Droid
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Alternative meanings: Droids (cartoon)
A droid is a robot, specifically the intelligent robots in the fictional Star Wars universe. Famous droids include R2-D2 and C-3PO. Less famous droids in the Star Wars saga include: 2-1B medic, EV-9D9, Federation battle droid, HK-47, IG-88, Imperial probe droid, Pit droid, Power droid (Gonk droid), R5-D4, Treadwell and the YVH 1 Droid from the New Jedi Order novel Star by Star.
Droids are used for many different purposes. Astromech droids (or Astrodroids) are used aboard starships, as well as for repair work. Protocol droids are used for diplomatic affairs and for translating. The two leading droid manufacturers are Cybot Galactica and Industrial Automaton.
The word "droid" is a contraction of "android" which is a term used for human-like robots, but droids are not necessarily humanoid in appearance. Some droids do, however, exhibit human-like behavior; for example, they may react emotionally and think intelligently and self-reflectively.
It is widely believed that the hostility shown towards droids in Episodes IV-VI is a result of animosity stemming from the fact that droid armies lead the army of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, the group erroneously believed to be responsible for the Clone Wars.
See also: robots in literature
Quotes
"Well, if droids could think, there'd be none us of here, would there?"
"We seem to be made to suffer; it's our lot in life."
- - C-3PO, A New Hope
Trademark
George Lucas holds a trademark on the term "droid". The miniature mecha combat wargame BattleTech was originally released under the name BattleDroids, but was renamed due to trademark issues with Lucasfilm.
Pixar Animation Studios' film The Incredibles (2004) contains a reference to Lucasfilm's droid with the large weapon of destruction, the Omnidroid. The credits of the film give a nod to Lucasfilm.
From Mickey News[1] (http://www.mickeynews.com/News/DisplayPressRelease.asp_Q_id_E_11254Pixar) (11/25/2004):
For some viewers that feeling lasts through the closing credits, where a notice that the term "Omnidroid" was used by permission of Lucasfilm Ltd. has prompted some fans to speculate that The Incredibles offers a sneak peak at a character from the next Star Wars film.
"No. No, no, no," Bird says with a laugh, when asked if the secret weapon has a secret of its own. "I like that they think that, but it's more the term 'droid' is Lucas and we made the term Omnidroid (and then got the OK as a courtesy). So, no, there's no sneak. But God bless those fans. They're crazy."
An apparently unrelated killer droid of the same name also appears in Star Wars Galaxies.cs:Droid es:Androide ja:ドロイド sv:Droid