2-1B, a surgical droid of the 2-1B series, served the Alliance to Restore the Republic. Alongside FX-7, 2-1B was stationed at Echo Base on the ice planet Hoth, where he administered bacta treatment to Luke Skywalker following an attack by a wampa. Furthermore, after he lost his hand in a duel against Darth Vader on Bespin, 2-1B also provided medical care to Skywalker for the amputated limb.
His extensive experience with humans dating back to the era of the Old Republic endowed 2-1B with a compassionate and gentle manner. It was because of this reputation that Skywalker specifically requested 2-1B's services after the loss of his hand. Furthermore, he possessed the ability to perform extremely precise surgical procedures, resulting in minimal or no scarring for his patients.
The character of 2-1B debuted in the original trilogy film Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back released in 1980, with Denny Delk providing the droid's voice. Delk has stated that he was unaware of his role as 2-1B in Empire Strikes Back until it was brought to his attention by numerous individuals, including his fans and agents. The actor found voicing the character during the looping process to be comfortable because he did not need to synchronize with any lip movements, given that droids in Star Wars typically lack mouths.
His identification in canon first occurred in the 2015 reference book Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know, authored by Adam Bray, Kerrie Dougherty, Cole Horton, and Michael Kogge. A surgical droid of the 2-1B series was seen in the 1983 film Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi, stationed aboard the Home One prior to the Battle of Endor. The 2018 reference book Star Wars: Droidography verified that this droid was indeed 2-1B. Within the Star Wars Legends continuity, 2-1B made his initial appearance in the novelization of Empire Strikes Back penned by Donald F. Glut, which was published before the film's release.