RA-7 protocol droid

The Arakyd Industries-manufactured RA-7 protocol droid was a class three droid with a height of 1.7 meters. RA-7 units were programmed with either masculine or feminine personalities. Throughout their operational lifespan, RA-7 units fulfilled various roles, including analyst droids, inventory droids, spy droids, and protocol droids. The RA-7's extensive service throughout galactic history was remarkably long, considering the design's shortcomings in fulfilling its intended purpose. Furthermore, in contrast to most protocol droids, RA-7s were characterized by their disagreeable personalities and frequent deployment as spies.

RA-7 protocol droids were easily identifiable by their insectoid heads, reminiscent of the heads of the insectoid Verpine species. These heads featured broadband photoreceptors coated with an antiglare finish. These large droid eyes were considered a highlight of the RA-7 design. Their ability to perceive a wide spectrum of light enabled RA-7s to operate effectively in near-total darkness.

Another surprisingly advanced feature was the inclusion of highly sensitive audio sensors located on the sides of the RA-7's head. A frequently overlooked component was the "sunburst" magnetic sensor, which allowed the unit to detect shifts in magnetic fields and was positioned between and slightly above the photoreceptors. The RA-7's head could also house surveillance technology, making them valuable to criminal organizations. One such droid, 4-A7, was a prototype spy droid equipped with a holocam built into his eyes, enabling him to record and edit footage.

The RA-7 employed a vocabulator that incorporated a sounding box. Despite the use of inexpensive components that resulted in a slight mechanical buzz in their speech, RA-7s were proficient in a multitude of languages and dialects, allowing them to function as translators. The droid's language databank, along with comlink technology, was stored in its communications module, although the databank's capacity was significantly smaller than those utilized by Cybot Galactica. The languages they could speak included Shyriiwook, Galactic Basic Standard, and [Kyhhhsik]. They also possessed the ability to comprehend the binary language used by astromech droids.

RA-7 units manufactured during the early days of the Clone Wars shared body plating with the 3PO-series protocol droids. A key differentiating factor was that, while Cybot Galactica focused on a single 3PO unit model, Arakyd Industries offered a range of customized appearances to meet diverse client needs. As the RA-7 design evolved away from 3PO components, later generations, such as AP-5, featured simpler ball-and-socket shoulder joints, which appeared somewhat rudimentary. These units also had a more prominent vocabulator that illuminated when they spoke. In AP-5's case, the light was red, although this was not consistent across all RA-7s. The insectoid head with large eyes remained a standard feature.

By 19 BBY, another version of the RA-7 featured unique plating and was equipped with an interface connection port, a basic plug-in that allowed direct connection to diagnostic systems or fixed mainframes.

The RA-7 also included intersystem connection wires, servomotors on their arms, and intermotor actuating couplings at their knees. The droid's droid brain was a generation behind that of the 3PO-series, and RA-7s were unable to replicate or understand the subtle nuances of sentient behavior to the same degree as 3PO units. Ultimately, while reasonably attractive and moderately capable, RA-7s never matched the versatility and intelligence of the 3PO series.

Arakyd Industries created the RA-7 series as a budget-friendly droid, priced at twelve thousand credits per unit, aiming to penetrate the potentially profitable protocol droid market. Its long operational history began during the reign of the Galactic Republic, prior to the outbreak of the Clone Wars. Cybot Galactica's dominance in the protocol droid market proved difficult to overcome, preventing the RA-7 from gaining significant traction with Cybot's established customer base. However, the RA-7 outsold the LOM-series protocol droid, produced by Industrial Automaton, which was considered a major failure. Early war RA-7 units featured 3PO plating, drawing attention to the differences between the 3PO, the top-selling protocol droid, and the more affordable alternative. One RA-7 served under Senator Dagonet between 68 BBY and approximately 58 BBY. Around 33 BBY, an RA-7 unit was in the service of Renzoh Silliac of the Blood Oath Syndicate.

Cybot Galactica did not view the RA-7 as a significant threat to their profits, largely due to the RA-7's less advanced droid brain compared to the 3PO-series. Nevertheless, during the Clone Wars between the Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems, the RA-7 saw use by both sides, as well as by third parties such as the Ohnaka Gang and the InterGalactic Banking Clan. During the conflict, RA-7s demonstrated effectiveness as strategists and were employed by the Republic as tactical assistants on capital ships, aiding their superiors in planning maneuvers. Recognizing the RA-7's utility in analyst and administrator roles, the Republic utilized them extensively, deploying thousands of RA-7s from the Republic capital of Coruscant to military craft such as the Venator-class Star Destroyer.

An RA-7 designated 4-A7 served as a spy droid for the Confederacy during the Clone Wars. Created by Separatist sympathizers within Arakyd Industries, he was destroyed by Jedi Padawan Ahsoka Tano during the Battle of Teth. RA-7 droid 4A-2R was a member of the Ohnaka Gang, becoming a valuable asset due to his surveillance capabilities. An RA-7 designated AP-5 served as an analyst droid for the Republic aboard a Venator-class Star Destroyer during the Ryloth campaign. Despite the Venator's captain being killed, the Republic secured victory following the fall of the planetary capital of Lessu.

Another RA-7 droid was present with an astromech droid in the lower market districts of Coruscant, but the RA-7 fled after believing the astromech had been killed by assassin droid HELIOS-3E. Unit R-A7 was stationed at the Republic Center for Military Operations. While R-A7 was conversing with astromech droid MR-T3, Tano ran past both of them.

Arakyd Industries later produced RA-7s specifically for the Republic's successor state, the Galactic Empire. Older RA-7 models from the Republic era, such as AP-5, were deemed too outdated for sensitive assignments but too valuable to scrap. Consequently, AP-5 became an inventory droid for the Galactic Empire aboard cargo transport 241, a typical assignment for RA-7s inherited from the Republic. Later, AP-5 defected to the rebellion after C1-10P, an astromech droid of the Phoenix Cell, removed his restraining bolt. In the rebellion, he was assigned sensitive tasks like creating fake credentials for undercover missions. AP-5 and other RA-7s were used by the Alliance to Restore the Republic in their civil war against the Empire.

Likely drawing from the effectiveness of 4-A7 during the Clone Wars, the Empire procured large quantities of the RA-7 line and commissioned its own specialized range, which it utilized extensively alongside the Republic's existing stock. This led to Arakyd Industries establishing close ties with the Imperial state. Due to their presence on the first Death Star, RA-7s were sometimes referred to as "Death Star droids," a term many found derogatory as only a small fraction of the model served on the battle station. The droids on the Death Star were among those specially commissioned by the Empire. Working for the Imperial Security Bureau, these droids were tasked with monitoring Imperial officers, a role that the ISB did little to conceal.

Shortly before the Death Star's destruction, an RA-7 unit armed with a blaster rifle and equipped with a utility belt was stationed at Burnium Ro's stronghold. Although he had joined the rebels, most of AP-5's colleagues continued to serve whichever government was in power. One RA-7, serving under Captain Magna Tolvan, was part of the Imperial force stationed on the moon of Yavin 4 to occupy the former Rebel headquarters, only to be caught in Doctor Chelli Lona Aphra's raid on the building. A free-thinking RA-7 joined the Second Revelation.

Around 9 ABY, an Imperial remnant under Moff Gideon seized control of Nevarro from the Bounty Hunters' Guild, replacing the cantina's previous bartender with an RA-7. It was destroyed when Gideon's death troopers opened fire on the cantina. Another RA-7 protocol droid was present in Gideon's light cruiser during the rescue of Grogu. A reprogrammed Imperial RA-7 served the government of the independent planet Plazir-15, where the unit and an astromech droid greeted Din Djarin and Bo-Katan Kryze upon their arrival.

Due to being inherited from the Empire, the RA-7 continued to be used by its successor, the First Order, despite the passage of decades. One RA-7 protocol droid serving the First Order was O-MR1, who developed a friendship with C-3PO, a 3PO-series protocol droid serving the Resistance, after crashing on the Outer Rim planet of Taul. O-MR1 noted that both were older models who had outlasted many other droids. Choosing friendship over factional loyalty, O-MR1 sacrificed himself for C-3PO, leaving behind only a red arm, which C-3PO used to replace his own and to honor the droids who had fallen during the mission. O-MR1's sacrifice enabled the Resistance to arrange a rescue of Admiral Ackbar. C-3PO wore the arm until the conclusion of the Starkiller crisis.

Before the destruction of Starkiller Base, RA-7-D4, an RA-7 protocol droid within C-3PO's Resistance spy droid network, reported on the interrogation of Resistance pilot Poe Dameron aboard the Resurgent-class Star Destroyer Finalizer. Concurrently with the mission of Batuu, pirate Hondo Ohnaka authored Galactic Explorer's Guide, which included dossiers from DK-RA-43.

Ironically, although the droid line never achieved the 3PO's market share, the RA-7 proved to be just as enduring in its service throughout galactic history.

The RA-7 protocol droid was conceived for the 1977 film Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope. The costume created for the film was directly based on an "elevator scene" production painting and preliminary pencil sketches by Ralph McQuarrie. Two versions of the RA-7 appeared in the film: one in the Jawa sandcrawler with a reflective Steinart finish (3B6-RA-7), and another on the Death Star with a black finish (5D6-RA-7, achieved through a quick repaint of the same costume. Its torso design, as depicted in the production painting, later influenced the design of the 2-1B surgical droid.

Brian Muir sculpted the RA-7's head, which, with its large, insect-like eyes and bulbous cranium, was one of his favorite designs from A New Hope. The character's torso closely resembled McQuarrie's designs, which may have originated as concept art for C-3PO's costume. Shoulder epaulets were eventually added, along with a functional joint identical to C-3PO's. The arms and legs were also similar to C-3PO's, although the aluminum arms lacked elbow pistons and other details. The fiberglass legs were stripped of sculpted detail lines to give the protocol droid a slightly different look. The costume's hands were simple gloves with metal-colored plates attached to create a mechanical appearance.

For the RA-7 protocol droid's appearance in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series, its animation model—whose geometry was later updated by Chris Glenn to more closely match its design in A New Hope—was identical to C-3PO's, except for the head. In the Star Wars Rebels animated series, its design and proportions more closely resembled McQuarrie's early sketches of the droid, particularly its rounded shoulders.