Chopper is a Real Boy!
(Image Credit: Disney/Lucasfilm)
STAR WARS: Ahsoka has finally brought Chopper to life in their new live action series and he is exquisitely eccentric.
The ‘Ahsoka’ series hype has most definitely reached hyper speed this week with its premiere last Wednesday and more to come weekly. The teaser trailer revealed that one of the most charismatic droids in the franchise, Chopper (aka C1-10P), was to star in it. And he has not disappointed!
(Image Credit: Disney/Lucasfilm)
Appearing in the animated series Star Wars Rebels and The Bad Batch, a live-action appearance by this cantankerous, little guy has long been awaited. With fans’ eyes darting all over the landing pad on Yavin 4, in frantic search of a glimpse of his majestic orange chassis, when the freighter known as ‘Ghost’ from the Rebels series showed up in Rogue One. Short of being teased with a fleeting sighting, as he whizzed by to the far left of Mon Mothma, he has all but remained in hiding…
(Image Credit: Disney/Lucasfilm)
Until now! He has finally been revealed to us in all his grouchy glory thanks to ‘Ahsoka’.
Although the ‘Ahsoka’ series revolves around its namesake, Ahsoka Tano, the jedi who starred in Star Wars Clone Wars as Anakin Skywalker’s padawan, and who made her first live action appearance in the Mandalorian, various animated characters from Star Wars Rebels are now following suit. Several members of the crew that manned the Ghost, the main freighter in the Rebels series, have lead roles in ‘Ahsoka’. The three that we have seen so far are Hera Syndulla, the ship’s captain, a Twi'lek revolutionary and master pilot, Sabine Wren, a Mandalorian warrior, graffiti artist, and bomb nut, and of course Chopper, the C1 series astromech hopping in as co-pilot, mechanic, and blood thirsty combat droid.
Chopper has been Hera’s close companion since she rescued him from a crashed ship on Ryloth, during the Clone Wars, when she was a child. As an older model who looks like he has been through the wars, because he literally has, patched up repeatedly with one too many dents to the head, he has developed certain quirks in his circuitry and broken away from his original programming. He is a cranky old man with a unique speaking style and personality, who can often be argumentative and sulky, but that’s how Hera likes him because deep down he is loyal to the core. Capricious and independent, agreeing to obey orders out of fealty to his friends, but invariably doing things his own way. And often getting up to naughty antics purely to amuse himself. He is a cheeky little troublemaker who enjoys playing pranks on his companions and gets fiercely jealous especially of other droids. Zapping and chest bumping would be competitors. And although small in stature he is known to be an evil mastermind with a kill count supposedly in the tens of thousands! Something that he would no doubt laugh about with a dirty electronic snigger.
Much as with other astromech droids within the Star Wars universe, Chopper can make noises but does not actually speak. There is always additional comedy to be found in mute characters. They have to make up for their inability to communicate verbally with cartoonishly exaggerated gestures and sounds. And they definitely make full use of this with Chopper. With the addition of arms and a more mobile head than the likes of R2-D2 he has an even broader array of body gestures available to him. His arm and head movements along with squawks of gibberish more than make up for his inability to speak coherently. And you largely fill in the blanks depending on how other characters reply to him. There is almost more humour to be found in trying to guess what he could be saying because his speech patterns imitate english cadence so closely. He probably swears a lot!
Chopper makes his first appearance in the second episode of the series ‘Part Two: Toil and Trouble’, sitting in his cockpit on the ‘Phantom’, the smaller auxiliary starfighter that docks with ‘Ghost’ and frequently features in Rebels. He oversees proceedings with suspicion as Hera and Ahsoka interrogate Myn Weaver, the regional supervisor of the ex-imperial facility that they are investigating on Corellia. He mutters his displeasure when they go off without him with a ‘Ba-da bada ba ba ba!’. Somewhat like a dog not wanting its owner to leave. He may very well be aiming the guns at Myn too, that would not be at all out of character.
(Image Credit: Disney/Lucasfilm)
He is next caught panicking and banging violently on the side of the Phantom, like an ornery old man, when Hera’s getting them shot at. Shaking his hydraulic fist in fury with a ‘Why I oughta…’ in Chopper-ese. To which Hera replies ‘Keep your lid on, Chop!’
(Image Credit: Disney/Lucasfilm)
Tasked with finding a tracking beacon to attach to an enemy spacecraft he pops open a drawer and starts rummaging through his hidden stash of junk. Getting distracted inspecting a random, shiny trinket for a moment, like a magpie, before remembering the desperation of the situation at hand and continuing to hurl debris willy-nilly into the sky. He is renowned for his kleptomaniac habits in the past so hoarding it all away so chaotically is exactly what we would expect from him.
(Image Credit: Disney/Lucasfilm)
Chopper then proceeds to put his hands on his hips in frustration, accusing Hera of going through his things. Like a stroppy teenager moaning at his overly controlling mother for invading his private space. Or a scatter-brained husband blaming his wife for meddling rather than admitting that the fault could possibly be his. The funny little sidecar is very much Chopper’s personal man cave.
(Image Credit: Disney/Lucasfilm)
Hera very calmly replies ‘No, I did not go through your stuff.’ Knowingly trying not to escalate because of how quick to temper Chopper tends to be. To which he seems to reply ‘Yes, you did!’ And she suggests ‘Did you look under the back up battery?’ which is of course exactly where he then finds the tracking device. The endearingly funny dynamic that the duo have in Rebels is recaptured perfectly in Ahsoka so far.
Whirling his arms and head round and round like a discus thrower, he then proceeds to save the day by successfully hurling the tracking beacon into place. Hera praises him with a ‘Good work, Chop!’ to which he responds by flexing his crablike droid arms in imitation of a muscle man showing off how macho he is.
(Image Credit: Disney/Lucasfilm)
The episode ends with Ahsoka and Hera waiting for Chopper to trace the tracker. The miniature satellite dish on his head turning as he diligently searches for the signal that will enable their search to continue. And they reunite with Sabine for the pursuit.
Let’s hope that Chopper continues to be heavily involved in the Ahsoka series. As he travels with his trio of crime fighting females, Charlie’s Angels style. Perhaps they should rename the series ‘Chopper’s Angels’ because he is the unspoken main character really! He is a crucial member of the team and the best possible addition to the live action Star Wars universe. Petulant and perfect in every way.
Chopper, the cute yet marginally sociopathic, astromech droid to the rescue! May his chicken-like war cry of ‘Buk buk!’ bring fear to Imperial loyalists throughout the Galaxy and his ridiculously high kill count continue to rise!
(Image Credit: Disney/Lucasfilm)
Star Wars: Ahsoka is available to stream on Disney+ with new episodes coming out every Wednesday.
References
Filoni, D. & Lucas, G. (Writers) & Green, S. (Director) (2023, August 22). Part Two: Toil and Trouble (Season 1, Episode 2). In Filoni, D., Favreau, J., Kennedy, K., Beck, C. & Wilson, C. (Executive Producers). (2023). Star Wars: Ahsoka. [TV Series]. Lucasfilm.
Kinberg, S., Filoni, D. & Weisman, G. (Executive Producers). (2014). Star Wars Rebels. [TV Series]. Lucasfilm; Lucasfilm Animation.
Filoni, D., Portillo, A.Y., Corbett, J. & Rau, B. (2021). Star Wars: The Bad Batch. [TV Series]. Lucasfilm; Lucasfilm Animation.
Lucas, G., Winder, C. & Filoni, D. (Executive Producers). (2008). Star Wars: The Clone Wars. [TV Series]. Lucasfilm; Lucasfilm Animation.
Edwards, G. (Director). (2016). Rogue One: A Star Wars Story [Film]. Walt Disney Studio Motion Pictures.
StarWars.com | The Official Star Wars Website. (2018). StarWars.com. https://www.starwars.com/
C1-10P. (n.d.). Wookieepedia. https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/C1-10P
