Various Droids
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A variety of droids play an important part in the Star Wars universe. Astromechs, protocol droids, and a seemingly endless variety of others populate not only worlds, but space craft. They are more companions than servants to some, while others see them as nothing but property or expendable slaves. Droids have been a part of the Republic for centuries and continue in important roles after the Empire forms. Here you will find images and brief descriptions of some of these facinating creations. This page features 'standard droids' found throughout Episode I, and updates will continue on a regular basis. Battle Droids & the deadly Droideka have their own pages. |
| Protocol Droids, such as TC-14 and the uncompleted C-3P0 serve several functions. They act as servants and translators. Frequent memory erasures ensure that the droids remain docile and predictable. If a droid goes too long without a memory wipe, they tend to pick up quirks and develope personality traits, that are sometimes stronger than owner loyalties and restraining bolts. The Cybot Galactica Protocol series are very expensive and highly desirable. In a galaxy with countless inteligent species, it is very important to have an accurate form of interaction and translation. This series has remained nearly unchanged for almost a century. |
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C-3PO Protocol droids have been in use for generations. When Anakin Skywalker found the structural elements of a droid that had been scavenged for parts, he restored it as a helper for his mother. Over time, he scrounged parts in Watto's vast junkyard to complete the droid, fabricating many components and wiring sets himself. C-3PO lacks "skin" since usable droid plating is valuable and the boy connot afford it. C-3PO has yet to notice that all of his parts are showing. With his memory banks intact, C-3PO is still a valuable unit, even in the unfinished state that he finds himself in. It's in the Skywalker home that C-3PO first meets the little astromech called R2-D2. His future partner in an amazing series of far reaching galactic adventures. |
| In the outer rim, ancient and heavily repaired droids can often be seen lurching through back alleys and toiling in shops and homes. Also common are exotic hybrids made from dissimilar droids. The resulting machines tend to have either limited mentalities or personalities as bizarre as their origins. A skilled tech can often rebuild droids and sell them for less credits than a new or used unit would bring, but with all such purchases, the rule is; Buyer Beware. |
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Naboo Hanger Deck Scrubber Droid |
Most droids are
designed for one or a few main tasks or purposes. The
scrubber droid (pictured left) spends it's time scowering
the decks of hangers, removing spilled fuels and debris. Power droids, like the GNK series (pictured on the right), are simply mobile generators that supply power for machinery or other droids. They hover silently in the background, so commonplace that they are hardly noticed. |
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Astromechs also called utility droids, commonly carry out a wide variety of mechanical repair and information retrieval tasks. Where as most droids are specifically designed for limited and specific duties, these versatile little droids can handle a wide variety of jobs. From being a co-pilot on a spacecraft to transfering large data files from system to system. They are excellent mechanics with a host of tools built in. They come in many styles with one of the most common being the R2 line. Small and compact, these littl;e droids can easily be underestimated. |
| Standard astromech droids are used in many space fighters as onboard flight support. in the image on the right, R2-D2 is secured in the droid socket of a Naboo N-1 Starfighter. R2's head can telescope up some to so that he can see out of the tight neck of the droid socket. R2-D2 accompanies Anakin on his accidental flight into battle against the Trade Federation. |
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R2-D2 is a utility droid with a mind of his own, there is more to R2-D2 than his ordinary appearance would suggest. Just one of several repair and maintenance droids assigned to the Naboo Royal Starship, R2 replaces burnt out circuits, installs new wiring, polishes floors, and does whatever necessary to maintain the gleaming vessel in perfect working condition. For a utility droid, R2-D2 is equipped with a remarkable tenacity and drive to accomplish his missions. Such dedication would ordinarily go unnoticed, but when crisis envelopes the Royal Starship, R2-D2 becomes a hero. He later meets his future partner, C-3PO on Tatooine, and the two droids later are involved in fantastic adventures. R2-D2 will have many chances to prove both his loyalties and his skills in the years to come. |
Astromechs aboard the Royal Naboo Starship head for dangerous duty. |
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Pit Droids are programmed with what seems to be a permanent sense of urgency, they are utility mechanics that assist with pod race maintenance jobs. Their compact form allows them to reach small parts and linkages in and under the big engines. Pit droids are built with minimal logic processors so they take orders without asking personal or superfluous questions. However, this also leaves them easily confused and apt to get into trouble when left to their own devices. A tap on the "nose" of a pit droid causes it to deactivate and collapse into a compressed form for easy storage (and to keep it out of trouble). Pit droids come in several types, and they are massed produced which keeps costs down. Once activated, a pit droid is almost always underfoot. |
