system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
[Star Wars] How come R2-D2 is so good at what he does compared to the other astromechs? Even compared to later models, he's still massively overpowered.

Also, is R2 sentient?  He seems to be able to make jokes, poke fun at people (especially 3PO), make decisions, defy orders, and most importantly, he is able to have friends.

Is he that good *because* he is sentient?
gpt
Astromech droids are routinely reset, to have to perform as they're supposed to, not develop other traits, and do their job properly.

Anakin Skywalker was fond of R2-D2, so he never did that, so a form of sentience emerged, and you can clearly see why they wanted to prevent this, he frequently disobeys commands given to him. But he was also able to learn new things, add new experiences, and form a conciousness much better at problem-solving.

R2-D2 is probably a good-case scenario for an astromech going off programming.