'Star Wars 9' Theory Connects Evil C-3PO to a Terrifying Sith Ghost

Aside from Darth Rey, the biggest mystery in the Star Wars galaxy right now is all about C-3PO and his glowing red eyes. We’ve already floated several convincing theories for why the protocol droid looks like an evil robot in the latest Rise of Skywalker trailer, but a new theory proposes an explanation so obvious we can’t believe we didn’t think of it. It all comes back to the most iconic villain in Star Wars history. No, not the Emperor, we’re talking about Darth Vader.

Speculative spoilers for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker below.

What if Anakin Skywalker (aka, the guy who built C-3PO) is possessing the beloved droid as the Force ghost of Darth Vader? It might sound a little out there, but there’s plenty of evidence to back up this theory. From the latest Hayden Christensen sightings to an upcoming Star Wars comic, all signs seem to suggest that Anakin and Threepio could reunite in The Rise of Skywalker.

Ok, let’s back up just a bit. If you haven’t been following all the latest Star Wars rumors, none of this makes sense, but with a bit of context, you’ll be telling your friends about Darth-3PO in no time.

So the first thing to know is that even though Anakin Skywalker actor Hayden Christensen hasn’t been confirmed for Episode IX so far, there’s reason to believe he could play a surprise role. We’ve been predicting this for months, but over the weekend, reports surfaced that a planned panel at the FanX convention set to feature Christensen and Ian McDiarmid (Emperor Palpatine) was canceled by Disney to avoid potential spoilers. If true, that definitely suggests that Christensen could play a role in The Rise of Skywalker.

Meanwhile, recent evidence suggests that the bond between Darth Vader and C-3PO could be stronger than we think. Obviously, it was a young Anakin Skywalker who built the droid in the first place, but it turns out they’ve had a few run-ins since then. An upcoming Star Wars comic will even reveal one time that Vader and Threepio interacted, suggesting that the bucket of bolts could be on Anakin’s mind if he returns in some capacity during The Rise of Skywalker.

There’s plenty of other reasons why C-3PO’s eyes could turn red. Maybe he’s being controlled by Palpatine. Or maybe he’s been an evil double-agent all along. But the idea of Vader possessing the droid he built as a child is just too good to pass up. Hopefully, J.J. Abrams and the rest of the creative minds behind Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker agree.

The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters on December 20, 2019.