One of the coolest things about Star Wars has always been its consistent integration of droids, the term for robotic assistants in the galaxy far, far away. Providing a fair amount of comic relief throughout the films and shows, droids come in many forms; assassins, bounty hunters, soldiers, pilots, doctors, and, of course, translators.
Largely, these mechanical creatures are background characters, with the exceptions, of course, being R2-D2 and C-3p0. But regardless of their prominence, their relevance should not be underestimated. Here are 10 questions about the robots that we still have.
Why Did Ben Not Recognize R2?
A large part of the plotline for A New Hope revolves around the two droids, who are given secret plans that must reach the rebel alliance before their ship is captured by Lord Vader. Upon running into Luke and the droids, old Ben Kenobi seems not to recognize either of them.
"I don't seem to remember ever owning a droid."
Clearly, through The Clone Wars and the entirety of the prequel trilogy, Master Kenobi does, in fact, know the droids. The odds of the old Jedi master forgetting either of them is slim; was he lying to keep the truth from Luke? Or was this simply a plot hole created by the fact that the prequels came after the originals?
How Powerful Is Their AI?
All droids are powered by AI; their 'thoughts' and actions are driven by a computer system. In many cases, they seem to have thoughts and feelings that almost mirror those of organic beings.
"I'm taking one last look sir, at my friends."
How powerful are the AI systems that operate droids? Is it all down to specific programming, or do all droids have some capacity to develop these kinds of thoughts and feelings?
"If droids could think, there'd be none of us here."
Is R2 The Only One With A Personality?
The Clone Wars granted even more sass and personality to our favorite blue-domed astromech, but are he and his gold-plated counterpart the only droids that have this kind of unique personality? Their personalities are often regarded as rare or unusual; in the arc in which Boba Fett attempts to kill Mace Windu, Master Windu frowns upon the strange personality that R2 exhibits.
He made it seem like droid personalities come as a result of how their masters allow them to behave -- if droids run solely off of programming, how is this possible? Is R2 programmed to adapt to his master? Is R2 programmed to have a personality? Are all droids like this, or is R2 the exception rather than the norm?
Why Was R2 Allowed To Have A Personality?
In some cases, like in serving droids or entertainment droids, being programmed for personality makes some sort of sense, regardless of how possible that kind of programming is. But R2 was a war droid -- he carried vital battle plans and strategies, he piloted in active dogfights, and he performed active-duty repairs. It seems like most droids that were in similar positions as R2 were pretty standard (and boring); they largely don't have any special personalities. Why did the Republic and the Jedi Council allow Anakin to have a droid that had a personality? Couldn't that pose a danger to their own security?
Can Droids Feel Pain?
One thing that always had us scratching our heads was the droid torture scene in Return Of The Jedi. This concept was expanded on throughout The Clone Wars, with C-3p0 screaming in pain or fear relatively often, and other droids eliciting mechanical screams as they were similarly tortured. If droids are programmed to have personalities and feelings, how far does this programming go? Do they have a way to respond to certain senses; can they feel pain? If they can, what is the benefit in programming a droid to feel pain?
Was There Ever A Robot Revolution?
One of the most classic sci-fi fears is of a robot revolution; as AI evolves, is there a possibility that robots will attack and revolve against their organic hosts? This is a situation that doesn't seem to happen in Star Wars, although there are occasional instances of droids taking power over organic beings in The Clone Wars.
Was there ever a point in Star Wars history when droids banded together and attacked their human masters? Would the robots even have been capable of such a feat? It seems likely that a dissatisfied droid, accompanied by superior programming and personality, would be capable of beating back the organics.
Would The Galaxy Be Able To Contain A Droid Revolution?
Oftentimes, droids appear as stupid and simple; early droids definitely seemed easy to defeat, especially in The Phantom Menace, when they are controlled by one Central Computer. But, even in just looking at the Clone War, both sides of the conflict are incredibly reliant on droids and AI.
Yes, the Separatists utilize a droid army, but the Republic relies on droids to serve as pilots, spies, and information processors, among other things. Even a simple droid strike would throw the Republic into disarray. But if all the droids banded together and turned on their masters, similar to the Clone Execution of Order 66, would the Galaxy be able to stop them?
How Reliant Are Droids On Humans?
It seems that, in some cases, droids need humans to run and provide them with power. But there are many cases where it seems as though droids can operate perfectly on their own, without the aid of a human or organic counterpart. Chopper, from Rebels, is a great example of this, next to R2, of course. Many droids are certainly intelligent; if they have a personality, which many seem to have, they would seem to have a purpose beyond doing their master's bidding. Do droids actually need humans to operate?
Why Did Anakin Not Have To Wipe R2's Memory?
One thing that got Anakin into trouble more than once during the Clone Wars was his decision to not wipe R2's memory banks. According to Obi-Wan, memory wipes are a strict protocol, as a droid in enemy hands could change the tide of the war. Why was Anakin allowed to do this? Obviously, he was never a conventional Jedi; it would fit into his personality to ignore orders. But why did no other ranking military commanders make the choice for him, and wipe R2's memory? With no memory, the droid would likely not have a personality. But surely there are more important things in wartime?
Why Was 3P0's Memory Wiped, But Not R2's?
At the end of Revenge Of The Sith, C-3P0's memory is wiped, with the apparent intent to ensure the protection of both Luke and Leia. But his counterpart, R2-D2, does not receive the same treatment. During the Clone Wars, when General Grievous captured R2, he proved just how easy it is for a droid's memory to be extracted. Why would they not ensure that R2's memory is also wiped? Wouldn't keeping his memory intact endanger their entire mission, putting the lives of both Luke and Leia at risk?