I've always enjoyed the Star Wars universe and never really got into the good, deep, rich lore until discovering SW-focused boobtube channels such as Star Wars Explained, Star Wars HQ, The Stupendous Wave, Star Wars Theories, and others. So, first, thanks to them for getting me into SW lore to the point of buying and reading both canon novels, Bloodlines and VII:TFA. Second, and why I'm actually here, is a theory that I have began to look into but have very limited canonized knowledge as it currently stands; though, not to imply a lack of experience in critical analysis. As such I have started to comprehend take count of the influence of droids throughout the main canon of SW. What initially began as tracking droid-anomalies during major events and decisions has turned into a larger questioning of artificial intelligence, consciousness, and mental and physical autonomy.
While most characters do not give a second thought towards droids as intelligent beings, Leia, in Claudia Gray's Bloodlines, makes a very poignant observation about C-3PO and the computer core of Sibensko on pg. 278: "Leia experienced the vaguely guilty sensation that surfaced every time she realized that droid personalities were more than programmed conversational quirks. A computer core could be lonely. C-3PO could take pity on it."
What Leia, and therefore C. Gray, reference is not simply intelligence, but *consciousness*. Droids do not fall under mindless robots or machines in the same vein as a starfighter or data pads that require interaction to function. Instead, [an]droids encompass an altogether entirely different schism of what defines *life*. Another way of looking at it comes from Harrison Ford's Deckard character from Bladerunner and the book Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick.
I would really like to see a longer-length video or a short series examining the canonical influence of droids in SW. I believe that droids may lack the direct-force connection that organic beings have/had with The Force but that they still fall under its influence. If we simply take for example the C-3PO and R2-D2 at the beginning of IV: A New Hope then we can see how The Force swayed Vader and his crew from simply destroying the escape pod (with no organic life).
Looking back in reference to the recent Darth Vader comic series, we can see he has no issue destroying droids once they have outlived his necessity and use for them. However, these two very specific and unique droids exist from the earliest days preceding The Phantom Menace with C-3PO built by young Anakin. How absolutely unlikely but yet well within the power of The Force could things turn out that those two droids that spent years with Anakin and Obi-Wan just so happen to make their way to young Luke?
Now if you watch Ep. III: RotS, you can catch a sidebar between C-3PO and R2 before Padame leaves to Mustafar. The two droids discuss the events unfolding around them while they with-hold critically important information about Anakin's action at the Jedi Temple among other darkside events. Now, the crux to all of this lies in their decisions to not explain all that they know to the Jedi Counsel, Padame, or Obi-Wan throughout ep. 3.
Now, I don't think they can necessarily *yield* or comprehend the influence of The Force as as force-sensitive being would. Yet, I do believe they can immensely fall under the influence *of* The Force. Since he built it, would Anakin's natural force powers bleed into his creations? Would it take much effort for a grown, influential, resource-rich Anakin/Vader to completely corrupt a droid when he built C-3PO as a child?
In Ep. II:TCW we also see two droids attempt to detain R2 while he is trying to fix the elevators with Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Palpatine. As the scene plays out, we can see that the two droids have full personalities just as R2. The key point in the three droids' interaction comes from R2 decided to kill the other droids in order to facilitate the group escape. He doesn't require an order to do so, either, and makes the decision fully autonomously.
With a full consciousness and autonomy, droids certainly fall under the "Life" designation. If we accept that as true, we can deduce that they must also fall under the influence of The Force which affects all living creatures. I have not seen or heard a single canon reference of The Force only acting on organic lifeforms or of droids existing outside the sphere of influence. If organic beings can have force sensitivity/force abilities while others do not, is it not equally possible for droids to have, the albeit rare, force sensitivity? I mean, how else can we explain their impeccable ability to survive numerous battles, firefights, and attacks that we have seen take lives from the most gifted force users?
