George Lucas’ R2-D2 revelation just blew our “Star Wars”-loving minds
It’s safe to say that R2-D2 is possibly the most lovable character in the Star Wars series. The savvy lil’ robot is always there to lend a hand or accompany C-3PO to help save the day.
Turns out he may have also been the narrator all along, at least according to a theory by George Lucas himself! i09 reports that this amazing revelation appeared in Chris Taylor’s new book How Star Wars Conquered the Universe, in which animation director Rob Coleman shares that Lucas first mentioned the idea on the set of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.
Apparently Lucas referred to this as “his ultimate framing device” and Coleman tells Taylor: “The entire story of Star Wars is actually being recounted to the keeper of the Journal of the Whills — remember that? — a hundred years after the events of Return of the Jedi by none other than R2-D2.”
Taylor continues by proving the theory, noting that not only is R2-D2 a major part of every movie, but he’s also “fully formed” by Episode I, which is not that case for C-3PO. He also doesn’t get his mind wiped at the end of Episode III and somehow is always engaging in acts of heroism — or waking up at very convenient moments (we’re looking at you, Episode VII).
Over the course of the series, R2’s best moments include stopping a free-falling elevator, shutting down a garbage compacter and repairing the Millennium Falcon’s hyperdrive, as IGN notes. R2-D2 also steps up at the end of Star Wars: The Force Awakens by providing the map to Luke’s location that everyone has been searching for (turns out he downloaded it while on the Death Star waaaaay back in Episode IV. Lucky download there, R2.)
Suddenly everything about a galaxy far, far away is starting to make sense.