STAR WARS

Bold Faced Robot Lies

Threepio exclaims "Thank the maker!" He's ended up back at the Lars farm with Anakin's family - He is literally referring to Anakin here. Just an interesting note. But there's something more interesting going on here.

Can robots lie? If you've ever dealt with robots you know damn well they CAN. But can they lie in the Star Wars universe? Later in this movie, aboard the Death Star, Threepio eludes stormtroopers with misdirection first;

Threepio: They're madmen! They're heading for the prison level. If you hurry, you might catch them.

and then with this utter fabrication;

Threepio: Oh! All this excitement has overrun the circuits in my counterpart here. If you don't mind, I'd like to take him down to maintenance.

He has no problem getting by the trooper (this may by his Force skills or just Imperial disregard for droids). So, yes, Threepio at least can lie. But that's to a known enemy or percieved threat. I have yet to see any instance of Threepio lying to known allies. Threepio's a worried kind of guy; he doesn't know Luke to be an ally so he views him as a possible threat to the 'mission'.

First off he tries to feel Luke out;

Luke is a little too eager. R2 beeps frantically (probably telling Threepio to SHUT. THE. FUCK. UP.) and Threepio quickly back-peddles, playing down the very thing he was just wink-winking about;

Really? He didn't seem to have any trouble telling stories and making them interesting to Ewoks in Return of the Jedi. Hmmm...