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C-3PO

Charactercanon

Also known as See Threepio · Threepio · C-3P0 · See-Threepio · C3PO · C 3PO

See C-3PO on Timeline, HyperPanels, Wookieepedia and Databank.

C-3PO

C-3PO is the anxious, fussy protocol droid who spent more than half a century close to the most important moments in galactic history, usually complaining about it. He speaks over six million forms of communication, later more than seven million. A slave boy named Anakin Skywalker rebuilt him from scrap in Mos Espa to help his mother Shmi, and he first met his lifelong partner R2-D2 around the Boonta Eve race. He stayed with Shmi on the Lars moisture farm, then followed Anakin into the first battle of the Clone Wars on Geonosis and was there when Anakin married Padmé Amidala. Given gold plating, he served Padmé as her aide through the war. After the Republic fell, his memory was wiped and he joined Bail Organa's household aboard the Tantive IV, while R2-D2 kept the secrets he had lost. Nineteen years later, Leia Organa's mission with the Death Star plans pulled the two droids into the rebellion. They ended up with Luke Skywalker and Han Solo, and 3PO survived the Death Star and Cloud City, where he was blasted apart and rebuilt. On Endor the Ewoks took him for a god, and he talked them into joining the fight. Decades later he was still at Leia's side in the Resistance. To find the path to Exegol he let his memory be wiped so he could translate a forbidden Sith inscription, and R2-D2's backup later brought his memories back once Palpatine was defeated.

Facts

Born
34 BBY
Died
0 (Battle of Yavin)
Gender
Masculine programming
Pronouns
He/him
Height
1.77 meters
Type
Resistance

Connections

Homeworld
Tatooine
Affiliations
Galactic Empire, Galactic Republic, Alliance to Restore the Republic, Confederacy of Independent Systems, New Republic, Resistance, Galactic Senate, Hutt Clan
Manufactured by
Cybot Galactica
Model
3PO-series protocol droid

Appearances

905 Star Wars works, first in Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope (1977).

See all 905 appearances in release order ›

Notable works

Key events in C-3PO's story

View C-3PO on the Timeline ›

Unknown - Early Service

In an earlier life as a 3PO-series unit, he serves as protocol droid to the chief negotiator of the Manakron system. He is later badly damaged, and his parts end up on a Tatooine junk pile.

~34 BBY - Rebuilt by Anakin Skywalker

Young slave Anakin Skywalker starts rebuilding the droid from scrap in Mos Espa to help his mother Shmi. He has no plating, so his wiring is exposed.

32 BBY - Meeting R2-D2

Anakin fits him with a photoreceptor, and he sees for the first time. He meets R2-D2 and Padmé Amidala, and the two droids help prepare Anakin's podracer.

32 BBY - Boonta Eve Classic

He carries Anakin's flag in the opening parade and watches him win his freedom. Anakin leaves Tatooine and says goodbye to him, the job still unfinished.

~32 BBY - The Lars Homestead

He goes with Shmi when Cliegg Lars frees and marries her. Shmi gives him grey plating, and he works on the moisture farm.

22 BBY - Reunion with Anakin

He greets Anakin and Padmé when they arrive looking for the kidnapped Shmi. He attends her funeral and leaves Tatooine with them.

22 BBY - First Battle of Geonosis

In the droid foundry his head ends up on a battle droid's body, and he is dragged into the opening battle of the Clone Wars. R2-D2 later reattaches his head to his own body.

22 BBY - Anakin and Padmé's Wedding

He witnesses Anakin and Padmé's secret wedding in Naboo's Lake Country.

22 BBY - Aide to Senator Amidala

With new gold plating, he serves Padmé through the Clone Wars. That includes calling in the Coruscant Guard to rescue her from Ziro the Hutt and escaping the Malevolence.

22–21 BBY - Clone Wars Missions

He survives the Separatist ambush on Rodia and helps negotiate the Pantoran–Talz truce on Orto Plutonia. On Naboo he questions a tactical droid during the Blue Shadow Virus crisis.

~21 BBY - Senate Hostage Crisis

Cad Bane kidnaps him, scans his memory and wipes it. He is later held hostage with Padmé when Bane takes over the Senate Building.

~21–20 BBY - Adventures with R2-D2

He calms the earthquakes on Aleen, lives through the Zillo Beast's rampage on Coruscant, and wanders between Patitite Pattuna, Balnab and a Weequay pirate ship before Plo Koon's fleet rescues him.

19 BBY - Fall of the Republic

He goes with Padmé to Mustafar and is there when she dies. Bail Organa has his memory wiped, and he joins the crew of the Tantive IV.

9 BBY - Alderaan

He works at the Organa court while young Leia is growing up.

~5 BBY - Mission with the Ghost Crew

On a mission for Bail Organa, he and R2-D2 cross paths with the rebels of the Ghost.

1 BBY - Battle of Scarif

He is aboard the Tantive IV when the stolen Death Star plans come to Leia at Scarif.

1 BBY - The Death Star Plans

He escapes to Tatooine with R2-D2 and is sold to the Lars family. He meets Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, then helps rescue Leia from the Death Star.

0 ABY - Destroyed and Rebuilt

He is destroyed on Vrogas Vas during a rebel mission and then rebuilt.

3 ABY - Hoth and Cloud City

He escapes Hoth on the Millennium Falcon. On Bespin, stormtroopers blast him apart, and Chewbacca later puts him back together.

4 ABY - Jabba's Palace

He is given to Jabba the Hutt as part of the rescue of Han Solo and is forced to serve as the Hutt's translator.

4 ABY - Battle of Endor

The Ewoks worship him as a golden god, and he convinces the Bright Tree tribe to fight alongside the Rebel Alliance.

~9 ABY - New Republic Service

As an aide to Senator Leia Organa, he brings the message that saves Hera Syndulla from a court-martial.

~34 ABY - Red Arm

After a crash, he wears a red replacement arm for a short time.

34 ABY - The Resistance

He serves General Leia Organa's Resistance, running its spy droid network, and is at the Battle of Crait.

35 ABY - Translating the Sith Dagger

On Kijimi he lets his memory be wiped so he can translate a Sith inscription that leads to Exegol.

35 ABY - Memory Restored

After the Battle of Exegol, R2-D2 uses his backup to restore C-3PO's memories.

Often seen with

Data from Wookieepedia (revision 15624478, 2026-09-26), licensed CC BY-SA 3.0.

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