C3PO's silver leg

Brian G Turner

Fantasist & Futurist
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So, just for fun, I re-watched the opening of Star Wars for a quick buzz - when I noticed something I've never noticed in the gazillion times I've previously watched the opening.

In the opening shots, C3PO has a silver leg (lower right):

c3po-silver-leg.jpg


I've just checked some shots on Tatooine, and it's the same there as well.

Thing is, big Star Wars film rewatching fan that I am, I have never ever noticed this before.

My C3PO figure was gold all over!

So what happened? Did he eventually go all gold? Why did my toys lie to me? How did I not see this before?!
 
Yeah, been a big topic for a while :giggle:

BTW...here he is in Return of the Jedi, clearly has a silver leg...And he was meant to have it.

C3PO RoTJ.jpg


The actor that played C3PO makes the point that the silver reflected everything like a mirror, so for a lot of the shots on Tatooine it's reflecting the sand back at you. Which is kinda yellow.

The reasons for your dissonance are discussed here :)


TL;DR the toy didn't have a silver leg, (most of the time, you can find some figurines that get it right) for cost reasons!
 
I noticed in 'The Force Awakens' he suddenly had a red arm as well.
A promotion for Collector's Edition action figures maybe? -

like the various colour Daleks that came out just in time for Christmas a few years ago
 
Is it the same in all the versions? You know how Lucas messed around with CGI. He could have changed it retrospectively in all of the original films. I do have Star Wars on VHS but can't really get motivated enough to check.

Edit: I never read those "bear" books, I knew Mandela didn't die, and I knew Vader said, "No, I am your father," but I don't remember the silver leg.
 

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