C-3PO Speaks Star Wars' First Line

Before lightsabers clashed, before Darth Vader's heavy breathing became iconic, and before anyone ever heard "May the Force be with you," there was a worried protocol droid having a bit of a panic attack.

C-3PO delivers the first line of dialogue in the original 1977 Star Wars film (later retitled A New Hope). His opening words? "Did you hear that? They've shut down the main reactor." He's speaking to his companion R2-D2 aboard Princess Leia's ship, the Tantive IV, as it's being overtaken by an Imperial Star Destroyer.

The choice wasn't random. Director George Lucas opened his space opera not with heroes or villains, but with two droids—one golden and fussy, one small and beeping. This clever narrative decision mirrors classic storytelling techniques, particularly Akira Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress, which follows two peasants who stumble into a larger adventure.

A Bookend to the Saga

C-3PO's role as the saga's opening voice becomes even more meaningful when you consider the prequel trilogy. In Revenge of the Sith (2005), the golden droid also speaks one of the final lines, creating a narrative bookend across all six films of Lucas's vision.

Anthony Daniels, the actor inside the gold suit, is the only performer to appear in every theatrical Star Wars film. His protocol droid has witnessed every major event in the Skywalker saga, from Anakin's fall to Luke's redemption.

The Panic Never Stops

That first line—"Did you hear that? They've shut down the main reactor. We'll be destroyed for sure. This is madness!"—perfectly establishes C-3PO's character. He's:

• Perpetually anxious about imminent destruction
• Fluent in over six million forms of communication but terrible at staying calm
• Comic relief in moments of high tension
• Oddly prescient (things do tend to go badly)

For a character programmed for etiquette and protocol, C-3PO spends most of his screen time in life-threatening chaos. And he never stops complaining about it.

Why Start With Droids?

Opening with C-3PO and R2-D2 served a brilliant purpose: it grounded an otherwise fantastical universe. These weren't gods or superheroes—they were bickering servants caught in the crossfire of galactic events beyond their control.

The droids act as the audience's entry point. We're just as confused and overwhelmed as C-3PO, thrust into a universe of Star Destroyers, stormtroopers, and space princesses without explanation. The film trusts us to catch up, just as the droids do.

So the next time someone asks who shot first (Han did, obviously), remind them of the real first: a nervous protocol droid convinced he's about to be melted down for scrap.