IG-72

The concept of the IG-series of combat and assassin droids dated back to the Clone Wars, when Phlut Design Systems manufactured various models of IG-series droids for the Confederacy of Independent Systems. During this period, Phlut Design Systems first conceptualized the IG-72 and IG-97 assassin droids, though these models were never realized in any physical form, as Phlut went bankrupt soon after producing the IG lancer combat droids en masse. The company's assets were inherited by Holowan Mechanicals, a subsidiary of Holowan Laboratories, who produced several more models of the droid during the Clone Wars and later began designing their own IG droids after the formation of the Galactic Empire in 19 BBY. Early in Emperor Palpatine's reign, Holowan was commissioned by Imperial supervisor Gurdun to build a hunter droid capable of eliminating threats to the Empire; Holowan went back to some of the older Phlut blueprints and built an IG-72 prototype as part of "Project Phlutdroid," as the project to create Imperial killer droids came to be known. However, the prototype's weaponry and equipment were deficient in comparison to the state-of-the-art IG-88 droids, prototypes of which were built at the same time, several years prior to the Battle of Yavin.

The four IG-88 models and IG-72 were constructed on the planet Halowan, in a secure laboratory, and tests were constantly conducted by the contingent of Holowan technicians. All of the IG-88s' memories were blank, but IG-72 was programmed with his identity and primary purpose, to serve the Empire as an assassin droid. However, during a routine test, a chain reaction occurred in the first IG-88 model's droid brain, making him independent and almost sentient, after he downloaded an artificial intelligence program; it was all a result of the naïve scientists delving into technologies they did not fully comprehend. The staff at the laboratory attempted to deactivate the droid, but were unable to do so, and he killed everyone in the room. IG-88A, as he had designated himself, proceeded to activate the other three IG-88 droids, before reluctantly powering up IG-72, despite noticing the droid's marginal deficiencies compared to himself. Immediately upon his activation, IG-72 began assessing the four other droids' capabilities and prepared his weapon systems should an altercation arise. IG-88A invited IG-72 to allow him to upload his own programming and memory into IG-72's computer core, as the other IG-88 droids had done, so that he would join them in their planned Droid Revolution of the galaxy. While more independent and autonomous than the other droids, IG-72 refused, though agreed to work with the other assassin droids to break free of the laboratory and kill its staff on the condition that he be allowed to leave on a different ship.

The five assassin droids worked in unison to defeat their common enemy, the Holowan security forces. Using their built-in laser cannons and other weapons, they slaughtered the eight security guards before parting ways, with IG-72 taking a courier ship for himself and the other IG droids taking an alternate vessel. Before they separated, IG-72 and the IG-88s wished each other luck in their missions. The IG-88s traveled to the droid factory world of Mechis III to begin their galactic Droid Revolution. The droids' massacre of the Holowan personnel was one of the reasons why assassin droids were banned by the Empire, and a "dismantle on sight" order was immediately issued for the renegade droids.

Unlike the IG-88s, however, IG-72's programming as an Imperial assassin droid remained intact, and he worked on the Empire's behalf for a time. IG-72 performed his assignments without fail for several years, though no outsiders understood his choice of targets, which appeared to some to be entirely random. When the Empire issued an order to return, IG-72 went rogue, refusing to submit to a memory wipe and permanent shutdown. Like one of the other IG series droids activated at the same time as him, IG-72 became a successful bounty hunter, earning much notoriety for his exploits. For a time he worked with well-known mercenary Dace Bonearm, making the IG-series much more familiar across the galaxy. Together with Bonearm, he at some point in his career pilfered the Moldy Crow, a ship belonging to Grappa the Hutt. Later, the two hunters traveled to the planet Teth in the Outer Rim to execute an Imperial bounty on Winfrid Dagore, the leader of the Tethan resistance against the Empire. Using the Moldy Crow as a decoy, they were able to capture Dagore and take her to the Empire, though IG-72 and Bonearm left the ship on Teth. Bonearm and IG-72 once applied for bounties from Hutt crime lord Jabba Desilijic Tiure at his town house on Tatooine. Because he was so recognizable, IG-72 avoided the Core Worlds, preferring to operate in the Outer Rim, where he was less likely to run afoul of Imperial forces. At some point in his career, IG-72's travels took him to the planet Bespin, in the Greater Javin region of the Outer Rim, along with a number of other bounty hunters.

Some time later, IG-72 was hired by scientist Treun Lorn to capture two IG-100 MagnaGuards, earlier models of the IG-series produced during the Clone Wars. Lorn wanted the droids to be used as part of Nycolai Kinesworthy's research with the remains of deceased Separatist leader General Grievous. IG-72 was successful, and the two captured droids were renamed NK-3. The project culminated in the creation of N-K Necrosis, a combat droid created from the remains of Grievous' body. After many attempts were made to destroy or recapture him by both the Empire and independent parties, IG-72 went into hiding for a time to conserve his energy, disappearing into the underworld. Late in 0 ABY, however, he learned of a hefty bounty on Adar Tallon, a former Republic admiral and current Rebel sympathizer wanted by the Empire.

The Empire wanted Tallon alive and intact, but IG-72 decided that it would be more simple if he killed the former Republic admiral and took his body to the Empire. Myriad bounty hunters targeted Tallon, who was attempting to flee the planet Tatooine along with a number of Rebel allies. Rather than chasing Tallon through the world's harsh, desert conditions as the other bounty hunters had, IG-72 waited in Mos Eisley Spaceport, confident that the other hunters would fail to capture Tallon before he reached there. However, he monitored their progress just in case they reached Tallon before him, intending to take their prey away from them if such a case arose. The assassin droid lay in waiting at Docking Bay 92, staying there for four days, ready to spring a trap on Tallon and his companions. Eventually, Tallon arrived, but was being pursued by a contingent of Imperial stormtroopers and Imperial Prefect Orun Depp. IG-72 spent much time analyzing the Imperial and Rebel forces before making his move. He did not want anyone to witness his capture, so, while still hiding in the shadows, he gunned down everyone in the vicinity, including the prefect and his men.

The droid also attempted to take down as many of Tallon's Rebel companions as he could. When he deemed himself to have reduced the number of enemies sufficiently, IG-72 launched a grenade at Tallon, though it missed its intended target. After announcing that he was hunting Tallon in accordance with Imperial Bounty #82,471, the droid began to approach Tallon, plowing through the Rebels and using all of his weapons to get them out of his way. By this point, everything in the droid's programming told him to kill Adar Tallon, by whatever means necessary. After Tallon ducked for cover, IG-72 initiated a self-destruct countdown, determined to terminate his quarry even if he had to destroy himself in the process. The Rebels attempted to disarm him but were ultimately unsuccessful, and IG-72 self-destructed. The explosion caused injury to everyone in the area and damage to the Rebels' ship, but Tallon survived. However, no physical evidence of the destruction of IG-72 was ever found.

Unlike the IG-88 droids, who frequently worked together and essentially shared the same consciousness, IG-72 was programmed to be autonomous and independent, preferring to work as a lone operator. When IG-88A offered to transfer all his programming and memory, IG-72 refused, though he still worked with the other droids temporarily to kill off the laboratory's technicians and security guards. Later in his career, IG-72 did work with another, Dace Bonearm, for a time, though he sought solitude after fearing his existence was in danger. IG-72 valued his existence greatly, staying to the Outer Rim during his bounty hunting career in order to avoid Imperial forces, and going into hiding after several attempts by others to destroy him.

IG-72 was designed to kill people, and he did so willfully. Initially, he simply assassinated the targets he was assigned to, but after going rogue he took pleasure in killing other beings, and made it his mission to bring death to all living things, opting to take mostly bounties that permitted him to kill his quarry. He was described as "ruthless" by Imperials. The droid used his weapons unscrupulously, gunning down anyone—Imperials, civilians, or Rebels—who stood between him and his quarry, and used explosives in a heavily-populated area in Mos Eisley during the hunt for Adar Tallon. He was confrontational, always expecting and prepared for violence; when he refused IG-88A's offer on the day of their activation, he asked the other droid whether they needed to fight to assert dominance, ready to do so if it was deemed necessary, despite the odds being stacked against him. IG-72 was a determined droid, who pursued his goals at any cost, even if it meant his own destruction. He was also loyal, but only to a point; unlike his IG-88 counterparts, he served his masters as an assassin dutifully, but later turned on them and went rogue. IG-72 was also quite sly, pretending to be an enforcement droid on missions in order to gain access to his target.

IG-72 was almost identical to the IG-88 droids, the only differences being too subtle for the untrained eye to spot. However, he was deficient and less effective in a number of capacities when compared to his counterparts: his optical sensors were placed in a less efficient array, and his weapon systems had different activation routines. Despite this, however, he was an efficient and heavily-armed killing machine. A tall, thin droid with a chrome exterior, he had a multitude of weapons, both built-in and carried, including a blaster rifle, sonic stunner, grenade launcher, and flamethrower. During his career, his once-pristine body became badly scratched and battered. IG-72 was also a capable starship pilot.

IG-72 was created by Bill Slavicsek and Daniel Greenberg in 1988 for Tatooine Manhunt, a West End Games adventure book. He serves as an enemy to roleplayers, and, like another character in Tatooine Manhunt, Jodo Kast, who resembles Boba Fett, IG-72 was modeled on IG-88, one of the bounty hunters in Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back. The cover of Tatooine Manhunt displays a group of characters present in the adventure book, including IG-72; it was reused concept art by Ralph McQuarrie from The Empire Strikes Back, originally meant to depict IG-88. In Tatooine Manhunt, IG-72's fate varies depending on how the adventure is played out; the players can disable and stop his self-destruction, or he can explode. However, later sources, the 1995 The Essential Guide to Characters and the subsequent 2002 The New Essential Guide to Characters, have established that the later option is the canonical outcome.

Following Tatooine Manhunt, IG-72 was later referenced in the first edition of Galaxy Guide 3: The Empire Strikes Back, in 1989. In 1995, an "IG-series assassin droid" was described as the companion of Dace Bonearm in Tom and Martha Veitch's A Hunter's Fate: Greedo's Tale, collected as part of Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina; subsequent sources have established this droid to be IG-72. In 1996, the character featured in the opening chapter of Kevin J. Anderson's Therefore I Am: The Tale of IG-88, which expanded his backstory provided by Galaxy Guide 3. Since then, he has been mentioned by numerous sources, including the Star Wars Encyclopedia and its successor, several Essential Guides, The Official Star Wars Fact File, and Abel G. Peña's The Story of General Grievous: Lord of War.

In the Jedi Force File booklet accompanying IG-88's Hasbro Power of the Jedi action figure released in the year 2000, IG-72 is listed among the droid's allies. His accompanying image is from the scene in the Cloud City incinerator room on Bespin in The Empire Strikes Back, where a damaged IG body can be seen. However, 1996's Therefore I Am: The Tale of IG-88 had previously established that this IG-88 model was in fact IG-88B.