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“ | Roger, roger. | „ |
~ Typical response from a battle droid. |
“ | Eh, well, it's my programing. | „ |
~ A droid who failed to shoot the last escape pod on Rugossa. |
B1-Battle Droids are major antagonists in the Star Wars franchise.
They are remote-controlled fighting machines built by the Trade Federation that are designed to automatically recognize and attack the enemy. Usually, all ground-based Battle Droids are controlled by orbiting Droid Control Ships. Battle Droids made their first appearance in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace as the intimidating robot army invading Naboo, a Republic planet.
Beginning with the Star Wars: The Clone Wars series, they are all voiced by Matthew Wood, who also voiced General Grievous.
Biography[]
After the disaster of the battle of Naboo, where all droids are deactivated following the destruction of the Droid Control Ships, the Federation choose to give them singularity, thus in Episodes II and III and several episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, they have shown the capacity and ability to think and act for themselves. In the following decades, Battle Droids became the standard military unit of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, becoming the most mass-produced type of droid and expendable soldiers in galactic history. They fought in the Clone Wars alongside the advanced Super Battle Droids and other countless variants of their type. Though unknown to them, they were just puppets in Sidious' plot to take over the galaxy.
Following Order 66, most Battle Droids were deactivated, having been utilized to entice the Jedi across the galaxy in Emperor Palpatine's quest for power. Some Battle Droids were still active and serve under the command of General Kalani while the rest of the Battle Droids were reprogrammed to serve the Bedlam Raiders.
Description[]
They are equipped with a standard blaster and supply backpack to use during battle. They are also depicted using sniper rifles and heavy machine guns in video games Star Wars Battlefront 1 and 2 and many others. Standard Battle Droids, though usually large in number, are generally weak due to their unprotective armour and incompetent leadership.
Comparison with Republics Troop[]
It is said that one Jedi is equal to the power of 100 standard battle droids. Most Battle Droids are woefully underprepared to fight Jedi, seeing as how there is no real defense against their weapons and Force abilities, with the exception of the Grapple Droid and the Cortosis B3. Clone troopers, the main ground troops of the Republic, were created on the planet of Kamino, where they are grown, raised, and trained. There are many reasons why clone troopers are superior to droids, one being that their generals actually make reasonable and strategic decisions. That being said, both droids and clones win battles by learning from their mistakes and changing their fighting styles according to battle conditions.
Military Uses and Special forces Droids[]
The Trade Federation uses these battle droids for their standard army of force and protection. They can be found everywhere around the occupation of the Federation, places of invasion and occupation, and sometimes in areas controlled by the Hutts. The Trade Federation Commando Droids are by far the most intelligently programmed and deadly droids in the Federation's armed forces. They're the green berets of the Star Wars world, and are sent on only the most important and dangerous missions on behalf of the Trade Federation. Programmed in demolitions, stealth, and guerilla warfare tactics, they are never seen on the front lines, only working in the shadows, whether it's assassinating a republic senator or sabotaging enemy equipment and ships.
Droidekas, the Trade Federation's first anti-Jedi attack droid, is widley used and seen blasting apart clones on Geonosis all the way to the battle of Naboo. Often rolling into battle with dual heavy machine laser blasters, Droidikas are equipped with a deployable shield capable of blocking all laser weapons, except lightsabers. However, Jedis are hard pressed getting in close enough to actually attack the Droidikas under heavy laser fire. Droidikas' main mode of transport is rolling, but are they are very vulnerable while doing so.
The B2 Super Battle Droid was developed on Geonosis, the Trade Federation's main base of operations planet. They first saw action at the tremendous battle of Geonosis. They have many variations, including the one pictured above. The most basic and recognizable one (below) has an inlaid blaster rifle situated at the top of the right hand wrist. Alternative weapons are a miniature wrist mounted flak cannon (Star Wars' shotgun), and anti armour wrist rockets. In their trademark navy blue/gray armour paint job, they are most suited to urban environments, but have performed well on the battle of Felucia, a jungle planet with huge mushroom forests and dense jungles.
There are almost always battle droids guarding the cowardly Nute Gunray, the viceroy of the Trade Federation, who relies on the battle droids for his life when the Republic advances in on the Federation. General Grievous, the supreme Trade Federation General, is seen leading thousands of Battle Droids into the fray on numerous occasions in the Star Wars series.
Types[]
B1 Battle Droids[]
The most used Droids in the Federation and latter Confederation's army, they are based on OOM models but with simpler programming. Extremely weak individually, they rely principally on their huge number.
Battle Droid Commanders[]
OOM-series Battle Droids used by the Trade Federation and Confederacy of Independent Systems for the purposes of transmitting orders from the Central Control Computer to squads of infantry or security battle droids. Until the Clone Wars, the commanders were the only OOM units to possess intelligence and independence apart from the Central Control Computer. A notable command battle droid was OOM-9, who commanded the droid forces in the Invasion of Naboo. They have yellow marking on top of their heads and a yellow circle on the front of their torso.
Security Battle Droids[]
Droids of the Trade Federation and Confederacy of Independent Systems used for the purposes of security and defense.
Security droids were characterized by red markings on their shoulders and upper abdomen, which distinguished them from other variants of the OOM model. They most commonly worked in squads led by an OOM command battle droid. Trade Federation security droids fulfilling their most common role as guards on capital ships carried the standard weapons (E-5 blaster rifles) used by similar models.
The ubiquitous model served as the basis of the B1 battle droid used in the Trade Federation's Droid Army, although the latter model had less complicated programming. However, the targeting and coordination of the security droids was little better than that of their cousins, and often failed to consistently hit their target.
Like the B1, the OOM security battle droid model saw varied use after the Clone Wars.
The OOM Security battle droid was first designed as a security droid. It was manufactured by Baktoid Combat Automata as part of the OOM droid line and created for defense and detection. They generally operated in squads led by an OOM commander droid on Captain starships. One such squad was the squad lead by OWO-1.
Pilot Battle Droids[]
OOM-series battle droids used in the Trade Federation Droid Army and, later, the Separatist Droid Army for the purpose of piloting vehicles of various kinds. OOM pilot droids functioned mostly as the ships' crews of the Trade Federation.
Pilot droids were deployed throughout the Clone Wars, starting from the Battle of Geonosis. The droids played pivotal roles as pilots, saboteurs and mechanics in tightly contested skirmishes of major battles such as the Battle of Kashyyyk and the Battle of Coruscant. They were also deployed in space battles to man turrets, carry ammunition, and monitor the decks and hangars for breaches and boarding parties. Overall, they weren't part of a separate branch but instead shared by the army and navy. During the Clone Wars, OOM pilot battle droids were part of the crew of Munificent-class star frigates and took orders from organic and OOM droid commanders.
Rocket Battle Droids[]
“ | Go get 'em, boys... Let's cut this can open!... There they go! | „ |
~ Rocket battle droids infiltrating Pod 1977. |
Rocket battle droids are modified B1 battle droids equipped with rocket packs, fusion cutters and floodlights, which scouted and destroyed life pods adrift in space.
When Jedi Master Plo Koon's Star Destroyer Triumphant was attacked and destroyed by General Grievous' heavy cruiser Malevolence, rocket battle droids were deployed in a Droch-class boarding ship to seek out and destroy all survivors/witnesses of the Triumphant's destruction.
Armed with cutting equipment, in addition to the standard blaster, these droids attacked the life pods that had been jettisoned from the Triumphant, breaching the windows and dooming the survivors to die in the vacuum of space. After killing all those aboard Pod 1977, they moved on to the life pod which housed Plo Koon and his men. Plo Koon, however, was waiting for them, armed with his lightsaber. He and clone troopers Sinker and Boost fought off the droids, before Master Plo severed the Separatist boarding craft's hold on the pod, and sent them hurtling off into a piece of debris, causing a violent explosion, and the destruction of the rocket battle droids.
Firefighter Droids[]
Modified B1 battle droids programmed and equipped to fight fires. Notable for their distinctive paint and heavy backpacks, which featured the numbers 72066 running down either side, they carried fire hoses that sprayed fire-repellent foam. During the Clone Wars, several of them served aboard the Malevolence, a Subjugator-class heavy cruiser that served as the flagship of General Grievous.
AAT Driver Battle Droids[]
A specialized class of B1 battle droid designed for operating the Armored Assault Tanks (AAT) of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. The droids were coloured with dark green facial and torso markings.
During the Republic's Mission to Rugosa, several AAT drivers were deployed under the command of OOM commander 224. They were tasked with eliminating Jedi Master Yoda and his clone trooper escorts in order to prevent the Jedi from negotiating a treaty with King Katuunko of Toydaria. They failed in their mission and several AAT drivers were destroyed by the diminutive Jedi Master.
Notable Battle Droids[]
OWO-1[]
“ | Check it out, Corporal. We'll cover you. | „ |
~ OWO-1, moments before his destruction. |
A Battle Droid Commander sent by Trade Federation's Viceroy Nute Gunray to make certain that Qui Gon Jinn and his young apprentice, Obi Wan Kenobi, had been killed by the dose of deadly dioxis gas which had previously been inserted inside the room in which the two Jedi were waiting. Leading his squad of Security Droids into the gas-filled room, OWO-1 discovered that the gas had not functioned as intended, and before he could react, he and the rest of his droids within his squad were destroyed by the surviving Jedi.
OOM-9[]
“ | Open fire. | „ |
~ OOM-9 commanding the Battle of the Great Grass Plains. |
OOM-9 is a battle droid commander and a major antagonist in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.
OOM-9 was charged by Nute Gunray to capture Theed for the Trade Federation. His forces had to struggle against the local Gungan population which caused the Sith Lord Darth Maul to take control of the Federation forces. Two Jedi Knights Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi were sent by Supreme Chancellor Valorum to settle the feud between Naboo and the Trade Federation. They were attacked by battle droids and noticed that they were preparing to invade the planet.
Jinn and Kenobi arrived on the planet's surface to rescue the Queen and her subjects while avoiding capture from OOM-9's forces. The battle droids including OOM-9 were deactivated when Anakin Skywalker destroyed the droid command ship.
224[]
- Main article: 224
An OOM command battle droid who served in the Mission to Rugosa.
B1-268[]
B1-268 was an OOM Command Battle Droid who was a part of the Separatist Droid Army during the Clone Wars stationed on Agamar, on Kalani's orders. He was destroyed by Stormtroopers.
B1 (Colossus)[]
B1 (Colossus) was become Neeku's friend after he programs him as the Commander of the Super Battle Droids, during the mutiny of the Warbirg Gang to take the Colossus (Star Wars Resistance episode "The Mutiny"). Unfortunately, he was destroyed soon after by the Aeosians.
Trivia[]
- In Angry Birds Star Wars, Battle Droids appear as playable characters on the Pork Side. They use their E-5 Blaster Rifles to open fire three lines. Also, they are not deactivated, being present in the Boss Stage of the Pork Side of Stage 5: Revenge Of The Sith.
- The Droideka subspecies appears, attacking via bouncing around like Grand Jedi Master Yoda would, yet dealing not as much damage since he does not have a lightsaber. After his bounce, the Droideka self-destructs, turning into shards. He only appears in bonus levels.
- Because they are often mercilessly destroyed even when disarmed/unarmed, these droids, who still seem to have awareness and human traits, even in spite of being machines, have caught sympathy from a lot of fans, and the Jedi and Clones have caught heat from the fans who pity the droids.
- Because of this, those fans deemed the Battle Droids as needing protection under the "Droid Lives Matter" slogan in the Star Wars fandom.
- Ironically, Battle Droids and Clone Troopers have much in common. Both are born to fight and die in a war that they have no say in, nor do they get to choose whom they fight for, and neither understands why the Clone Wars is being fought, or what it's for. Neither are given much anatomy and are both considered to be 100% expendable. But the fact that the Clone Wars show tried to humanize the clones and show that they are more than that, yet treated the droids as comic relief to be destroyed angered numerous fans.
- This is noted due to the fact that the droids don't know that the wars were involved in were just a sham by Darth Sidious, who sought to take over the galaxy.
- General Kalani's Battle Droids are among the few Droids of the entire Separatist Droid Army that survived and are still active after the war between The Rebellion and The Empire and The Resistance against The First Order.
External Links[]
- Battle Droids on the Star Wars Wiki