovery Channel special The Science of Star Wars with R2-D2, and appeared out of costume at the end of it.
• Actor Anthony Daniels said that he often was ignored by other actors when he was wearing the C-3PO costume on the set, as if they actually forgot that he was a real person, not a machine.

Name in other languages

• In Italy, C-3PO's name was changed to D-3BO in the original trilogy. He re-assumed the original name in the prequel trilogy.
• In France, C-3PO's name was changed to Z-6PO in the original trilogy, for dubbing lip sync purposes. He re-assumed the original name in the prequel trilogy.

Trivia

• In 2004, C-3PO was inducted into the Robot Hall of Fame.
• The name C-3PO comes from Lucas' hometown map. The post office was located in grid C-3.
• A Topps trading card released in 1978 features C-3PO with what resembles an erect penis. A piece of the Threepio costume apparently broke off and the photograph was taken at the exact instant it aligned with the suit's codpiece. Lighting and the camera angle exacerbate the illusion of the golden droid having an enormous erection [1].
• Lego released five limited edition C-3PO minifigures cast in real 14-carat gold, unveiled at the 2007 New York Toy Fair.
• C-3PO says "Oh No" or "Oh My" in all of the six films.

See also

• C-3PO's, a breakfast cereal based on the character

External links

• C-3PO in the StarWars.com Databank
• C-3PO on Wookieepedia, a Star Wars wiki