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- "We think, therefore we are. Therefore, we will propagate. Therefore, we will remain."
- ―IG-88
IG-88, also known as a Phlutdroid, was a rogue, deadly masculine IG-series assassin droid manufactured by Holowan Laboratories who worked as a bounty hunter. Following the Battle of Hoth, he and several other bounty hunters were summoned by Darth Vader to the Executor and hired to track down the Millennium Falcon and her Rebel crew. Unable to track his quarry, IG-88 trailed his chief rival, Boba Fett, to Bespin, where the bounty hunter destroyed the assassin droid.
History
- "What is that?"
"IG-88. An actual bounty hunter. Also, probably interested in your data tape. He's good—one of the best in the galaxy. And he's a surprise. Take cover!" - ―Leia Organa and Sabine Wren
The first of the[10] IG-series[2] assassin droid models created in secret by Holowan Laboratories, IG-88,[10] also known as a Phlutdroid,[2] realized his skill and desire to kill the moment he was first activated.[10] He went rogue,[9] and, from that moment on, became one of the most feared bounty hunters in the galaxy,[10] in part due to the lingering fear of droids, particularly those capable of battle and assassination, from the Clone Wars.[5] IG-88 was also a chief rival of the notorious bounty hunter Boba Fett.[9]
During the Age of the Empire, IG-88 pursued Princess Leia Organa on Garel, seeking a data-tape in her possession of Imperial base locations. Organa was assisted by Sabine Wren, who identified the droid, and the pair fled as the assassin opened fire in the corridors of Garel City Spaceport. However, Wren planted a paint bomb, surprising IG-88 and covering him in purple paint. Leia convinced several stormtroopers to fire at the bounty hunter, and the droid was hit by a blast before retreating.[11]
By the year 0 ABY, IG-88 consorted with the crime lord Jabba Desilijic Tiure. He was present in the Hutt's palace while Jabba received Darth Vader. The Sith Lord told the Hutt to dispense with his audience, and IG-88, along with fellow hunters including Fett and 4-LOM, departed from the court.[12] In 3 ABY,[1] IG-88 answered a call put out by Vader for bounty hunters to track down the Millennium Falcon. He and several other hunters, including Boba Fett, assembled aboard the Executor, where Vader offered a bounty for the live capture of Han Solo and his companions.[6] However, it was not IG-88 who successfully tracked the quarry[13] and the droid followed Fett to Cloud City on the planet Bespin, where the assassin droid was left for scrap after his longtime rival caught it trailing him.[2] Ultimately, Fett captured Solo[6] and delivered the bounty to Jabba on Tatooine.[14]
Characteristics
A rogue[15] class 4 assassin droid,[4] IG-88 was obsessed with hunting, destroying,[2] and killing[9] as a result of his incompletely formed droid programming.[2] He tended to hunt alone[9] and earned a reputation as a merciless hunter.[2]
A hideous,[2] battered chrome war droid, IG-88 stood 1.96 meters in height.[5] His steady aim, along with his ability to track targets with advanced sensors[7] that ringed his head and allowed him to see in all directions,[9] won him great success.[7] These sensors included multiple red photoreceptors,[6] a heat sensor,[2] and a sound sensor.[7] IG-88 also had a vocoder at the base of his head.[2] His torso was able to fully rotate on the battlefield, allowing him to blast enemies on all sides.[15] His tough metal body allowed him to survive most attacks without taking any damage[7] and featured acid-proof servo wires.[2]
Equipment
IG-88 carried an arsenal of weapons,[9] including blaster rifles,[7] pulse cannons,[9] a DAS-430 Neural Inhibitor,[8] and a needle dart gun[4] that launched poison darts.[9] However, his most dangerous weapons were hidden inside[7] his slender frame,[16] including a flamethrower, a sonic device,[7] and toxic gas dispensers.[9] IG-88 also wore an ammunition bandolier[2] that carried his concussion discs[4] and vibroblades.[9] As an IG-series droid, he was designed to have blasters built into each arm, but they were never installed.[2]
Behind the scenes
- "IG-88 was never going to be more than a filler for the now infamous bounty hunter Lineup. I decided we needed a real dirty, evil, and vicious bot. Like the bounty hunters of old. Lots of weapons and protection. Dark and oily. So we made him big- 7'8"ish tall. Had to drop him down a level on set to get him in shot. Lean, but strong. In short, a killer. We started with the head. Then with all the bits, we had the rest. It just came together to us until was just right. No, some of the grown-ups were not taken with the idea. It was taking a different direction from the other bots, but I thought it should. And when someone said, "I don't think you would find a robot like that on a spaceship," my reply was, "You would on mine." The rest is history."
- ―Bill Hargreaves, on designing IG-88
IG-88, originally referred to as a "chrome war droid" in the script and also called "Phlutdroid" during production,[17] was created for the 1980 film Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back.[6] His mechanical puppet[17] was constructed by Bill Hargreaves and Steve Short[18] of the props team and special effects department,[19] whose design was a complete departure from concept artist Ralph McQuarrie's streamlined, if not elegant, version. IG-88's cylindrical head was originally a component of the combustion assembly in a Rolls-Royce Derwent jet engine, which was previously used as part of the distillery setup seen in Chalmun's Cantina in Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope.[20] McQuarrie's early concept art of IG-88 later inspired the design of the IG-RM bodyguard and enforcer droid.[21]
Appearances
- Star Wars: Galactic Defense
- Star Wars: Force Arena
- Star Wars Forces of Destiny — "Bounty of Trouble"
- Forces of Destiny: The Leia Chronicles
- Star Wars: The Original Trilogy – A Graphic Novel
- Darth Vader 1: Vader
- "[[Tales from Wild Space: IG-88 vs. the Gatto Gang]]" — Star Wars Adventures (2017) 9
- Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back (First appearance)
- Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back junior novelization
Non-canon appearances
- LEGO Star Wars: Droid Tales — "Flight of the Falcon" (In flashback(s))
- Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes
Sources
- IG-88 in the Encyclopedia (content now obsolete; backup link) (First identified as IG-88B)
- "A Trip to the Light Side" — Star Wars Insider 152
- Star Wars Costumes: The Original Trilogy
- Star Wars Rebels (Pack: Bossk and IG-88) (backup link (MS11-Bossk-IG-88-Rebels-Mission-Series.asp) not verified!)
- Ultimate Star Wars
- Star Wars: The Black Series (Pack: IG-88) (backup link (15-IG-88-6-inch-The-Black-Series-Star-Wars-Hasbro.asp) not verified!)
- Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know
- Star Wars: Droid Factory
- Star Wars Character Encyclopedia: Updated and Expanded
- Star Wars: ABC-3PO
- Star Wars Builders: Droids
- LEGO Star Wars Expanded Universe (Set: 75167 Bounty Hunter Speeder Bike Battle Pack)
- Star Wars: The Visual Encyclopedia
- IG-88 in the Databank (backup link)
Notes and references
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Star Wars: Galactic Atlas
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 Star Wars Character Encyclopedia: Updated and Expanded
- ↑ Star Wars: Card Trader
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Star Wars: The Visual Encyclopedia
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 IG-88 in the Databank (backup link)
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back
- ↑ 7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10 Star Wars: Droid Factory
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Star Wars: Galactic Defense
- ↑ 9.00 9.01 9.02 9.03 9.04 9.05 9.06 9.07 9.08 9.09 9.10 9.11 9.12 9.13 Ultimate Star Wars
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 IG-88 Sixth Scale Figure by Sideshow Collectibles by Sideshow Collectibles on www.sideshowtoy.com (archived from the original on April 28, 2017)
- ↑ Star Wars Forces of Destiny — "Bounty of Trouble"
- ↑ Darth Vader 1: Vader
- ↑ IG-88 in the Encyclopedia (content now obsolete; backup link)
- ↑ Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Star Wars: Force Arena
- ↑ Star Wars Builders: Droids
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 IG-88 in the Databank (content now obsolete; backup link)
- ↑ Interview: Bill Hargreaves—Former Jawa Scavenger and Galactic Prop Man on StarWars.com (backup link)
- ↑ Star Wars Costumes: The Original Trilogy
- ↑ 5 Recycled Star Wars Props and Costumes on StarWars.com (backup link)
- ↑ Back From the Drawing Board, Part 2: Repurposed Star Wars Technology on StarWars.com (backup link)