C3-PO/R2-D2

Daniel Cohen: I can’t imagine this duo biting the big one.  First of all, it’s harder for them to be killed.  They can survive blaster shots and get rebuilt.  Hell, R2 was shot with a tie fighter blast and lived to tell the tale.  We’ve also seen C3-PO get repaired a billion times.  Even in Force Awakens he’s got a dusty new red arm, so he’s still a pro at taking damage and coming back.

My only worry is what to do with the droids at this point?  How much longer can they really be a part of this story, especially with the new kid on the block coming in, BB-8.  There’s also the Anthony Daniels factor.  This guy has voiced or been C3-PO in almost everything Star Wars related you could possibly imagine.  The dude isn’t getting any younger.  How the hell is he still able to fit into that costume?!  Is it mostly digital now?  Is he still in there?  Who knows.

Bottom-line: While their roles will get reduced with each new film, these robots aren’t going anywhere.  They would have to get blown up or melted, and I don’t see that happening.

Prediction: Both Live

Luke Kalamar: This droid power couple is not going anywhere. As we saw in the original trilogy, they’re nearly unkillable. R2 short-circuited in Return of the Jedi (I believe it was in this film) and all he needed was a quick fixing to go back to normal. 3-PO spent a good portion of Empire Strikes Back in pieces carried by Chewbacca and he was as aware as ever. Sure, a good strong electrical surge can take them out, but I can’t picture that happening to such Star Wars staples after everything they’ve gone through.

There’s also the BB-8 factor. BB-8 is a hugely popular addition to the franchise and it looks like he’s filling the R2 role for Poe Dameron in his X-Wing. He’s also a close companion of newcomers Finn and Rey, something R2 was for the original heroes. If R2 is taken out, it can easily look like JJ Abrams is doing it to replace him with BB-8. That will definitely not sit well with fans. As for 3-PO, he’s likely serving as the principal audience translator for both R2 and BB-8. Take him out and you’re stuck with incomprehensible beeping. I know plenty of people who would rather not have 3-PO around, but it would be a terrible decision to take him off.

Prediction: Lives

Aaron Sarnecky: R2-D2 and C-3PO are essentially the bridge between all the trilogies in the Star Wars saga, considering they’ve been in every movie, including this new one. It’s incredibly easy for them to fit into the timeline because droids don’t age. And as long as they aren’t completely destroyed, both can be rebuilt. Both have been at least once.

The characters definitely need to make room for the new droid on the block, BB-8, but I think they would actually take more attention away from BB-8 if one of them died. Though it would be meaningful if C-3PO died in some heroic way (finally giving him his moment in the sun), I don’t see it happening. If it does, it should happen in Episode IX, in order to keep the bridge perfect.

Prediction: Both Live

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