Character Analysis
The inseparable duo of C-3PO and R2-D2 get, well, separated, in The Empire Strikes Back. Instead of the odd couple dynamic we saw in A New Hope, we get two distinct characters. Double your pleasure, double your fun, double your droid scenes.
C-3PO, the droid equivalent of an English butler, gets paired up with the Millennium Falcon after it evacuates Hoth… but not before he instructs R2 to look after Luke:
C-3PO: R-2, you take good care of Master Luke now, understand? And do take good care of yourself. Oh, dear, oh, dear.
His role as a member of Team Falcon (apart from his usual "Oh no!" nervousness) is basically a two-part function. He's a handyman—he identifies the fact that the hyperdrive is malfunctioning—and he plays the part of The Worst Roommate Ever—he shows up at the exact wrong moment and disrupts Han and Leia's smoochathon.
Once he gets to Cloud City, however, his role totally changes because he's… blown to bits by the Empire. Yup. He's dismembered like a zombie extra on The Walking Dead. This isn't just dumb luck on 3PO's part; it's actually evidence of a loving heart beating inside that shiny gold chest. He's drawn into the Empire's trap because he thinks he hears R2—basically, he gets tricked because he misses his best friend. D'aww.
Luckily, the film ends with Star Wars' most iconic couple reunited, and boy does it feel good. What's more, this reunion symbolizes the Rebels coming back together after the failures seen in the film, setting the stage for a conflict that will rock the galaxy in Return of the Jedi.