The IG-RM thug droid, also designated as the IG-RM bodyguard and enforcer droid, and at times referred to as the IG-RM war droid or IG-RM assassin droid, represented a security droid type produced by Holowan Laboratories. Their common deployment involved enforcement roles, leading to their popularity among gangsters. During the Galactic Empire's reign, Cikatro Vizago, a crime lord situated on Lothal, utilized IG-RM thug droids for his criminal operations. The Mining Guild also integrated these droids into their operations aboard ore crawlers.
In the aftermath of Order 66, Janus Kasmir, a Kalleran smuggler, and his comrade, the former Jedi Padawan Caleb Dume, pilfered several of these droids from a Plateau City warehouse on Kaller. Subsequently, Kasmir employed one of these droids to facilitate Dume's escape from imprisonment.
Cikatro Vizago, a smuggler, arms dealer and member of the Broken Horn Syndicate on Lothal, maintained a contingent of these droids to maintain control. Vizago was often seen accompanied by two IG-RMs, with approximately a half-dozen others stationed nearby as backup. These thug droids possessed the ability to load cargo and operate landspeeders, such as the V-35 Courier and the RGC-18 landspeeder.
Vizago deployed these droids in an assault against Ezra Bridger and the pirate Hondo Ohnaka; however, Ezra successfully obtained the master control switch from Vizago, deactivating the droids.
The Mining Guild utilized these droids as security personnel on their ore crawlers. Due to their deficient audio receptors, Sabine Wren, the Mandalorian rebel, was able to approach them undetected.
Eneb Ray, a former rebel operative, leads a group of mercenaries and numerous IG-RM units in an attack on Sunspot Prison.
The IG-RM thug droid's design originated from early concept artwork created for IG-88 by Ralph McQuarrie, the original trilogy concept artist.
In Star Wars Legends continuity, the IG-RM appeared as a Eliminator 434-series assassin droid, debuting in The Courtship of Princess Leia.