C-3PO and R2-D2 are, in a way, the comic relief in the Star Wars universe. They are also the center of the story. These two droids are the Audience surrogates whose eyes watch the tale for us. They are inspired by two similar , but human, characters in Akira Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress.
I discovered Star Wars around 1980, when I was six years old. All my friends were just as obsessed with the movies and, most especially the toys, as I was. We all loved those droids.
To my dismay, my friends thought R2 was the better toy and the better character. Those friends were not aberrant. It often seems like I am the only person who prefers C-3PO. I'm right, by the way. The rest of you are wrong.
Sure Artoo is cute. But, he's what the kids today call a Mary Sue. He's magic.
In every scene his skill set is exactly what's needed. He never makes a mistake or shows any sign of having flaws. Add to that the fact that his dialogue is just a series of cutesy beeps and boops that you can map whatever personality you prefer onto and it starts to seem like all that love he has been given is probably undeserved. And, this is key, he doesn't actually have any kind of character arc. Artoo doesn't grow or change in any way.
Contrast him with Threepio. Threepio is a big, loud, brash character. He has tons of personality. He's bursting with braggadocio ! He wavers and worries. At times he's a coward. Despite these flaws, he manages to play a big role in the rebellion. He stumbles, but in the end he chooses to do the right thing. And we in the audience believe that these are his choices, because unlike artoo he feels like a real person; an active agent with free will. We watch him learn and grow over the course of the saga.
Plus, he's a golden fucking god.
In conclusion C-3PO is superior to R2-D2 who is basically a musical trash can.
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