R2-D2

"Excuse me, sir, but that Artoo unit is in prime condition. A real bargain."

- C-3PO to Luke Skywalker

R2-D2 (phonetically spelled Artoo-Deetoo, and called "R2" or "Artoo" for short) is a character in the Star Wars universe. An astromech droid, R2-D2 is a major character throughout all seven Star Wars films. Along with his droid companion C-3PO. he joins or supports Anakin Skywalker, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Obi-Wan Kenobi in various points in the saga. R2-D2 was played by Kenny Baker. Along with Anakin Skywalker (Darth Vader), Obi-Wan Kenobi and C-3PO, he is one of only four characters to appear in the first six Star Wars films and with C-3P0 the only two characters to appear in all seven films.

Star Wars: Episode I:The Phantom Menace
In Star Wars: Episode I:The Phantom Menace, set 32 years before Star Wars, R2-D2 is portrayed as belonging to the Naboo defense forces and is one of four astromech droids deployed for repair duty on Queen Padmé Amidala's starship as it attempts to get past the Trade Federation blockade. The sole survivor of the four, R2-D2 becomes part of Qui-Gon Jinn's party on Tatooine and meets C-3PO and Anakin Skywalker. Later still, he serves as the astromech droid for Anakin's starfighter during the Battle of Naboo.

Star Wars Episode II:Attack of the Clones
In Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, set 10 years after The Phantom Menace, R2-D2 still serves Anakin and Obi-Wan. He accompanies Anakin and Padmé to Naboo, and then to Tatooine when Anakin tries to rescue his mother Shmi. Here, he is reunited with C-3PO, and the two get into various misadventures on Geonosis. He and C-3PO are later witnesses to Anakin and Padmé's secret wedding.

Star Wars Episode III:Revenge of the Sith
In Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, R2-D2 helps Anakin and Obi-Wan in their mission to rescue Chancellor Palpatine from Count Dooku's capital ship, the Invisible Hand. He is attacked by battle droids, but defeats them through ingenious tactics. After Anakin falls to the dark side of the Force and becomes Darth Vader, he takes R2-D2 with him when he goes to assassinate the Separatist council, but tells him to stay with the ship. After the Galactic Empire is established at the end of the film, C-3PO's memory is erased to keep the knowledge of the locations of Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia a secret from their father. However, R2-D2's memory isn't wiped (as a result, R2-D2 is the only surviving character at the end of Return of the Jedi who knows the entire story of the Skywalker family). Both R2-D2 and C-3PO end up in the possession of Captain Raymus Antilles on board the Corellian corvette Tantive IV.

Star Wars Episode lV:A New Hope
In Star Wars Episode lV:A New Hope,both R2-D2 and C-3PO are introduced on board the Tantive IV, along with Princess Leia of Alderaan, when they are fired upon by an Imperial Star Destroyer. Leia inserts in R2-D2 an information disc containing the plans for the Death Star battle station, along with encoding a distress message on the droid's holographic projector. The droids then escape in a pod that crashes on Tatooine near Obi-Wan Kenobi's desert abode.

R2-D2 and C-3PO are then abducted by Jawas and bought by Owen Lars, step-uncle of Luke Skywalker. While Luke cleans the sand out of R2-D2's gears, he discovers a fragment of Leia's message, and removes the droid's restraining bolt to see more; once free of the bolt, R2 claims to have no knowledge of the message. That night, R2-D2 leaves the farm to seek out Obi-Wan. Soon, by way of fate, Luke is forced to leave Tatooine with Obi-Wan, Han Solo, and Chewbacca, and they attempt to deliver R2-D2 to the Rebel Alliance. Along the way, they are pulled in by the Death Star's tractor beam, but eventually rescue Princess Leia and escape. R2-D2 delivers the plans to the Rebel Alliance, and serves as Luke's astromech droid during the attack on the station. R2-D2 is severely damaged during the battle, but is restored before the ceremony at the end of the film.

Star Wars Episode V:The Empire Strikes Back
R2-D2 is the deugtarosit of Star Wars Episode V:The Empire Strikes Back where accompanies Luke to Dagobah, and later to Cloud City, where he helps to rescue and repair a heavily damaged C-3PO and to override city security computers. He also manages to fix the Millennium Falcon 's hyperdrive, resulting in a last-minute escape from Imperial forces.

Star Wars Episode Vl:Return of the Jedi
In Star Wars Episode Vl:Return of the Jedi,R2-D2 plays a critical role in rescuing Luke, Leia and Han from Jabba the Hutt. He later joins the Rebel strike team on Endor. He is badly damaged during the fight between the Imperial troops and the Rebels, but is repaired in time for the celebration marking the second Death Star's destruction and the end of the Empire.

Star Wars Episode Vll:The Force Awakens
After the Battle of Endor Luke Skywalker began to fulfill Yoda's directive to pass on what he had learned by training a new generation of Jedi. Unfortunately Han and Leia's son Ben Solo fell to the Dark Side and took on the name Kylo Ren after joining the Knights of Ren. His nephew then proceeded to destroy all Luke built, killing his former classmates.

Feeling responsible for his nephew's fall to the dark side and the resulting deaths of his students, Luke went into exile. Before he left he provided part of a map to R2-D2 that would lead to his location. R2-D2 then went in to a low power mode until such time that the map was needed and could be combined with the other part of the map.

Resistance technicians were unable to get R2-D2 to wake up, and his counterpart C-3P0 feared he would never wake up or be the same ever again. R2-D2 was placed in the Resistance headquarters on D'Qar with the hopes that he would wake someday.

Their hope finally fulfilled once R2-D2 suddenly reactivates when approached by BB-8, whom he befriended with and together, they completed the map for Luke.

Star Wars Episode VIIl:
R2-D2 was confirmed to appear in Episode VIII, with Jimmy Vee becoming the new actor for the character.

Star Wars Episode lX:
R2-D2 was confirmed to appear in Episode IX, with Jimmy Vee becoming the new actor for the character.

Similar Heroes

 * Pikachu (Pokemon)
 * Cleveland Brown and Brian Griffin (Family Guy)
 * Goddard (Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius series)
 * WALL-E
 * Pluto (Disney universe)
 * Slippy Toad (Star Fox series)

Trivia

 * R2-D2 was designed by John Stears and specially created by Australian firm Petric Engineering and English firm C&L Developments.
 * Many scenes also made use of radio controlled and CGI versions of the character.
 * Both the original props of R2-D2 and C-3PO used in filming are used as audio-animatronics in the queue area of Disneyland's Star Tours ride.