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C-3PO ’s memory - wipe fromRevenge of the Sithmay be a commodious way of life to avoid a plot hole , but it was worked into George Lucas ' imaginativeness ofStar Warsfrom the very scratch line . Anthony Danielsis the only actor to appear in all 10 theatricalStar Warsmovies ( so far ) , with all butSolo : A Star Wars Storyseeing him play protocol droid C-3PO ; however , this has at points do some continuity issues .
In the prequel trilogy , it was revealed that goldenrod had been make by a unseasoned Anakin Skywalker when he was a slave on Tatooine . He was finally given ( silvery - gray ) plates , then ended up wrapped up in the Clone Wars , serving as Padmé Amidala ’s servant before pass over to Bail Organa once the Emperor rose . While that straight tied into where we meet him and R2 - D2 in the originalStar Wars , it posed a second of a logic problem : C-3PO had been privy to a deal of secrets regarding Anakin ’s fall to the dark side , so why would n’t the loose - lipped droid mention this to Luke Skywalker twenty years afterwards ? The solution was to have his nous - pass over at the oddment ofRevenge of Sith .
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While this may at first appear like a convenient ( read : last minute ) plot localisation , it seems like this was in reality always part of Lucas ' program for the fibre . In 1977 , the manufacturer defined his new universe with a chain of in - character dialogues that expanded upon melodic theme tease inStar Wars(repeated inJ.W. Rinzler’sThe Making of Star Wars ) ; while they ’re no long canon , they give great insight into how he initially viewed the capital narration . One of these as C-3PO talk over his life before the Tantive IV with R2 and coyly hinted at a memory wipe :
" I think Artoo had his memory erased several times , but I ’m sure that horrible fate never betide me . "
While C-3PO clearly believes he has n’t had his store erase , the overstatement in the composition definitely indicates that it has pass off to him ( the tricksy R2 - D2 can just keep his oral cavity shut ) . At the time Lucas wrote this , he had n’t reach the determination thatDarth Vader would be Luke Skywalker ’s father(that did n’t appear until the 2d draft copy ofThe Empire Strikes Back ) , but the idea was still there . Even if it ’s not quite as open as the discussion of aslave edifice C-3POLucas made around the same metre , it does show just how many prequel musical theme were conceive of in the very other twenty-four hour period .
That say , there is some further dialogue in this that either indicates a change in the plan for C-3PO or is meant to ramp up C-3PO as an unreliable narrator :
" in reality , I met Artoo just late . I did n’t meet him until we on the Tantive IV . He was attach to that vessel for , I consider , a dozen of age before I got there . "
In the flick itself , Threepio and Artoo come across as firm protagonist - he observe to Luke " With all we ’ve been through , sometimes I ’m amazed we ’re in as secure term as we are " - so it would be unusual for him to downplay that take history . It ’s possible this is meant to further indicate his clutches on past events is skewed , although could indicate that their pasts were n’t intended to be as originally loop as theStar Wars prequelsmade them .
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Lucas has long maintain thatStar Warsis actually a retelling of effect by R2 - D2 far in the future to mystical beings the Whills , but that does n’t intend it ’s exactly necessary for C-3PO to be with him prior toA New Hope . At the same time , their comradery means them having spend X cross key saga upshot make sense - and , thanks to Lucas ' tease , so too does Threepio ’s plot gob - saving memory rub .