Can Luke understand R2D2?

In ANH, when Owen first acquires the droids Luke ask 3P0 on several occasions what R2 is saying. It seems to me like he uses 3P0 to translate. ("Tell him to play it back..!"). But by the end of the movie and in the beginning of ESB he seems to have regular conversation with R2. I know this is trivial, but anyone have any theories?

 

After listening/being around Artoo for a while i'm sure Luke can pick up the basic set of beeps that mean basic things like yes or no answers as well as the mannerisms. For example, the long ewwwww noises are pretty easy for us to understand what the little tin can means.

Plus don't forget, Luke's X-wing can translate what Artoo is saying and display it.

 

I'm going to say he's intuitive enough to get the gist of what Artoo is saying by the tone of his, um, voice? Otherwise, I think it's just general extrapolation and assumption on his part. Hanging around Artoo long enough would likely allow one to pick up on his personality well enough that you could gauge his reactions to things. (And on the X-wing, it can translate, as it states above.)

BTW, I should probably add that I think Hamill's interaction with R2D2 is probably one of his best acting bits. He really helps to bring what is essentially a prop object to life. The scenes on Dagobah are some of my favorite because of that.

 

I always wondered about this. It seems like Luke CAN understand Artoo at times. Though if he can't, and he ISN'T getting the gist of Artoo's expressions, it could be potentially amusing.

Like in ANH:

Luke is climbing into his X-Wing before the Battle of Yavin. Artoo is being lowered into the droid compartment of the star fighter.

"You okay, Artoo?"

(Artoo beeps back)

"Good."

Luke says 'good', but really, for all he knows, Artoo says, "No, I'm not okay! I brought you guys the Death Star plans, isn't that enough? Now I got to go fight in a space battle, too? With my head sticking out of the ship and everything? You guys suck!"

Now, I wonder if Luke and Leia understand Chewie as well as Han and Lando do...

 

His X-Wing translates? Wow, i never knew that. That is so cool!!

(i was about to post that mabye he has an 'Understanding Droids' booklet in his glove comaprtment!)

 

About Chewie: I find it odd that Chewie does not speak basic. He understands it, why doesn't he speak it? There is a wookie in Heir to the Empire that speaks basic.

 

I think Luke can understand him. Han clearly understands the treadwell droid on Hoth, so there's no reason Luke couldn't. It's just another language.

As for Chewbacca, Wookiees are carnivores. As such, their jaws don't move side to side, only up and down, so speaking english is pretty much out of the question.
And I don't remember any wookiees in heir speaking basic. Where?

 

And I don't remember any wookiees in heir speaking basic. Where?

When Chewie takes Leia to hide on Kashyyk.

Although, as it's EU, it has no bearing on the films at all.

Back to the topic: I figure it's the same way I can tel what my cat wants when he meows, although it's quite often to do with food, I suspect that Luke and R2 build up enough of a relationship that Luke can at least make an educated guess.

 

That Wookiee couldn't speak basic, he just had a speech impediment that made it easier for non-native speakers of Shyriwook to understand him.

 

About Chewie: I find it odd that Chewie does not speak basic. He understands it, why doesn't he speak it? There is a wookie in Heir to the Empire that speaks basic.

This is a good point, but I think Chewie speaking his own language helps to develop his character and gives him a more distinct identity. All in all it adds flavor to the story. I know I have countless friends who do horrible wookie impressions of Chewie.

 

Off-topic: According to the EU, no Wookiees can speak Basic, though some other species can speak Shyriwook. There are a few Wookiees with speech impediments, etc. who are more easily understood, but no Basic.

On-topic: As previously stated, Luke can understand R2's basic mannerisms, and when he's on his X-Wing it translates. He also probably knows most of what Artoo's going to say in any given situation, so he normally doesn't need a real translator.

 

Perhaps as Luke got a better understanding of the Force, he used it to understand Artoo. Maybe it's not just "through the Force, things you will see," but also "through the Force, things you will hear" as well.


But then, haven't we all seen these movies enough times to almost understand Artoo (or is that just me?).

 

"You okay, Artoo?"
(Artoo beeps back)
"Good."
Luke says 'good', but really, for all he knows, Artoo says, "No, I'm not okay! I brought you guys the Death Star plans, isn't that enough? Now I got to go fight in a space battle, too? With my head sticking out of the ship and everything? You guys suck!"


The last few times I watched ANH, I thought about the same. Only I imagined it shorter. "You okay, Artoo?" - "No, get me the **** outta here!"

 

And I don't remember any wookiees in heir speaking basic. Where?

When Chewie takes Leia to hide on Kashyyk.



They don't speak basic at all there. Leia just understands wookiee.

Wookiee mouths aren't capable of forming human speech.

 

His X-Wing translates? Wow, i never knew that

You never noticed, especially in ESB when Luke is flying to Dagobah, everytime Artoo talks, there is some writing that gets displayed in red on the screen in front of him and Luke looks at the screen before replying?

 

Does that actually say anything? I've paused it and tried to read it but can't make out any words.

 

It's probably written in the same language that you see throughout the movies. It sort've resembled Kanji or Chinese calligraphy, that sort of thing.

 

It's in Aurabesh

 

I was wondering about this myself watching ESB the other day when I noticed something. After R2 gets spit out of the water on Dagobah and Luke is cleaning him off (or somewhere about that time) R2 whistles something.

Luke replies, "If you're saying that coming here was a bad idea, I'm starting to agree."

To me this shows that Luke cant exactly understand the electronic language, but has been around R2 enough that he is familiar with the different patterns of bleeps and whistles and can differentiate separate emotions, so to speak.