In the run-up to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, there was a lot of concern from fans that C-3PO would meet a tragic end in the movie. As he’s the only character, alongside R2-D2, to appear in every episode of the Skywalker saga, it was thought this could be it for the nervy protocol droid. Especially as the trailers made a big deal out of that scene where Threepio “takes one last look” at his friends.
Of course, as we know, he made it out fully in tact, with even his missing memories returned to him. So does this mean that the door is open for Threepio to come back in future films? Star Anthony Daniels seems pretty certain that it does. When asked about the droid’s future on The View, Daniels revealed that director J.J. Abrams made clear he wasn’t going to kill off the iconic character.
“Oh, he’s not over. I said to J.J., when we were filming, ‘Maybe it’s time to put Threepio to sleep, to give him an end,’ and he said, ‘Not on my watch.'”
Seemingly careful of saying too much, the British actor went on to suggest that, whether he returns to the franchise or not, C-3PO isn’t really gone, as fans can soon watch the Skywalker saga from start to finish at their leisure whenever they like.
“But one of the great things that happened is that, back in the day, 1975, you couldn’t have video in your home, it didn’t exist. Big TV studios, you could have it. Now, it’s gone through all the iterations from laserdisc to whatever, and now you do have it, first of all downloadable, and at the end of the month, you can actually buy it on disc, and here’s the important thing: when you have it on disc, you have control. In the movie theater, it whizzes by, at home, you can say, ‘Oh, I want to see Anthony Daniels in that scene again.'”
In Episode IX, Threepio proves key to the plot when he’s the only one who can translate the inscription on the Sith dagger that will lead the heroes to the Sith Wayfinder, which will in turn direct them to Palpatine’s hideaway on Exegol. Due to his programming, though, the droid is forbidden from reading the Sith language. Long story short, Babu Frik reprograms him and he reads the dagger, but at the cost of his memories. Thankfully, Artoo is able to redownload them all into his noggin when they reunite at the Resistance base.
Like Daniels reminds us, we’ll be able to watch Threepio’s latest – last? who knows? – adventure when Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker arrives on Digital HD next Tuesday, March 17th. The Blu-Ray then drops on March 31st.
