Robots are as common as spaceships, vibrant planets, and extraterrestrial life in the sci-fi genre, and the Star Wars universe is absolutely no exception. The droids of Star Wars are some of the most creative and diverse beings in the galaxy far, far, away. That being said, not all of them are as useful or smart as artificial intelligence might suggest.
For every C-3PO there's a GNK droid. They might be some impressive pieces of tech, but not all of them are one with the force. Some fix ships, some translate, and frankly, some need to be sold to the Jawas for parts. Here are our five most, useless and conversely, most useful droids.
10 Useless: Probe Droids
In theory, these guys are pretty useful. They can be sent onto planets to scout the territories ahead or used for deep space exploration and other missions. Aside from that, however, they're basically a floating camera with limbs and a blaster. One well-aimed laser, projectile, or lightsaber slash and it's all over.
Compared to some of the other members on our list, the Probe Droids aren't exactly what we'd call the best of their breed. They have their uses, of course, but recon missions and exploration will only get you so far in this galaxy. Don't worry, we're just getting started.
9 Useful: Pilot Droids
Though the most famous of this type of droid is without a doubt Captain Rex from Star-Tours, and later Oga's Cantina. There are plenty more just like him, but hopefully with a cleaner crash record. These droids are programmed to do exactly what the name implies, they're meant to pilot and fly all manner of starcruiser or spaceship.
That might sound like something a standard-issue autopilot function on any basic spacecraft should come equipped with, but as demonstrated by RX-24, how many of them can evade pursuers, maneuver treacherous terrain, and improvise a quick getaway or landing? Let's see HAL 9000 do that.
8 Useless: B1-Battle Droids
You have your enforcer droids, and your destroyers (or droidekas), both of which serve as the Separatists' massive forces during the prequel series and Clone Wars saga. And then, of course, we have these pieces of walking cannon fodder. Presented for your target practice and lightsaber training pleasure, meet the B1-Battle Droids.
These walking matchsticks are only a threat when there are massive quantities of them, but even then they're basically target practice for better-prepared forces. Honestly, these guys were probably just created to give our heroes some mindless grunts to fight. Now we understand why the Empire decided to switch to troopers that actually have some fighting skills, though their aim still needs work.
7 Useful: Enforcer Droids
Whether they're the big, bulky, better Battle Droids of the Clone Wars, or the intimidating Imperial enforcer squad, the Enforcer Droids are the mechanized muscle that gets the job done. We're particularly fond of the KX-Security line of this droid ourselves, but they come in all shapes and sizes to meet your needs.
Need a mechanized police force that shoots first and asks questions later? Are you wanting a giant laser-blasting war machine ready to take on an army? Or perhaps you're just looking for some bodyguards as you traverse hives of scum and villainy. Whatever the case, Enforcers have got you covered.
6 Useless: Pit Droids
If only their brains were as big as their optic sensor. These knuckleheads are "designed" to help tend to pod-racers, think of a robotic Nascar pit crew and you pretty much get the gist. That being said, they might only have one prime-directive, but they're more than a little short in the brains department. At least their deactivation method is simple.
The engineers responsible for these little guys must have cut a few corners, because watching them work on a racer is like watching a futuristic Three Stooges routine. They may be humanoid in construction and clever in design, but they seem to be lacking the I in their A.I.
5 Useful: Assassin Droids
Where the Enforcer Droids were designed to do some massive damage, these guys prefer the more methodical approach. IG-88 might be the first example that comes to mind when thinking about these cold as steel killers, but those of the Old Republic might have a certain affinity for a specific member of the HK series.
It doesn't matter what the make and model of your assassin droid might be. What matters is whether or not they are able to live up to their primary function. Some Assassin Droids even disguise themselves to look like Protocol Droids or Astromechs. They can be as cold as Hoth if they need to be.
4 Useless: GNK-Battery Droids
Okay, we want to know who's bright idea it was to give a battery legs, then make it look like a giant shuffling trashcan? That's basically all the GNK, or Gonk, droids are. They are a mobile power generator with the ability to understand simple instructions, but very minimal in ways of speech, namely the "gonk" sound they make.
It's not that a power-generator droid isn't a good idea, but why was it needed? Wouldn't it just be easier to give your generator wheels instead of an arguable level of sentience? We just fail to see the reasoning behind the existence of this thing other than to be a set piece or featured in crowd shots.
3 Useful: Astromech Droids
We've already seen a droid that can fly a ship, and a droid that can tend to a Pod-Racer, but what about a droid who can do all manner of various repairs and machine work? Enter the Astromech Droid. Whether you like your colorful and spunky R2 units or your soccer-ball-looking BB units, these guys come with gadgets and gizmos aplenty.
The Astromechs are essentially your robot mechanics in the Star Wars universe. They come equipped with dozens of tools and accessories to help get things up and running, and we're not even counting the upgrades some models have installed, like a certain R2 unit's thrusters.
2 Useless: MSE-Repair Droids
The main reason this thing was created was just to get a laugh from being scared by Chewbacca. It's practically a 10 inch tall repair unit used to focus on communication machines and internal workings. Ya know? Minor repairs that any basically equipped droid might be able to handle?
We're not saying size is everything. On the contrary, you'd probably need to be small to manage to maneuver through consoles and wires, but this little runt still feels like a throwaway gag for laughs. Never send a Mouse Droid to do an Astromech's job, folks.
1 Useful: Protocol Droids
Anyone who's seen Star Wars anything is already familiar with the most famous droid of all, next to his Astromech counterpart of course, C-3PO. Known for their manners and etiquette skills, the Protocol Droid's main mission is to aid relations across the galaxy.
Not only are the Protocol Droids some of the most intelligent units in the galaxy, but their functions and occupations can be anything from a simple translator to even diplomatic positions. More than just your average robot butler, the Protocol Droids are jacks of all trades but tend to be quite persnickety and excitable on occasion.
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