The R2 series astromech droid known as R2-SHP, or "Shep," aided the Resistance alongside his counterpart R6-LE5 throughout the war against the First Order. This pair routinely maintained the CR90 corvette Tantive IV while the ship was stationed at the Resistance base situated on the moon of Ajan Kloss. He was among the individuals at the base who expressed sorrow following the death of General Leia Organa in 35 ABY.
An R2 series astromech droid, R2-SHP, also called "Shep," fought for the Resistance during their war against the First Order. He and R6-LE5, his counterpart considered his "sibling," performed regular upkeep on the CR90 corvette Tantive IV to guarantee its operational status while it served as the central command for the Resistance base located on the moon of Ajan Kloss.
In 35 ABY, R2-SHP was positioned beneath the Tantive IV when Rey, a Jedi trainee, returned to the base after a training exercise and spoke with General Leia Organa, the leader of the Resistance. Later, with the help of Lieutenant Kaydel Ko Connix, Organa walked past the droid near the corvette to reach out to her son, Ben Solo, by using the Force.
The general successfully used all of her power to communicate with her son, but this came at the cost of her life. R2-SHP was part of the large group that gathered around Organa's body to grieve silently. The droid was again present near the Tantive IV when General Poe Dameron, Organa's replacement, found out that the planet Kijimi had been destroyed by the Sith Eternal and listened to their galaxy-wide broadcast, which asserted that the Resistance had failed.
R2-SHP was more outgoing than R6-LE5, often rolling to provide assistance wherever he felt it was necessary. As an older R2 unit, he had been frequently updated to remain current and displayed a sense of dedication that might have originated from a concern about becoming obsolete. The droid featured blue and silver plating, a black sensor, and a blue logic function display. R2-SHP's height was 0.96 meter (3 feet, 2 inches), and he was manufactured by Industrial Automaton.
R2-SHP was designed for the sequel trilogy movie Star Wars: Episode IX The Rise of Skywalker, which premiered in December of 2019. He was initially revealed in a Star Wars: Droid Factory set of figures linked to the film, released by The Walt Disney Company in November of 2019. The reference book Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker: The Visual Dictionary, written by Pablo Hidalgo and launched in conjunction with the movie, later identified the droid as "Shep."
The R2-SHP prop is primarily constructed from aluminum, featuring an all-aluminum outer shell and durable steel feet. To maintain the "used future" aesthetic that director George Lucas established for Star Wars, R2-SHP was intentionally aged and distressed for use in the film, and it acquired further minor damage during filming. The prop includes illuminated components such as its holoprojector and LED strips on its dome that can cycle through various colors.
The prop, controlled by a Spektrum™ DX6i remote control, can also rotate its head and move forward or backward, as well as change its position. R2-SHP's head could be removed to access the internal components, and during filming, the dome was replaced with an R6-type head to create R6-LE5 for additional scenes. The signature of Lee Towersey, the film's lead droid technician, is located inside R2-SHP's dome. The prop measures 75 centimeters by 70 centimeters by 110 centimeters (29.5 inches by 27.5 inches by 43.5 inches). In 2021, the prop was auctioned off for $80,000.