My query on C3PO

[Omra]

Forgive me if someone already addressed this…

Alright, in Star Wars it is well established that all mass produced droids are given generic alpha numeric designations, not actual names. I assume this is to keep the production personnel and sales people from humanizing them and developing bonds with the automatons, now if the owners wish to give nicknames to the machines after they are purchased that is their own affair.

Now then, for some reason George decided it would be cute if we were to find out that Anakin built C3PO instead of some faceless corporation. Initially I had no real problem with this; it was not until some time latter after idle reflection that I began to see the fallacy of this. Yeah, this happens a lot… I can be a little analytical at times.

First, Anakin states that he built the droid to help his Mother around the house. Why a humanoid shape? Why not a more practical and utilitarian shape, or something with multiple arms and attachments for cleaning and fixing things around the house. Why even give it a personality? As we have seen in the earlier movies, most droids designed for maintenance and simple tasks don’t have personalities per se or even actual speech for that matter.

Two, why did he name the bloody thing C3PO? Only protocol droids have the PO on the end of their names if I remember correctly. And supposedly he was not designed for that by Anakin so why the PO? And why an alpha numeric designation at all? It was built from scratch right? So why not call it Steve? Or Jeeves, or Alfred since it was supposed to be a butler. Or Roomba? It makes no sense… Why demean your wonderful creation by giving it a generic and completely inappropriate name?

Three, why would Shmi turn Anakins creation into a protocol droid after he left? What possible use would he be to her as that? Or did Cliegg Lars turn him into a protocol droid? That seems highly unlikely; I cannot imagine him having any practical use for a protocol droid on a moisture farm. And why go through the expense of new programming and a new shiny body? Shmi would not have had the money to do such a thing so therefore it must have been Cliegg, seems like a lousy investment to me. And would not Shmi find the altering of her son’s creation an affront to her sensibilities? It is the last remaining thing she had of her son’s, would she not hold on dearly to that one special token of her son’s love for her?

Four, a number of years pass between Shmi and C3PO arriving at the moisture farm and Anakin’s showing up looking for his Mother. Therefore C3PO and Owen are well acquainted with one another, so why the Hell did they not recognize each other when the Jawas tried to sell him to Owen and Luke? Huh? Think about it… At least C3PO should have, having an infallable memory and all.

Five, why did C3PO go with Anakin and Padme? I can’t remember, it must have been a really good reason right?

Sloppy George, really sloppy.

[curtinparloe]

Although I knew the answers to a couple of these points, I was curious, so I looked into it, and it’s explained somewhat here. However, here’s a summary:

First, Anakin states that he built the droid to help his Mother around the house. Why a humanoid shape? Why not a more practical and utilitarian shape, or something with multiple arms and attachments for cleaning and fixing things around the house. Why even give it a personality? As we have seen in the earlier movies, most droids designed for maintenance and simple tasks don’t have personalities per se or even actual speech for that matter.

Anakin found and salvaged a junked protocol droid called C-3PO piece by piece (as a slave he couldn’t get it all at once, apparently) so it could help his mother when he’d fixed it.

Two, why did he name the bloody thing C3PO? Only protocol droids have the PO on the end of their names if I remember correctly. And supposedly he was not designed for that by Anakin so why the PO? And why an alpha numeric designation at all? It was built from scratch right? So why not call it Steve? Or Jeeves, or Alfred since it was supposed to be a butler. Or Roomba? It makes no sense… Why demean your wonderful creation by giving it a generic and completely inappropriate name?

Threepio was cobbled together from an 80-year-old gutted head and chassis, so he already had a name.

Three, why would Shmi turn Anakins creation into a protocol droid after he left? What possible use would he be to her as that? Or did Cliegg Lars turn him into a protocol droid? That seems highly unlikely; I cannot imagine him having any practical use for a protocol droid on a moisture farm. And why go through the expense of new programming and a new shiny body? Shmi would not have had the money to do such a thing so therefore it must have been Cliegg, seems like a lousy investment to me. And would not Shmi find the altering of her son’s creation an affront to her sensibilities? It is the last remaining thing she had of her son’s, would she not hold on dearly to that one special token of her son’s love for her?

Shmi added old grey plating to protect the protocol droid from the Tatooine elements (it’s possible she did it piece by piece, as Anakin had done). When she died, Cliegg gave Threepio to Anakin, who gave him to Amidala as a wedding present. During the Clone Wars, Threepio was given brand new gold plating (and a silver leg) - he wasn’t gold in the prequels.
As for a protocol droid on a farm, someone has to program the binary moisture vaporators and speak Bocce!

Four, a number of years pass between Shmi and C3PO arriving at the moisture farm and Anakin’s showing up looking for his Mother. Therefore C3PO and Owen are well acquainted with one another, so why the Hell did they not recognize each other when the Jawas tried to sell him to Owen and Luke? Huh? Think about it… At least C3PO should have, having an infallable memory and all.

[b]After the Clone Wars, Threepio had his memory wiped by Bail Organa to protect Luke and Leia from Vader. Owen apparently didn’t recognise Threepio because of his new gold plating.
This is the tricky one, unless all protocol droids are inherently annoying… mind you, Threepio introduces himself to anyone who doesn’t shut him up first! (I can’t recall whether he introduced himself to Owen - I think not, which makes him just about the only person).
Owen certainly acts like he knows how annoying protocol droids are (which may just be because he thinks they’re all like Threepio).

It’s possible Owen realised who Threepio was when Leia’s message was discovered, and he tried to protect Luke by ordering the memory erase.
[/b]

Five, why did C3PO go with Anakin and Padme? I can’t remember, it must have been a really good reason right?

He was the only possession of his mother’s, and the only thing that Anakin took with him when he left.

The more I think about it, the more I think Threepio’s suffering from droid senility. Like an old man saying, “hello, I’m John and I’m 86, you know,” he always introduces himself in the most convoluted manner possible

EDITED because I put “Owen” instead of “Cliegg”.

[The_Operator]

Or…OR…Lucas didn;t watch his own original trilogy and completely forgot that Owen might be tipped off “Hey C3P0…that sounds familiar”

Tho I kinda accept the whole Owen DID know theory. In ANH, he does seem to blow 3P0 off after he introduces himself “I don’t need a protocol droid” and after 3P0 said he spoke Bocce, he really had no reason to say no and tried to come up with a plan B.

Here’s my question tho. R2 DIDN’T get his mind wiped at the end of RotS. So what’s up with that? He was there on Tatooine in AotC, he was there when Padme gave birth, so R2 knows who Lukes dad and mom are… so why the hell didnt he beep-dee-boop Luke and say “Yo man, that dude is your pops”?

[Omra]

That is mighty thin… Anakin had access to a great many parts do to the nature of his job, why chose a protocol droid? Oh well, I guess it really doesn’t matter, the prequels kind of soured me on the series anyways.

[Pike]

Anyone else want a pizza roll?

[fastcart]

Anyone else want a pizza roll?

Are you getting them from the basement fridge next to the skull?

[Solai]

Anyone else want a pizza roll?

That is hi-larious. I actually started hearing that guy’s voice in my head as I was reading it thinking, “This reminds me of…”

[Thunderscreech]

Clearly, R2D2 is an agent of the rebellion from the very beginning, as is General Chewbacca (who has influenced Solo to work for Jabba so he can be within reach of Tatooine where one of the chosen ones is being kept in secret).

[The_Operator]

Clearly, R2D2 is an agent of the rebellion from the very beginning, as is General Chewbacca (who has influenced Solo to work for Jabba so he can be within reach of Tatooine where one of the chosen ones is being kept in secret).

yes…clearly

[Omra]

Clearly, R2D2 is an agent of the rebellion from the very beginning, as is General Chewbacca (who has influenced Solo to work for Jabba so he can be within reach of Tatooine where one of the chosen ones is being kept in secret).

No, I think R2D2 was a ‘sleeper’ agent…

[LordCorbin]

All of your questions will not in any way be addressed in the prequel prequels.

[Omra]

No ‘The Phantom Menace’ ultra special limited edition collector’s autographed and blessed by the POPE platinum Director’s drug induced 4 hour original cut 8 DVD set complete with Jar Jar Binks fully articulated face mask and gold plated Bantha poop with display stand? Awwww shucks…

[fastcart]

No ‘The Phantom Menace’ ultra special limited edition collector’s autographed and blessed by the POPE platinum Director’s drug induced 4 hour original cut 8 DVD set complete with Jar Jar Binks fully articulated face mask and gold plated Bantha poop with display stand? Awwww shucks…

Sadly, that could be real when the Blu-ray set eventually comes out.

[curtinparloe]

It is a shame that the woeful prequel scriptwriting has necessitated a bunch of convoluted plot patching, that’s for sure.

[Omra]

It is a shame that the woeful prequel scriptwriting has necessitated a bunch of convoluted plot patching, that’s for sure.

More patching than a quickly released PC Game.

I used to think that the main problem with the Prequels was the fact that I had seen the original Trilogy, and therefore it was hard to place the Heroes in any real danger and make the viewer fear for their safety. Because in the back of the viewer’s mind they KNOW they will survive because they were in the movies 4-6.

But now I know it was just bad writing…

[rodneyfaile]

It is a shame that the woeful prequel scriptwriting has necessitated a bunch of convoluted plot patching, that’s for sure.

how many years after lucas death will it take for his heirs to allow a remake of the whole thing all filmed at once “lord of the rings style” complete with corrected continuity?

probably never happen, but i can dream.

[curtinparloe]

how many years after lucas death will it take for his heirs to allow a remake of the whole thing all filmed at once “lord of the rings style” complete with corrected continuity?

probably never happen, but i can dream.

Make sure you have an alibi…:rolleyes:

[Omra]

But your Honor,… I put a ‘z’ on the end. See? it says ‘Star Warz’!