Why Does Vader Not Recognize C3PO?

Anakin built C3PO with his own two hands as a kid. Years later, as Darth Vader, he pays the droid no mind. Why does Vader not recognize C3PO?

Vader does not recognize C3PO because of other common protocol droids. There are many variations of C3PO’s design throughout the series, as well as different color variations. Vader likely assumes C3PO is a different protocol droid.

It’s possible that Vader is simply pretending not to know C3PO, but he’s likely met many protocol droids since.

Anakin builds C3PO as a kid

In Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan land on Tatooine to make some much needed repairs on their ship. Padme, who is pretending to be a handmaiden, joins them.

While there, they meet Anakin Skywalker. In his spare time, Anakin enjoys building, working, and assembling droids. One droid he’s assembling, C3PO, is still unfinished with much of its outer shell missing.

He’s building the protocol droid in order to help his mother around the house.

We also see Anakin spend more time with C3PO during the Clone Wars television show. C3PO and Padme are often together during that time, which naturally draws Anakin back to the protocol droid.

Vader sees C3PO, does not recognize him

Later, in the Original Trilogy, Vader spends a small amount of screen time with C3PO. A particular moment occurs when Vader instructs Han Solo to be dropped and frozen into Carbonite. C3PO, who is being carried by Chewbacca, witnesses this freezing.

While at Han’s carbonite freezing, Boba Fett expresses safety concerns. Fett wants Han Solo so he can cash in a humongous bounty placed by Jabba The Hutt.

Vader does not acknowledge or show any indication that he’s aware the protocol droid is the same one he built. It’s possible he may have been pretending not to know, but it’s equally likely he mixed C3PO up for a different protocol droid.

So that’s the answer. Vader does not recognize C3PO because of other common protocol droids. It’s possible that Vader is pretending not to recognize him, but it’s equally likely he truly does not.