Revenge Of The Sith Posed One Chilling Character Question That Will Never Be Answered

Summary R2-D2's loyalty to Anakin raises questions about his allegiance and potential shift to the dark side.

Anakin's actions could have led R2-D2 to stay by his side even after becoming Darth Vader.

The moral dilemma of droids like R2-D2 joining a Sith Lord remains unaddressed in the Star Wars universe.

One lingering question in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith will likely never be answered in Star Wars, yet it has shocking implications for one beloved fan-favorite character. Revenge of the Sith is largely considered one of Star Wars' best movies, which is in large part because it depicts the downfall of Anakin Skywalker and his transition into Darth Vader. In fact, because Revenge of the Sith includes Anakin's fall to the dark side, the creation of the Galactic Empire, and the slaughter of the Jedi, it is arguably the most important period in the Star Wars timeline.

Revenge of the Sith also saw the demise of some of the best characters from Star Wars movies and TV shows. Although not every character met a terrible end, each character's life was completely reshaped by the events of this final installment in the Star Wars prequel trilogy. One such character who survived Revenge of the Sith could have been irrevocably changed had just a few key moments in the movie gone differently.

5:07 Related Star Wars: Every Jedi Who Survived Order 66 (In Canon) Clone Protocol Order 66 caused once-loyal Clone troopers in Star Wars to wipe out the Jedi, but a handful managed to survive this initial purge.

R2-D2 Remained By Anakin's Side Following Order 66

Although R2-D2 likely had no idea what Anakin had done, as he wasn't present when Palpatine had christened Anakin Lord Vader nor did he seem to be at the Jedi Temple when Anakin massacred the Jedi, he nevertheless was still Anakin's droid following Order 66. When Anakin traveled to Padmé following the slaughter to make sure she was alright, R2-D2 was with him. Moreover, even when Anakin went to Mustafar, R2 accompanied him. Again, R2 was likely unaware of what was happening—after all, Anakin asked him to stay with the ship—but this alone raises questions about R2's allegiance.

Without knowing Anakin's terrible crimes, it's possible that R2 would have stuck by Anakin's side. The two had become incredibly close throughout the prequel trilogy, with R2-D2 going from Padmé's droid to Anakin's following Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. In fact, R2 became very much Anakin's sidekick, fighting alongside him throughout the Clone Wars and prominently in the Battle of Coruscant. He had no doubt developed a deep loyalty to Anakin, which Anakin clearly reciprocated. In fact, in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Anakin goes on a desperate hunt just to find him.

Without knowing Anakin's terrible crimes, it's possible that R2 would have stuck by Anakin's side.

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Would R2-D2 Have Become Darth Vader's Droid?

The question then becomes how long this partnership would have continued. In Revenge of the Sith, the decision was essentially made for R2. He stayed with the ship as Anakin asked, but when Obi-Wan left Anakin burning to death on Mustafar (which R2 was again almost certainly unaware of), R2 went with Obi-Wan. Had Obi-Wan not won the fight, it's unclear what would have happened between Anakin/Darth Vader and R2-D2.

Had Obi-Wan not won the fight, it's unclear what would have happened between Anakin/Darth Vader and R2-D2.

Anakin was obviously intending to come back for R2 and depart on the same ship where he had left the droid. This meant that, at least from Anakin's perspective, R2-D2 would continue to work alongside him. What was left entirely unanswered was how R2 would have reacted once he inevitably discovered that Anakin had fallen to the dark side and become Darth Vader. Again, his commitment had thus far unwaveringly been to Anakin, so it would surely come down to whether R2 was morally opposed to what Anakin was doing and the turn for the worse he had taken.

Droids Have Personalities, But That Doesn't Mean They Have Morals

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It's nearly impossible to say how R2 would have approached the moral quandary of remaining by Anakin's side once he had become a Sith Lord. In fact, Star Wars has yet to fully address a droid's conscience. While, yes, there are droids that clearly take sides, it's unclear how much of that is through a will of their own and how much is programming or a matter of circumstance. A key example would be the battle droids throughout the Clone Wars era; although they fight on the side of the Separatists, they seem completely brainwashed into doing so.

While R2-D2 and C-3PO have more sentience and awareness than the average battle droid, the question nevertheless remains the same. It isn't confirmed that droids have the ability to differentiate right from wrong. It's entirely possible that R2-D2's dedication to Anakin would have outweighed any perception that his actions were morally wrong. In that sense, although this question will likely never be addressed in Star Wars, it is shockingly entirely possible that R2-D2 would have joined the dark side right alongside Vader in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith.

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