One thing that Star Wars does exceedingly well is it is able to pull aspects of everyday life into the galaxy far, far away and make them fit right at home. One of the most well-known is the idea and feeling of friendship and camaraderie. Whether it is between human to droid, human to human, human to alien, or even droid to droid, Star Wars is able to foster friendships that make us feel like we are in the characters’ shoes.
The sense of friendship we have in the real world is one that fills us all with good feelings. If you’ve had a best friend from when you were kids or one you met later in life, you make a connection to them and share experiences that can last a lifetime. This is no different from what we see in the Star Wars universe. One of the strongest friendships we see in Star Wars is between Luke Skywalker and the astromech, R2-D2. From the moment Luke’s Uncle Owen purchases Artoo and C-3PO we see an instant connection between the two. Through the events that play out on trying to escape from the Death Star we see more moments that lead to the strong relationship between Luke and Artoo. That’s what gives such meaning to the line when Luke is preparing to get in his X-wing before the battle of Yavin: “…Me and that little droid have been through a lot together!” The companionship of Artoo and Luke is fostered even further through the next two films and we see just how much Luke trusts in Artoo even though he is only able to speak through beeps and whistles.
My favorite friendship in the Star Wars saga is the one between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker. While it may not have ended in the best way (we all know right?), through its strong points it was a relationship that, while still being trying, was steeped in mutual respect and admiration. Tested throughout The Clone Wars, Anakin and Obi-Wan were often put in extremely demanding and dangerous situations but they always seemed to persevere due to their abilities in the Force and by trusting each other, always knowing that the other would be there just at the right moment. They seem to be our Star Wars version of “good cop, bad cop.” I think this is one of the better instances of friendship in Star Wars because it is very relatable to us all. Most of us out there have a friend or two that we seem to share a “sixth sense” with in the same vein of Anakin and Obi-Wan.
Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention arguably the most famous pairing in not only Star Wars but all of popular culture, R2-D2 and C-3PO. This unlikely droid duo has been through and seen it all. They act as our eyes and ears throughout the entire saga and that is one of the reasons they are so relatable. Threepio’s hyper sensitivity and prissiness works so well opposite of Artoo’s curmudgeon and bravado. From the beginning these two have always been very capable partners that go well together and provide a very excellent source of comic relief in countless scenes in the course of the films and television shows.
Just as friendship is a hallmark in our daily lives, it goes the same for the characters that inhabit the Star Wars universe. While they may have the Force or speak the binary language of load lifters friendship is just as important to them as it is to us.
What is your favorite Star Wars friendship? Do you like the ones I discussed or a totally different one?
Feel free to contact me at maudette@coffeewithkenobi.com, or on Twitter @mike_audette and Instagram @mike_audette and let me know!
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