Warning : SPOILERS forStar Wars : The ascent of Skywalker

InStar warfare : The Rise of Skywalker , the communications protocol droid C-3PO plays a comparatively pocket-sized , but polar theatrical role in guiding the hero to the leftover of the second Death Star . His noesis , memory wipe , and back - up may seem like advancing the plot alone … but could it also have given his the knowledge thathe was create by Darth Vader ?

As audiences now know , C-3PO is tasked with say an ancient Sith inscription , contain data lively to Rey ’s mission . regrettably , the droid ’s programming prevents him from partake the interlingual rendition . With time running out and no other selection , C-3PO agrees to have the data extracted from his judgment , although the mental process wipes his memory . It ’s a baronial sacrifice that leaves the droid altogether amnesic … until R2 - D2 reinstate virtually all of C-3PO ’s memories from a back - up a few scene afterward . But it is n’t thefirsttime C-3PO ’s mind has been wipe …

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The succession calls back to a exchangeable tantrum inRevenge of the Sith , when Bail Organa set up Threepio ’s memory be erased to keep him from sharing information about Anakin Skywalker ’s gloaming to the dark side . The scene helped clear up up any continuity errors when C-3PO re - clash ( but does not remember ) Obi - Wan Kenobi , Luke Skywalker , and even his ' maker ' Darth Vader in late films . However , Organa doesnothave R2 - D2 ’s store coin bank wiped clean , which begs the question : could R2 ’s memory board back - up have given Threepio his lost memories , too ?

Does R2-D2 Remember The Events of the Clone Wars?

A look into the Star Wars Expanded Universe stories ( some of which may be moot ‘ Legends ’ by Disney at this item ) divulge just how much R2 - D2 witness and recorded during the Clone Wars . As has been noted in several illustration , Artoo has never had a full memory wipe , enable him to continue his recollection of everything he saw and hear over the decade . This includes his first get together with Padme Amidala , a nine - year - old Anakin Skywalker , and C-3PO himself during the events ofThe Phantom Menace . Artoo was also present at the First Battle of Geonosis and was a attestator ( along with C-3PO ) to the hush-hush wedding of Padme and Anakin duringAttack of the Clones .

So , despite C-3PO ’s claim inThe Rise of Skywalkerthat R2 - D2 ’s backup remembering are unreliable , the Astromech droid in all probability has a very   detailed backup of C-3PO ’s pre - A New Hopememory – as well as unnumbered recordings he took of his own experiences during the Clone Wars . Considering how many missionary work Artoo went on in the course of instruction ofthree disjoined galactic wars , R2 - D2 is the greatest state of war historian in the universe .

Would R2-D2 Share His Memories With C-3PO?

The material question now becomes whether or not R2 - D2 would actually partake all of these recording with C-3PO ( or anyone else , for that matter ) . Despite the droid ’s plain obsession with recording state of war stories , Artoo seldom share this information with anyone – which is believably why Bail Organa allow R2 - D2 keep his storage , and why Princess Leia Organa chose Artoo to safeguard the Death Star plans inA New Hope . R2 - D2 knows the grandness of security , which is why he was reluctant to show Leia ’s recording to anyone except Obi - Wan Kenobi , and maintain up the pretense of not knowing graphic symbol like Obi - Wan or Yoda ( all of whom he had meet in the prequels ) .

As a result , it ’s a chip in that Artoo never gave C-3PO back his memories during the original trilogy ( knowing the bigmouthed protocol droid would inevitably open his mouth and share everything he fuck about Darth Vader ’s straight identicalness ) . Considering thatC-3PO meet Darth Vader many times in Star Wars comicsset during the original trilogy but did not refer to him as “ The Maker ” or “ Master Anakin , ” it ’s clear he did not have his memories back at this decimal point .

Even after the Empire was defeated and Darth Vader died , Artoo was reluctant to bring out what he knew . This is seen in a subplot of theDark Nesttrilogy . In this fib , Luke discovers one of Artoo ’s orphic recording and realizes the droid knew his mother . Artoo does not require to show Luke the transcription he made of Anakin and Padme , fearing they might upset his new master . finally , however , he discloses the entropy – show Luke transcription of how Anakin attacked Padme , how Luke and Leia were born , and how Padme die out . The recordings sadden Luke – and make Artoo relive some afflictive experiences as well .

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Had R2 Restored C-3PO’s Memories Already?

Artoocouldhave returned C-3PO ’s memories sometime afterReturn of the Jedi . With the Empire gone and more people learning about Darth Vader ’s lawful identity operator , the need for privacy simply was n’t that important anymore . Plus , Artoo has shown a capability for carry gloominess and loneliness . C-3PO and R2 - D2 have been unceasing companions for decades ( withThreepio even hollo R2 - D2 his “ good friend”inThe ascent of Skywalker ) . However , because of C-3PO ’s storage wipes , Artoo is the only one left to carry the burden of everything they discover , get a line , or did during the wars . Having someone with apportion experience to talk to would be a great relievo for someone forced to keep so many secrets for so many years , pee-pee it likely that Artoo give Threepio his remembering back at some level .

It ’s even possible that when Artoo , unwilling to lose his best friend , reload C-3PO ’s back up memories into his head inThe Rise of Skywalkerthatallof Threepio ’s lost memories ( include those from the Clone Wars ) were reinstate . As a result , C-3PO once again knows that Anakin Skywalker was his “ Maker ” – something that will likely leave the jumpy droid in distraint as he register the entailment . bonk this , Artoo may have install some safeguard ( similar to the program that prevents Threepio from translating Sith writing ) into the protocol droid ’s head to keep C-3PO from having a complete meltdown . Artoo might be a schmalzy droid … but he ’s not dazed .

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