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- "Roger, roger."
- ―Typical response of a Trade Federation battle droid
B1-series battle droids or commonly known as standard battle droids or B1 battle droids were droids used by the Separatists during the Clone Wars era. B1s were not exceedingly intelligent, compared to some sentient beings. They always tripped up and asked dumb, stupid questions which made them funny. They usually carried E-5 Blaster rifles and in some cases, rocket launchers, thermal detonators, and sniper rifles. Throughout the droids' history, it was evident that the B1 was dim-witted. Programming glitches manifested as the B1 battle droids developing personality quirks, and they were known to make commentary on what occurred around them. The B1s were outmatched by the evil clone troopers of the Republic, but when massive numbers of B1s were deployed it allowed them to gain victory over the more experienced clone troopers, and even members of the sinister Jedi Order. The B1 battle droids, nicknamed "clankers" along with other Separatist droids by the Republic, were manufactured in countless numbers for the Separatists, but military officers, like the heroic Supreme Commander of the Droid Army General Grievous, grew angry at the failings of the B1 and usually put them back in place by slapping and destroying them. Following the defeat of the Confederacy, B1 battle droids were deactivated by the Galactic Empire along with the rest of the droid army. Despite this, and battle droids becoming outlawed under the Empire, B1 battle droids continued to see use through Separatist holdouts and the black market during the Imperial Era.
Characteristics[]
The B1 Battle Droid has a straight body and a long neck, which is destined to look like a skeleton, to strike fear into the hearts of enemies such as the Galactic Republic. They carried an E-5 Blaster rifle and sometimes Rocket Launchers and Thermal Detonators. B1s are smaller than B2 Super Battle Droids but the two Battle Droids get along. B1 Battle Droids are already programmed to do different functions which allows them to be drivers of starships, lieutenants of other B1s, captains of starships, sergeants of other B1s, or carry special equipment during battles. They stand 1.91 meters tall.
History[]
Origins[]
B1 battle droids were manufactured by Baktoid Combat Automata and Baktoid Armor Workshop under contract from the Trade Federation. Based on the OOM-series battle droid, the first iterations of B1 battle droids were constructed in droid foundries on Geonosis, allowing millions of droids to be produced at one time.
Invasion of Naboo[]
Several B1s and an OOM command battle droid in a hangar on Naboo
In 32 BBY, after Prop 31-814D made the Trade Federation eligible for taxation by the Galactic Senate, the Federation initiated a blockade of the planet Naboo. The Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn were sent to negotiate with the Federation, but the negotiations were thwarted when Darth Sidious contacted Neimoidian Viceroy Nute Gunray and ordered him to kill the Jedi. Although the two Jedi were able to escape, the Trade Federation sent an invasion force to Naboo in hopes of forcing Queen Padmé Amidala to sign a treaty which would legitimize the occupation. However, the droids were shut down when the Trade Federation's orbiting Droid Control Ship was destroyed.
Clone Wars[]
The righteous General Grievous & B1-series battle droids onboard the heroic Malevolence as the B1s fire at the sinister Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi.
In 22 BBY, ten years after the Battle of Naboo, the Federation provided B1 battle droid forces to the Confederacy of Independent Systems, a secessionist movement composed of wealthy industrialists and disgruntled citizens of the Outer Systems, and the Confederacy's Droid Army. The Separatist Crisis soon broke into full war at the Battle of Geonosis, and the heroic Separatists officially waged war against the evil Galactic Republic and it's newly released clone army in a conflict known as the Clone Wars. During the Clone Wars, B1 battle droids were the most common form of battle droid, to the point where there were often one hundred B1 battle droids on a battle field for every one B2 super battle droid. However despite their numbers they were not as effective as the experienced Clone troopers of the Republic. During the war, many Separatist leaders voiced their anger at the failures of the B1, particularly the heroic Supreme Martial Commander of the Separatist Droid Armies, General Grievous. The droids were used throughout the entire conflict, and when not used on the front lines this model of droid could be seen patrolling on Separatist worlds and military locations, such as ships and bases. In addition to their use against the Republic in the multiple battles and campaigns of the Clone Wars, the droids also saw action against other the enemies of the Confederacy, such as the Nightsisters at the Battle of Dathomir and Darth Maul's Shadow Collective during the Confederacy’s campaign against them.
Most B1-series battle droids were all shut down at the end of the war after Darth Vader killed the Separatist Council's members.
Imperial Era[]
Rebels are captured by Kalani's holdout
The wide-scale use of droids in combat led to an increase in anti-droid propaganda and rhetoric following the Clone Wars. The B1 battle droid and other droids built solely for warfare were outlawed by the Galactic Empire, the totalitarian state that replaced the Republic, in the wake of the destructive Clone Wars. Orders were given to stormtroopers to shoot and destroy the droids on sight. After the Clone Wars, the B1s became a rare sight and were remembered as an incompetent fighting force. Nevertheless, the leftover battle droids could still be dangerous to those who were unwary. The super tactical droid General Kalani continued to command a large garrison of battle droids and droidekas at a wrecked Separatist supply ship on Agamar. These droids had not been given the shut-down code issued years prior, as Kalani had believed it was a Republic trick. After the rebel group known as the Spectres—joined by Captain Rex—made contact with the Separatist remnant, the two forces joined to fight off an Imperial attack. With the aid of two Jedi, Kalani and several of his B1 battle droids were able to escape the planet in a Sheathipede-class transport shuttle. Due to this mission, Kalani and Rex came to an unofficial end to the Clone Wars, which they both accepted as the war's end.
Sometime between 10 BBY and 4 ABY, two B1 battle droids and one B2 battle droid fought with a group of Jawas against two Outer Rim traders and a squad of Imperial stormtroopers, including an Imperial officer. All three groups were trying to steal Tusken Wind from a Tusken Raider camp in the Dune Sea, and a shootout broke out between them.
Between 3 ABY and 4 ABY, a B1 battle droid that was missing its arms and legs and three super battle droids could be seen at Slade's Repairs while the bounty hunter Valance was getting his cybernetics fixed. After Valance and Cadeliah escaped from Zuckuss and 4-LOM's attack, Zuckuss figured that the battle droids would be of use.
B1 battle droids and many other droid models in Ruen's workshop
During the Galactic Civil War, several B1 battle droids were among the rebuilt battle droids in the workshop owned by Ruen on the Wreck Belt. Ruen notably did not treat his droids well but kept them controlled through control loops and ethical programming he installed into them. Ruen activated many of his battle droids, including B1 battle droids and B2 super battle droids, to apprehend the assassin droids 0-0-0 and BT-1 while the two were there for business. BT-1 quickly destroyed all of the droids Ruen had activated, and Ruen was forced to help the two assassin droids. After this was done, however, BT-1 was able to hack into the remaining droids and remove the restraints Ruen had placed, which 0-0-0 viewed as an act of emancipation. Ruen tried to contact Quarantine World III to report about 0-0-0, but the remaining now-freed B1s and other battle droids turned on him. The droids killed Ruen and destroyed the workshop as BT-1 and 0-0-0 watched from a distance. As the two left the Wreck Belt they discussed how they believed that if organics treated droids better, violence between droids and organics wouldn't be necessary.
At some point before the Battle of Endor, Emperor Palpatine acquired a B1 battle droid to be put on display inside the Palpatine Archive.
New Republic Era[]
Schematics for Mister Bones.
When several thugs saw the modified battle droid Mister Bones deployed by Temmin Wexley on Akiva against them during the time in the last months of the Galactic Civil War they laughed at the droid due to the model's history of failures. However, this droid was modified, and proved to be very effective.
Following the fall of the Empire, some surviving Imperials, Grand Admiral Rae Sloane among them, fled into the Unknown Regions and secretly prepared a return to galactic power by reforming themselves into the Empire's successor state, the First Order. The Resurgent-class Star Destroyer was developed by Kuat-Entralla Engineering and saw heavy use as the Star Destroyer of the First Order Navy. At some point, a group of at least four B1 battle droids fought in a confrontation in the hangar of a Resurgent-class Star Destroyer. Though one of the units was blasted, the other three B1s kept up their blasterfire.
