R2-D2

"An extremely well put-together little droid."

- Panaka

R2-D2, pronounced Artoo-Detoo and often referred to as Artoo, was an R2 series astromech droid.

During the final years of the Galactic Republic, R2-D2 was stationed aboard Queen Padmé Amidala's J-type 327 Nubian Naboo Royal Starship when the Trade Federation blockaded the planet. His maintenance work on the ship's hull while it was under fire that allowed the queen and her crew to bypass the blockade and flee the besieged world. R2-D2 was then recognized before the queen for his work in ensuring the ship's safety.

It was then they became embroiled in the Galactic Civil War, and Princess Leia Organa of the Rebel Alliance entrusted R2-D2 to bring a copy of the Death Star plans to the Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi on Tatooine.

Invasion of Naboo
R2-D2 was one of several astromech droids stationed on Queen Amidala's Naboo Royal Starship during the invasion of Naboo by the Trade Federation. The ship was used by Queen Amidala and her entourage in an attempt to escape the planet. Unluckily for the ship's passengers, the vessel took a hit to the shield generator from a Trade Federation battleship. The astromechs were sent out to repair the ship but only R2-D2 survived to bring the shields online, allowing pilot Ric Olié to escape into hyperspace.

As the ship traveled to Tatooine, R2-D2 was taken before Sabé, the Queen's decoy in the guise of Amidala, where he was commended for his actions.

The ship landed on Tatooine without any further incidents, although the voyage fried the hyperdrive. R2-D2 accompanied Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, Gungan exile Jar Jar Binks and Padmé, the queen in disguise, to the city of Mos Espa to find a replacement. In the junk shop of the Toydarian merchant Watto they found they could not afford a replacement hyperdrive and later took shelter from a sandstorm in the home of Watto's slaves, a boy named Anakin Skywalker, and his mother, Shmi.

At the Skywalker home, R2-D2 met C-3PO, a protocol droid that Anakin had built. The two would bond as they worked on Anakin's personal podracer. R2-D2 and C-3PO would cheer on Anakin during the Boonta Eve Classic, where the boy would win his freedom, and enough money to buy a new hyperdrive.

R2-D2 accompanied the group to Coruscant, and from there back to Naboo. As Queen Amidala led an attempt to liberate the planet, R2-D2 nestled into an N-1 starfighter. Anakin, being ordered to hide in the cockpit by Qui-Gon Jinn, accidentally launched the fighter and the two flew into battle, destroyed the Droid Control Ship and shut down the droid armies, liberating Naboo.

Genesis of the Clone Wars
R2-D2 accompanied Amidala to Coruscant prior to the senate's vote on the Military Creation Act. After an assassination attempt on Amidala took the life of her handmaiden and decoy, Corde, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker were assigned to be her Jedi protectors. That night, another assassination attempt was carried out. A pair of kouhuns narrowly missed killing Amidala and although one assassin, Zam Wesell, was neutralized, another escaped.

For her own protection, Padmé was sent home to Naboo, with R2-D2 and Anakin Skywalker accompanying her. The three would later travel to Tatooine, where they were reunited with C-3PO, and then to Geonosis to rescue Kenobi. As they explored a massive droid factory, R2-D2 had to save Amidala from being covered with molten lava while C-3PO temporarily switched heads with a battle droid. R2 was able to restore his companion during the Battle of Geonosis. After the battle, R2-D2 and C-3PO were the sole witnesses to the marriage of Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala in Lake Country.

The Defense of Christophsis
Following the outbreak of the Clone Wars, R2-D2 accompanied Skywalker and Master Kenobi, who had been promoted to the positions of Jedi General and High Jedi General respectively, during the defense of the planet Christophsis against a besieging Separatist army led by Admiral Trench. When the Clone Commander Cody and the Clone Captain Rex discovered a spy among their number, Artoo Detoo helped to ferret out the traitor by monitoring his transmissions. R2-D2's work led to the arrest of Clone Sergeant Slick, who was identified as the traitor. During the subsequent battle, the Jedi and Clones managed to defeat the Separatist army by sabotaging their shield generator; exposing them to Republic artillery. The Republic forces were also aided by the arrival of Ahsoka Tano, Skywalker's newly designated Togruta Padawan.

Rescuing Rotta
Following the defense of Christophsis, C-3PO along with General Skywalker and his Padawan Ahsoka Tano took part in a mission to rescue Rotta, the son of the Hutt crime lord Jabba. While Skywalker and Tano successfully laid siege to a Separatist-held B'ommar Order monastery on Teth where Rotta was being held, R2-D2 sat in Skywalker's starfighter and maintained contact with High General Kenobi. Skywalker's starfighter was hit when Separatist reinforcements arrived but he managed to eject from the vehicle moments before it exploded. Later, Artoo linked up with Skywalker and Tano as they escaped from the building.

On the way, they encountered the Dark Jedi Asajj Ventress, an agent of the Separatist leader Count Dooku, and several B2 super battle droids. Before a skirmish could occur, Artoo activated a trap-door which sent everyone plunging down a chute into an arena. During the skirmish, R2-D2 assailed a second group of B2 battle droids, causing them to fall into the arena. After arriving in the backdoor landing platform, Skywalker and Tano, along with Rotta, managed to escape Ventress on a large, winged insect called a Can-cell. Artoo followed behind by activating his booster rockets. Artoo and his companions then left Teth on a G9 Rigger freighter called Twlight.

Unable to rendezvous with the Star Destroyer Spirit of the Republic, R2-D2 and his companions were forced to travel to Tatooine and deliver the Huttlet directly to his father, who owned a desert palace there. R2-D2 programmed the coordinates into the ship's navicomputer, and it jumped to hyperspace. Arriving above Tatooine, the Twilight was attacked by Separatist vulture droids and crash-landed on the Dune Sea. Artoo and his companions were forced to continue the journey to Jabba's palace on foot. While Skywalker confronted Count Dooku, Artoo and Tano continued the journey to Jabba's Pplace. After fighting off three IG-100 MagnaGuardss, the two then entered the palace and returned the Huttlet, which coupled with a holo-transmission from Senator Amidala on Coruscant identifying Jabba's uncle Ziro as the instigator behind the kidnapping, placated an angry Jabba. As a result, the Republic was able to conclude a treaty with Jabba.

Revenge of the Sith
When Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine was captured by General Grievous, R2-D2 accompanied Anakin Skywalker on a mission to rescue him. While Skywalker and Kenobi searched the Separatist flagship, the Invisible Hand for the Chancellor, R2-D2 fended off super battle droids and succeeded in destroying them. He then penetrated the Separatist flagship and managed to reunited with Skywalker, Kenobi, and Palpatine. Skywalker had already freed the Chancellor and executed Count Dooku. Shortly later, they were captured by General Grevious' droids and taken to the command bridge. Following another struggle, Skywalker managed to break free and turn the tables of Grievous. Defeated, Grievous fled into an escape pod. Hit by Republic fire, the Invisible Hand began descending into Coruscant. However, Skywalker managed to land the vessel with considerably difficulty.

Following the Battle of Coruscant, R2-D2 witnessed the outbreak of the Jedi Purge and the Republic's transformation into the Galactic Empire. After Anakin fell to the dark side and became Darth Vader, R2-D2 accompanied him to Mustafar where he wiped out the Separatist leaders. R2 also witnessed his master strangle Padmé and begin to duel Obi-Wan Kenobi. While Skywalker fought with Kenobi,R2-D2 and C-3PO moved Padmé to her starship, and Obi-Wan took them all to Polis Massa where Padmé gave birth to twin children before dying. Following Padmé's death, R2 and 3PO passed into the service of Bail Organa of the Royal House of Alderaan, Alderaan's Senator and a good friend of the late Amidala. While C-3PO underwent a memory wipe, R2-D2 was allowed to preserve his memories.

Mission to Garel
About five years before the Battle of Yavin, Senator Bail Organa sent R2-D2 and his protocol droid counterpart C3-PO to escort the Imperial Minister Maketh Tua and the Aqualish arms dealer Amda Wabo to the planet Garel. Minister Tua wanted to obtain a shipment of T-7 ion disruptor rifles, illicit weapons which had been banned by the Imperial Senate following the brutal pacification of Lasan. She intended to mass-produce the weapons on Lothal, a formerly backwater Outer Rim world that had become a manufacturing base for the Empire. Since Tua could not speak the Aqualish language, C-3PO was assigned the job of acting as her translator. However, R2-D2 was aware about the true nature of their mission: preventing the T-7 ion disruptors from falling into Imperial hands. By contrast, C-3PO was deliberately kept in the dark.

Upon arriving in Lothal, R2-D2 and his companions boarded the Star commuter shuttle ST-45 which ferried them to Garel. Unknown to R2-D2, members of a Lothalian rebel cell were also traveling on the same shuttle. Two of rebels, the human teenager Ezra Bridger and the astromech droid Chopper created a noisy ruckus. Another rebel, the former Jedi Kanan Jarrus pretended to be irate and demanded that the petulant Chopper be sent to the back of the shuttle. The The pilot complied, but in retaliation Bridger demanded that Tua's droids be sent to the back as well. Despite Tua's and C-3PO's protests, R2-D2 and his protocol counterpart were forced to move to the rear compartment.

Bereft of a translator, Tua was forced to turn to the Mandalorian girl Sabine Wren, who posed as an Imperial Academy student fluent in Aqualish. However, Tua was also a member of the Lothalian rebel cell who were planning to deliver the shipment of weapons to the Devaronian crime lord Cikatro Vizago. Sabine learnt that the weapons were stored in Garel's Bay 7 but misled Minister Tua into believing that they were in Bay 17. After the shuttle landed in Garel's spaceport, R2-D2 and C-3PO accompanied Minister Tua and a force of stormtroopers to Bay 17. When they found nothing, C-3PO explained that Sabine might have accidentally mistranslated "Bay 7" as "Bay 17".

While traveling to Bay 7, R2-D2 was accosted by Chopper, who had been sent to distract the Imperials. Chopper rammed himself right into R2-D2, then shook his arm in apparent anger. In response, R2-D2 whipped out his electroshock prod, but did not use it as C-3PO ordered him to apologize. But then, Minister Tua recognised Chopper from the shuttle ride to Garel and ordered her stormtrooper guards to hurry to Bay 7. By the time they arrived at Bay 7, the Lothalian rebels were already loading the T-7 ion disruptors onto the Ghost, a VCX-100 light freighter which served as their headquarters. A blaster fight broke out and in the ensuing confusion R2-D2 and C-3PO fled aboard the Ghost, which fled into hyperspace. The two droids were then taken prisoner by the Lothalian rebels who placed restraining bolts on both of them.

The Lothalian rebels then traveled back to Lothal to sell the stolen weapons and the two stowaway droids to Vizago at a pre-arranged rendezvous point. Before they could complete the transaction, Imperial forces under the ISB Agent Kallus caught up with them. Unknown to Chopper and the other crew, C-3PO had contacted the Imperial authorities telling them that he and his astromech counterpart had been kidnapped by a group of "criminals" in Garel. Carrying out Organa's orders, R2-D2 proceeded to overload and destroy the T-7 disruptors with the help of Sabine and Chopper. During the fighting, the rebels managed to destroy the T-7 disruptors and to escape their Imperial pursuers. Following their escape, the crew of the Ghost rendezvoused with Senator Bail Organa and returned R2-D2 and C-3POto their rightful owner. In return for destroying the T-7 disruptors, Senator Organa paid Lothal rebels several credits to cover their living expenses. After the rebels had departed, R2-D2 showed Bail Organa a recording of his time with them.

The Death Star Plans
During the Galactic Civil War, the Rebel Alliance succeeded in stealing secret plans on the Galactic Empire's Death Star, a new superweapon capable of destroying entire worlds. R2-D2 and his protocol counterpart C-3PO were serving Princess Leia Organa's blockade runner Tantive IV, which was being pursued by Darth Vader's Imperial-class Star Destroyer. Senator Organa's adopted daughter Leia was now Alderaan's Senator in the Imperial Senate, one of the last remnants of the Old Republic. During the pursuit, the Tantive IV was crippled by a laser blast from Vader's ship and Imperial stormtroopers boarded the vessel. After Princess Leia uploaded the secret Death Star plans and a holographic message for Master Kenobi into R2-D2's memory bank, he and C-3PO fled in an escape pod to the desert planet of Tatooine.

After quarreling in the Jundland Wastes, the two droids parted company. While R2-D2 was traveling past a cave, he was stunned and captured by several Jawas, who took him aboard a sandcrawler. There, he managed to reunite with Threepio. The following day, the Jawas visited a moisture farm that was the home of Owen Lars, his wife Beru, and their adopted nephew Luke Skywalker, the son of Anakin Skywalker. Lars bought Threepio and reluctantly purchase Artoo Detoo after another astromech droid blew its motivator. While Threepio settled down to his new home, R2-D2 wanted to continue his mission to find Master Ben Kenobi. Despite Threepio's objections, R2-D2 escaped one night into the Jundland Wastes. C-3PO and Skywalker followed him in a landspeeder and caught up with R2-D2. However, they were then ambushed by a gang of Tusken Raiders.

During the Tusken attack, R2-D2 managed to hide in a cave. Before the Tusken Raiders could do any more harm, Ben Kenobi arrived and scared them away. He then brought Artoo and his companions to his dwelling. There, Kenobi revealed Skywalker's Jedi heritage and passed him his father's lightsaber; telling the boy that his father Anakin had been murdered by another apprentice named Darth Vader. After Artoo played Princess Leia's message, Kenobi attempted to persuade Luke to accompany him to Alderaan, Princess Leia's homeworld. Skywalker was initially reluctant until he discovered that Imperial stormtroopers had murdered his relatives and razed their moisture farm. Later, R2-D2 and his companions traveled to the spaceport of Mos Eisley with the intention of finding passage to Alderaan.

Upon arriving in the settlement, they were stopped by a stormtrooper patrol who were hunting for R2-D2 and Threepion. However, Kenobi used a Jedi mind trick to convince the stormtroopers to give them free passage through the town. Artoo and Threepio were denied entry to the Mos Eisley Cantina due to a rule banning droids. While Kenobi and Skywalker negotiated with the smuggler Han Solo and his Wookiee co-pilot Chewbacca, the two droids wandered the streets of Mos Eisley and narrowly evaded a stormtrooper patrol. Later, Artoo and Threepion boarded Han Solo's ship, the Millennium Falcon and fled into hyperspace.

Rescuing the Princes
Upon arriving in the Alderaan system, Artoo and his companions discovered that the Empire had used their Death Star to destroy Alderaan. Shortly later, the Millennium Falcon was captured in the tractor beam of the Death Star. While hiding in the Falcon smuggling compartment, the rebels managed to ambush an Imperial scanning crew and two stormtroopers. The rebels then seized control of an Imperial control room and discovered that Princess Leia was located in Detention Block AA-23, pending execution. While Artoo and Threepio stayed behind to watch over the Falcon, the other rebels split up. While Solo, Luke and Chewbacca headed to Detention Block AA-23, Kenobi went to disable the Death Star's tractor beam projector.

Skywalker, Solo, and Chewbacca managed to free the Princess but ended up in a garbage chute. The Imperials quickly realized that the rebels were trapped in the garbage chute and proceeded to crush the chamber. Meanwhile, Artoo and Threepio narrowly escaped an Imperial patrol by claiming that the rebels had thrown them into the storage compartment. Once the Imperials had gone, the two droids were contacted by Skywalker, who ordered them to shut down the garbage compactor. R2-D2 succeeded in shutting down the garbage compactor just in time. After grappling with more stormtroopers, the other rebels and the Princess managed to return to their hangar bay where they linked up with Artoo and Threepio.

Master Kenobi also managed to shut down the tractor beam projector but was cornered by his former apprentice Darth Vader on the way back. While Kenobi gave his life, Artoo and the other rebels took the opportunity to flee the Death Star on the Millennium Falcon. After dispatching several pursuing TIE fighters, Artoo and his companions escaped to the jungle moon of Yavin 4, where the rebels maintained a base. There, the rebels managed to access the Death Star plans stored inside Artoo's memory banks. Unknown to the rebels, the Empire had planted a tracking device aboard the Falcon which allowed them to discover the rebel base on Yavin 4.

Battle of Yavin
R2-D2 and Luke Skywalker participated in the Battle of Yavin. With the Death Star approaching Yavin 4, the rebel leadership ordered a starfighter strike on the battle station. Rebel tacticians had discovered that the Death Star contained one weak point&mdash;a small thermal exhaust port narrow enough for an X-wing fighter to fire a proton torpedo into the space station's reactor core. During the battle, R2-D2 served as the astromech unit aboard Skywalker's X-wing starfighter.

Rebel X-wings from Red Squadron and Y-wings from Gold Squadron strafed the Death Star's structures and dodged fire from its massive turbolaser emplacements. Despite initial successes, the rebels suffered numerous casualties from the Empire's nimble TIE fighters. Following two failed attempts to penetrate the trench which led to the thermal exhaust port, Skywalker and two other X-wing pilots, Wedge Antilles and Biggs Darklighter made one final attempt to reach the exhaust port. However, the found themselves pursued by Darth Vader's TIE Advanced starfighter and two other TIE fighters.

During the assault, Vader destroyed Bigg's X-wing and damaged Antilles' starfighter; forcing him to withdraw from the battlefield. Undaunted, Skywalker continued the mission. Vader strafed Skywalker's X-wing and damaged R2-D2; who short-circuited as a result of a direct laser hit. Before Vader could move in for the final kill, he was ambushed by Han Solo's Millennium Falcon, which wiped out his TIE escorts and forced him to retreat. Skywalker then delivered the proton torpedo which destroyed the Death Star; scoring a major victory for the Rebellion. Following the Battle of Yavin, Artoo was repaired and full restored. The astromech droid later attended a victory celebration where Skywalker, Solo, and other Rebel pilots were awarded medals for their combat valor.

Weapons Factory Alpha
"We aren't here to negotiate. Artoo..." "Your droid appears to be leaking fluids." "um...Artoo?"

- Han Solo and Aggadeen

Several weeks after the Battle of Yavin, R2 took part in the Rebel Assault on Cymoon 1. Cymoon 1 was a moon in the Corellian Industrial Cluster, that housed the largest weapons factory in the galaxy&mdash;Weapons Factory Alpha. The factory was also the main target of the assault. R2, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia Organa and Han Solo boarded a shuttle that had been intercepted by the Rebel Fleet several days earlier. The shuttle was sent from the Crime lord Jabba the Hutt, and had housed an envoy that was to negotiate with the Empire. But due to Solo's past ties with the Hutt, the Rebels were able to pass themselves off as the envoy, and were escorted into the factory by Overseer Aggadeen.



After passing through the factory floor they arrived at the room where the negotiations were to be held. The Overseer invited them in to await the negotiator, but Han revealed that they weren't there to negotiate and gave R2 the signal. R2 began pouring a green liquid onto the floor, he then he electrocuted the fluid with his electric pike. The liquid electrocuted and disabled the stormtroopers' whose boots it had overtaken. Luke, Han and Leia then finished off the remaining troopers. Han asked Aggadeen where the main power core was, but the proud Imperial officer refused to answer&mdash;until R2 threatened to electrocute him too. Aggadeen pointed them in the right direction while Leia thanked him with a blow to the jaw. They arrived at the power core, where R2 plugged into the main computer and shut off all the safety restraints. Soon they had rigged the core to blow up in ten minutes time. Han noticed that Luke was missing, but a minute later he arrived with more passengers&mdash;slaves of the Empire. The team prepared to retreat while C-3PO, who was waiting with the Millennium Falcon in the huge refuse fields that surrounded the factory, brought the Falcon in to pick them up for their escape. Chewbacca, who was stationed on a large metal structure overlooking the landing platform where they had originally entered, reported that Darth Vader, the Dark Lord of the Sith, had arrived. Leia ordered the wookiee to kill Vader using his bowcaster. The wookiee tried but was thwarted by the dark lord. Chewbacca was out of contact, the entire moon was on alert and 3PO still hadn't arrived. Soon 3PO informed the team via comlink that the old freighter was being dismantled by native scavengers, and as such the Falcon's autopilot was out of order Han realized their escape had been foiled and led the team&mdash;with slaves in tow, to a large warehouse that housed several newly minted All Terrain Armored Transports Walkers. Han ordered everyone on board, they were going to walk right out of the factory. Han, Leia, and several slaves boarded the walker. Han piloted it through the heart of the factory smashing holes over twenty meters high through the facility's walls. Luke reapppeared after confronting Vader and bid the slaves to follow him as he followed Han in the AT-AT. Meanwhile R2 and his former enemies, the Jawas, began rewiring the walker's laser cannons to get them operational. Han was arguing about their chances of death with Vader on their tail; Han asked the astromech on their progress. R2 replied but Han did not understand the droid language of Binary. Han believed R2 and the Jawas would get the cannons working&mdash;they just needed to give them the time. A short time later, Han attempted to step on Darth Vader with the AT-AT's massive feet. Vader used the Dark Side of the Force to hold the walker's foot several meters above himself and the ground&mdash;Han couldn't believe it. Vader began to crush the armored transport using the force, Han told R2 "We need those guns!" R2 spoke in his customary beeps and clicks; which Leia translated to "Fire!" The AT-AT opened fire on the Sith Lord and the factory walls as Han drove out of the facility. Leia was so happy she wanted to kiss the little droid&mdash;much to Han's annoyance.



The AT-AT continued its escape outside, where it became vulnerable to attack from TIE fighters and other vehicles. Han and Leia realized that it had been to long&mdash;the factory should have melted down and exploded before this time. Chewbacca survived Vader's attack and returned to the Falcon and was preparing to bring it in and extract the team. Although Vader was right beneath the walker, using his lightsaber to cut through the back left leg of the AT-AT. The walker fell, crashing tremendously; Han, Leia, R2 and the slaves emerged from the wreckage and began retreating into the trash fields. Luke, mounted on a 74-Z speeder bike, returned to the factory and fired upon the core reactor&mdash;causing the facility to explode. While Vader and the Imperials were distracted Chewbacca swooped in with Han's Falcon and everyone boarded the freighter. Leia took over the controls as Han was mildly injured and unable ti pilot. Chewbacca repaired the hyperdrive and they fled to lightspeed. The now free slaves rejoiced while R2 went to work repairing 3PO who had been blasted into pieces by the scavengers.

To Tatooine with Luke
"Beedo Beedo Wwhmpp." "What? What is it? You find something? What's it... Wait... Does that say 'For Luke'?"

- Artoo and Luke, just before the flash grenade went off Later, the Millennium Falcon and its passengers rendezvoused with the Rebel Fleet on the edge of the galaxy. While the team recovered and was debriefed, Artoo and Threepio argued over whether Artoo had incorrectly assembled Threepio after escaping Darth Vader on Cymoon 1. Soon thereafter, Artoo boarded Luke's T-65 X-wing to leave the Rebel Fleet. Solo and Organa argued against Luke's leaving, but Luke assured them he and Artoo would be safe for he was anonymous to the Empire; and that he needed to find answers on who he really was. At Luke's request, Artoo set course to again go to Tatooine in the Tatoo system.

Soon, Luke and Artoo set down in the Jundland Wastes, and began the trek through the desert to Kenobi's former home. The suns were setting when they neared the hut, while Luke divulged in his reasoning for returning; nearly everything he knew about the Force he had learned from Ben Kenobi, and he believed that he sometimes heard the disembodied voice of the Jedi Master. However, Luke was interrupted when a Tusken Raider appeared and attacked him. Artoo readied his electric pike, but didn't have to use it, because at familiar sight of Luke's lightsaber, they ran. Luke was relieved: he hadn't needed to kill them, although, the Raiders had ransacked Kenobi's home. Artoo went to work with his flashlight to locate anything Kenobi may have left to aid Luke in his journey to learn the Jedi way. While searching, Luke openly wondered why Kenobi had chosen to stay on Tatooine after all he had experienced. Artoo knew it was to protect Luke from the Sith, until he was of age to become a Jedi&mdash;although, following Kenobi's lead, he did not tell the former-farmboy. Just then, a flash grenade tumbled into the room and exploded; temporarily blinding Luke, and short-circuiting Artoo.

While Artoo's systems rebooted, Luke fought Boba Fett, a bounty hunter sent by Darth Vader to capture Luke and bring him to he Dark Lord&mdash;although it was unknown to both Luke and Artoo at the time. Luke used his lightsaber and knocked Fett backwards where he tripped over Artoo. The two combatants, Fett with his Mandalorian armor, and Luke with the Force&mdash;though still blind&mdash;fought, Luke became more bloodied, and Fett more impatient. Artoo soon recovered, got to his "feet," and watched as the box marked "For Luke" floated into the air and flew across the room where it knocked Fett unconscious. Luke wondered aloud how he had done it, before asking Artoo to lead them back to the X-wing, for he was still unable to see. Later, as Tatooine's suns rose over the desert, Luke had recovered enough of his sight to open the box and examine its contents: "The Journals of Ben Kenobi." And they left the desert world.

Detour to Dagobah
Later, the Rebel Alliance established a base on the remote icy planet of Hoth and R2-D2 followed his companions there. When Luke Skywalker failed to return from a snow patrol, Han Solo traveled out on another tauntaun to rescue him. When both men did not return that night, Artoo calculated that they had a poor chance of surviving in the frozen wilderness. Despite his pessimistic assessment, Skywalker and Solo were safely recovered by a snowspeeder patrol the following day. Later, the rebels were forced to evacuate Hoth after Solo and Chewbacca encountered an Imperial probe droid. However, Darth Vader's fleet blockaded the planet; preventing the rebels from leaving.

The Rebels managed to penetrate the Imperial blockade by using an ion cannon to clear away for their ships to flee into hyperspace. Following the ground assault, Artoo and his master Skywalker left Hoth on an X-wing fighter. Instead of rendezvousing with the rest of the Rebel fleet, Skywalker traveled to Dagobah, a remote swampy world. Earlier, Skywalker had been visited by a Force spirit of Master Kenobi who told him to visit Dagobah where the Jedi Master Yoda would continue his Jedi training. After a rough landing, Artoo was nearly eaten by a dragonsnake which spat him out. Artoo suffered little serious damage but was muddy and dented.

Shortly later, the two companions encountered a small green creature, who promised to take them to Master Yoda. Artoo did not have a good first impression of Yoda and briefly haggled with him until Skywalker intervened. While Skywalker visited the creature's hut, R2-D2 guarded the X-wing starfighter. The rainfall made Artoo's stay an unpleasant one. After the green creature revealed himself as Master Yoda, Skywalker began his Jedi training. Artoo observed the training from a distance. On one occasion, Artoo was present when Yoda used the Force to levitate Skywalker's X-wing starfighter from the swamp.

On another training exercise, Luke Skywalker, under Yoda's instruction, used the Force to levitate Artoo and several rocks. However, Skywalker was distracted by a vision of his friend Han, Leia, and Chewbacca being tortured in a "city in the clouds". Despite Yoda and Kenobi's warnings, Skywalker decided to adjourn his Jedi training and leave Dagobah to rescue his companions. Unknown to Luke and Artoo, the vision was a trap created by Darth Vader to lure the young Jedi into a trap. Artoo and Luke traveled to Cloud City, a floating city which lay in the gas giant Bespin.

After landing without any problems, the two entered the complex. While walking through Cloud City, Artoo and Luke caught a glimpse of Princess Leia and their companions being led away by several Imperial stormtroopers. Artoo was separated from Luke after the latter ascended up a turbolift which led him to a carbon freezing chamber. Later, Artoo managed to link up with C3PO, Leia, and Chewbacca, who had already been freed by Lando. Lando had earlier betrayed his former friend Han Solo but had decided to help the rebels escape the Empire. Under Calrissian's instruction, Artoo connected with a power socket which enabled Calrissian to warn the citizens of Cloud City that the Empire had begun occupying the city. After fighting several stormtroopers, Artoo and his companions managed to escape Cloud City on the Millennium Falcon.

After picking up the wounded Skywalker, who had lost his hand in combat against Darth Vader, Artoo and his companions fled into space. However, they were pursued by Darth Vader's Super Star Destroyer Executor. While reattaching Threepio's legs, Artoo was forced to attend to the ship's hyperdrive, which had been disabled by the Imperials. Artoo managed to repair the hyperdrive in the nick of time and the Falcon was able to flee into hyperspace and rejoin the Rebel fleet. Artoo was knocked down by the impact of the jump but survived the incident undamaged. Later, he along with Threepio, Leia, and Skywalker watched while Lando and Chewie departed on the Millennium Falcon to find Han Solo.

Rescuing Han Solo
Later, R2-D2 and his companions learnt that Han Solo was being held by the Hutt crime lord Jabba, who owned a palace on Tatooine. Skywalker informed R2-D2 about his plan to rescue Han Solo but kept C-3PO in the dark, knowing that his programming prevented him from lying. As planned, R2-D2 and C-3PO traveled to Jabba's castle where Artoo played a holographic message from Luke Skywalker. Skywalker offered to give Artoo and See Threepio as a "gift" to Jabba in return for freeing Han. As expected, Jabba declined the offer and quickly revealed that he had kept a carbonited Solo on display in his throne room.

However, he accepted the two droids as gifts. While C-3PO became Jabba's new translator, R2-D2 was pressed into service as a waiter aboard Jabba's sail barge Khetanna. Later, Leia, disguised as the bounty hunter Boushh, visited Jabba with the captive Chewbacca in two. However, this was merely a ruse to free Han Solo. Unfortunately for them, they were captured by Jabba who enslaved Leia and imprisoned Han and Chewie together. The following day, Skywalker visited and reiterated his demands. Jabba refused and threw Luke into the rancor pit. However, Skywalker killed the beast. Enraged, Jabba ordered that Luke, Han, and Chewie be fed to the sarlacc, a massive monster that lived at the Great Pit of Carkoon in the Dune Sea.

While traveling to the Dune Sea, R2-D2 was serving drinks when he bumped into C-3PO, who expressed despondence at the situation. However, Artoo, who knew the true nature of Skywalker's plan, told him not to worry. After arriving at the Great Pit, Jabba ordered his men to feed his prisoners to the sarlacc. Luke was forced to walk the plank but at that moment he signaled to R2-D2. The astromech droid fired Skywalker's lightsaber and the Jedi promptly freed his companions and overpowered Jabba's minions on the nearby desert skiff. Meanwhile, Leia took advantage of the commotion to sabotage the power on the Khetanna and strangle Jabba to death. R2-D2 also freed Leia and came to C-3PO's defence, when he was accosted by Jabba's pet Kowakian monkey-lizard Salacious Crumb.

After freeing Leia, Artoo Detoo and See Threepio dived into the Dune sea where they were picked up by their companions. They then fled the scene on a stolen desert skiff and went offworld. While C-3PO and the others departed on the Millennium Falcon to rendezvous with the Rebel fleet near the Sullust system, R2-D2 and Skywalker traveled to Dagobah. This trip was a more pleasant trip for R2-D2, who guarded Skywalker's X-wing while the Jedi visited Yoda. The dying Yoda revealed that Luke's father Anakin and Darth Vader were the same person. Later, Skywalker met the Force Spirit of Kenobi who warned him of his final trial with Vader.

Battle of Endor
After rescuing Han Solo, R2-D2 and his companions participated in a rebel mission to destroy the Second Death Star that was being built above the Forest Moon of Endor. Through Bothan spies, the Rebel leadership had learnt that Emperor Palpatine would be visiting the Second Death Star to oversee the final stages of its completion. In response, the Rebel leader Mon Mothma and Admiral Ackbar had marshaled the Rebel fleet for a massive strike against the Imperial leadership. Since the Second Death Star was protected by a shield generator, a rebel force would have to infiltrate Endor and disable it out so that the Rebel fleet could destroy it.

Artoo Detoo along with his companions Threepio, Han Solo, Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker, and Chewbacca took part in this Rebel mission to infiltrate Endor. Using a stolen Imperial shuttle, the rebels managed to land on Endor. They soon encountered several Imperial scout troopers and Princess Leia was separated from the group during the struggle. R2-D2 accompanied Han, Skywalker, and Chewbacca as they search through the forest for Leia. However, they stumbled into a net trap. Using his electrical saw, R2-D2 managed to free his companions. They were then surrounded by several Ewoks, a species of furry bipeds native to Endor. Believing that Threepio was a god, the Ewoks attempted to sacrifice Solo, Skywalker, Chewbacca, and Artoo. When Threepio failed to dissuade the Ewoks, Skywalker used the Force to cause Threepio's throne to levitate. Fearing that they had angered their "god", the Ewoks promptly released their prisoners.

After convincing the Ewoks to fight on their side, R2-D2 and C-3PO took part in the Rebel assault on the Death Star's shield generator the following day. However, the rebel force was quickly captured by the Imperial garrison. R2-D2 and C-3PO managed to evade capture. Under orders from R2-D2, Threepio exposed his position to the Imperials. Shortly later, the Ewoks attacked the Imperial forces massed outside the shield generator. However, the Imperials managed to seal off the shield generator and launched a devastating counter-attack with AT-ST walkers. Meanwhile in space, the Rebel fleet was trapped between the Second Death Star and an Imperial fleet.

During the fighting, R2-D2 and C-3PO made their way to the shield generator's blast door where Han and Leia were attempting to breach it. R2-D2 attempted to access the power socket but was blasted by enemy fire; causing him to short-circuit. The rebels were then cornered by two stormtroopers but Leia managed to shoot them. Meanwhile, Chewbacca and two Ewok warriors managed to turn the tide of the battle by hijacking an AT-ST walker and using it to destroy the others. Using the hijacked AT-ST, the rebels tricked the remaining Imperial troops into opening the shield generator. After storming the bunker, the rebels planted explosives which destroyed the energy field protecting the Death Star. This enabled the Rebels to destroy the Second Death Star along with Emperor Palpatine, Darth Vader, and several Imperial ships. Following the Battle of Endor, R2-D2 was repaired and took part in the victory celebrations at Bright Tree Village.

Non-canon appearances

 * William Shakespeare's The Phantom of Menace: Star Wars Part the First
 * Disney Infinity 3.0
 * Epic Yarns: A New Hope
 * Epic Yarns: The Empire Strikes Back
 * Epic Yarns: Return of the Jedi