During the Galactic Civil War, a 3PO protocol droid designated K-3PO, a masculine unit, held the rank of captain within the Alliance to Restore the Republic. His assignment placed him at Echo Base on the planet Hoth, where his duties centered around managing the base's droidpool. Tragically, he met his end when falling debris, a consequence of enemy bombardment, crushed him during the Battle of Hoth as the Rebel command center took direct hits.
K-3PO, a product of [Cybot Galactica](/article/cybot_galactica]'s manufacturing lines, found himself serving the [Alliance to Restore the Republic](/article/alliance_to_restore_the_republic]'s military by 3 ABY of the standard year count. This was amidst the ongoing Galactic Civil War against the forces of the Galactic Empire. This protocol droid was stationed within the military command hub of Echo Base, situated on the frigid ice planet of Hoth. His responsibilities encompassed tracking troop deployments, personally conveying critical communications, and overseeing the base's loudspeaker system. Furthermore, he was entrusted with the organizational oversight of the Echo Base droidpool.
K-3PO was actively monitoring a tactical display when Han Solo, a captain, informed [Carlist Rieekan](/article/carlist_rieekan], a General, of his decision to abandon the Rebellion in order to settle his outstanding debts with Jabba Desilijic Tiure, the Hutt crime lord. During the Imperial assault on Hoth, the droid was present in the central command post as the Rebels deactivated Echo Base's shield and initiated the Battle of Hoth with the initial volley fired from Echo Base's v-150 Planet Defender ion cannon, enabling their first transport to flee the orbiting Imperial fleet. K-3PO remained on duty as patrol units were dispatched and evacuation orders were issued to remaining personnel. Regrettably, before the last Rebel transport could depart Echo Base, the command center suffered a direct hit, and K-3PO was crushed by falling debris.
K-3PO was a protocol droid of the 3PO series, distinguished by his white exterior plating and a set of yellow photoreceptors. His physical dimensions included a height of 1.67 meters and a weight of 75 kilograms. Identifying him as a captain were a pair of red pips displayed on the right side of his pectoral plating. K-3PO possessed fluency in over 8 million communication methods, and his memory banks contained a vast repository of battle strategies.
K-3PO's debut in the official Star Wars canon occurred in the 1980 cinematic release, Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back. Chris Parsons played the droid, while also serving as a stand-in for Anthony Daniels as C-3PO, and portraying 4-LOM. His identification was first made in Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know, a reference guide authored by Adam Bray, Kerrie Dougherty, Cole Horton, and [Michael Kogge], which was released on September 4, 2015. The name K-3PO was first used in the second edition of Galaxy Guide 3: The Empire Strikes Back, a 1996 supplement by Michael Stern and Pablo Hidalgo for Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game. This publication retconned the "Coordinator Droid" from NPR's Star Wars Legends The Empire Strikes Back radio dramatization, originally aired on February 14, 1983, and established it as the same protocol droid extra played by Chris Parsons.