E-3PO units were a subset of the 3PO-series protocol droid line. Developed for Imperial use, E-3POs possessed the TechSpan I propriety module, which allowed them to interface with a wide variety of networks employed by the Galactic Empire. Their obscure and rare status led to E-3PO units developing arrogant, superior, and haughty attitudes, which would gain them a degree of notoriety throughout the galaxy.
During the Galactic Civil War, the E-3PO production line on Mechis III was commandeered by the megalomaniac assassin droid IG-88A. Supplanting their standard programming with his own sleeper version, IG-88A had the E-3PO droids serve as his spies throughout the galaxy as part of his Droid Revolution. While normally, the new programming would eventually become evident, the natural demeanor of the E-3POs masked it.
A subset of the 3PO-series protocol droid model, E-3PO units possessed the TechSpan I module, which allowed them to interface with Imperial networks. It also allowed them to interact with rare or obscure technologies produced by Imperial subcontractors. The E-3PO units, greatly limited and highly expensive, were aware of their prestigious status, and the awareness was, in turn, reflected in their metaprogramming. In time, E-3PO units would exhibit a superior attitude, and haughty behavior. In keeping with their limited numbers, E-3PO units rarely applied identifiers to their serial number, often just going by the name of "E-3PO."
The E-3PO line of protocol droids was produced during the Galactic Civil War on the factory world of Mechis III. Given the TechSpan I technology, their purpose was to interact with many different kinds of disparate Imperial networks. In time, the E-3PO units became aware of their own exclusivity, and became notoriously brusque and rude by protocol droid standards. That flaw in their personality and programming inspired IG-88A to use the E-3POs as his spies throughout the galaxy to help implement his Droid Revolution. His own sleeper programming, which caused personality aberrations, was masked by the natural temperament of the E-3PO. Modifying the droids on Mechis III, he dispatched scores of Imperial commissioned droids throughout the galaxy, with their alterations totally unknown to their owners.
Following the first demise of Emperor Palpatine during the Battle of Endor and the subsequent rise of the New Republic, New Republic Intelligence Service agents were able to acquire an E-3PO unit that had served on Cloud City, Bespin. Unfortunately for the agents, the E-3PO's TechSpan I module had been removed.
C-3PO meets Cloud City's E-3PO
During the early stages of the Galactic Civil War, an E-3PO droid served aboard the PLY-3500 Nova's Heart, a space yacht that was owned by the holostar Javul Charn. The droid acted as the vessel's steward and when the smuggler Dash Rendar and his associate Eaden Vrill were invited aboard the ship in 2 BBY to act as bodyguards to Charn, the E-3PO droid greeted the pair and showed them to their quarters aboard the yacht.
Originally assigned to Darth Vader's Death Squadron, one particular E-3PO unit was transferred to Cloud City, where he served as a translator for Ugnaught engineers. In 3 ABY, he was able to assist IG-88B, by passing on information about the rival bounty hunter Boba Fett, who was present on Cloud City. The Cloud City-based E-3PO would later have his TechSpan I module removed by an engineer that had tired of his miserable and abrasive attitude.
First appearing in Irvin Kershner's Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back, the E-3PO model of droid was first given its name in the Star Wars Customizable Card Game. The backstory of the droid subset was later established by "The Phantom Calamari" and "ejmacki" through StarWars.com's Hyperspace feature, "What's The Story?." The Databank entry chosen featured introductory text by Tyler Fisher. Information from the entry was later used in 2008's The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia. The 2004 role-playing adventure Contract AA23 also featured a protocol droid named E-3PO, although the adventure did not clarify whether the droid was of the E-3PO class.
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- LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
- Star Wars Customizable Card Game — Cloud City Limited
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