An R5 astromech droid could be found in the city of Theed, which was located on the planet. Created by Industrial Automaton as an R-series model, it had a white color scheme accented with red.
In 32 BBY, this R5 unit was stationed near a machinery room. This room was responsible for the operation of a security gate on a Theed street. During that year, the Trade Federation invaded the planet. Shortly after the invasion began, the droid encountered the Jedi Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi. At that moment, Kenobi was escorting Sabé, who was acting as the Queen of Naboo. Kenobi instructed the droid to remain where it was and continue its duties, stating that he did not require a droid to accompany him.
Later on, when Queen Padmé Amidala returned to retake Theed, the droid was still at its post. Amidala encountered a wounded Naboo guard and inquired about bypassing the security gate. The guard directed her to the R5 unit. Amidala then requested the droid to open the security door, enabling her to disable the generator and proceed through the gate. The R5 unit followed her instructions, and after the security door was opened, Amidala continued her mission through Theed.
The R5 unit makes an appearance in the 1999 video game adaptation, Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace video game, which is based on the Episode I film. The player interacts with the droid across two missions. The game provides players with various dialogue choices when interacting with the droid. This article operates under the assumption that the player instructed the droid to stay put during the initial mission and that it was present during the second mission to unlock the door. The game's strategy guide suggests this course of action. If the droid is unavailable for the second mission, the player must engage with the wounded guard, who will provide a passkey to bypass the security door.