In Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (aka Star Wars), C-3PO lays this self-deprecating confession on Luke Skywalker: “I’m not so good at telling stories.” Yet, two films later, he’s literally telling the story of Star Wars to a bunch of Ewoks. C-3PO might seem like a bumbling idiot, but in this video we show why he’s actually Star Wars’ greatest puppet master. Redditor ajniggles recently posted a theory that C-3PO is the secret hero of Star Wars—and not because he destroys a Death Star or brandishes a gun. He’s not that kind of droid. Rather, C-3PO’s a support operative there to help you succeed. The perfect protocol droid—his protocol being survival of the Republic. Throughout the Star Wars saga, C-3PO is controlling, influencing, and manipulating everyone around him. He persuaded Luke to join the Rebellion, inspired Han Solo to successfully navigate dangerous asteroid fields, and kept Han and Leia from screwing up their missions with their personal drama. C-3PO knows what you need before even you do, and will help you get it. According to the redditor, C-3PO uses manipulation tactics like Interruption, Overreacting, Incremental Response, and “Selling Past the Sale” in order to get people to do what he thinks they need to do. For example, early on, C-3PO sees Luke as an antsy kid in need of a good adventure. He could be the Rebellion’s newest recruit. But he needs to test the waters first, see where the boy’s allegiances lie. So, he starts talking about the Rebellion. It’s exactly the jumping-off point Luke needs to get pumped, and C-3PO smartly backs off afterward, letting Luke’s need for adventure push him to the next step. But let’s talk about his most-important skill: Deflection. This goes beyond just lying to make someone feel better, although he’s really good at that (for example, in one episode of Sesame Street he pretended not to know what a tree was, although this would’ve taken place right after he’d been on Alderaan). Deflection is about moving someone’s attention where you need it to be in order to get them to do something, and that’s not easy. C-3PO knows this. After all, he’s not only dealing with words, he’s dealing with emotions and egos. Sometimes, the best way to move others forward is at his own expense. As ajniggles put it: Anyone who manages people knows that the more talented someone is, the larger their personality flaws and eccentricities tend to be. By observing and analyzing the behavior of the people around him and utilizing psychological algorithms, 3PO has all but mastered the art of injecting just the right line at the right time to achieve the optimal shift in mood, usually at his own expense. That’s right: We might see C-3PO’s bumbling statements that the Millennium Falcon should “surrender to the Empire” as signs that he’s a sniveling coward. But what if we’re wrong? When C-3PO yells at Han Solo about his landing plan, telling him he’s “gone too far this time,” what if he’s not criticizing him? Instead, let’s say Threepio, who likes the plan, recognizes that Han Solo is stubborn and does better when he’s trying to prove someone wrong. By doubting him or rattling his cage, the droid is getting Solo good and pissed. He’s going to dig in deeper, do better. Keeping all of them alive. And let’s look at one of the biggest moments in C-3PO’s history: When he gets his memory erased at the end of Revenge of the Sith. Why does this happen to C-3PO and not R2-D2? In the official novel, C-3PO loudly tells R2-D2, in front of everybody, that he knows exactly where they hid Luke and Leia. This might sound like another bad decision...but it’s not an accident. C-3PO knows that Anakin—now Darth Vader—is the man who built him. Anakin could pry info out of C-3PO that would endanger the Republic. If he tells Senator Organa that, they might keep his memory intact, or worse, dissect him to learn more about the enemy. His best option is to simply forget. But he still goes on to work for Captain Antilles and the Rebellion, serving his purpose to keep the Republic alive. Most of C-3PO’s deeds go unrewarded because that’s his job. He’s not the hero, he’s the one making sure the heroes win. And that’s why this shiny robot is the most important character in Star Wars.
