Star Wars—Beware the Droids
Translator droids, assassin droids, soldier droids, messenger droids. So many droids, so many roles. The continuing Star Wars stories have increased the importance and changed the role of droids.
Star Wars movies are full of lightsabers, spaceships and a unusual lifeforms from unusual planets, but droids have been a consistent element in the movies since Leia gave R2D2 the Death Star plans.
Regardless of our feelings about the success of the prequel trilogy, sequel trilogy, original trilogy, TV shows or cartoons, since Star Wars arrived in 1977, the role of droids has undergone massive changes.
Era of the Original Trilogy
Over the course of the original trilogy, droids were primarily messengers, carrying out tasks as servants.
Imperial droids occasionally looked like insects to suggest they were bad, but were not involved in any form conflict. The probe droids searched for the rebels and found them on Hoth only to be destroyed by Han Solo. Mouse droids acted skittish and ran away when they found rebels wandering about the Death Star.
In The Empire Strikes Back, a couple of bounty hunter droids appear on Darth Vader’s star destroyer (IG-88 and 4-LOM who looks a little like an insect), but the bounty hunters never hunt. The closest we get to Imperial droids being aggressive is the torture droid that floats into Leia’s cell. Even then, Leia looks a little worried, but not too concerned.
Rebel droids were a little more proactive, but mostly just carried out helpful tasks. The exception that I know you are already screaming is R2D2 who carries the important message to Obi-Wan to introduce Luke to the story.
R2 is a determined and helpful droid, essential to keeping the main characters alive (anyone remember the trash compactor?), but R2 is the exception rather than the rule when it comes to original trilogy droids.
Era of the Prequel Trilogy
The prequel trilogy brings a massive shift in the portrayal of droids and throws light on the treatment of droids in the original trilogy. Remember when R2 and C3PO are told that cannot enter the cantina in Mos Eisley? The reason is the Clone Wars which was fought against droid aggressors creating a galaxy wide distrust of droids.
The arrival of battle droids in a variety of forms brings a definite threat, but essentially become canon folder for any Jedi with a lightsaber or clone trooper who lasts long enough.
The B1 battle droids arrive in huge numbers, but offer little threat to the main characters except the occasional one liner. Apart from the occasional tactical droid (seen mostly in the Clone Wars cartoon), the B1 battle droids are the only droids who get any lines. B2 battle droids and droidekas are more threatening, but don’t speak. Just like the IG-100 MagnaGuards of General Grievous (who looks a little like a droid, but isn’t one) who are capable of fighting Jedi.
In the prequel trilogy, droids are dangerous and disrespectful (when they get to say anything), but are cut up or knocked down pretty quickly.
The Era of the Sequel Trilogy
After the prequels, droids start to get more interesting personalities.
Rogue One’s introduction of K-2SO or K2 (a reconditioned Imperial security droid) starts to rewrite the limited roles of droids in the Empire and in Star Wars. K2 has a cynical attitude but is loyal to Cassian. Despite his loyalty (and even because of it), K2 slaps Cassian providing comic relief but also directly injuring a human. Ultimately, K2 sacrifices itself to save Cassian and Jyn.
In Star Wars Rebels, the astromech droid, Chopper, is a little scary. It has some brutal comments about people. While Chopper is loyal to the crew of the Ghost, it is also willing to crash two Star Destroyers together killing thousands of Imperial troops.
The Han Solo movie features L3-37 or L3 who has an unusual relationship with Lando Calrissian. As part of a heist, L3 takes the opportunity to start a droid uprising suggesting some interesting ideas about droid servitude. L3 is caught in a cross fire of laser blasts and to save the data it contains, Lando uploads it to the Millenium Falcon. In some ways this feels like a further form of servitude.
Din Djarin, the protagonist of the Mandalorian TV show expresses a distrust of droids as a result of childhood trauma. Encountering IG11, a bounty hunter droid, we are provided with the role of programming in a droid’s life. Initially IG11 is going to exterminate Grogu (baby Yoda to you and me), until it is stopped by the Mandalorian. Then IG11 is reprogrammed to protect Grogu. After IG11 sacrifices itself to save Grogu, it is repurposed and Grogu uses the carcass of IG11 to drive around it. Not sure what to make of that. It seems a little wrong.
An interesting element introduced into the Mandalorian Tv show is the idea of a droid uprising encountered by Din Djarin and Bo-Katan. They visit the Resistor, a droid bar where they encounter droids who are just looking to perform their duties. While the name of the bar suggests they would not be co-operative, the droids suggest they are willing to serve life forms that have such a short existence.
The idea of the droid uprising and droid independence has been continued into the Star Wars comic books. Before the time of the Republic (but in terms of stories created during and after the sequel trilogy) the Sith destroyed the Ascendant cult who were attempting to use technology to harness the force. The cult created an AI to fight the Sith called the Spark Eternal. While Darth Vader and the Emperor are able to fight the Spark Eternal, it has become the central antagonist to Imperial and rebel forces alike in the Dark Droid storyline.
Stories from the High Republic Era have also brought a droid named Ajax Sigma who found enlightenment and was destroyed. It has been resurrected in the Imperial Era and has started a colony of sentient droids called the Second Revelation.
What’s next?
As Star Wars movies, TV shows and comic books continue we can count on seeing more complex interactions with droids as well as a number of different droid characters. There will always be a special place in our heart for R2D2, but it’s going to be interesting seeing what else is going to happen in the world of Star Wars droids.