The Star Wars universe has always loved to keep droids around, often for comedic effects but also for the various uses which they can provide. From R2 units that can hack and control ships to cleaners and even battle droids, there are a vast array of differences between the droids introduced throughout the various Star Wars media.
While there are some obvious famous faces that are the very best of the droids in the Star Wars universe, others are less recognizable but just as important or beloved by fans for a variety of reasons. Equally, the ones who manage to elicit hatred from fans can be just as powerful and memorable.
8 R2-D2
Any list of the best droids in the Star Wars Universe has to begin and end with R2-D2. From proving itself in The Phantom Menace as one of the most capable of its kind to help Luke Skywalker take down the Death Star in A New Hope, R2 has seen and done it all. Trusted by a variety of important characters with valuable information, this little unit is impressive in every way.
Anakin Skywalker even went so far as to enact a rescue mission for a mere droid during The Clone Wars to get R2 back. Later, R2 was given the plans for the Death Star by Princess Leia, and even later than that, he was trusted by Luke Skywalker with half the map to find him. R2-D2 is possibly the most trustworthy droid in the entire galaxy, his capabilities far exceed what anyone ever believes them to be.
7 IG-88
Long before the idea of the battle droid armies in the prequel trilogy became such a big deal, Star Wars introduced the idea of a murderous droid in The Empire Strikes Back. IG-88 was one of the droids that Darth Vader employed to hunt down Han Solo and the rest of the Millennium Falcon’s crew.
While IG-88’s adventures out with this appearance are mostly non-canon due to being part of the Legends series, this murderous bot has seen a fair share of fighting over its time. He is not to be underestimated.
6 BB-8
BB-8 is the beloved successor to R2-D2 for the sequel trilogy. By proving himself just as capable of holding important plans, he manages to become a featured character in those films. BB-8 was a trusted advisor to the best pilot in the galaxy, Poe Dameron, and also managed to become a huge help to Rey.
BB-8 was beloved by fans for the same reasons as R2-D2. His helpfulness as a random-noise-generating sidekick is renowned. But his design also proved a big hit, and he became a huge merchandise seller for the franchise, though he would soon be forgotten as a certain baby Yoda came to light.
5 IG-11
Another deadly IG unit came to the attention of Star Wars fans through The Mandalorian. When Baby Yoda was first found, it was by Din Djarin and a battle droid who had both been sent on the same contract. The devastating battle droid, IG-11, was killed by Din when it attempted to murder Baby Yoda. However, it was later brought back somewhat.
Returned to life as a vessel to help Baby Yoda walk around more conveniently, the IG-11 unit is a notable droid that proved itself one of the deadliest droids in the galaxy in the short tenure it had before being killed. There are plenty more characters that could be introduced in The Mandalorian, but IG-11 is unlikely to return as more than a shell of its former self.
4 L3-37
L3-37 appeared in Solo: A Star Wars Story, and it immediately made a mark. Voiced by the hilarious Phoebe Waller-Bridge, L3-37 was a friend and companion to Lando Calrissian and one of the few female-voiced droids thus far in the Star Wars Universe.
This uncommon droid was a revolutionary, who wished for droids to have more rights, and it was also one of the best pilots in the galaxy. Eventually, L3-37 had to be sacrificed, but her AI was made part of the Millennium Falcon, where her consciousness remains to this day. Much of the reason the Falcon is such an infamous ship is that her piloting expertise and knowledge are still part of its systems.
3 C-3PO
Aside from R2-D2, C-3PO is the most consistently appearing and most famous droid from the Star Wars Universe. His position as a creation of Anakin Skywalker himself makes him a fascinating part of the overarching story. Despite never proving himself as useful as R2-D2, C-3PO was a faithful companion and translator to various characters over the years, such as Padme Amidala.
C-3PO has always been a comedic side character whose often-voiced complaints about the danger he and R2 find themselves in has given much amusement to Star Wars. It is unlikely that Star Wars projects will ever completely abandon this lovable droid who has become synonymous with the franchise.
2 General Grievous
General Grievous is the deadliest droid ever seen in the Star Wars Universe. This robotic leader of the Droid Army in The Clone Wars is the most intelligent, conniving droid ever seen in any Star Wars media. While he is unable to use the force as a droid, Count Dooku’s teachings have led him to be equal in strategy and lightsaber combat to some of the very best Jedi.
Grievous was more than a thorn in the side. He was a villain who constantly found ways to escape Jedi grasp throughout The Clone Wars, and he led his armies on many successful invasions and missions, not to mention killing several Jedi Knights himself.
1 K-2SO
The saddest loss of a droid in the history of Star Wars came during the climax of Rogue One. K-2SO, the droid who served as a companion and sassy comedic sidekick to Cassian Andor when Jyn Erso met him, sacrificed itself to allow Cassian and Jyn time to finish their mission of stealing and transmitting the Death Star plans off-world.
K-2SO was a reprogrammed Imperial droid who was able to fight, had a high level of intelligence, and was perhaps the wittiest of all Star Wars droids seen to date. His sacrifice, alongside the rest of the Rogue One crew, was an unforgettable moment in the history of the Star Wars franchise.