R2-D2

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by Lightblade

by Lightblade

That astromech of the Skywalker family. Let's take it away.

R2 is quite a special astromech indeed. Similar to 3PO, he went from having a very simple purpose (to repair the naboo royal starship whenever it was broken) to serving in an incredibly big amount of wars and conflicts and befriending multiple people through his lifespan.

Alongside his golden friend, R2 is the only character to appear in every episodic film, and one of the few characters that hasn't been changed at all by the Disney Canon, unless you count him cursing in the Last Jedi, which I personally think was hilarious.

What really makes R2 stand out is his rather sarcastic and quirky personality, something that I really like in a character. He was brave enough to use his usual sharp language against anyone, even Grievous, proving how bold he is.

Another thing that I love about him is that 3PO and R2 are a very good example of what I like to call the "Don Quijote Archetype". Let me explain this archetype: I'm sure a lot of you are familiarized with "El ingenioso hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha" by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, that classical Renaissance novel that tells the story of Don Quijote, an "hidalgo" who inspired by knighthood novels, decides to become a knight and go out on an adventure with his partner Sancho Panza.

That novel established the classical of a duo with completely opposite personalities, but that complement each other: Whereas Don Quijote is very idealist and focused on accomplishing his adventure, Sancho is rather realistic and desperate for Don Quijote to be rational. This archetype has been explored with characters like Wallace and Gromit, but 3PO and R2 are my favorite example: 3PO is paranoid, exaggerate, and very orthodox, while R2 is more collected, practical, and is not afraid to use tactics that are out of the ordinary.

That relationship between them is the reason why they'll always be one of my favorite duos.

And that was all for R2-D2. Tell me what is your opinion on him.