'Rogue One': Why Star Wars Needs More Droids Like K-2SO

(WARNING: This post contains spoiler for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story — you've been warned.)

For the first ever cinematic spin-off out of the #StarWars universe, #RogueOne did quite well for itself in its opening weekend. Considering the positive reviews now making their way to the ears of eager fans everywhere, news of Rogue One being the next masterful entry in the Star Wars saga is going to get around soon enough.

Initially, fans were quite skeptical of Rogue One being as successful or as awe-inspiring as the original trilogy of Star Wars films. Luckily, those skeptics can now put their concerns aside after witnessing the amazing work done in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

Rogue One wasn't just an excellent Star Wars movie, it was a great movie overall. Between all the nods and Easter Eggs that referenced the original Star Wars trilogy, there were also quite a few highlights brought to life by the stellar cast of Rogue One.

Diego Luna's Cassian Andor and Felicity Jones's #JynErso acted out some of the spotlighted scenes that'll be acknowledged as pivotal moments in Star Wars history for years to come.

Having played integral roles in taking down the #DeathStar, the names Erso and Andor can now be credited as being the ones ultimately responsible for bringing down the Death Star, but they weren't the only ones. The droid accompanying Cassian also played a pivotal role in assisting with recovering the Death Star plans in Rogue One.

#K2S0, or K2 for short, was Cassian's droid companion in the film. Out of all the droids to be introduced in the Star Wars universe, K2 is probably the most charismatic out of them all. K2 is also unlike other droids in terms of how it is programmed, which is why K2 possesses a personality rather than being a simple automaton.

K2's Rare Nature Explained By Cassian

K2 was originally an Imperial Droid programmed to serve Imperial forces but was captured by the Rebels and reprogrammed to work alongside Cassian. After being reprogrammed, K2 began to exhibit personality traits and became the only droid to ever become a form of artificial intelligence in the Star Wars universe.

Sadly, K2 met an untimely demise in Rogue One and won't get a chance to return. Although, we shouldn't rule out the possibility of Cassian and K2 getting their own spin-off film, where we explore the black-ops missions they ran for the Rebel alliance. Cassian alluded to the black-ops missions he was sent on by the Rebellion during his speech to Jyn Erso, and a spin-off film could show off a kind of dark side to the Rebellion.

K-2SO Is The First Recognized Form Of Artificial Intelligence Within The Star Wars Universe

Something else to take note of (and may not have been said during the film, but was clear) is that K2 was the first example of artificial intelligence existing within the Star Wars universe. Some could argue that General Grievous was the first form of artificial intelligence, but he was actually a cyborg, not a droid. K2, on the other hand, was simply a droid who became self-actualized, thus becoming a form of artificial intelligence.

Regardless of K2's possessing artificial intelligence, his addition to Rogue One was quite substantial to say the least. Between saving Cassian and Jyn from Imperial Stormtroopers, K2 also had a number of quippy lines to pair with comedic situations. K2 came prepared with a number of anecdotes and puns to make the audience laugh while he casually impersonated an unassuming droid working for the Imperial Army.

Not only did K2 add a level of humor to Rogue One, he was also quite a physically dominating force. Within his first few seconds on camera, K2 slams Jyn Erso to the floor with a thud and disables her attempt to run away.

How K-2SO Stacks Up In Comparison To C-3PO

In comparison to known droids like C-3PO, K2 was fitted with a combat-ready body, much more advanced than the droids introduced in Episode One: The Phantom Menace and more personable than than C-3PO, so he was probably the most advanced droid developed for Star Wars so far.

Beyond what was seen of K2 in Rogue One, it was the actor behind the droid who really brought K2 to life. Yes, the writers and directors who developed the character of K2 deserve credit, but it was Alan Tudyk who did the voiceover for K2 in Rogue One and really gave the character a great personality.

Tudyk has been known for the eclectic personality he brings to characters and K2 is another example of Alan Tudyk doing what he does best.

C-3PO Needs To Become More Like K-2SO

Keeping those things in mind, K2 is a perfect example of more characters we'd like to see in future Star Wars films. Considering how K2 has become a fan favorite character overnight, it would make sense for another droid to develop in a similar fashion. The most logical candidate for that role is C-3PO.

C-3PO is already a well established character and is involved in the main Star Wars storyline, but he's always on the sidelines of the battles. C-3PO is never drawn directly into a fight and seemingly gets away unscathed. It would be much more beneficial to reinvent C-3PO as a droid more like K2 so that he's not the sappy droid standing around. I will give to credit C-3PO for being a universal translator; it's a good reason to keep him around, but he needs to have more functionality to be credited as important to the story.

Giving C-3PO a structurally sound body like K2 would make him much more imposing, while also giving the character more opportunities to participate in the main conflict and have a lasting effect on the plot.

C-3PO is expected to return for Star Wars Episode VIII and it will be the perfect opportunity to have him become more like K2. Having C-3PO become more like K2 would add a degree of importance to his fate. As it stands, C-3PO's death wouldn't mean much to the current continuity. However, were C-3PO to become more involved as one of the combatants in the wars waged against the First Order, then his death would have the same effect on audiences as K2's did when he sacrificed himself.