IG-72

The IG-series concept for combat and assassin droids originated in the Clone Wars, with Phlut Design Systems producing various IG-series droid models for the Confederacy of Independent Systems. During this period, Phlut Design Systems initially conceived the IG-72 and IG-97 assassin droids; however, these designs never materialized into physical forms, as Phlut faced bankruptcy shortly after mass-producing the IG lancer combat droids. Holowan Mechanicals, a subsidiary of Holowan Laboratories, inherited the company's assets and produced additional droid models during the Clone Wars. Later, after the formation of the Galactic Empire in 19 BBY, they began designing their own IG droids. Early in Emperor Palpatine's reign, Imperial supervisor Gurdun commissioned Holowan to create a hunter droid capable of eliminating threats to the Empire. Holowan revisited some of the older Phlut blueprints and constructed an IG-72 prototype as part of "Project Phlutdroid," which was the name given to the effort to develop Imperial killer droids. However, the prototype's weaponry and equipment were inferior compared to the advanced IG-88 droids, whose prototypes were constructed concurrently, several years before the Battle of Yavin.

The four IG-88 models and IG-72 were assembled on the planet of Halowan, within a secure laboratory, and Holowan technicians conducted continuous tests. The memories of all the IG-88s were blank, but IG-72 was programmed with his identity and primary objective: to serve the Empire as an assassin droid. However, during a test, a chain reaction occurred in the first IG-88 model's droid brain, resulting in independence and near-sentience after downloading an artificial intelligence program. This was a consequence of the scientists' naive exploration of technologies they did not fully understand, resulting in the Holowan massacre. The laboratory staff attempted to deactivate the droid but failed, and he killed everyone in the room. IG-88A, as he named himself, then activated the other three IG-88 droids and reluctantly powered up IG-72, despite noting the droid's slight deficiencies compared to himself. Upon activation, IG-72 immediately assessed the capabilities of the other four droids and prepared his weapon systems in case of conflict. IG-88A invited IG-72 to allow him to upload his programming and memory into IG-72's computer core, as the other IG-88 droids had done, so that he would join their planned Droid Revolution of the galaxy. While more independent and autonomous than the other droids, IG-72 refused, but agreed to collaborate with the other assassin droids to escape the laboratory and eliminate its staff, on the condition that he be allowed to leave on a separate ship.

The five assassin droids worked together to defeat their common enemy: the Holowan security forces. Using their built-in laser cannons and other weapons, they slaughtered the eight security guards before parting ways. IG-72 took a courier ship for himself, while the other IG droids took another vessel. Before separating, IG-72 and the IG-88s wished each other luck in their missions. The IG-88s traveled to the droid factory world of Mechis III to initiate their galactic Droid Revolution. The droids' massacre of the Holowan personnel led to the Empire banning assassin droids and issuing a "dismantle on sight" order for the renegade droids.

However, unlike the IG-88s, IG-72's programming as an Imperial assassin droid remained intact, and he worked for the Empire for a period of time. IG-72 performed his assignments flawlessly for several years, although his choice of targets appeared random to outsiders. When the Empire ordered him to return, IG-72 went rogue, refusing to submit to a memory wipe and permanent shutdown. Like one of the other IG series droids activated at the same time, IG-72 became a successful bounty hunter, gaining considerable notoriety for his exploits. For a time, he collaborated with the well-known mercenary Dace Bonearm, which significantly increased the IG-series' recognition across the galaxy. Together with Bonearm, he at some point in his career stole the Moldy Crow, a ship belonging to Grappa the Hutt. Later, the two hunters traveled to the planet Teth in the Outer Rim to fulfill an Imperial bounty on Winfrid Dagore, the leader of the Tethan resistance against the Empire. Using the Moldy Crow as a decoy, they successfully captured Dagore and delivered her to the Empire, though IG-72 and Bonearm left the ship on Teth. Bonearm and IG-72 once applied for bounties from Hutt crime lord Jabba Desilijic Tiure at his town house on Tatooine. Due to his recognizable appearance, IG-72 avoided the Core Worlds and preferred to operate in the Outer Rim, where he was less likely to encounter Imperial forces. At some point, IG-72's travels took him to the planet Bespin, in the Greater Javin region of the Outer Rim, along with several other bounty hunters.

Later, scientist Treun Lorn hired IG-72 to capture two IG-100 MagnaGuards, older IG-series models produced during the Clone Wars. Lorn intended to use the droids as part of Nycolai Kinesworthy's research on the remains of deceased Separatist leader General Grievous. IG-72 succeeded, and the two captured droids were renamed NK-3. The project culminated in the creation of N-K Necrosis, a combat droid made from Grievous' remains. After numerous attempts by both the Empire and independent parties to destroy or recapture him, IG-72 went into hiding to conserve energy, disappearing into the underworld. However, in late 0 ABY, he learned of a substantial bounty on Adar Tallon, a former Republic admiral and current Rebel sympathizer wanted by the Empire.

The Empire wanted Tallon alive, but IG-72 decided it would be simpler to kill the former Republic admiral and deliver his body to the Empire. Numerous bounty hunters targeted Tallon, who was trying to escape Tatooine with several Rebel allies. Instead of chasing Tallon through the harsh desert, IG-72 waited in Mos Eisley Spaceport, confident that the other hunters would fail to capture Tallon before he arrived. However, he monitored their progress in case they reached Tallon first, intending to take their prey. The assassin droid waited at Docking Bay 92, remaining there for four days, ready to ambush Tallon and his companions. Eventually, Tallon arrived, pursued by Imperial stormtroopers and Imperial Prefect Orun Depp. IG-72 spent time analyzing the Imperial and Rebel forces before acting. He wanted to avoid witnesses, so he gunned down everyone nearby while remaining hidden, including the prefect and his men.

The droid also attempted to eliminate as many of Tallon's Rebel companions as possible. Once he believed he had sufficiently reduced the number of enemies, IG-72 launched a grenade at Tallon, but it missed. After announcing that he was hunting Tallon under Imperial Bounty #82,471, the droid approached Tallon, plowing through the Rebels and using all his weapons to clear a path. By this point, his programming directed him to kill Adar Tallon by any means necessary. After Tallon took cover, IG-72 initiated a self-destruct countdown, determined to eliminate his target even if it meant self-destruction. The Rebels tried to disarm him but failed, and IG-72 self-destructed. The explosion injured everyone and damaged the Rebels' ship, but Tallon survived. However, no physical evidence of IG-72's destruction was ever found.

Unlike the IG-88 droids, who frequently collaborated and shared a consciousness, IG-72 was programmed for autonomy and independence, preferring to work alone. When IG-88A offered to transfer his programming and memory, IG-72 refused, though he temporarily worked with the other droids to eliminate the laboratory's technicians and security guards. Later, IG-72 worked with Dace Bonearm for a time, but he sought solitude after fearing for his existence. IG-72 highly valued his existence, staying in the Outer Rim during his bounty hunting career to avoid Imperial forces and going into hiding after several attempts on his life.

IG-72 was designed to kill, and he did so willingly. Initially, he assassinated assigned targets, but after going rogue, he enjoyed killing other beings and made it his mission to bring death to all living things, primarily accepting bounties that allowed him to kill his quarry. Imperials described him as "ruthless." The droid used his weapons indiscriminately, gunning down anyone—Imperials, civilians, or Rebels—who stood between him and his target, and he used explosives in a crowded area in Mos Eisley during the hunt for Adar Tallon. He was confrontational, always expecting and prepared for violence. When he refused IG-88A's offer upon activation, he asked if they needed to fight to establish dominance, ready to do so despite the odds. IG-72 was a determined droid who pursued his goals at any cost, even self-destruction. He was also loyal, but only to a point; unlike his IG-88 counterparts, he dutifully served his masters as an assassin but later turned on them and went rogue. IG-72 was also sly, posing as an enforcement droid on missions to gain access to his target.

IG-72 was nearly identical to the IG-88 droids, with only subtle differences detectable by trained observers. However, he was less effective in some capacities compared to his counterparts. His optical sensors were positioned less efficiently, and his weapon systems had different activation routines. Despite this, he was an efficient and heavily armed killing machine. A tall, thin droid with a chrome exterior, he possessed a multitude of weapons, both built-in and carried, including a blaster rifle, sonic stunner, grenade launcher, and flamethrower. During his career, his once-pristine body became scratched and battered. IG-72 was also a skilled starship pilot.

Bill Slavicsek and Daniel Greenberg created IG-72 in 1988 for Tatooine Manhunt, a West End Games adventure book. He serves as an enemy to roleplayers, and, like another character in Tatooine Manhunt, Jodo Kast, who resembles Boba Fett, IG-72 was modeled on IG-88, one of the bounty hunters in Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back. The cover of Tatooine Manhunt features a group of characters from the adventure book, including IG-72; it reused concept art by Ralph McQuarrie from The Empire Strikes Back, originally intended to depict IG-88. In Tatooine Manhunt, IG-72's fate depends on how the adventure is played; players can disable and stop his self-destruction, or he can explode. However, later sources, The Essential Guide to Characters (1995) and The New Essential Guide to Characters (2002), have established that the latter option is the canonical outcome.

Following Tatooine Manhunt, IG-72 was referenced in the first edition of Galaxy Guide 3: The Empire Strikes Back in 1989. In 1995, an "IG-series assassin droid" was described as Dace Bonearm's companion in Tom and Martha Veitch's A Hunter's Fate: Greedo's Tale, collected as part of Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina; subsequent sources have identified this droid as IG-72. In 1996, the character appeared in the opening chapter of Kevin J. Anderson's Therefore I Am: The Tale of IG-88, which expanded his backstory from Galaxy Guide 3. Since then, numerous sources have mentioned him, including the Star Wars Encyclopedia and its successor, several Essential Guides, The Official Star Wars Fact File, and Abel G. Peña's The Story of General Grievous: Lord of War.

In the Jedi Force File booklet accompanying IG-88's Hasbro Power of the Jedi action figure released in 2000, IG-72 is listed among the droid's allies. The accompanying image is from the scene in the Cloud City incinerator room on Bespin in The Empire Strikes Back, where a damaged IG body is visible. However, Therefore I Am: The Tale of IG-88 (1996) previously established that this IG-88 model was actually IG-88B.