Why did Princess Leia choose R2-D2?

Question

We all know the opening scenes of Star Wars Episode IV, where the Rebel ship is captured, and Princess Leia places the Death Star plans into R2-D2's memory banks. R2-D2 and C-3PO then escape the ship and the rest, as they say is history.

Now this question asks why she put the plans into a droid, but not why she chose this particular droid. She was not aware that it belonged to her (genetic) father, nor was there any indication that R2-D2 was different to any other astromech droid. At the end of Episode III they wiped C-3PO's memory, but it seems that R2-D2 was of no account and didn't need to have his memory wiped also. There is no mention, at least in the movies, that she had any special relationship with R2-D2.

So, my question is: Out of all the droids she could have chosen, why did Princess Leia choose R2-D2 to carry the Death Star plans?

Answer 1

According to the film's new canon junior novelisation, Leia's plan seems to have been to give the data card to any droid that she came across, order them to leave the ship in an escape pod and hopefully recover them once she was free of Vader.

When R2-D2, a robot with advanced intelligence, a holographic recording capability and, crucially, the ability to pilot an escape pod to Obi-Wan's last known location happened to come along, that gave her the opportunity to modify her plan.

She ran harder, ducking through shadows and bursts of warm steam. Her hand tightened around the data card as she made a sharp turn. Then something silver caught her eye.

A droid. An astromech droid, even. Thank the stars. Her plan actually had a chance of working.

The droid looked like an R2 unit. Its squat cylindrical body was topped with a dome-shaped head and panels of rich blue. A single indicator glowed red, then blue as the droid rolled by.

Answer 2

Because R2-D2 has been in the service of the Organas for years

From the Wookieepedia, remember that R2 and C-3PO were given to Bail after Padmé's death:

Following Padmé's death, R2 and 3PO passed into the service of Bail Organa of the Royal House of Alderaan, Alderaan's Senator and a good friend of the late Amidala. While C-3PO underwent a memory wipe, R2-D2 was allowed to preserve his memories.

During the rise of the Empire, C-3PO and R2-D2 continue their whimsical ways and end up getting caught up in hijinks involving pirates and such, but eventually are returned to Bail. At this point Bail has known the droids through much of the Clone Wars via Padmé, and has had them in his possession for about five years. So it's probably no accident that they're part of Leia's personal entourage on the Tantive IV.

In fact, there's no evidence that Leia had any other droids in her personal possession on the Tantive IV. So given that she has two droids she trusts only one of them can hold and transmit data like R2-D2, it leaves him as really the only logical choice.

Answer 3

Artoo claimed to be the property of Obi-Wan.

C-3PO: "He says that he is the property of Obi-Wan Kenobi, a resident of these parts and it's a private message for him. Quite frankly, sir, I don't know what he's talking about. Our last master was Captain Antilles. But with all we've been through, this little R2 unit has become a bit eccentric." (Episode IV: A New Hope)

Bail Organa probably kept him around for this reason. Leia would have also been familiar with this, thus why she used Artoo. She was looking for Obi-Wan and could rely on Artoo to identify him.

Answer 4

Note this is just speculation and after-the-fact rationalisation as the out-of-universe answer for the question is pretty clear: at the time of writing that scene all those considerations simply didn't exist and the inclusion of the droids in later movies was to answer merchandising interests.

From an in-universe kind of view, I've always assumed there's an element of "fate" in the Star Wars universe which is not really fate but the Force (or the midichlorians) in action. Thus when Leia chooses to use that particular droid it is not a coincidence, it is not lack of free will either, it is the way of the Force setting things up in a way such that things happen.

In the same way it is not a coincidence that Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon happen to land on Tatooine and find Anakin... It is still the Force. It's a concept similar to the one you can find in a set of books (and other places) called the Death Gate Cycle where there's a "wave", the Force in this case,which is constantly changing and looking for balance. This triggers all the different elements and, while each individual person still has free will, for every action the Force will act to balance itself... The more unbalanced it is the bigger repercussions and changes will be needed (i.e. creating a special being that wipes out the Jedi order)...

Just my personal view about odds in Star Wars... it is not chance, it is the Force.