Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker toys provide another look at C-3PO wielding a bowcaster. The fussy protocol droid was a key ing player in the first six episodes of the Skywalker saga, but he's largely been relegated to the background for the sequels. Along with his trusty companion R2-D2, C-3PO has made glorified cameos in The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. He's had little (if any) bearing on the plot so far, giving the impression he's only in the new movies to keep his perfect attendance in the episodic saga films intact.
Fortunately for C-3PO fans, that looks like it's going to change in The Rise of Skywalker. Both the D23 special look hinted at a much larger role for Threepio. He's partaking in the speeder chase on Pasaana, overseeing Death Star II wreckage with the rest of the heroes, and having his eyes turn red for mysterious reasons. One of the characters who helped start the whole Star Wars phenomenon is going to get into the action for the grand finale, and he'll even be brandishing a weapon.
During the livestream that revealed Triple Force Friday products, fans got a fresh look at battle-ready C-3PO. The droid's new Black Series action figure comes with a bowcaster and what looks to be Chewbacca's trademark bandolier. A C-3PO figure included in a Resistance character pack that will be sold at the Disney Store and Disney Parks also includes the weaponry. Take a look at an image below:
This isn't the first time battle-ready C-3PO has been seen in official merchandise. A Star Wars 9 retail poster prominently featured the droid holding the bowcaster, so it's clear Lucasfilm is making this a key part of the marketing campaign. What'll be interesting to see is what circumstances lead to this needing to take place. Other than the time he had his head switched with a battle droid, C-3PO has never been one to partake in combat. And, it's worth mentioning that sequence from Attack of the Clones didn't exactly go over well with fans, so hopefully whatever The Rise of Skywalker has in store for Threepio is better executed. This is Anthony Daniels' swan song as a character that's defined him for four decades, and it would be a shame if his big action moment was a letdown.
Questions about C-3PO taking up arms aside, it is nice to see J.J. Abrams give the character a meaty role in The Rise of Skywalker. The sequels have done an excellent job getting audiences to invest in the new characters, but there's still something special about seeing the legacy figures up on the big screen. There will be at least four droids competing for screen time in Star Wars 9 (newcomer D-O enters the fray), but ideally Threepio and Artoo (who's been conspicuously absent from marketing so far) have the biggest (or at least, the most important) parts to play out of all the robot companions. Given what they mean to Star Wars, that would be only fitting.
Source: Star Wars
