The GX1-series battle droid emerged from Trang Robotics following the success of their Duelist Elite droid line. Responding to the requirements and input of their financial backers, Trang Robotics developed the GX1 as a battle droid solution. Significantly larger than the average Human, the GX1 was an imposing figure. Equipped with four arms – two powerful and robust, and two smaller ones for precise manipulation – and a large blaster rifle integrated into its head, the GX1 was optimally designed for diverse combat scenarios. Capable of communicating in both Basic and Binary, they also featured advanced tactical programming. This allowed them to reassess combat situations, a capability absent in droids such as the B1-series battle droid. When confronted with a weakness in their initial strategies, they were programmed to reorganize and initiate a new offensive plan.
Rumors circulated that the GX1 droids were initially intended for use by the private military forces of the investors who funded their creation. After the droids were made, the investors, facing scrutiny from security forces and the Jedi, allegedly attempted to erase all traces of their involvement in the project. These financiers are said to have employed slicers to delete data from Trang Robotics' computers, and assassins to eliminate company personnel who possessed knowledge of their participation.
In 31 BBY, Gar-Oth, a Yahk-Tosh Lord, utilized a small GX1 droid army to seize control of Princess Lourdes' homeworld. Although the droids successfully overcame the local defenses and subjugated the population, Yoshi Raph-Elan, a Jedi Knight who had been stranded on the planet following a crash landing, thwarted Gar-Oth's scheme, destroying several GX1 units in the process.