Droid

The early history of droids has been lost to time. By the era of the New Republic, the precise date of the first droid's creation was unknown. Some historians, focusing on more technologically advanced worlds, estimated the origin of the first droids to be approximately 30,000 years prior to the Battle of Yavin. Nevertheless, droids served alongside organic beings in galactic society for millennia. According to R0-GR, the author and B1-series battle droid, the relationship between organic and mechanical lifeforms was fragile, with organics fearing droid uprisings. Despite several droid revolts, Roger claimed an "unspoken understanding" between human and droid cultures kept them working together through the ages.

Droids existed even in the earliest days of the Jedi Order, established over 25,000 years before the Clone Wars. One such ancient droid, Professor Huyang, served the Jedi for many millennia. This long-standing coexistence resulted in a complex relationship between organics and mechanicals across the galaxy. As droids became more important in galactic society, records of uprisings and conflicts between droids and their organic masters became increasingly common. During the High Republic Era, the Nihil embraced droids and created blaredroids and scav droids for use as weapons.

During the Clone Wars, a galaxy-wide conflict, the Confederacy of Independent Systems deployed a variety of battle droids in their struggle against the Galactic Republic. This widespread use of droids in warfare solidified the perception of droids as an existential threat to biological life in the minds of many in the Republic. The Chiss Ascendancy did not utilize droids by the time of the Clone Wars.

Ultimately, the Republic emerged victorious, only to be replaced by the Galactic Empire, an authoritarian regime. Under the Empire, many galactic citizens harbored fear and distrust towards droids, due to their association with the Clone Wars. The Galactic Empire encouraged anti-droid sentiment, treating droids as mere property. Continuing practices from the Clone Wars, many sentients routinely wiped droids' memories, installed restraining bolts, and restricted their movements. Droids were also barred from numerous establishments. Following the Clone Wars, the Imperial Senate enacted legislation prohibiting programming that could allow droids used by the Empire to harm organics. However, Arakyd Industries, in collaboration with the Imperial Military, circumvented this law by marketing their KX-series droids as "security droids".

The illegal sport of droid-fighting took place on Nal Hutta and at the Lodge, where Ralakili, a Clone Wars survivor, managed fighting pits fueled by his hatred of droids. In contrast, the Rebel Alliance, which opposed the Empire, regarded droids as sentient beings, not property. The Rebellion encouraged droids to engage in acts of resistance, such as overriding restrictive programming, disabling restraining bolts, and demanding freedom. The New Republic and Resistance continued the Rebellion's acceptance of droids as equals.

Droids were mechanical creations built to aid organic lifeforms in a variety of capacities. Their level of artificial intelligence varied depending on the tasks they were designed to perform. Most droids were programmed with restrictions preventing them from harming organics, though security droids and assassin droids were notable exceptions. Simpler droids typically assumed that if a human acted as if they belonged somewhere, then that human was authorized to be there.

Droids exhibited a wide range of sizes and forms, with many resembling humanoid organics, featuring an upright stance, two arms, two legs, hands, feet, a thorax, a neck, and a head. The B1 battle droids were intentionally designed to resemble their insectoid Geonosian creators. Similarly, the Colicoids modeled the three-legged droidekas after themselves. Some droids, such as the LOM-series unit, were designed to closely resemble the organics they served.

Unlike organics, who were born and healed slowly, droids could be manufactured quickly and in large numbers, were more durable, and were easier to repair. They also possessed pre-programmed skills (such as advanced calculation abilities), eliminating the need for learning. Most droids had some degree of self-awareness, with advanced models even displaying emotions like fear for their survival. Droids did not need to breathe, eat, or drink. They could survive in a vacuum and underwater, and were resistant to cosmic radiation, all poisons, toxins, and diseases. While they did not require sleep, they could be deactivated as a form of rest and underwent periodic maintenance cycles.

Droids were generally considered non-living entities. Scanners designed to detect life-forms could not detect them. Similarly, droids could not access the Force, an energy field connecting all living things in the galaxy. Furthermore, droids could not be sensed in the Force, although a skilled Jedi might perceive their presence through the void they created in the Force. Nevertheless, R0-GR referred to droids as mechanical life-forms and artificial lives. The reprogrammed protocol unit Triple-Zero proposed that the Force could potentially flow through a droid equipped with a special engine powered by human blood.

Droids could not die in the traditional sense, although they could be destroyed. If enough of the droid's components remained intact, they could be repaired. Droids were generally obedient and precise, typically following the instructions of their owners. However, unlike simple machines or basic computers, droids could develop unique personalities through accumulated experiences. They were capable of forming friendships and experiencing emotions such as happiness, pain, and sadness. To prevent this, many droid owners regularly performed memory wipes on their droids. However, memory wipes were not always perfect, sometimes leaving droids with fragmented memories.

Despite these limitations, some droids were emancipated. Droid rights movements advocated for equality between droids and other sentient beings, with droids like L3-37 passionately supporting this cause.

The neural core was regarded as the soul of a droid. Nightwatcher worms, a non-sentient predatory species native to the planet Jakku, did not find droids palatable. As a result, BB-8, a BB-series astromech droid, was spared by a nightwatcher worm after escaping the First Order's attack on Tuanul.

Droids could be assigned a wide array of tasks, from performing basic diagnostics to conducting complex medical procedures or transmitting communications to flying starships. Based on their technology, skills, and intended purpose, droids were categorized into five "classes," also known as "degrees."

The first class comprised droids proficient in mathematical, physical, and medical sciences. Examples include the JN-66 analysis droid, the 2-1B surgical droid, the midwife droid, the DD-13 tripedal medical droid, and the GH-7 series medical assistance droid.

Second class droids were skilled in engineering and technical fields. Examples include the DUM-series pit droid, the PLNK-series power droid, and the WED-15 Septoid Treadwell.

Droids in the third class possessed skills in social sciences and service-oriented roles. Examples include the CZ secretary droid, the LEP-series service droid, the FA-5 valet droid, and the BD-3000 luxury droid.

The fourth class consisted of droids specializing in military and security functions. Examples include the GU-series Guardian police droid, the KX-series security droid, and the B1-series battle droid.

Fifth class droids were programmed for manual labor and demanding tasks that did not require advanced intelligence. Examples include the GNK-series power droid, the MSE-6 series repair droid, the IW-37 pincer loader droid, the R-H029 sifter droid, the PK-series worker droid, and the UX-53 Autopolisher MK.II Droid.

In the novelization of Star Wars: A New Hope and other early Star Wars Legends materials, the word droid was stylized as 'droid.

During a 1977 interview about the original trilogy film Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, George Lucas explained that droids were created to serve sentients. Lucas considered droids his favorite characters and wanted them to be friendly rather than cold or malevolent, similar to the robots in THX 1138. However, he did not intend droids to be sentient, stating that even droids like C-3PO and R2-D2, despite their human-like qualities, lacked a soul and were merely programmed to behave like humans.

Lucas aimed to highlight droids and their life challenges, giving them significant screen time because they had endured considerable hardship and had limited opportunities to prove themselves. A New Hope, like Akira Kurosawa's film The Hidden Fortress, which follows two peasants traveling with a princess and a general, presents the story from the perspectives of two humble beings: the droids R2-D2 and C-3PO.

George Lucas owns the trademark for the term "droid." The miniature 'mech combat wargame BattleTech was initially named BattleDroids but was renamed due to trademark issues with Lucasfilm.

Pixar Animation Studios' film The Incredibles (2004) references Lucasfilm's droids with the Omnidroid, a large weapon of destruction. A similar killer droid with the same name also appears in Star Wars Galaxies. The film's credits acknowledge Lucasfilm.

According to Mickey News (November 25, 2004):

Verizon Wireless licenses the term "Droid" for its line of smartphones that use the Android operating system. Motorola's late-2009 Google Android-based cell phone is called the Droid, and this line has expanded to include other Android-based phones released under Verizon, all used under license from Lucasfilm.