This little droid and the Ghost crew have been through a lot together.
No droid is quite like C1-10P. The Ghost's resident astromech positively oozes attitude and bravado and more than a fair amount of sass. Chopper's warbles and shouts have showcased his distinct personality since the beginning of Star Wars Rebels, while his arms have added clear punctuation to all his statements. For a droid without obvious facial expressions, Chopper has absolutely no poker face. You never have to wonder what he's thinking or plotting.
Even when he's disgruntled -- which is almost all the time -- Chop is a crucial part of the ship's crew. His programming, jetpack, and instruments have been key to bailing the crew out of jams. When Chopper's not saving the day or rolling his eyes at his teammates, he shows heart and loyalty. These are six times he's proven his mettle (or metal).
1. When he gave Ezra a lift.
Even though Chopper does stuff like give Ezra a literal rude awakening in "Imperial Super Commandos," he's there when it's most important. Chopper went through the ringer as the Mandalorians threatened to harm him in order to get Ezra to spill details about the rebels. Still, the resilient astromech bounced back from his captivity and used his rocket system to help Ezra navigate the skies above Concord Dawn during the jetpack-enabled battle. Chopper gave the youth a lift, and I'm sure he's still giving Ezra a hard time about it. Can you just imagine being on the end of Chopper's ribbing?
2. When he befriended AP-5.
Chopper doesn't really go anywhere with the intent of socializing. I get the sense he's the type of droid who is perfectly happy with the crew he knows and doesn't want to add to his friendship commitments. But when he was thrown into the path of AP-5, he showed sympathy to the protocol droid and his circumstances. He fought the Imperial officer on the ship and inspired AP-5 to stand up for himself. AP-5 stopped tolerating being constantly belittled. "The Forgotten Droid" saw Chopper extend an ambulatory strut in friendship, and it ultimately led the rebels to Atollon base.
3. When he helped Kanan navigate.
When Chopper found himself on Malachor with Kanan, Ahsoka, and Ezra in "Twilight of the Apprentice," he demonstrated his worth repeatedly. He's always there to help start a ship or get it into place, but sometimes, he goes above and beyond. Chopper displayed a moment of true compassion when he guided the newly blinded Kanan to help Ezra. He realized something was wrong with his friend (or maybe Kanan told him) and rolled in to lend a steady arm.
4. When he made an important call.
Being able to recognize when your crew mates need assistance is important in battle, and Chopper knows when to phone a friend. The astromech had a hotline to reach Fulcrum in the Season One finale of Star Wars Rebels and didn't hesitate to call the then-mysterious figure for help when the situation was dire. The rebels managed to rescue Kanan from Imperial clutches but not without being noticed. Without Chopper taking action and calling Fulcrum, a.k.a. Ahsoka Tano, and her associates to the scene, the Ghost family may not have escaped.
5. When he took on Azmorigan.
Ugh. Azmorigan. No one is fond of the gangster. The Ghost crew ran into him for a second time when Ezra teamed up with Hondo Ohnaka in "Brothers of the Broken Horn" to sell generators to a mysterious buyer -- that buyer being Azmorigan. When Azmorigan tried to turn the tables, Chopper interfered and protected Ezra. He caused a distraction and went in with two blasters blazing, a la a Western movie hero. It was perhaps Chopper's most epic moment.
Later, Chopper also proved his worth by putting the Phantom on autopilot and thereby preventing Hondo's escape and flying the pirate right back into the hands of the rebels.
6. When he threw Ezra under the bus.
One way to demonstrate how much you care about someone is to give said person a hard time. I don't know if that's the line of reasoning Chopper was using in "Stealth Strike," but I like to imagine he captured and shared footage of Ezra stunning Kanan and Rex in their stormtrooper costumes because he cared. Nah, who am I kidding? It was a way to repay Ezra for who knows what, and I think those elements of unpredictability and spunk are reasons why Chopper's special.
Which Chopper moments would you add to this list? Share them in the comments!
Amy Ratcliffe is a writer and host obsessed with Star Wars, Disney, and coffee. Follow her on Twitter at @amy_geek.