Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker ended C-3PO’s story by referencing his very first scene in A New Hope. With the Skywalker saga reaching its conclusion, many plot threads and character arcs have reached their finale. One of the most notable and most emotional throughout the films was that of C-3PO, who, along with R2-D2, has appeared in every single saga episode. Though his importance has varied from movie to movie, he has always been an integral piece of the Star Wars story. With this likely being the final appearance of the character, as this is the end of the saga, the conclusion of his story could not be more fitting.
Built by Anakin Skywalker, C-3PO has been on every Star Wars adventure one could imagine. The protocol droid Anthony Daniels has brought to life for decades has found his way into every Star Wars trilogy, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the Star Wars: The Clone Wars TV series, and more. (Interestingly, the only movie C-3PO hasn’t appeared in is Solo: A Star Wars Story.) He even went on a series of adventures alongside his best friend R2-D2 in the now Legends cartoon show Star Wars: Droids. He has become one of the faces synonymous with Star Wars. He has seen it all, has provided constant comic relief, and has been a mainstay in the series since is conception, so if anyone was to have the perfect sendoff, it would be him.
His first on screen appearance was in George Lucas’ original Star Wars film - in fact, he was the first character to ever speak in a Star Wars movie. The line “Did you hear that?” welcomed audiences to a galaxy far, far away back in 1977, and little did anyone know they would also be his final words in the series. As Rey returned after her confrontation with the Emperor, piloting Luke’s X-Wing from the original Star Wars trilogy, C-3PO repeated the same line, which also happened to be his final line. It not only helped to bookend the series as a whole, but it brought C-3PO’s journey full circle in the process. Not to mention that this time around the line was delivered not with a tone of fear, but rather one of hope.
C-3PO was incredibly important throughout The Rise of Skywalker, as without him the story couldn’t move forward. He was the only one who could translate the Sith language that revealed the location of the Sith Wayfinder among the wreckage of the Death Star II on Kef Bir, an artifact the Resistance needed in order to find the Emperor on the Sith homeworld of Exegol.
He played a major role in defeating the Final Order and bringing the Emperor down once and for all, even if his human companions did most of the heavy lifting. After largely being sidelined for Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Star Wars: The Last Jedi in roles that were essentially glorified cameos, it was a treat to see the protocol droid back on the front lines one last time. He provided more iconic moments and lines in a role that was vital to the story as well as the victory of the Resistance heroes he served alongside. The way his story was brought to its end could not have been more perfect.
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