By Ryan Rigley
With a new "Star Wars" trilogy and animated TV series currently in the works, Disney has bitten off quite a lot to chew. But that won't slow them down! Last Sunday, the president of Disney's ABC Entertainment Group, Peter Lee, commented on the highly-anticipated live-action "Star Wars" TV series. "We've started conversations with [Lucasfilm]," reveals Lee on the series. "I have an inkling in my mind, but they have a lot on their plate."
Lee is, of course, referring to J. J. Abrams' "Star Wars VII" and "Star Wars Rebels," both of which are slated to be released in the near future. While the news of the "Star Wars" TV series is very exciting, we can't help but wonder about the new "Star Wars" trilogy. Specifically, which characters from the Star Wars Expanded Universe might be popping up on screen? Take C-3PX for example, a modified protocol droid assassin that looks exactly like C-3P0!
Who?
Originally purchasing the protocol droid as a means of dealing with distractions, Darth Maul would later decide to outfit C-3PX with 83 different types of retractable weapons making him a ruthlessly efficient assassin droid ally. On the outside, C-3PX looks like a harmless 3P0 model. But on the inside, he's chock full of defensive lasers, missile launchers, dart shooters, and blaster cannons. Darth Maul also took the liberty of modifying the droid's programming allowing him to speak only when absolutely necessary, thus turning C-3PX into a silent, stone cold death machine.
After Maul's defeat on Naboo, C-3PX is confiscated by agents of the Republic and wiped clean of his new programming. Rebuilt as a stealthy espionage droid, C-3PX is later passed on to the Galactic Empire who begins renting him out under the command of Imperial Admiral Screed. However, when one Olag Greck decides to steal C-3PX for himself, the protocol droid is again refitted into the deadly assassin that Darth Maul originally created.
Why?
Despite the fact that C-3PX is feared throughout the galaxy, this killing machine has served during both the Clone Wars and the Galactic Civil War with experience on both sides. He's been property of the Republic, the Rebel Alliance, the Sith, and the Galactic Empire. Not to mention the fact that he looks exactly like an evil C-3P0. Come to think of it, it's pretty amazing that C-3PX hasn't already appeared onscreen in a single "Star Wars" film.
How?
In the Star Wars Expanded Universe, C-3P0 and C-3PX actually switch lives for a moment after C-3P0 receives shoddy repairs that make him look exactly like his assassin counterpart, i.e. a large black "X" on his forehead, causing people to run away in horror at the sight of the talkative protocol droid. That being said, how hilarious would a scene like this be in the new "Star Wars" trilogy? The answer: very hilarious. Make it happen, Mr. Abrams!
