Star Wars Special: C-3PO (subtitled The Phantom Limb) is a one-shot Star Wars comic book, set immediately before the events of the 2015 film Star Wars: The Force Awakens. It explains how protocol droid C-3PO obtained his red arm, which was prominently featured in the film.
Finally it's down to just C-3PO and OMRI, huddling below a fragile awning in a devastating acid rain storm. That's when OMRI sacrifices himself to save C-3PO. So that red arm? That red arm is OMRI's, and C-3PO wears it to remember the brave droid who helped him fulfill his mission.
They aren't abbreviations — they're model and serial numbers. R2 is a second generation R-series astromech, serial number D2. * And C-3PO is a C-series protocol droid with the serial number 3PO. *And likely several more numbers that get dropped for the sake of time.
After being trapped in the factory's conveyor belt system, C-3PO's head was separated from his body and grafted onto the chassis of a B1-series battle droid. Meanwhile, a B1 battle droid head was inserted onto Threepio's body. During the ensuing battle, both of C-3PO's "bodies" were knocked out during the fighting.
Termed a protocol droid in the films, C-3PO serves the diverse cultures of Lucas' imaginary galaxy as a robotic diplomat and translator, speaking six million languages.
How C-3PO Got His Red Arm (CANON) - Star Wars Comics Explained
Does C3P0 remember Anakin?
As has been noted in several instances, Artoo has never had a full memory wipe, enabling him to retain his recollections of everything he saw and heard over the decades. This includes his first meeting with Padme Amidala, a nine-year-old Anakin Skywalker, and C-3PO himself during the events of The Phantom Menace.
As evidenced in the world of Star Wars, the galaxy is chock full of 3PO series protocol droids, making the odds of C-3PO being the same droid that worked on the farm decades ago incredibly slim. Owen could have easily assumed that these were two different protocol droids if he didn't put much thought into it.
Anakin Skywalker, a Tatooine slave boy, was gifted in engineering -- and was strong with the Force. To help his mother, Shmi, he secretly built a droid: C-3PO. In his earliest form, Threepio had no outside covering, and so appeared “naked,” with his internal parts and motors showing.
R2-D2 was present when Padmé gave birth to Leia and Luke, so he knew Luke was Anakin's son – but what he didn't know was that Anakin became Darth Vader. In addition to that, Anakin's fall was surely a painful event in R2-D2's life, one that he definitely wouldn't like to remember or even talk about.
Harryhausen denied a relation. The name derives from when Lucas was making one of his earlier films, American Graffiti. Sound editor Walter Murch states that he is responsible for the utterance which sparked the name for the droid. Murch asked for Reel 2, Dialog Track 2, in the abbreviated form "R-2-D-2".
Shortly after the Galactic Empire was formed, Bail Organa, in order to protect Princess Leia, had C-3PO's memory wiped clean in order for the droid to not spill any confidential information, especially information related to Leia's true lineage, which would make her a target of the Emperor.
Obi-wan responds to starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Luke_Skywalker saying R2 belongs to him with, “I don't seem to remember ever owning a droid,” which is technically true, because Obi-Wan never did “own” R2 or C-3PO. Obi-Wan then makes a comment that suggests he's more than aware of R2's impressive capabilities.
He is programmed to prioritize the safety of his companions, which can sometimes lead to his overprotective behavior. C-3PO's worrying nature is also a result of his experiences throughout the Star Wars saga. He has been through many dangerous situations and has witnessed the destruction and chaos caused by the Empire.
Since Bail Organa had C-3PO's memory wiped previously in order to prevent him from spilling the secret of Leia's parentage, it could be that this was a semi-regular occurrence for the droid given he couldn't be trusted to keep quiet about things.
He was also evasive with Luke as far as his relationship with Luke's father. C3PO was clearly created from some sort of kit or existing prototype since every protocol droid aside from coloring looks the same. He didn't recognize him because again, they all look the same & it was decades until he saw him again.
The question being answered is: “Do R2D2 and C3PO know that Darth Vader is Anakin?” C-3PO? Definitely not. As many other have pointed out, C-3PO had his memory wiped at the end of Episode III, so it is almost certain that he does not know.
Darth Vader didn't learn he had a daughter until Return of the Jedi, when he stood before Emperor Palpatine. The Emperor's power probed Luke's mind, attempting to goad him to fall to the dark side, and he discovered Leia's existence. "Sister," the Emperor taunted.
