Anakin’s downfall to the dark side had a heavy impact. Not only were Padme, Obi-Wan, and Yoda emotionally affected, but R2-D2 was too.
The Revenge of the Sith does not express R2’s grief. Yet, the novelization does.
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When R2-D2 Said That Anakin No Longer Talked to Him
Fans surely remember the emotional toll of Anakin’s demise. The fateful reunion of Anakin and Padme reflected the anguish that Padme felt even before Anakin Force-choked her.
Revenge of the Sith also displayed Obi-Wan’s grief at the conclusion of their battle.
Yet, we may have expected the film to provide some indication of what this development meant to R2.
After all, R2 traveled to Mustafar when the duel between Obi-Wan and Anakin occurred and was an original starring character. R2 would have been as much affected by this loss as anyone.
In the novel The Revenge of the Sith, we do gain insight into R2’s thoughts about Anakin’s downfall. The same emotional scene from above is instead portrayed from C-3PO and R2-D2’s viewpoint.
3PO asked R2 about what Anakin was saying about the Jedi’s betrayal. R2 replies, “I don’t know. Anakin doesn’t talk to me anymore.”
These words indicate how devastated R2 was by Anakin’s turn to the Sith.
The conversation is part of what the book does to expand on the tragedy of Anakin, including his relationship with Padme, Anakin’s fear of losing her, and 3PO and R2’s confounding dilemma.
Some fans have commented on R2’s anguish, with one concluding how it “makes sense why R2 shut down in the sequels.”
Losing Luke and Anakin pushed R2 to mental collapse, even if he is a droid. However, we do not get that sense of R2’s emotions in the film.
As this article indicates, the movies and shows seem not to go into the “emotional depth” of the “main droids.”
Despite R2’s demonstrated “loyalty and love” across the saga, we tend to only get scant attention to his thoughts. This seems like a missed opportunity.
Would Revealing R2’s Feeling Have Helped ROTS?
We have seen R2’s emotions in the films and The Clone Wars series when R2 shook and moved around and gave his distinctive whistles. As this video captures, R2 is expressive, especially when he has “saved the day.”
Yet, could audiences have seen more of this emotional side with Anakin’s downfall?
It may have helped to reveal R2 and 3PO’s feelings more in Revenge of the Sith to provide more poignancy and foreboding about Anakin’s fall.
Yet, it may have also interfered with the premise that Anakin concealed his shift to the Sith from everyone until it was too late.
As this recent article conveys, the novel’s inclusion of R2’s feelings also indicates that Anakin hid the truth from his loyal droid.
Since Anakin did not talk to R2 anymore, he had closed himself off from his trusted companion, along with Padme and Obi-Wan.
This article also reminds us that Anakin ordered R2 to stay on the ship, and thus R2 did not witness some of the most disturbing events like Anakin choking Padme and the duel with Kenobi.
So, R2’s emotional reaction may have not fully set in until after the full rise of Darth Vader.
R2-D2’s Emotions
Revealing R2-D2 and other droid’s emotions more fully is an interesting area to explore.
Although R2’s personality has been a major part of the franchise, it may be surprising that his emotions were not more on display in the movie version of Revenge of the Sith.
Then again, this faithful droid may not have fully known how to react yet and needed time to process the tragedy.
Todd Wahlstrom is a creative and analytical freelance writer and life-long Star Wars fan. He has covered such topics as Darth Vader, the Jedi, Boba Fett, and AT-AT Walkers. Todd has published a non-fiction book, holds a Ph.D. in history, and enjoys hiking, running, and reading about science.