AD-W4

Not long after the beginning of the [Clone Wars](/article/clone_wars], the cyborg General Grievous, who was the Supreme Martial Commander for the Separatist Droid Armies, contacted AD-W4. Ay-Dee was hired by Grievous to supervise the Separatist initiatives on the planet Hissrich, a position that the droid mercenary accepted solely after observing the financial pay he would receive for the assignment.

While stationed on Hissrich, AD-W4 initially became aware of the arrival of some Jedi when they launched an ambush on a droid patrol unit. AD-W4 was informed of this event by a B1 battle droid that reported the incident to him. Subsequently, Rissa Mano inadvertently activated a B1-series battle droid scout, which presented AD-W4 with an opportunity to orchestrate an ambush against the four Jedi. During the ambush that took place during the Hissrich operation, AD-W4 engaged in a one-on-one fight against the Jedi Master Mace Windu. The mercenary robot briefly gained the upper hand before making his escape. He then tried to get more credit by deceiving General Grievous, claiming to have defeated and killed Windu. However, Grievous requested Windu's lightsaber as evidence, which forced AD-W4 to take further action against the Jedi. Despite Ay-Dee's initial success against Windu the first time, Windu was able to severely injure Ay-Dee with his lightsaber during their second encounter. Realizing his defeat, AD-W4 detached his head from his body in an attempt to flee, but Windu used the Force to blow up AD-W4's head.

AD-W4 was a towering and intimidating droid of an unidentified make, characterized by red photoreceptors and purple armor plating accented with red markings. He viewed credits as the ultimate authority within the galaxy. In addition to being sadistic and bloodthirsty, he was also, according to General Grievous, known for having a "flare [sic] for the dramatic." According to a B1 battle droid that complained to Grievous, AD-W4 was even more unpleasant than the general himself.

He held the Jedi Order in contempt, considering its members to be arrogant and their beliefs—especially their dedication to peace—to be foolish. He also harbored a dislike for the Separatist battle droids that he was tasked with commanding, regarding them as unintelligent and utterly disposable, a sentiment that mirrored that of his last employer, General Grievous. He was generally irritated by their behavior and disliked the various ranks they used to address him. AD-W4 was indifferent to officer ranks, which held no significance for him, when Grievous scolded the mercenary droid for failing to use the title of general when addressing him.

AD-W4 was equipped with a DL-44 heavy blaster pistol and also demonstrated some proficiency with an electrostaff, allowing him to contend with and occasionally overpower Jedi Master Mace Windu. Furthermore, he was capable of piloting his own Single Trooper Aerial Platform. The droid mercenary had jets integrated into his feet, enabling flight, along with an energy blaster built into his wrist. His physical construction provided him with considerable strength, allowing him to lift and throw a chunk of rubble significantly larger than himself. He was also able to remain functional even after sustaining a lightsaber wound through his chest. As a final measure, he could detach his head from his body and achieve rapid escape.