Don't Wipe Threepio's Memory. |The Science Fiction Channel + Technorium

Threepio should not have had his memory wiped. At the end of the third episode of the Star Wars sage, Revenge of the Sith, Alderaanian Senator Bail Organa orders to have the C-3P0's memory wiped, apparently due to the droid's talkative nature. Things considering, that would be a fairly despicable action, and one which was hopefully not carried out.

Firstly, from the legal aspect. According to Naboo law, high intelligence droids were deemed to be sentient, and thus the Rights of Sentience enshrined in the Galactic Constitution would be applicable to them. As a high intelligence droid, Threepio would not have been Senator Amidala's property. Threepio would neither have been inherited by Organa, nor could the Senator justly order his memory wiped any more than he could have ordered the memory of an organic wiped. Threepio would have been his own master. Thus a memory wipe against his will would have been illegal, at least if Bail Organa was seeking to uphold the ideals of the Old Republic.

Lastly, Artoo's apparent reaction to the order, as shown in the film, was downright disgusting. It would be literally akin to some guy discovering that his closest friend has Alzheimer's or some other form of dementia, or even just amnesia. Because that's what Threepio would be facing. While the debilitating effects of dementia would not be there, he would lose his history. R2-D2 would not want that.

So, hopefully Artoo's reaction was actually due to his plan to save Threepio's memory. Potentially, just before the wipe, Threepio could transmit a copy of his memory to Artoo for storage--R2-D2 could hold the complete schematics for the Death Star within his casing, after all. This could be done wirelessly. Threepio is fluent in millions of forms of communication. It isn't such a stretch that this would include a way to transmit and receive highly condensed data in a few seconds or less. After his illegal purge, Artoo could upload Threepio's memory into.... Threepio. Additionally, he could give a warning to Threepio to keep his vocalizer shut about his memory being preserved and to stick with the story the wiper gave him.

If a new edition of Revenge of the Sith is released, along with including the bit showing Yoda landing on Dagobah, Organa's loathsome order to wipe Threepio's memory should be excised from the movie. Something for George Lucas to consider for a new edition--or even to put into a new novel (how Threepio retained his memory). As is, the situation is hideous.

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