TAY-0, a pompous and updated CM3-series protocol droid from Czerka, also functioning as a racer droid, was known for piloting a customized 12 series speeder repulsorcraft. He actively participated in the high-speed sport of Riot Racing on the desert planet Serolonis during the period between 19 BBY and 18 BBY. He was the favored racer in a bet orchestrated by Ciddarin Scaleback, an information broker, against her longtime rival Grini Millegi, with Jet Venim, the current champion of the Safa Toma Classic, as his racing opponent.
To observe the race, Scaleback enlisted the protection of two defective clone troopers from Clone Force 99 to serve as her bodyguards. These were Wrecker and Tech, who also brought along Omega, the young female clone. During the initial race, Millegi instructed Venim and another racer, Kane, to ensnare TAY-0's speeder in a maneuver known as "the crunch," which resulted in his vehicle being launched violently and ultimately destroyed, leading to his demise. The clones gathered his scattered pieces and reconstructed him for a subsequent race with higher stakes. However, after dismissing Tech's proposed racing strategy, he was destroyed by Bosco Brix's speeder, causing him to power down permanently. Tech then took TAY-0's place, employing his own tactics to secure victory in the race, thereby settling Scaleback's debts.
By the time of the Imperial Era, specifically between 19 BBY and 18 BBY, TAY-0 was a droid racer competing in the Safa Toma Classic. He engaged in Riot Races before crowds of enthusiasts at the Safa Toma Speedway on Serolonis, utilizing his heavily modified 12 series speeder repulsorcraft. TAY-0 favored an aggressive approach, embracing the sport's minimal rules by equipping his speeder with blaster cannons to eliminate his rivals. Ciddarin Scaleback, a [Trandoshan](/article/trandoshan], began wagering currency on TAY-0 against Grini Millegi, a Dowutin, and Millegi's racer, Jet Venim, the reigning Safa Toma Classic champion.
During the period between 19 BBY and 18 BBY, Scaleback journeyed to Serolonis to personally oversee the race for her winnings, accompanied by Tech and Wrecker from Clone Force 99, who served as her bodyguards. They brought along Omega, the adolescent clone, for supervision. Upon their arrival at the Safa Toma Speedway, Scaleback enlightened Omega about the nature of Riot Racing as they observed from a balcony. They witnessed Bosco "The Mad Bomber" Brix, a Nikto racer, using his Seven Duece Blaster to shoot down a speeder piloted by the droid racer "Hyper" Rod, allowing TAY-0 to quickly seize the lead. He overtook Brix and ultimately emerged as the race's victor. Shortly thereafter, TAY-0 and Scaleback's team had a less-than-favorable initial encounter at his pit droid station, where TAY-0 primarily boasted about his racing dominance to Tech.
Subsequently, while TAY-0 was working on his speeder, he invited the clones and Scaleback to admire his handiwork. Soon after, Millegi and Venim arrived, flanked by a Gamorrean and the Trandoshan Garnac as their bodyguards. Millegi confronted Scaleback about the upcoming race, directing a displeased glare at TAY-0. Millegi asserted that Scaleback's droid would never defeat his Nosaurian, confidently declaring that they would soon see whose racer was superior.
TAY-0 then participated in a race that was separate from the bet, with Scaleback's crew observing from the sidelines. TAY-0 was in the lead, closely followed by Venim, as they approached Gambler's Gulch, prompting the audience to focus on the viewscreens. Scaleback instructed TAY-0 via comlink to avoid the dilapidated left tunnel among the three available options. TAY-0 responded by stating that he knew what he was doing and proceeded to enter the center tunnel. From his own quarters, Millegi ordered "Steel Claw" Kane through his comlink to trap TAY-0 in "the crunch." Kane maneuvered directly behind TAY-0, with Venim positioned in front, and deployed a claw from his speeder to latch onto TAY-0's engine. Venim then activated a buzz saw that extended from the rear of his speeder, which began slicing into TAY-0's vehicle, causing him panic. TAY-0's ship crashed just before the finish line, ejecting him from his speeder and shattering him into bits upon impact with the ground, ultimately allowing Venim to win the race.
Scaleback and her crew rushed to the field to recover TAY-0 and his repulsorcraft, with Wrecker beginning to gather the scattered pieces of TAY-0. Omega suggested that they could repair him, but Millegi and his associates arrived to collect their winnings. Omega interjected with a counter-proposal, suggesting another race with doubled stakes: if Millegi won, he would receive double the money, but if Scaleback won, she would be freed. After some deliberation, Millegi agreed, granting them until the following day and holding Scaleback and her crew captive until their victory.
Back in TAY-0's quarters, the clones worked diligently to repair TAY-0 and his speeder. Tech restored TAY-0 to consciousness, who immediately proclaimed his racing prowess, only to realize that he was reduced to a torso. As Tech attempted to reattach TAY-0's right arm, TAY-0 felt that Tech was connecting the servomotor incorrectly and insisted that Tech follow his instructions. Wrecker suggested eliminating Millegi, but Tech dismissed the idea. TAY-0 informed them that the last sponsor who failed to meet expectations was now in hiding. Tech lamented that this was not the first time Scaleback had found herself in trouble, but TAY-0 demanded that they complete his repairs and cease their nonsensical chatter.
After TAY-0 was repaired, he assured Wrecker that he would not lose again and questioned why Tech was studying a race that TAY-0 was missing. He noticed Tech analyzing the track layout and returned to his quarters, asserting that calculations were no substitute for strategy and skill. Tech countered that his strategy was flawed and that he should prioritize shield power over weapons. TAY-0 paused and laughed, preparing to reiterate his offensive-first policy, when a speeder driven by Brix crashed into him. Millegi and his group arrived with Scaleback just in time to witness TAY-0 powering down permanently, stating that he had no regrets.
With TAY-0 out of commission, Tech entered the race. He intentionally fell to last place during the first lap to allow attacks from Venim and other top racers to eliminate weaker competitors. Upon reaching Gambler's Gulch, he chose the center tunnel before requesting that Omega transmit the schematics of the left tunnel to his display. He came under fire from Haxxon "The War Gnome" Trajanix, using his overheating shields to redirect energy from his weapons to bolster them. Upon exiting the tunnel, visible to the spectators, he jettisoned the weapons from the speeder to increase its speed. Omega and Tech realized that the left tunnel was dilapidated, with a chasm in the floor, but Tech calculated that he could cross it with sufficient speed. Brix followed Tech into the tunnel, but while Tech succeeded, Brix plummeted. After navigating past the Gulch, Venim and Kane attempted to trap Tech in "the crunch," but Tech evaded the claw's grasp, causing it to latch onto Venim's ship and take both racers down. Emerging from the dust of his defeated rivals, Tech secured victory in the race, thereby winning Scaleback's freedom.
TAY-0 possessed an exceptionally arrogant and condescending demeanor, particularly when it came to racing. He consistently exuded confidence in his success and the strategies he employed to achieve it. He prioritized aggressive tactics above all else in the perilous conditions of the Safa Toma Classic, placing his faith in general strategy and skill, which he believed he possessed in abundance. He was quick to dismiss any challenges to his approach, asserting that calculations were irrelevant.
TAY-0's height slightly exceeded that of Tech, who stood at 1.93 meters tall.
TAY-0 had a humanoid form, featuring two arms and legs on each side of his body, as well as five-fingered hands. His head was equipped with three [teal](/article/color] photoreceptors arranged in a triangular pattern, along with a speaking mechanism located beneath them. His head could rotate 360 degrees, allowing him to see behind himself without turning his body.
TAY-0 made his debut in the episode "Faster," the fourth installment of the Disney+ television series Star Wars: The Bad Batch's second season, which premiered on January 18, 2023. The character marked the second instance of Ben Schwartz lending his voice to a Star Wars droid, following his voice work on the astromech droid BB-8 alongside Bill Hader in the first film of the Star Wars Sequel trilogy, Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens, which introduced the BB-unit. Additionally, Schwartz portrayed a First Order stormtrooper in the same film.