There have been two characters that have made an appearance in every single main Star Wars movie: C-3PO and R2-D2. The fact that R2-D2 has become such a cultural icon despite the audience never actually being able to understand him is a truly impressive display of George Lucas’ once-great characterization.
With the Star Wars universe being so full of stories and facts that are ever-expanding, it’s almost impossible to keep up on every bit of knowledge available. Here is a list that should fill fans in on some interesting moments and facts from the life of everyone’s favorite (or possibly second favorite) droid.
Obi-Wan Kenobi Actually Did Remember Him
There is a lot of attention given to the plot holes created by the very existence of the prequel trilogy. Why doesn’t Vader recognize C-3PO, a droid he built? Similarly, why doesn’t Obi-Wan recognize R2, a droid he spent the majority of his life with?
Well, the original Star Wars film might not give much away (“I don’t seem to remember owning a droid”), but in a canonical version of A New Hope aimed at children, the plot hole is fixed when Obi-Wan quietly tells R2 that “It’s good to fly with you again, old friend”.
His Name & Design Were Influenced By Two Different Films
Nobody can deny that R2-D2 doesn’t have a unique and recognizable design but as it turns out, George Lucas was so inspired by another film. In fact, Lucas' design for R2-D2 was so similar to the droids of Silent Running (1972) that a lawsuit was filed. The lawsuit was eventually dismissed.
Meanwhile, the name R2-D2 came from American Graffiti sound editor Walter Murch, who said it to shorten the phrase ‘Reel 2, dialogue track 2’.
He’s A Hero At Some Point In Every Single Film
Since nobody in the audience can understand what R2-D2 is saying, the impact of his presence in the films often goes slightly unnoticed. As a result, it's easy to miss the fact that he actually had a heroic moment in every single Star Wars film.
For example, in Attack Of The Clones, he saves Padme from the droid factory; in A New Hope he transports the Death Star plans; in The Force Awakens, he has the map that leads to Luke.
He & C-3PO Have A Non-Canon TV Show
Back in the '80s, Star Wars was pretty much just centered on the films, loads of toys, and a few books. Anything outside of the movies was generally considered to be non-canon.
One of the first spin-off TV shows following characters from the franchise was the short-lived Star Wars: Droids, which followed C-3PO and R2-D2 on a variety of adventures. Despite being released so close to the original trilogy, it was removed from the new canon.
He Was Originally Designed To Speak
Towards the very start of George Lucas’ creation of R2-D2, both he and C-3PO had speaking roles, leaving R2-D2’s trademark bleeps without a place in the story.
This plan was abandoned eventually, but C-3PO does often explain to the audience that R2-D2’s bleeps often translate to swear words.
His ‘Voice’ Is An Unexpected Mix Of Random Noises
The ‘voice’ R2-D2 ended up with couldn’t be further from a typical human voice. Nobody in the audience knows what he’s saying at any point, but luckily, C-3PO is always there to translate. The source of R2-D2's voice, though, are actually a lot more understandable and commonplace than one might assume.
Sound designer Ben Burtt carefully crafted R2-D2's signature beeps by blending synthesized electronic sounds with the sound of himself imitating a baby’s cry.
He Was On Dagobah Before
The Dagobah System is the murky, swampy planet that Yoda retreats to after the demise of the Jedi at the end of Revenge Of The Sith and the one where Luke trains with him in The Empire Strikes Back.
When Luke goes to visit him, he brings R2-D2, who doesn’t exactly get on with the new terrain. One would think he might be used to it, though, considering he accompanied Yoda there during The Clone Wars as part of his training to become a Force Ghost.
He Could Have Told Luke A Lot About His Past
As mentioned above, the prequels ended up creating a lot of plot holes that make moments from the original trilogy a little confusing. One of those is Luke’s past.
Considering R2-D2 was sitting there at the actual moment Luke was born, he knew exactly who Luke’s father was. He could have saved a lot of time by just revealing that as soon as they met.
He Couldn't Fly In The Original Trilogy Because His Rocket Thrusters Are Broken
As with many prequel films across a variety of genres, the ability to use new filmmaking techniques often makes the fictional technology shown in a film supposedly set in the future look worse and weirdly backwards in terms of quality. The same can be said for Star Wars, where R2-D2 can suddenly fly in the prequels despite having never shown this ability before.
According to a children’s version of Return Of The Jedi, his rocket thrusters were broken. Quite a lackluster explanation, honestly, but at least it makes sense.
Some Fans Think He's The Narrator
Star Wars isn’t exactly short of fan-theories, but one of those centered on R2-D2 is particularly strange. The basic idea is that R2-D2 is the narrator: He’s present through most major events and opens each chapter of his tale with ‘A long time ago...’ Basically, R2-D2 is the author of the now iconic text crawls that open every Star Wars movie.
The recipient is either C-3PO regaining his memory or the ‘Journal Of The Whills,' a record designed to keep track of every historical event throughout the galaxy. As weird and absurd as this may be, this particular theory is one of the most unique ones ever conjured by the fanbase. That alone should help it stand out.