B2EMO

B2EMO was a B2 groundmech salvage assist unit who served with Maarva Andor and her husband Clem Andor by 24 BBY. By 5 BBY, he still served Maarva and her adoptive son, Cassian Jeron Andor, on Ferrix.

B2EMO was an inquisitive droid, wanting to help Cassian in whatever way he could and being eager to learn about his activities. He bantered with Andor on occasion and was willing to do him favors to help cover up his dealings. When he and Maarva were detained by the Preox-Morlana authority, B2EMO was prepared to lie and not give away Andor's location, whom the soldiers were searching for. By 5 BBY, Bee was experiencing malfunctions such as vocal stuttering and data lags.

In contrast to other droids, B2EMO was a valuable member of the community, being treated as not only a friend but as a family member by many, with the citizens of Ferrix ready to rush to his aid when he was assaulted by an Imperial officer. He was particularly close with Brasso, who comforted the droid after Maarva's passing and stayed the night at their residence to keep the lonely droid company.

B2EMO was squat and boxy, a red machine with black sensors that used wheels to travel towards his destinations. He was equipped with an electro-shock prod, which he used for self-defense.

B2EMO first appeared in "Kassa," the first episode of Andor, a Disney+ television series, which was released on September 21, 2022. Dave Chapman operated and voiced the droid. He was first revealed to the public as an action figure for Star Wars: The Black Series to be sold exclusively at San Diego Comic Con. At that convention, the life-sized version of B2EMO used for the show was displayed to attendees alongside Cassian Andor's costume.

Writer Tony Gilroy wanted the Andor family to have a loyal companion: an ancient salvage droid that worked with them for years. Gilroy started with an old family dog, which eventually led to the creation of B2EMO. Along with creature designer Neal Scanlan, concept artist Jake Lunt Davies worked to create the droid. Davies worked closely with animatronic designer Josh Lee to ensure that B2EMO translated properly from sketch to screen. The team quickly designed something that was rectangular and squat, only using a few drawings before picking what would become the droid. They looked at the script and were able to understand what B2EMO would have to do in the show. The team considered this as well as the droid's relationship with the surrounding world, allowing them to figure out how to emote through small gestures, body language, and the motion of the head. They built B2EMO from scratch, figuring out every detail including his square figure and red color. B2EMO was the first droid built by Scanlan's team that was able to do things that could be recognized emotionally, and he was capable of shrinking down.

Gilroy and his collaborators loved the prototype when they first saw it at Pinewood Studios, one of the filming locations for Andor. The original plan was to cast an actor and rerecord B2EMO's lines. Gilroy watched several audition pieces for the role before his brother John Gilroy said he likes Dave Chapman's voice the most. They then called Chapman and told him he would voice the droid. Composer Nicholas Britell created a musical signature for B2EMO. B2EMO was entirely practical and controlled via remote, allowing Diego Luna, the actor who played Cassian Andor, and other actors to share scenes with the droid and improvise with him. Luna thought that working with B2EMO was wonderful because he is real. B2EMO was also loved by Adria Arjona, Kyle Soller, and Denise Gough, the actors who played Bix Caleen, Syril Karn, and Dedra Meero, respectively.