LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy just gave R2-D2 an upgrade I’m surprised Anakin Skywalker never gave him. George Lucas always considered R2-D2 the hero the movies; “Whenever there’s a pivotal moment of real danger, he’s the one that gets everybody out of it,” Lucas explained.

I’ll never forget watching the Star Wars prequel trilogy for the first time, taken aback as Lucas upgraded Artoo with abilities he’d never demonstrated in the original trilogy. The most impressive were thrusters, which rather amused me; they’d surely have come in handy navigating Tatooine.

I’d ᴀssumed those thrusters were the biggest upgrade I’d really see for R2-D2. It seems I’d reckoned with LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy – Pieces of the Past, which went one further…

Rebuild The Galaxy Showed The Most “Star Wars” Artoo Yet

First, a little context; in the Rebuild the Galaxy timeline, R2-D2 is still owned by Padmé Amidala – who is, in fact, a tough-as-nails pirate queen. Thus the iconic Astromech has had an update that would shiver even Darth Vader’s timbers, because he has an entire arsenal slotted into his shell.

Artoo’s true potential is revealed when he is literally ejected from Padmé’s barge into the depths of space. He joins a battle of cosmic proportions, unleashing a vast arsenal and cutting a swathe through Vulture Droids. Watching R2-D2, it’s impossible not to think this is a version Anakin Skywalker himself could have created.

Astromech droids have often been called the “Swiss Army Knife” of the Star Wars galaxy, in that they have so many helpful tools slotted into their shells. It makes sense that a pirate Artoo would pack this kind of punch, and it’s delightful to imagine the diminutive little droid wielding an arsenal in canon too.

Star Wars Is Actually Riffing On Another Astromech

What makes the LEGO Star Wars version so tremendous, though, is that it’s riffing on another dangerous droid from canon. BT-1 and 0-0-0 are ᴀssᴀssin droids created as a dark mirror image of R2-D2 and C-3PO; they’re brutal and efficient killers who love mayhem and bloodshed, and BT-1 is noted for his concealed arsenal.

It really does feel as though this story has gone full circle with the new version of R2-D2; the mirror image has somehow turned into the real deal, and it’s a delight to see. It may be in a non-canon story, but this is the kind of fun twist that proves non-canon tales can be just as valuable.