Some of the most beloved and popular characters in the Star Wars Universe communicate in nothing but a serious of beeps, but they've managed to carry away our hearts on their little wheels with their acts of heroism. Though some may be as small as an astromech, they have larger than life personalities that help to bring depth to the narratives of their human counterparts. From fussy protocol droids like C-3PO to tactically inept battle-droids, they make that galaxy far, far away function properly.
With so many droids to root for, Star Wars fans may relish the acerbic wit of K-2SO, or just like to watch BB-8 cruise through the sand dunes of Jakku. But there's one thing they'll always agree on; one of the best stories in science fiction began when two droids wandered the Dune Sea on Tatooine, with a message of hope carried in one's "rusty innards".
LIFE CHOICES
Despite his relatively innocuous appearance, R2-D2 is one of the most prominent characters in the Star Wars franchise. Resourceful and inventive, it's R2 that often saves the day by using one of his many tools, selflessly sacrificing his safety to make sure that his human friends are protected.
Luckily, the human droid owners in the Star Wars Universe have great affection for their mechanical pals, and often risk life and limb to make sure that they live to beep another day. R2 has had several stalwart friends in C-3PO, Luke Skywalker, and Anakin Skywalker, who wouldn't let him get to the state of this meme.
THESE AREN'T THE DROIDS YOU'RE LOOKING FOR
Despite conveying the military might of the Empire and the First Order with their monochromatic legions, stormtroopers have demonstrated that their intellectual capacity is demonstrably lacking in the Star Wars franchise. Case in point, when fans saw them on their first few outings in Star Wars, they couldn't even track down a pair of droids.
This isn't, of course, to say that it was always an easy task. K-2SO from Rogue One was able to deceive Imperial stormtroopers by posing as himself - a KX-series Imperial security droid. Precisely because he blends in at Imperial installations, he doesn't seem out of place, unlike C-3PO on a Death Star.
BB-H8
When BB-8 -the bouncing little ball droid- first appeared in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, it was hard to imagine a droid more adorable and more synonymous with the Star Wars franchise than R2-D2. Not only that, but BB-8 had a personality to match R2's as well, and quickly became a fan-favorite.
While the Disney sequel trilogy has been incredibly divisive, there are certain characters that the majority of Star Wars fans can agree have earned their place in the franchise. BB-8 is certainly one of them, so while his films may not be big hits in the eyes of Star Wars purists, he certainly is.
REPLACEMENT PARTS
Though it was exciting to meet BB-8 in the Disney sequel trilogy, his appearance seemed to be at the expense of showing other droids who had been foundational elements of the Star Wars franchise. C-3PO and R2-D2, the dynamic duo of the first six films in the Skywalker saga, received very little screen time next to the globular little guy.
BB-8 got a taste of his own medicine in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker when, after so assuredly taking over the role of spunky mechanical maverick from R2-D2, he encountered D-O. The little droid that resembled a hair-dryer on a roller-skate was even cuter than BB-8, and could actually speak.
OH, UNCLE OWEN
Much like Uncle Owen stood around haggling with Jawas on Tatooine, it's a common practice of Star Wars fans to discuss the plot holes inherent to all the films in the Skywalker saga. Each film seems to negate something from the last, to the point where enjoying them as a whole means simply ignoring their contradictions.
One glaring issue is that while droids often get their memories wiped, humans do not. C-3PO may have had no idea who Uncle Owen was in Star Wars despite having spent time at his homestead during the prequel trilogy, but Uncle Owen should have recognized Threepio even with the gold plating. What other droid could sound so fussy?
IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
The battle droids of the Trade Federation did not make for a beautiful day in the Naboo neighborhood, when their ground assault vehicles mowed down hundreds of acres of land and trampled miles of peaceful ecosystem. Sadly, they weren't even very efficient and were outmaneuvered by Gungans of all life forms.
The battle droids in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace may have been clumsy and inept, but they made for some quality quotes throughout the film. The Trade Federation's incompetence in designing effective machines of war only benefited the Naboo people, who were able to liberate themselves from their blockade (for a time).
GROUP PROJECT
R2-D2 and C-3PO, like an intergalactic old married couple, made it through the entire Skywalker saga unscathed, save for a few cosmetic alterations to the golden rod. Of the two of them, Threepio did manage to get himself into the most trouble, requiring R2 to save his protocol posterior on more than one occasion.
It's safe to say that without R2 looking out for him, Threepio might not have survived all nine films, especially given the fact that he was less liked than the adorable astromech droid. Did R2 ever get tired of constantly saving his friend? If he did he never said anything, except for a few well-timed beeps.
FRANCHISE MASHUP
When looking at R2-D2's shape, it's possible to extrapolate that he's similar to a Dalek, the race of mutant aliens from Doctor Who. With their stout bodies, rolling perambulation, and round dome heads, they could be distant droid cousins. Daleks first debuted in the Doctor "Whoniverse" in 1963, and have been a beloved part of the franchise ever since.
Doctor Who was popular at the same time as Star Trek: The Original Series, which ran from 1966 to 1969. There was even crossover among the fandoms, as there is today, though it was much more difficult for them to communicate (i.e., there was no internet). We'd like to think R2 could take a Dalek if necessary.
WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE
If no one was able to understand an astromech droid, it might seem like they were the most vulgar characters in the Star Wars universe. Though R2-D2 communicates in beeps and boops, there's a certain amount of humans who can understand him, and therefore put to rest the theory that he rolls around expelling strings of expletives.
That being said, it's never firmly established how these humans really know what R2 is saying. Anakin Skywalker understood R2, as did his son Luke Skywalker, implying they both spent so much time around droids that they knew Droidspeak (or binary). Rey is also able to understand R2 without the need for translation, no doubt from her time as a scavenger.
BODY GOALS
The fun thing about the droids in the Star Wars Universe is that each one serves a unique function. From astromech droids to protocol droids, and battle droids to security droids, they all have something to contribute. Droids are at their best when they have a purpose they can fulfill to the satisfaction of their masters.
BB-8 will never be a big intimidating security droid like K-2SO, but K-2SO will never be an adorable round astromech droid. They may occasionally want to experience each other's existence, as much as a droid can truly "want" anything, but they're happy to serve their function as long as their humans are happy.