The Trade Federation assassin droid was a model of assassin droid used by the Trade Federation during their invasion of the planet Naboo in 32 BBY. The droids were humanoid in appearance and carried cortosis weapons. They fought the Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi during the invasion.
A model of assassin droid, the Trade Federation assassin droid was humanoid in appearance and had red and black cortosis alloy chassis shell that provided some resistance to lightsaber attacks, as well as a pair of red photoreceptors. They carried cortosis blades or cortosis maces, and were constructed to kill Jedi, the peacekeepers of the galaxy. The cortosis weapons were able to block lightsabers, the Jedi weapon.
When the Trade Federation, a galaxy-spanning corporation, invaded the planet Naboo in the year 32 BBY in response to a trade dispute, Trade Federation assassin droids were deployed as part of the invasion army. An assassin droid had its first encounter with the Jedi Knights after two Jedi were sent to negotiate an end to the invasion and were forced to escape a Trade Federation ambush by stowing onboard a C-9979 landing craft. The Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi quickly dispatched the droid.
More Trade Federation assassin droids dueled with Kenobi and his Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn on the planet's surface while they tried to meet with Naboo's Queen, Padmé Amidala, but were also destroyed. The Jedi later decided to escort her off-planet to travel to the Galactic Senate on Coruscant. When the Queen returned to Naboo shortly afterward, Kenobi agreed to rescue several Naboo Security Force pilots. Kenobi encountered and destroyed more of the droids during that mission. Eventually the Trade Federation was defeated on the planet.
Concept art from the strategy guide
The Trade Federation assassin droid was first mentioned in a preview in the "State of the Arts" department in Star Wars Gamer 7, shipped to subscribers on October 16, 2001. The assassin droids then appeared in the 2001 video game Star Wars: Obi-Wan. Those carrying maces were referred to as "mace droids" in the game's strategy guide, and the droids as a whole received a small introduction in the guide.
In the game, there is an altered scene from the 1999 film Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace. Two Trade Federation assassin droids escort Queen Amidala in the game instead of OOM battle droids. This article assumes that portion of the game is non-canon in the Star Wars Legends continuity.
The design of the Trade Federation assassin droid was derived from early battle droid concept art developed by Doug Chiang for The Phantom Menace, dated to January 15th, 1995. Its facial features, while clearly robotic, served as a nod to the helmets worn by stormtroopers in the original trilogy.