Rogue One did more than just deliver on an amazing movie any Star Wars fan could be proud of. It also gave us some memorable characters that added to the colorful universe the franchise created. Everyone has different opinions on which character shined the most, but no one can deny one simple fact: K-2SO stole the freaking show.
The droid follows a long line of robotic characters that outshine their humanoid counterparts. Kaytoo delivered some of Rogue One‘s best lines and offered some great emotion during his time on screen. But where does he fit in the vast pantheon of Star Wars droids?
Now, it’s time to see how the newest, collectively beloved, formerly Imperial droid stacks up with the rest. That’s right… it’s time for a droid-ranking. Now, this list will only include droids in the current Star Wars canon, so only the movies, animated shows, books and comics deemed valid by Disney will be eligible. So, let’s get going to a galaxy far, far away and count down to the droid that rises above the rest.
10. IG-88
We begin our list with a character who probably deserved some more screen time. If you don’t remember, IG-88 was the assassin droid who was present when Darth Vader put a bounty out on Han Solo and the Millennium Falcon. Alongside familiar faces Boba Fett and Bossk, the silver IG-88 stood out as a robot assassin you don’t want to mess with. While he didn’t end up capturing Solo (that honor went to Boba Fett on Bespin), his imposing presence alone grants him a spot on this list.
9. Triple Zero & BT-1
Unfamiliar with this dynamic duo? Introduced in Darth Vader’s comic book series, 0-0-0 and BT-1 are best described as an evil version of C-3PO and R2-D2. Instead of looking to assist everyone, Triple Zero is a protocol droid specializing in torture. His associate BT is like your average astromech droid… except he’s blood thirsty, and is loaded with an armory of weapons he’s always ready to use. 0-0-0 and BT-1 might be new to the Star Wars Universe, but they’re leaving a memorable impact (and countless bodies) in their wake.
8. R5-D4
There is no denying it; R5 might be the most important droid on this list. If you recall, he’s the droid that broke down after the Jawas sold him to Uncle Owen and Luke in A New Hope. That fortuitous moment led to R2-D2 taking his place and continuing his trek to track down Obi-Wan Kenobi. R5’s sacrifice should never be forgotten. But was it really all just an accident, or was it sabotage? R2-D2 is a sneaky droid, and you can’t overlook the fact that he would take down the only other astromech droid on the sandcrawler. R5 is the true hero of Episode VI, and may we never forget that!
7. Mr. Bones
Normally a battle droid wouldn’t make a list like this… but there has never been a battle droid quite like Mr. Bones. One of the highlights of the Aftermath novel series, Mr. Bones is the personal assistant of Temmin “Snap” Wexley. Heavily modified with a telescopic eye, vibroblades and a red paint makeover, Bones is the droid you want if you’re involved in a fight. He has easily taken down multiple assailants and even sings while he’s in the middle of a scrum. He’s as psychotic as he is loyal to Temmin and as long as he keeps handing out beatings, Mr. Bones will be a welcome addition to the next Aftermath book due out next February.
6. General Grevious
The most controversial addition to the list, Grevious was once a highly skilled Kaleesh warrior, who, in order to extend his life, began adding cybernetic pieces to his body until he ultimately became more machine than man. While he does maintain his own brain (which might make him ineligible to be considered a droid), I’m including him anyway due to his machine majority.
Grevious was one of the biggest threats the Jedi had ever faced, killing many until Obi-Wan was able to take him down during the final day of The Clone War. He was the final Supreme Commander of The Droid Army and will be remembered as one of the best to handle a lightsaber (I mean… come one… four at once!). Not bad for three-quarters droid, one-quarter man.
5. C-3PO
He appeared in every Star Wars movie to date, was always in the thick of all the action, and is the only Gold Protocol Droid functioning. So, how could he only be #5? We’ve seen Threepio from the beginning, when Anakin Skywalker built him from spare parts on Tatooine. From there, he’s seen action on Geonosis, Yavin IV, Hoth, Endor and most recently on D’Qar. His resume is impressive, but the same could be said for his list of complaints. C-3PO is always worrying too much and letting people know the dismal odds of survival. His lack of confidence despite all he’s been though is enough to keep him at five.
4. Chopper
It’s C1-10P, more commonly known as Chopper from Star Wars Rebels. Since the show came into existence, Chopper has been one of the standout characters. Chops was originally a Y-Wing navigational astromech droid during The Clone Wars. However, his ship was shot down on Ryloth. Shortly after the war, the droid met up with Rebel General Hera Syndulla and the two have been together ever since.
Chopper is a crucial part of The Ghost crew, serving on multiple missions to derail Empire efforts. He’s a older droid, but has plenty of fight left, and as long as Rebels in on television, Chopper will be the droid garnering most of our attention.
3. K-2SO
Say hello to the new kid on the block. He’s only been a part of the Star Wars Universe for a week, but has already amassed a loyal following. That’s due to how Kaytoo dominated every scene he was in. Clever one-liners, the ability to kick some ass and a unique look all made K-2SO one of the most memorable droids to grace the silver screen. He was the Chewbacca to Cassian Andor’s Han Solo… except we could understand everything he said.
I don’t want to get into too many spoilers in this article… but for anyone who witnessed K-2SO’s actions on Scarif, you’ll understand why his actions in Rogue One make him one of the best droids we’ve seen in Star Wars.
2. BB-8
Another newcomer to the Star Wars franchise, it’s already hard to imagine a world without BB-8 in it. From the moment the first Force Awakens trailers came into existence all eyes were focused on the ball-shaped droid with the expressive personality.
There are plenty of reasons for BB-8 to be towards the top of these rankings. For a droid speaking in bleeps and bloops, BB-8 offered a range of emotions from comedic relief (thumbs up!) to heartbreaking sadness (learning of Poe Dameron’s fate). The work J.J. Abrams put into creating both his movement and unique voice make BB-8 unlike any other droid on this list, and one we can’t wait to see again in future Star Wars adventures.
1. R2-D2
I mean… who else could it be? He’s the OG, one-of-a-kind, reigning droid world champion. No other droid has seen more action, been more vital to a movie’s plot and captured our hearts more than R2-D2. From the opening moments of A New Hope, to the final minutes of The Force Awakens, R2 has been a major player for every Star Wars story.
He’s the robot every other droid wishes they could be, and if you needed to pilot a X-Wing, R2-D2 is the droid you want navigating. Other droids can try, but you can’t beat the original. And if you need any droid to top a ranking, then clearly, R2-D2 is the droid you are looking for.
So, what do you think? Does this droid ranking match your list? Are we missing any? Do you think anyone was ranked too high… or too low? Let us know which droid tops YOUR list!
