The Star Wars droids are beloved figures in the franchise that can either be extremely valuable or downright useless. So, to celebrate our love and hate for these robotic beings, here’s a list of the top best units that will be ranked from trash can to sassy murder bot.
15. R5-D4 (A New Hope)
Top 15 Best Star Wars Droids, Ranked From Trash Can to Sassy Murder Bot
R5-D4 takes the top spot as the droid that malfunctioned in A New Hope. According to the franchise’s lore, these units were widely known to have many malfunctions, causing this particular character to become frustrated because no one wanted to buy them.
The bot’s bad luck continues when it gets sabotaged by R2-D2 for the sake of the Death Star mission, but, fortunately, R5-D4 has received more storylines from comics and the book Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View.
In these installments, we learn that R5-D4 was once a Rebellion droid and the notable scene of the unit overloading was actually an act of self-sacrifice to help R2-D2 with its mission. As for the comics, panels have indicated the droid’s Force powers and the ability to see into the future.
So, if you were feeling bad for the droid, at least it got a redemption arc later on with the latest narratives, including the robot’s appearance in the Disney+ show, The Mandalorian.
14. GNK-series (Star Wars Franchise & Star Wars Battlefront II)
Top 15 Best Star Wars Droids, Ranked From Trash Can to Sassy Murder Bot
Since the GNK-series Power droid looks like a walking trash can, the unit had to make it on this ranked list. The character, also known as Gonk, can be seen in several installments of the franchise as the robot with legs. Based on the information within Legends, the Power droid only knows basic commands and makes a “honk” sounding noise, thus establishing its nickname of “Gonk.”
Even though the droid’s functions are primarily for battery use, games have issued a unique purpose for the robot, like how Star Wars: Force Arena uses its energy source to blow up nearby enemies. The Battlefront series is another excellent example of this change in protocol because they are renamed “Ammunition Droids” and are valuable for replenishing ammo to players.
On the contrary, a few installments of LEGO Star Wars portray Gonks as weak and slow-moving; however, the Skywalker Saga revitalized its gameplay and showcased multiple exciting adventures with the fan-favorite walking trash can.
13. Battle Droids (B1-series & OOM-series)
Top 15 Best Star Wars Droids, Ranked From Trash Can to Sassy Murder Bot
Battle Droids of the Prequel Trilogy and The Clone Wars have a history of missing their target and being easily destroyed by their foes. Yet, they were one of the main lines of defense for the Separatists and a part of the original army before the creation of the notorious Storm Troopers (who also have a bad rap for their shooting skills.)
Before the production of the many Separatist units, the OOM-series were the first Battle Droids to be created for the army and divided into three categories: Command, Security, and Pilot. For example, red-marked members previously guarded areas while the blue-marked pilots assisted with navigation on ships or other forms of transportation.
Lastly, droids with yellow symbols were the commanders of large groups and consistently became irritated by their fellow soldiers. Although most battle droids are trash, one OOM-series Command droid is sassy enough to talk back to General Grievous in Revenge of the Sith.
The B1 series are cheaply made models that are weak when facing an enemy alone, requiring them to travel in packs to overwhelm the opposing side in battle. However, due to their humanistic characteristics, they often make dimwitted decisions, as we’ve seen in hilarious scenes of the series, including the events of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, where one droid states, “I hate this job” after an irritating debacle with its crew.