As two of the most beloved figures in Star Wars, R2D2 and C-3PO are also among the first characters fans meet in Star Wars: A New Hope after Leia sends them off in an escape pod with the Death Star plans. After convincing C-3PO onto the escape pod, they fly from the Star Destroyer and Leia's ship, with C-3PO mentioning, "That’s funny, the damage doesn’t look as bad from out here." While the line seems straightforward enough, it has recently become the center of a humorously plausible new Star Wars fan theory.
What C-3PO's Comment Means
Even in the opening scenes of A New Hope, it's clear C-3PO is well-meaning, bumbling and a naive, so it’s easy to overlook his observations on the state of the ship. However, Redditor JournalofFailure notes that the line seems curiously out of place and posits that George Lucas must have included it as an expression of his own dissatisfaction with the special effects.
"He thought Leia's ship should have looked like it had taken more damage," JournalofFailure writes. "So he included that line in case anyone in the audience felt the same way.”
This line of reasoning quickly falls apart when looking at the footage. As C-3PO and R2 look out the pod window, the consular ship is barely visible, engulfed by the much larger Star Destroyer. It seems unlikely that Lucas was worried about this blink-and-you’ll-miss-it blip. Redditor Kryptoknightmare even goes so far as to say that the "oblivious and naive" C-3PO doesn’t even know what ship he is on.
Whatever the reason for C-3PO's comments, one thing is clear. He only got in the pod because he was scared. As a notorious stickler for the rules, C-3PO would never break protocol unless he thought he was in imminent danger, which is where Redditor ManyKubrik's theory comes into play.
What R2-D2 Tells C-3PO
Just before they jump in the pod, viewers learn from C-3PO that R2 says something about "plans" and a "secret mission." C-3PO is having none of it and refuses to follow his fellow droid. Seconds later, however, he’s in the pod, so R2 had to have had said something to change his mind.
"R2 needs to get off the ship to do his secret mission," ManyKubrik writes, "so when [C-3PO] is procrastinating about getting on [the pod] he feeds him a line about critical damage and that [the ship is] about to blow."
This theory works perfectly with what is known about these characters. C-3PO already states he is unwilling to flout the rules by boarding the pod, but it's also known that he’s quick to panic and has a strong self-preservation streak. R2D2, on the other hand, is a courageous and resourceful droid who is fiercely loyal to Leia. Further, as ManyKubrik remarks, R2 is a notorious liar and will say whatever to get the job done, as seen when he deceives both Luke and C-3PO over Leia's message, tellin C-3PO it's a malfunction.
While the true meaning behind R2D2’s bleeps and bloops may forever remain a mystery, we can’t help but give credence to this entertaining new theory. This determined little droid has a long history of bending the rules in the service of his missions; however, he only does so with the best of intentions, like when he needed to get C-3PO onto the escape pod.