The most viral moment in the official trailer for “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” occurs when C-3PO longingly tells Rey, Finn, Poe, and other characters that he’s “taking one last look, sir, at my friends.” The line of dialogue led many “Star Wars” fans to believe that fan-favorite C-3PO would be dying in the upcoming space adventure. In a new interview with HuffPo, C-3PO actor Anthony Daniels revealed he personally requested for his beloved character to die in “The Rise of Skywalker.” Daniels pitched director J.J. Abrams on the idea.
“Before filming this, it seemed like the writers had slightly run out of steam with C-3PO,” Daniels said, referring to the character’s limited role in “The Force Awakens” and “The Last Jedi.” “I didn’t want him to just become a wall decoration. I thought he should have a big send-off or send-off that gave you finality, and of course, at the time, J.J. said, ‘No way.’ But J.J. is notorious for changing his mind on a minute-by-minute basis. It makes working with him a vibrant experience.”
While Daniels did not confirm that C-3PO is killed off in “The Rise of Skywalker,” it certainly seems like that will be the case. Daniels originated the role of C-3PO in George Lucas’s original “Star Wars” in 1977. The character has appeared in every installment of the Skywalker saga, including Lucas’ prequel trilogy and the more recent films directed by Abrams and Rian Johnson, plus has appeared in “Star Wars” television specials and video games over the years. Daniels made headlines last month for calling the Oscars “snobbish” for overlooking Lucas’s accomplishments.
“The Academy can be very snobbish and almost obviously… George is not a Hollywood person — ‘If you don’t like our gang we’re not going to have you in our gang,’ sort of thing,” Daniels said. “Really pisses me off that I don’t think George ever won an Oscar for himself, just department — special effects and all that kind of thing. George deserves more than that.”
C-3PO’s ultimate fate will be released when “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” opens in theaters nationwide December 20.
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