TJ-55

TJ-55
Production information
Date destroyed	22 BBY, Christophsis
Manufacturer	Baktoid Combat Automata
Product line	T-series
Model	T-series tactical droid
Technical specifications
Height	1.93 meters
Pronouns	It/its
Sensor color	White
Armament	E-5 blaster rifle
Chronological and political information
Affiliation	Confederacy of Independent Systems

"Maybe this tactical droid will tell us how they knew our plan."

―Clone Captain Rex

TJ-55 was a T-series tactical droid in the Confederacy of Independent Systems Droid Army during the Clone Wars. In 22 BBY, it and another tactical droid were stationed on Christophsis with the droid forces of the Retail Caucus, which invaded the planet. Soon after the invasion, the Galactic Republic sent an Army detachment led by Jedi Generals Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker to liberate the planet.

During the battle between Republic and Separatist forces, TJ-55 led an ambush on the Jedi's forces at a business complex in Crystal City. As the remaining Republic forces tried to evacuate from the roof of the South tower, the tactical droid led a squad of B1-Series battle droids to attack the retreating clone troopers. However, during the fighting, the droid's head was ripped off by clone trooper Gus and was brought back to the Republic's base for a robolobotomy. The investigation only confirmed that there was a spy amongst the Republic's troops before the droid stopped processing. The spy was eventually revealed to be Clone Sergeant Slick, who was later apprehended.

Biography

Battle of Christophsis

"The Republic army is in the north and south towers, level 46."

―TJ-55, during a robolobotomy

TJ-55 leads the attack.

Manufactured by Baktoid Combat Automata, TJ-55, a T-series tactical droid, served in the Separatist Droid Army during the Clone Wars. In 22 BBY, it and another tactical droid were assigned to help General Whorm Loathsom of the Retail Caucus, an ally organization of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, to conquer the planet Christophsis. However, the Galactic Republic dispatched clone troopers, led by High Jedi General Obi-Wan Kenobi and General Anakin Skywalker, to liberate the planet.

After landing, the Jedi began to prepare an ambush, but Clone Sergeant Slick, a Separatist spy embedded within the Republic forces, informed the Confederacy about the Republic's plan, and the location of the Republic forces was transmitted into TJ-55. Unaware of this, the Republic set up several repeating blaster cannons in a double-towered business center in Crystal City and prepared to open fire at the droid forces as they passed through the city plaza below.

Separatist battle droids led by TJ-55 march on Christophsis.

Consequently, by the time the tactical droid led its forces to the towers, it was well aware of the presence of Republic troops. It commanded its B1-Series battle droid forces from its Armored Assault Tank and surprised the Jedi and clones by splitting its troops, thus bypassing the ambush. Battle droids then attacked the south-facing tower, where Kenobi was with his troopers. The droids pinned down Kenobi and his clones, but Skywalker noticed the situation from the north tower. He signaled an LAAT/i gunship for an evacuation and led his clone troopers to help Kenobi. The Republic forces were able to hold their ground but were forced to retreat with the battle droids' larger numbers. As the Jedi and remaining clones took a turbolift to the roof, where the gunship was landing for evacuation, TJ-55 left its tank and followed the Republic troopers with its droid forces.

Downfall and robolobotomy

"It just doesn't make sense. Blast!"

―Rex, as the head of TJ-55 deactivates after revealing its information

TJ-55's head is ripped off by Gus.

On the roof of the south tower, the tactical droid led the attack of the battle droids in order to prevent the retreat of the Republic troops. Equipped with an E-5 blaster rifle, it managed to shoot at least one clone trooper during the firefight. However, clone trooper Gus saw the tactical droid, jumped for it, ripped its head off, and leaped onto the Republic gunship as it departed from the tower. While the gunship left, the still-functioning body of TJ-55 rotated senselessly, shooting several misaimed shots on its own.

Later on, at the Republic's Christophsis base, TJ-55's head was analyzed in a robolobotomy by Clone Commander CC-2224 and Clone Captain Rex. The droid's data files only verified that the Separatists had gained secret information about the positions of the Republic forces before the head stopped processing, ruining any chances of further analysis. Despite this, the spy was discovered to be Sergeant Slick, who was apprehended, and General Loathsom's droid forces were eventually defeated as well.

Characteristics

TJ-55's head reveals its information.

Like all tactical droids, TJ-55 stood 1.93 meters tall, was far more intelligent than standard battle droids of the Separatist Droid Army, and was not controlled by a computer, allowing it to think and function independently. In battle, it gave its orders from its Armored Assault Tank, but it was also ready to leave its tank and attack with its troops at close combat range, where it used its E-5 blaster rifle. The droid had the word "TACTICAL" written along the side of its head in Aurebesh, and it also had white photoreceptors.

Behind the scenes

James Arnold Taylor, TJ-55's voice actor

TJ-55 first appeared in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars television episode "The Hidden Enemy," which aired on February 6, 2009. The character was voiced by James Arnold Taylor, who also provided the voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi and the second tactical droid in the same episode. Even though the droid appeared unnamed in the episode, the droid was later named TJ-55 by its concept art, first presented on November 3, 2009, in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars The Complete Season One home video release's "Jedi Temple Archives" behind the scenes extra for "The Hidden Enemy."

The events surrounding the capture of TJ-55's head were also humorously portrayed in the non-canonical video game LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars, wherein one of the playable characters—Skywalker, Kenobi, CC-2224, or a clone trooper—has to put on the droid's head in order to use a special panel and gain access to the arriving gunship to escape from the South tower's roof.

Appearances

• Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "The Hidden Enemy" (First appearance)

Non-canon appearances

• LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars

Sources

• The Clone Wars Episode Guide: The Hidden Enemy on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars The Complete Season One (First identified as TJ-55)
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars Comic 6.1
• LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars: Prima Official Game Guide
• The Official Star Wars Fact File (2013) Part 4 (TTD2, T-Series Tactical Droid) (Picture only)
• The Official Star Wars Fact File (2014) Part 4 (TTD2, T-Series Tactical Droid) (Picture only)

Notes and references

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