Suvudu Universe

While Star Wars: A New Hope is the story of Luke Skywalker, we are introduced to the Star Wars universe by a duo of characters who we continue to follow through all of the films as well as The Clone Wars series and their own adventures, R2-D2 and C-3PO.

These two droids provide not only the comedic relief for the series at times, but they also help to establish the advanced technology that exists in the Star Wars universe.

In A New Hope it is hinted at that R2-D2 and C-3PO had many adventures before that film, some of which we learned about in the series DROIDS and later Lucas played on this idea by bringing the two droids into the Prequel trilogy.

The setting of Star Wars Rebels, 5 years before A New Hope and in the Outer Rim region around the planet Lothal may make it unlikely that these two droids will reappear in this series.

At Celebration Europe II we saw concept art of two droids that are influenced by Ralph McQuarrie’s concept art for R2-D2 and C-3PO. The concept artwork appears to indicate that the astromech droid model is called R1-D1. Now droid naming conventions is a whole rabbit-hole that we could go down, but it is clear that this model looks much more like an R2 unit than what we have previously called an R1 droid.

It is interesting to note that it appears that R1-D1′s dome is semi-transparent with internal mechanisms that are visible through the dome.

The humanoid droid presumably is a protocol or similar droid but we have less information about that droid in the concept art. The design of this droid looks less shiny than C-3PO and more practical.

It seems likely that if these two droids were shown in concept art for the show that they will end up showing up at some point and probably aboard the Ghost.

One major criticism is likely to be that these two droids are simply that these two droids would be cheap imitations of R2-D2 and C-3PO because they can’t logically fit into this show. The majority of this criticism would originate because of the combination of the two droids together and the fact that the design of these two droids was heavily influenced by Ralph McQuarrie’s concept art for R2-D2 and C-3PO.

It is interesting that I was just listening to the late great Brian Daley’s Star Wars Radio Dramas that was produced for NPR. In that version of Star Wars the pairing of R2-D2 and C-3PO is discussed while the droids are aboard the Tantive IV. It states that the pairing of an R2 united with a companion droid is the norm, because of the R2′s limited communication abilities it is often paired with a droid such as a protocol unit to allow it to interact with sentient species.  While in the films we see characters that can roughly communicate with astromech droids, even then much of the communication is done via text message between R2 and Luke in the X-Wing cockpit.

On a ship like the Ghost it makes sense to have a droid or two, if there is a problem with the ship’s software or hardware the ability of the droid to talk to the ship’s electronic computer brain or to the navigational computer is very handy.

I would wager to add a little variety, the humanoid droid will not be a protocol droid but have some other primary function.  I also imagine that the personalities of the droids will be significantly different from what we see out of R2-D2 and C-3PO.  

Of course these aren’t the only droids that will be appearing in the show. Old McQuarrie concept art for the IG-88 assassin droid is being recycled as well.

This droid design was recently seen in the behind the scenes video released on StarWars.com and shown at New York Comic Con. As you can see there is an artist working on concept art of a droid on Rebels based on this design. You can even see the concept art shown above on his work station as reference while he is working.

 

Could this droid be a bounty hunter or assassin character on the show? My best guess at this point is that it will be a bad guy.

UPDATE: 

@RebelsReport follower Khairul Hisham (‏@hishgraphics)  provides us with some auxiliary intellectual capacity and lets us know that this concept art has already been re-used in the Expanded Universe as the basis for the Eliminator 434 assassin droid. The Eliminator 434 appeared in the novel, The Courtship of Princess Leia (1994) as well as in the RPG supplement The Star Wars Sourcebook (1987).

This led me to Wookieepedia where I discovered that the concept art had also been used for another assassin droid, the Uulshos Justice droid. The Uulshos was the droid chassis used by the Iron Knights and the droid model produced a famous Imperial assassin droid, Too-Onetofour (2-124).

There was no mention of a significant assassin droid villain during the NYCC panel focusing on the Imperial villains of the series. The more I explore this particular concept droid, the more it seems obvious that this will be either an assassin droid that is part of the Empire or a bounty hunter droid hired by the Empire or by Sienar Fleet Systems

as an assassin. No matter what I hope we get a droid that has a personality similar to HK-47, because nasty droids with bad attitudes are just too much fun.

“Mercenary: There’s something out there… it got the other submersible already. 

HK-47: Suggestion: Perhaps we could dismember the organic? It would make it easier for transport to the surface. Mercenary: Hey! Y-you… you can’t rip me to pieces! I’ll die! 

HK-47: Amendment: I did forget that. Stupid, frail, non-compartmentalized meatbags!”

 

There will undoubtedly be more but these are the droids you are looking for if you wonder which units will be appearing on Star Wars Rebels.  It is clear just how strong McQuarrie’s influence is on the design team of the show.

For more Rebels coverage visit RebelsReport.com and give the podcast a listen.

SOURCE: Rebel Scum