C-3PO, as always, is a standard fixture in virtually every classic Star Wars movie—excluding some of the more recent spinoffs. While he and R2-D2 were included in the prequel trilogy more for nostalgia than narrative necessity, his role in the sequel trilogy makes a lot more sense.

He’s still the same droid we all know and (maybe) love. At one point, he loses one of his golden arms, which is replaced with a red one.

C-3PO continues to serve the Rebellion—well, the Resistance—and remains mainly loyal to Leia Organa above all others. Eventually, he reunites with his robotic best friend, R2-D2.

His role in The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi is mostly subtle and relegated to the background, but he gets more time to shine in The Rise of Skywalker. In that film, he’s used to translate a Sith dagger—something no one else, not even other droids, can do. But due to some conveniently restrictive programming, he loses his memory in the process. How very convenient…

Thankfully for him, R2-D2 finds a way to restore most of his memory, bringing C-3PO back to (mostly) normal. While C-3PO is a classic character, I wouldn’t have been heartbroken if they had decided to kill him off—like they did with Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, and Han Solo—by the end of this controversial trilogy.