C-3PO

"I am C-3PO, human-cyborg relations."

- C-3PO

C-3PO, sometimes spelled See-Threepio and often referred to as Threepio, was a 3PO unit protocol droid designed to interact with organics, programmed primarily for etiquette and protocol. He was fluent in over six million forms of communication, and developed a fussy and worry-prone personality throughout his many decades of operation. Along with his counterpart, the astromech droid R2-D2, C-3PO constantly found himself directly involved in pivotal moments of galactic history, and aided in saving the galaxy on many occasions.

C-3PO was built from spare parts by Anakin Skywalker, a human slave who lived in Mos Espa, a city on the Outer Rim world of Tatooine. C-3PO's memory was erased, though R2-D2's memory was not. C-3PO and R2-D2 were assigned to the Alderaan cruiser Tantive IV, where they served senator Bail Organa for nineteen years. At some point during this time, 3PO's right leg was fitted with a mismatched droid plating.

They then became embroiled in the Galactic Civil War, when Leia Organa of the Rebel Alliance entrusted them to bring a copy of the Death Star plans to the Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi on Tatooine. After meeting Skywalker's son Luke and the smuggler Han Solo, the droids helped rescue princess Leia from the Empire's Death Star. They became directly attached to the three humans, helping them and their rebellion defeat the Empire and restore freedom to the galaxy, most notably when he convinced the Ewoks to aid the Rebels at the Battle of Endor.

Serving the Maker
"He's perfect."

- Padmé Amidala after meeting C-3PO

Components of what would become C-3PO were originally manufactured on the world of Affa over a century before the Invasion of Naboo. In an early incarnation, C-3PO served as a protocol droid to the chief negotiator for the Manakron system. Additionally, he later claimed that his first job was programing binary loadlifters, which he said were very similar to moisture vaporators in most respects. At some point, however, C-3PO fell into disrepair, and his vital components ended up in a junk pile on Tatooine. Anakin Skywalker, a slave boy from the Tatooinian city of Mos Espa, collected scrap parts and started rebuilding C-3PO so the droid would help his mother. Although protocol droids were normally designed for light duty in luxurious environments, Skywalker specially modified C-3PO so he could withstand Tatooine's sand and heat. C-3PO served Anakin and his mother Shmi by performing household chores. During his time with Skywalker and Shmi, C-3PO's wiring was left exposed since Skywalker was unable to outfit him with an outer covering.

Following the Trade Federation's invasion of the Mid Rim planet of Naboo, C-3PO's life entered a new chapter when his owner Anakin met several off-worlders at the shop of his owner, the junk dealer Watto and then invited them to seek shelter at his home during a sandstorm. The Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, the Queen of Naboo Padmé Amidala, the Gungan Jar Jar Binks, and the astromech droid R2-D2 were brought to the slave quarters that Anakin shared with his mother Shmi. As a result of this invitation, Amidala and R2-D2 were introduced to C-3PO. Upon meeting R2-D2, C-3PO was shocked when the candid astromech droid commented that he was "naked". Despite the exchange, the two droids fast developed a friendship of sorts, working together to help Skywalker make final adjustments to his podracer in time to race it in the Boonta Eve Classic race. While working on the podracer, the two droids discussed space travel and noted the clumsy actions of Binks.

On the day of the race, C-3PO represented his owner in the opening flag parade, carrying Skywalker's flag onto the course prior to the start of the race. He then stood on the sidelines with R2-D2 and two of Skywalker's playmates, Kitster Banai and Wald, who cheered their friend on. Skywalker won the race, which, thanks to a deal that Jinn had struck with Watto, earned the boy his freedom from slavery and secured Jinn the hyperdrive generator he needed to leave the planet. As Skywalker prepared to depart Tatooine, he said his goodbyes to C-3PO, apologizing for not having completed the droid's construction, and expressing his wishes that Shmi wouldn't sell him.

Beyond Tatooine
"There's been some terrible mistake. I'm programmed for etiquette, not destruction!"

- C-3PO during the Battle of Geonosis

Later, his owner Shmi was sold to the moisture farmer Cliegg Lars, who freed then and married her. Shmi brought C-3PO along with her and the protocol droid found himself in the service of the Lars family, who owned a moisture farm in the Jundland Wastes. C-3PO's new owners covered him in a silver plating to shield him from Tatooine's sandy environment. Ten years after his parting with Anakin Skywalker, Shmi was kidnapped by a group of Tusken Raiders, fearsome nomads native to Tatooine's desert wastes. Sensing his mother's pain and anguish through the Force, Anakin returned with his secret lover and childhood friend Padmé Amidala to find his mother. Skywalker had advanced in his Jedi training as a Padawan under the tutelage of Obi-Wan Kenobi while Amidala had become a Senator in the Galactic Senate.

When Skywalker and Amidala visited the Lars' moisture farm, they found C-3PO working on a moisture vaporator. He initially didn't recognize Skywalker until the latter finished his name for him when introducing himself. Greeting his Maker, C-3PO discovered that Skywalker had come in search of his mother, and brought the two guests into the homestead's courtyard, where they were met by Cliegg Lars, as well as his son Owen Lars and her girlfriend Beru Whitesun. Learning of his mother's peril, Skywalker took Owen's speeder bike to find her, and soon returned with her corpse, having recovered it from a Tusken village. C-3PO was present when he arrived, and later attended a funeral for Shmi on the farm's property. When R2-D2, who had been waiting aboard Amidala's nearby yacht, interrupted the funeral with an urgent message for the Padawan, C-3PO translated the astromech's binary beeps and whistles. After viewing the holocomm message, Skywalker and Amidala departed Tatooine for Geonosis to rescue Skywalker's Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Thus, C-3PO would become both a witness and participant in the subsequent Battle of Geonosis; the first spark of the Clone Wars, a conflict that would change the course of galactic history. After landing on Geonosis, C-3PO reluctantly followed R2-D2, Skywalker, and Amidala into the Geonosian droid foundry. After being tapped in the factory's conveyor belt system, C-3PO's head was separated from his body and grafted onto the chassis of a B1 battle droid. Meanwhile, a B1 battle droid head was inserted onto Threepio's body. During the ensuing battle, both of C-3PO's "bodies" were knocked out during the fighting. Fortunately for him, he was promptly reattached to his rightful body by R2-D2. Following the events on Geonosis, C-3PO and R2-D2 attended Skywalker and Amidala's wedding in Naboo's Lake Country.

Stopping Ziro
During the Clone Wars, C-3PO would serve Senator Padme Amidala, the spouse of Anakin Skywalker. On one occasion, Amidala was captured by Jabba's uncle Ziro during a mission to reopen communications with the Hutts after Jabba's son Rotta was kidnapped by the Separatist leader Count Dooku. Amidala contacted C-3PO, who in turn contacted the Coruscant Guard, which promptly raided Ziro's Palace and freed Amidala. C-3PO's actions help the Republic win over Jabba, who promptly signed a favorable treaty with them.

Rise of the Empire
Following the Battle of Coruscant, C-3PO joined the Jedi Master Mace Windu and the Galactic Senate's Loyalist Committee in greeting R2-D2 and his Jedi companions Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi following their successful mission to rescue Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, who had been kidnapped by the Separatist General Grievous. C-3PO would continue serving Senator Amidala during the last days of the Galactic Republic and the Jedi Purge, which ushered in the Galactic Empire. He also accompanied his master to Mustafar and piloted the skiff; allowing some reprieve for Amidala who was distraught at her husband's turn to the Dark Side and his role in the murder of Jedi Younglings at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.

Unknown to him and Amidala, Skywalker's former Master Obi-Wan Kenobi had stowed aboard the skiff. On Mustafar, Kenobi's presence enraged Skywalker who Force choked his wife. While Kenobi dueled with his former Padawan, C-3PO and R2-D2 attended to the ailing Senator and brought her back aboard the skiff. After defeating Skywalker, C-3PO and Kenobi piloted the skiff to Polis Massa, a remote Outer Rim world where she gave birth to twins, a boy named Luke Skywalker and a daughter named Leia Organa, before passing away. While the Skywalker twins were spirited away to various locations to hide them from the Empire, C-3PO and R2-D2 passed into the ownership of Padme's friend Bail Organa, the Senator for Alderaan. Due to Threepio's talkative nature, Senator Organa made arrangements for the protocol droid to receive a memory wipe.

Mission to Garel
About five years before the Battle of Yavin, Senator Bail Organa sent C-3PO and his astromech counterpart R2-D2 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. Unknown to C-3PO, but known to R2-D2, their true mission was to prevent the T-7 ion disruptors from falling into Imperial hands.

Upon arriving in Lothal, C-3PO and his companions boarded the Star commuter shuttle ST-45 which ferried them to Garel. Unknown to C-3PO, members of a Lothalian rebel cell were also traveling on the 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, the protocol droid and his astromech 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, C-3PO and R2-D2 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, C-3PO's counterpart 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 C-3PO and R2-D2 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 their stolen weapons to Vizago at a pre-arranged rendezvous point. Despite his restraining bolts, C-3PO managed to used the ship's intercom to contact the Imperial authorities telling that he and his astromech counterpart had been kidnapped by "criminals." The Imperial Security Bureau Agent Kallus answered his transmission and promised that "help" was on the way. Using C-3PO's transmission to trace the Ghost coordinates, Agent Kallus brought an Imperial attack force consisting of a Gozanti-class cruiser, two AT-DP walkers, and several stormtroopers to the Lothalian rebels' meeting place. Mistaking the Imperials for "friends", C-3PO approached them but was fired upon and narrowly escaped disintegration. Meanwhile, R2-D2 helped the Lothalian rebels to overload and destroy the T-7 disruptors.

Following the brief skirmish, both droids and the rebels managed to escape their Imperial pursuers. The rebels also returned C-3PO and R2-D2 to their rightful owner, Senator Organa, who paid them some credits for destroying the weapons. Due to the stress of his adventures at Garel and Lothal, C-3PO requested that he be allowed to rest for a while; which the Senator obliged. Senator Organa then questioned R2-D2 about the Lothalian rebels.

Return to Tatooine
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. C-3PO and R2-D2 were aboard Senator Leia Organa's blockade runner Tantive IV, which was being pursued by Darth Vader's Imperial-class Star Destroyer. Unknown to C-3PO, Darth Vader was actually his former master, Anakin Skywalker. The Tantive IV was crippled by a laser blast from Vader's ship and Imperial stormtroopers boarded the vessel. After Princess Leia managed to insert these secret plans and a holographic message for Master Kenobi into R2-D2, the two droids fled in an escape pod to the desert planet of Tatooine.

After quarreling in the Jundland Wastes, the two droids separated and were captured by Jawas, who sold them to a family of moisture farmers. This family turned out to be Owen Lars, his wife Beru, and their adopted nephew Luke Skywalker, the son of Anakin Skywalker. While C-3PO settled down to his new home, R2-D2 wanted to continue his mission to find Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. Unable to resolve their differences, R2-D2 escaped 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, who damaged one of Threepio's arms.

C-3PO and his companions were then rescued by Master Kenobi, who brought them to his dwelling. Kenobi revealed Skywalker's Jedi heritage and passed him his father's lightsaber; telling the boy that Anakin had been murdered by another apprentice named Darth Vader. After discovering Princess Leia's message in R2-D2's compartments, 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, C-3PO 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. However, Kenobi used a Jedi mind trick to convince the stormtroopers to give them free passage through the town. C-3PO and R2-D2 were not allowed allowed to enter 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, Threepio and R2-D2 wandered the streets of Mos Eisley and narrowly evaded a stormtrooper patrol. Later, C-3PO and R2-D2 boarded Han Solo's ship, the Millennium Falcon and fled into hyperspace.

Stopping the Death Star
Upon exiting hyperspace in the Alderaan system, C-3PO and his companions discovered that the Empire's Death Star had already destroyed the planet. The Millenium Falcon was then trapped in the tractor beam of the Death Star. Hiding under the freighter's cargo compartments, they managed to ambush an Imperial scanning team and two stormtroopers. The rebels then seized control of an Imperial control room. While Threepio and R2-D2 stayed behind to watch the Falcon, the other rebels split into two groups. Disguised as stormtroopers, Skywalker and Solo along with their Wookiee "prisoner" Chewbacca went to Detention Block AA-23 to free Princess Leia. Meanwhile, Master Kenobi went to disable the 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, Threepio and R2-D2 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. However, amidst the muffled cries of joy over the comlink, Threepio initially believed that they had died. After grappling with more stormtroopers, the other rebels and the Princess managed to return to their hangar bay.

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, C-3PO and the other rebels took the opportunity to flee the Death Star on the Millennium Falcon. After dispatching several pursuing TIE fighters, C-3PO and his companions escaped to the jungle moon of Yavin 4, where the rebels maintained a base. Using the Death Star plans stored in R2-D2's systems,the rebels discovered that the massive superweapon contained a weak point: an unprotected shaft. While Skywalker and a Rebel strike force assailed the station, C-3PO remained with R2-D2 and Princess Leia at the rebel command center on Yavin IV. Following the destruction of the Death Star, C-3PO was present at the victory parade where Skywalker, Solo, and two other rebel pilots including Wedge Antilles were awarded for their courageous actions.

Cymoon 1
"It appears the Millennium Falcon is being dismantled by native scavengers..." "Well go out there and stop them!" "Me? Go out..." "There's a blaster in the cockpit! Do whatever you have to do! Threepio!?" "Oh. Oh... dear."

- Han Solo and C-3PO

Several weeks after the Battle of Yavin C-3PO was involved in the Assault on Cymoon 1. Cymoon 1 was a moon located in the Corellian Industrial Cluster, and Weapons Factory Alpha&mdash;the largest weapons factory in the galaxy, was the main target of the assault. Chewbacca and 3PO piloted the Millennium Falcon throught the debris fields that sorrounded Cymoon 1, and landed in the huge refuse fields that fenced in the factory. Chewbacca left the relative safety of the Falcon and hiked towards the factory, while 3PO stayed behind to wait for the signal to begin the Falcon's autopilot when the team had achieved their objective of hacking into the main power core and rigging it to explode. The Falcon would swoop in and pick up Han, Leia, Luke and R2 while Chewbacca covered their retreat from a large metal structure that overlooked the rendezvous escape point&mdash;before he to escaped aboard the freighter.

The team was posing as an envoy from Jabba the Hutt, due to Han's previous ties to the Crime lord. Leia (who was disguised as one of the Hutt's bodyguards) contacted 3PO and Chewbacca via comlink and notified them that they were entering the factory. 3PO was very happy for he had feared that the Imperials would see through their rouse and kill them all on sight. 3PO also noted that the tide of war seemed to be in their favor after the destruction of the Death Star&mdash;3PO had a "very good feeling about this". A short time later Leia and Han contacted 3PO and let the droid know that the plan had moved to phase two. Han was worried about leaving 3PO alone on his ship, but 3PO assured him all was in working order&mdash;but was concerned that the old YT-1300 light freighter continued to so easily be mistaken for garbage.

3PO recieved a comlink call several minutes later, it was Han, he told 3PO to start the autopilot so they could begin their escape. 3PO commenced the autopliot&mdash;but nothing happened. About five minutes later Han again contacted the droid, 3PO told him what had happened. 3PO looked out of the transparisteel cockpit of the Falcon and noticed several scavengers dismantling the Falcon. Han ordered 3PO to take a blaster pistol and go stop them. But 3PO was unsure of himself&mdash;he was but a protocol droid programmed for translation and ettiquete.

3PO didn't act for several minutes until Leia once again got in contact with him. She told the droid that they were going to die if the Falcon did not soon reach them. 3PO reminded her of the the scavengers who continued to tear down the freighter, he requested that another member of the team should come assist him he would be better suited to intimidate the aliens. But Leia became angry and ordered the droid to "Do whatever you have to," 3PO gave in&mdash;for it was the House of Organa that he served. 3PO took the blaster pistol and addressed the tentacled aliens in Basic, he requested they "at once return to your domiciles," If they would not, 3PO would not hesitate to use force&mdash;in the form of the blaster pistol. The protocol droid fumbled and dropped the blaster, it fell at the feet of one creature, 3PO realized he'd made a mistake and surrendered. The creature examined it and shot 3PO in the chest. The super-heated gas did no real damage to 3PO's golden chest plate&mdash;but the kinetic energy of the blast blew off the droid's arms and legs. The aliens gathered up 3PO as Han called him and asked what he'd done to the Falcon. The droid asked if he could "close down for a while..." But due to the droids injuries, Han was unable to hear the golden droid as he was carried off by the tentacled aliens.

The scavengers stuffed 3PO into a sack and was carried one one of the alien's back. As a result of the attack, 3PO sustained a memory relapse and believed himself to be talking with Captain Antilles. He requested a peaceful diplomatic mission from "Antilles" before the alien he was strapped to was hoisted into the air and thrown by the might Chewbacca. Chewbacca blasted the other scavengers while 3PO confessed to "Antilles" that he cared for neither action or adventure. The aliens fled while the wookiee went to work repairing the damage they had caused to the Falcon so he and the droid could go rescue the other team members who were under attack by Darth Vader. 3PO heard through Chewbacca's comm, that Han and Leia were doomed. 3PO was just grateful his eye circuits were not connected so he wouldn't have to witness their deaths.

Though they were not killed for Chewbacca repaired the freighter, gathered up 3PO, and flew the Falcon to pick up the other team members. The Falcon fled into hyperspace as the golden droid admitted to "Antilles" that the mission had been the strangest diplomatic mission he'd ever experienced.

Within two days, the Millennium Falcon and its compliment rendezvoused with the Rebel Fleet on the edge of the galaxy. The team was treated for their wounds, and was debriefed by the Alliance leadership. Threepio was completely repaired by Alliance engineers. Soon thereafter, Artoo and Threepio argued whether Threepio had been incorrectly reassembled. Soon, Luke and Artoo left the Rebel Fleet to return to Tatooine.

Escaping the Empire
Later, C-3PO and his rebel companions ended up on the icy planet of Hoth where the Rebel Alliance maintained a secret base. When Skywalker did not return from a patrol, Threepio and R2-D2 were deeply worried about the safety of their Master. Han Solo then departed on a tauntaun to rescue Skywalker, who had been attacked by a wampa. When R2-D2 calculated that Skyalker had a very poor chance of survival in the frozen wilderness, C-3PO tried to cheer up the others by assuring them that R2-D2 had been known to make mistakes from time to time. The following day, Skywalker and Solo were rescued by a Rebel patrol of snowspeeders.

While Skywalker recovered in the base hospital, C-3PO visited his Master to wish him well. After Solo and Chewbacca encountered an Imperial probe droid, the Rebel Alliance ordered a mass evacuation of their Hoth base. While the Rebel's ion cannon and ground forces held back the advancing Imperial fleet and ground forces, Rebel transports began fleeing the Imperial blockade into hyperspace. Following the Battle of Hoth, Threepio along with Han, Leia, and Chewbacca fled Hoth aboard the Millennium Falcon. Unable to enter hyperspace, the Falcon crew fled into the Hoth asteroid belt to lose their Imperial pursuers.

The Millennium Falcon hid inside a deep cave, which turned out to be the innards of giant space slug. While C-3PO and his fellow crew made repairs to the Falcon, they encountered several parasitic creatures called Mynocks. Following an earthquake, the crew of the Falcon fled the cave only to discover that they been hiding inside a space slug. Unable to jump into hyperspace, the Falcon feigned a frontal attack on an Imperial Star Destroyer and hid behind the rear of the vessel's command tower. When Threepio protested their plan was suicide, Princess Leia switched him off. After escaping the Imperial fleet, the Millennium Falcon fled to Cloud City, an orbital city in the gas giant of Bespin.

Cloud City was run by an old friend of Han Solo called Lando Calrissian, a former gambler and businessman. Upon landing, C-3PO attempted to greet Calrissian but was rudely brushed aside. While exploring Cloud City, he heard the familiar beep of an R2 unit only to stumble across several Imperial stormtroopers, who promptly disabled him with a stun blaster. The Imperials then gave C-3PO's body parts to several Ugnaught garbage disposal workers who attempted to dismantle him. However, Chewbacca arrived in the nick of time and rescued the protocol droid from being disintegrated. Shortly later, Threepio's rebel companions were betrayed by Calrissian, who handed them over to Darth Vader and the bounty hunter Boba Fett.

While imprisoned, Chewbacca was able to repair C-3PO's head, torso, and arms. Before he could reattach the astromech droid's legs, the rebels were summoned by Vader to a carbon-freezing chamber. There, Darth Vader intended to test Cloud City's carbon-freezing technology on Han Solo as part of his plot to lure Skywalker to Bespin. Despite initial fears that the process would kill Han, Threepion was mollified when he learnt that Solo was merely hibernating. Vader then ordered Threepio and the remaining rebels to be taken to his flagship, the Super Star Destroyer Executor. However, Lando reneged on his deal with the Empire and freed C-3PO and his companions. Reuniting with R2-D2, C-3PO and his rebel companions fled Cloud City aboard the Millennium Falcon, but not before warning the City's inhabitants that the Empire was occupying their city.

On the way out, the rebels also rescued Luke Skywalker, who had lost his hand during a duel with Darth Vader. R2-D2 continued repairing Threepio aboard the Falcon but was forced to adjourn his repairs to fix the hyperdrive. After fixing the hyperdrive, the rebels were able to escape into space and link up with the Rebel fleet. Following their escape, Threepio along with R2-D2 and Princess Leia visited Skywalker in the medical bay. They watched out of the window as Lando Calrissian and Chewbacca departed on the Falcon to rescue Solo from the bounty hunter Boba Fett.

Rescuing Han Solo
Later, C-3PO and his rebel companions learnt that Han Solo was in the hands of the Hutt crime lord Jabba, who lived in a well-fortified desert palace on Tatooine. While Skywalker kept R2-D2 fully informed about his plans to rescue Solo, he kept Threepio in the dark because he knew of the protocol droid's inability to lie. C-3PO and R2-D2 traveled to Jabba's desert palace bringing a holographic message from Skywalker, who offered to free Solo in exchange for passing these two droids to him as "gift". Jabba rejected Skywalker's offer and revealed that he had kept a carbonated Han on display as a trophy in his throne room. The two droids were dragooned in the Hutt crime lord's service; C-3PO ended up working as his translator while R2-D2 was relegated to working as a waiter on Jabba's sail barge Khetanna.

Later, Jabba was visited by Princess Leia, posing as the bounty hunter Boushh, who presented a captive Chewbacca. Unknown to Jabba, this was a ruse by Leia to infiltrate the castle and free Han from carbonite. Threepio served as a translator when Boushh and Jabba negotiated the sum for Chewbacca's bounty. After a near-confrontation involving a thermal detonator, Jabba and Boushh reached a compromise sum. After Chewbacca was taken to Jabba's cells, Leia briefly spoke with C-3PO and commended him. Later that night, Leia managed to free Han from carbonite only for both of them to be captured by Jabba and his minions.

The following day, Skywalker visited Jabba's palace and demanded that he free Han and his companions. Jabba refused and had Skywalker thrown down into his rancor pit. However, Skywalker killed the rancor; prompting an enraged Jabba to order that Skywalker, Solo, and Chewie be fed to the sarlacc that inhabited the Great Pit of Carkoon in the Dune Sea. Before Skywalker could be thrown to the beast, R2-D2 managed to pass his lightsaber to him. Following a struggle, the rebels managed to kill Jabba and most of his entourage. During the fighting, C-3PO was attacked by Jabba's pet Kowakian monkey-lizard Salacious Crumb, who damaged one of his eye lens. R2-D2 rescued him. He and R2-D2 then dived into the Dune Sea. They were later retrieved by their rebel companions, who fled the scene on a stolen desert skiff.

Battle of Endor
After rescuing Han Solo, C3-PO 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 knock it out so that the Rebel fleet could destroy it.

C-3PO along with his companions R2-D2, 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. C-3PO accompanied Han, Skywalker, and Chewbacca as they search through the forest for Leia. However, they stumbled into a trap laid by the Ewoks, a species of sentient furry bipeds native to Endor. The Ewoks had already befriended Leia and welcomed her as a guest. 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.

Later that night, C-3PO convinced the Ewoks to fight on the side of the Rebel against the Imperial presence on Endor. The following day, C-3PO and R2-D2 took part in the Rebel assault on the Death Star's shield generator. However, the rebel force was quickly captured by the Imperial garrison. C-3PO and R2-D2 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, Threepio and R2-D2 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. Threepio, Han, and Leia were then cornered by 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, Threepio took part in the victory celebrations at Bright Tree Village.

After the Battle of Endor
Sometime after the Battle of Endor, C-3PO received a new, red arm. Sometime later, he also received an update to his Translang database allowing fluency in over seven millions forms of communication, one million more than previously.

Behind the scenes
Anthony Daniels, C-3PO's portrayer, met George Lucas in 1975. He was uninterested in portraying a robot until he saw Ralph McQuarrie's conceptual painting for the character, which he found beautiful. When filming the movie, Daniels wrote out what he imagined R2-D2 was saying to help him get through a scene. Daniels is reprising the role of C-3PO in Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens. J.J. Abrams initially asked if he only wanted to supply the voice due to his age, but Daniels was happy to wear the costume again. To that end, the prop mechanics of the suit were reworked for Daniels from the ground up for easier application and removal, with no changes visible on-screen.

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