5 Reasons Why It Doesn't Matter How C-3PO Got His Red Arm In Star Wars: The Force Awakens

3. The Movie Makes It Clear It Isn't Important

OK, so that's the arbitrary nature of the arm out of the way, now to look at why the in-universe origins really don't matter that much.

Well, for starters, the movie tells you it isn't. We're reintroduced to C-3PO fairly late in the film, at the end of the second act, and the first thing he does is draw attention to the red arm, about to dive into an explanation before realising he's stood right in the middle of the reuniting of Han and Leia and stepping aside.

It's never mentioned again and by the end he's had the arm replaced to a new gold one offscreen. It is of course a comedic beat, but by contrasting the arm mystery with such an important, anticipated moment it makes it feel frivolous; not something you really need to know to get the movie, but just a more succinct way to reintroduce the audience to Threepio.