You mean when Luke told him "Tell them if they don't do as you wish, you'll become angry and use your magic?"
I think Threepio was being fed lines there.
What's the deal with R2-D2?
- Thread starter Christopher
- Start date
You mean when Luke told him "Tell them if they don't do as you wish, you'll become angry and use your magic?"
I think Threepio was being fed lines there.
It was killed by an assassin the same night Threepio's optimism was.
Non sequitur. What does being alive or ensouled have to do with being sentient? The word "sentient" means "capable of self-awareness and feeling." Loosely, in science-fictional vernacular, it's used as a synonym for "sapient," i.e. conscious, intelligent, capable of cognitive thought, individual personality, and decision-making. Whether or not Threepio is in touch with the Force or has a soul or whatever, his behavior is consistent with every recognized definition of sentience or sapience. You're conflating two separate issues. Sentience isn't a metaphysical question, it's a cognitive question.
If "watch Episode I again" is the only way to get my answer, I'll remain in blissful ignorance, thank you...
You mean when Luke told him "Tell them if they don't do as you wish, you'll become angry and use your magic?"
I think Threepio was being fed lines there.
Luke told him what to do, but it was Threepio who decided how to do it, and showed a fair amount of creative flair in doing so, as I recall.
Non sequitur. What does being alive or ensouled have to do with being sentient? The word "sentient" means "capable of self-awareness and feeling." Loosely, in science-fictional vernacular, it's used as a synonym for "sapient," i.e. conscious, intelligent, capable of cognitive thought, individual personality, and decision-making. Whether or not Threepio is in touch with the Force or has a soul or whatever, his behavior is consistent with every recognized definition of sentience or sapience. You're conflating two separate issues. Sentience isn't a metaphysical question, it's a cognitive question.
If "watch Episode I again" is the only way to get my answer, I'll remain in blissful ignorance, thank you...
Hey, ignore one of the information stores that could help answer your question at your own peril.
You mean when Luke told him "Tell them if they don't do as you wish, you'll become angry and use your magic?"
I think Threepio was being fed lines there.
I'll give you creative flair in narrating the OT story to the Ewoks, but for the 'let them go' bit? Nah. He spends the entire time in the air moaning.
In NPR's Star Wars radio play written by the late, great Brian Daley back in 1981, there is indeed a scene where Artoo messes with R5-D4 and causes his motivator to blow. (The SW radio dramas are highly recommended to one and all.)
Then there is also Peter David's only (to my knowledge) Star Wars story, Skippy the Jedi Droid, in which Skippy (R5-D4) is not only sentient and Force-sensetive, but a Jedi to boot! Skippy has a Jedi vision of the future in which he sees the future that is in store for Artoo and then blows his own motivator in order to make sure Artoo achieves his destiny.
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Skippy_the_Jedi_Droid
Last edited:
Didn't artoo show a bit more creativity when repairing the hyperdrive than the standard R2 unit?
I also think we can ignore the crud like Droids and other Lucasian drek.
Threepio and Artoo were put to work in the Royal Court on Alderaan so while they may of gone off planet on the Tantavie IV I doublt that some who they could of had all those adventures and somehow wound up back on the Tantavie for the fatal mission to get the Death Star plans.
The other thing is that in the novelisation of the ROTS Artoo talks about how he has the impression of something being wrong with Anakin and that Anakin doesn't talk to him anymore. Now such behavior would indicate a degree of sentience.
And I thought there was a mention in there about the droids getting memory wipes to prevent them developing sentience (or it could of been in Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader).
And another thought - wonder if Bail Organa was aware of artoo's talents so felt that having an unrebooted Artoo around with Leia could be advantagous.
interesting point, i bought the Top Trumps Clone Wars cadrds today and R2 and 3po have 'jedi power' ratings of 3. Ahsoka has 6, Obi-Wan 8, Dooku and Palps 9, Jabba 1, Rota 5, MagnaGuards and Battle Droids 0, Yoda 10 Padme 3, Yularen 5, Jar-Jar 3 and Anakin 9.
so, the 2 famous droids have equal Jedi Power with Jar-Jar and Padme LESS than a baby Hutt and MORE than the Clone Trooper (2) and HALF that of a Padwan...
mind you, some of the ratings never make sense, like the 'Darkness' rating on the Doctor Who cards. Jackie Tyler's is HIGHER than the Doctor's?!?!
so, the 2 famous droids have equal Jedi Power with Jar-Jar and Padme LESS than a baby Hutt and MORE than the Clone Trooper (2) and HALF that of a Padwan...
mind you, some of the ratings never make sense, like the 'Darkness' rating on the Doctor Who cards. Jackie Tyler's is HIGHER than the Doctor's?!?!
But that's exactly my point. I'm not talking about whether Threepio is alive, because obviously he isn't. I'm talking about whether he's a sentient being. So the parameters of how "alive" is defined in the SW universe are irrelevant to the question of whether he's conscious and self-aware. I'm not disputing "the rules," I'm pointing out that this particular "rule" has no bearing either way on the subject I'm discussing.
How in the world could you judge that?
Ol Scratch
Lieutenant Commander
That little head swirl he did when he realized he didn't have enough time to do it properly, then all of a sudden he turns back, changes his task, and bam the hyperdrive is up and working?
Seems pretty suggestive to me.
That was my impression as well. The way they reacted, it seemed like he jury-rigged things in order to save their butts, which was a bit more creative than an astromech would normally do.
And of course ARTOO has places that you can stash a light saber... be interesting to see Anakin do that in CW.
R2's a Jedi as much as Asaaj is a Sith
R2's a Jedi as much as Asaaj is a Sith
It's quite clever (or lucky!) how Vader never really meets the droids again.
Would R2 have served Vader in the absence of another owner?
Good question... always did wonder that. Or would he have 'spilled the beans' to Luke and the others just WHO Vader really was. Out of curiousity, was it common knowledge after Vader's death that he was Anakin Skywalker? Or did they just keep that a family secret or something?
But it would have been interesting if Artoo got captured and served Vader, as he was 'his' droid, or would he be loyal to Luke and the Rebellion?
Although one thing that I am shocked no one brought up... Artoo was damaged, fried, electrocuted numerous times over the years and yet... he's still more than fully functional. You think the say... (by Legacy's time) 150 years he's been fully active, that he wouldn't have had most of his parts replaced to the point where he had very little original parts of him left, right?
But it would have been interesting if Artoo got captured and served Vader, as he was 'his' droid, or would he be loyal to Luke and the Rebellion?
Although one thing that I am shocked no one brought up... Artoo was damaged, fried, electrocuted numerous times over the years and yet... he's still more than fully functional. You think the say... (by Legacy's time) 150 years he's been fully active, that he wouldn't have had most of his parts replaced to the point where he had very little original parts of him left, right?
If Artoo had served Vader, the Empire would've won.
By five or six years after Return of the Jedi, it's generally known, I believe.
Given R2's intuition, the Empire would wind up under R2's control-after the droid got rid of the 2 sith lords.
If I were to pick a theory, its because R2's like that cool car that never strands you and has a majillon miles on it-why get rid of it?
As to why R2's so 'Macguyver', youll likely have to learn droid and ask him yourself.
