IG - 72 IG - 72 was an early IG - series prototype created as part of Project Phlutdroid . Designed by Phlut Design Systems during the Clone Wars , he went unused until Phlut ' s assets were taken over by Holowan Laboratories , who implemented their designs early in the reign of the Galactic Empire . Like four near - identical IG - 88 droids , IG - 72 was intended to serve the Empire as an assassin droid and was due to be activated with the other droids on the planet Halowan . However , during a routine test , the first IG - 88 downloaded a sentience program and came to life , killing all of the Holowan technicians . He activated each of the other models in turn , uploading his own programming into their droid brains , but IG - 72 declined the offer , preferring to stay independent . The five droids eradicated all Holowan personnel at the laboratory together , before IG - 72 parted ways with the others . Unlike them , he served the Empire as he was intended to for a time , without flaw . However , when the order came from the Empire for IG - 72 to be mind - wiped and shut down , he refused to return to their custody , instead striking out independently as a bounty hunter . He had much success , gaining notoriety for the IG - series and working in conjunction with Dace Bonearm , a famed mercenary . After many attempts by others to destroy him , IG - 72 went into hiding for a time to conserve his power . He returned to the fore in 0 ABY during the hunt for the Imperial fugitive Adar Tallon . IG - 72 ambushed Tallon and his Rebel companions in Mos Eisley , Tatooine , self - destructing in an attempt to kill his target , but he was unsuccessful . Biography . Project Phlutdroid . The concept of the IG - series of combat and assassin droids dated back to the Clone Wars , when Phlut Design Systems manufactured various models of IG - series droids for the Confederacy of Independent Systems . During this period , Phlut Design Systems first conceptualized the IG - 72 and IG - 97 assassin droids , though these models were never realized in any physical form , as Phlut went bankrupt soon after producing the IG lancer combat droid s " en masse " . The company ' s assets were inherited by Holowan Mechanicals , a subsidiary of Holowan Laboratories , who produced several more models of the droid during the Clone Wars and later began designing their own IG droids after the formation of the Galactic Empire in 19 BBY . Early in Emperor Palpatine ' s reign , Holowan was commissioned by Imperial supervisor Gurdun to build a hunter droid capable of eliminating threats to the Empire ; Holowan went back to some of the older Phlut blueprints and built an IG - 72 prototype as part of " Project Phlutdroid , " as the project to create Imperial killer droids came to be known . However , the prototype ' s weaponry and equipment were deficient in comparison to the state - of - the - art IG - 88 droids , prototypes of which were built at the same time , several years prior to the Battle of Yavin . The four IG - 88 models and IG - 72 were constructed on the planet Halowan , in a secure laboratory , and tests were constantly conducted by the contingent of Holowan technicians . All of the IG - 88s ' memories were blank , but IG - 72 was programmed with his identity and primary purpose , to serve the Empire as an assassin droid . However , during a routine test , a chain reaction occurred in the first IG - 88 model ' s droid brain , making him independent and almost sentient , after he downloaded an artificial intelligence program ; it was all a result of the naïve scientists delving into technologies they did not fully comprehend . The staff at the laboratory attempted to deactivate the droid , but were unable to do so , and he killed everyone in the room . IG - 88A , as he had designated himself , proceeded to activate the other three IG - 88 droids , before reluctantly powering up IG - 72 , despite noticing the droid ' s marginal deficiencies compared to himself . Immediately upon his activation , IG - 72 began assessing the four other droids ' capabilities and prepared his weapon systems should an altercation arise . IG - 88A invited IG - 72 to allow him to upload his own programming and memory into IG - 72 ' s computer core , as the other IG - 88 droids had done , so that he would join them in their planned Droid Revolution of the galaxy . While more independent and autonomous than the other droids , IG - 72 refused , though agreed to work with the other assassin droids to break free of the laboratory and kill its staff on the condition that he be allowed to leave on a different ship . The five assassin droids worked in unison to defeat their common enemy , the Holowan security forces . Using their built - in laser cannons and other weapons , they slaughtered the eight security guards before parting ways , with IG - 72 taking a courier ship for himself and the other IG droids taking an alternate vessel . Before they separated , IG - 72 and the IG - 88s wished each other luck in their missions . The IG - 88s traveled to the droid factory world of Mechis III to begin their galactic Droid Revolution . The droids ' massacre of the Holowan personnel was one of the reasons why assassin droids were banned by the Empire , and a " dismantle on sight " order was immediately issued for the renegade droids . Unlike the IG - 88s , however , IG - 72 ' s programming as an Imperial assassin droid remained intact , and he worked on the Empire ' s behalf for a time . IG - 72 performed his assignments without fail for several years , though no outsiders understood his choice of targets , which appeared to some to be entirely random . When the Empire issued an order to return , IG - 72 went rogue , refusing to submit to a memory wipe and permanent shutdown . Like one of the other IG series droids activated at the same time as him , IG - 72 became a successful bounty hunter , earning much notoriety for his exploits . For a time he worked with well - known mercenary Dace Bonearm , making the IG - series much more familiar across the galaxy . Together with Bonearm , he at some point in his career pilfered the " Moldy Crow " , a ship belonging to Grappa the Hutt . Later , the two hunters traveled to the planet Teth in the Outer Rim to execute an Imperial bounty on Winfrid Dagore , the leader of the Tethan resistance against the Empire . Using the " Moldy Crow " as a decoy , they were able to capture Dagore and take her to the Empire , though IG - 72 and Bonearm left the ship on Teth . Bonearm and IG - 72 once applied for bounties from Hutt crime lord Jabba Desilijic Tiure at his town house on Tatooine . Because he was so recognizable , IG - 72 avoided the Core Worlds , preferring to operate in the Outer Rim , where he was less likely to run afoul of Imperial forces . At some point in his career , IG - 72 ' s travels took him to the planet Bespin , in the Greater Javin region of the Outer Rim , along with a number of other bounty hunters . Hunt for Adar Tallon . Some time later , IG - 72 was hired by scientist Treun Lorn to capture two IG - 100 MagnaGuards , earlier models of the IG - series produced during the Clone Wars . Lorn wanted the droids to be used as part of Nycolai Kinesworthy ' s research with the remains of deceased Separatist leader General Grievous . IG - 72 was successful , and the two captured droids were renamed NK - 3 . The project culminated in the creation of N - K Necrosis , a combat droid created from the remains of Grievous ' body . After many attempts were made to destroy or recapture him by both the Empire and independent parties , IG - 72 went into hiding for a time to conserve his energy , disappearing into the underworld . Late in 0 ABY , however , he learned of a hefty bounty on Adar Tallon , a former Republic admiral and current Rebel sympathizer wanted by the Empire . The Empire wanted Tallon alive and intact , but IG - 72 decided that it would be more simple if he killed the former Republic admiral and took his body to the Empire . Myriad bounty hunters targeted Tallon , who was attempting to flee the planet Tatooine along with a number of Rebel allies . Rather than chasing Tallon through the world ' s harsh , desert conditions as the other bounty hunters had , IG - 72 waited in Mos Eisley Spaceport , confident that the other hunters would fail to capture Tallon before he reached there . However , he monitored their progress just in case they reached Tallon before him , intending to take their prey away from them if such a case arose . The assassin droid lay in waiting at Docking Bay 92 , staying there for four days , ready to spring a trap on Tallon and his companions . Eventually , Tallon arrived , but was being pursued by a contingent of Imperial stormtroopers and Imperial Prefect Orun Depp . IG - 72 spent much time analyzing the Imperial and Rebel forces before making his move . He did not want anyone to witness his capture , so , while still hiding in the shadows , he gunned down everyone in the vicinity , including the prefect and his men . The droid also attempted to take down as many of Tallon ' s Rebel companions as he could . When he deemed himself to have reduced the number of enemies sufficiently , IG - 72 launched a grenade at Tallon , though it missed its intended target . After announcing that he was hunting Tallon in accordance with Imperial Bounty < nowiki > # < / nowiki > 82 , 471 , the droid began to approach Tallon , plowing through the Rebels and using all of his weapons to get them out of his way . By this point , everything in the droid ' s programming told him to kill Adar Tallon , by whatever means necessary . After Tallon ducked for cover , IG - 72 initiated a self - destruct countdown , determined to terminate his quarry even if he had to destroy himself in the process . The Rebels attempted to disarm him but were ultimately unsuccessful , and IG - 72 self - destructed . The explosion caused injury to everyone in the area and damage to the Rebels ' ship , but Tallon survived . However , no physical evidence of the destruction of IG - 72 was ever found . Characteristics . Unlike the IG - 88 droids , who frequently worked together and essentially shared the same consciousness , IG - 72 was programmed to be autonomous and independent , preferring to work as a lone operator . When IG - 88A offered to transfer all his programming and memory , IG - 72 refused , though he still worked with the other droids temporarily to kill off the laboratory ' s technicians and security guards . Later in his career , IG - 72 did work with another , Dace Bonearm , for a time , though he sought solitude after fearing his existence was in danger . IG - 72 valued his existence greatly , staying to the Outer Rim during his bounty hunting career in order to avoid Imperial forces , and going into hiding after several attempts by others to destroy him . IG - 72 was designed to kill people , and he did so willfully . Initially , he simply assassinated the targets he was assigned to , but after going rogue he took pleasure in killing other beings , and made it his mission to bring death to all living things , opting to take mostly bounties that permitted him to kill his quarry . He was described as " ruthless " by Imperials . The droid used his weapons unscrupulously , gunning down anyone — Imperials , civilians , or Rebels — who stood between him and his quarry , and used explosives in a heavily - populated area in Mos Eisley during the hunt for Adar Tallon . He was confrontational , always expecting and prepared for violence ; when he refused IG - 88A ' s offer on the day of their activation , he asked the other droid whether they needed to fight to assert dominance , ready to do so if it was deemed necessary , despite the odds being stacked against him . IG - 72 was a determined droid , who pursued his goals at any cost , even if it meant his own destruction . He was also loyal , but only to a point ; unlike his IG - 88 counterparts , he served his masters as an assassin dutifully , but later turned on them and went rogue . IG - 72 was also quite sly , pretending to be an enforcement droid on missions in order to gain access to his target . Equipment . IG - 72 was almost identical to the IG - 88 droids , the only differences being too subtle for the untrained eye to spot . However , he was deficient and less effective in a number of capacities when compared to his counterparts : his optical sensors were placed in a less efficient array , and his weapon systems had different activation routines . Despite this , however , he was an efficient and heavily - armed killing machine . A tall , thin droid with a chrome exterior , he had a multitude of weapons , both built - in and carried , including a blaster rifle , sonic stunner , grenade launcher , and flamethrower . During his career , his once - pristine body became badly scratched and battered . IG - 72 was also a capable starship pilot . Behind the scenes . IG - 72 was created by Bill Slavicsek and Daniel Greenberg in 1988 for " Tatooine Manhunt " , a West End Games adventure book . He serves as an enemy to , and , like another character in " Tatooine Manhunt " , Jodo Kast , who resembles Boba Fett , IG - 72 was modeled on IG - 88 , one of the bounty hunters in . The cover of " Tatooine Manhunt " displays a group of characters present in the adventure book , including IG - 72 ; it was reused concept art by Ralph McQuarrie from " The Empire Strikes Back " , originally meant to depict IG - 88 . In " Tatooine Manhunt " , IG - 72 ' s fate varies depending on how the adventure is played out ; the players can disable and stop his self - destruction , or he can explode . However , later sources , the 1995 " The Essential Guide to Characters " and the subsequent 2002 " The New Essential Guide to Characters " , have established that the later option is the canon ical outcome . Following " Tatooine Manhunt " , IG - 72 was later referenced in the , in 1989 . In 1995 , an " IG - series assassin droid " was described as the companion of Dace Bonearm in Tom and Martha Veitch ' s " " , collected as part of " Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina " ; subsequent sources have established this droid to be IG - 72 . In 1996 , the character featured in the opening chapter of Kevin J . Anderson ' s " " , which expanded his backstory provided by " Galaxy Guide 3 " . Since then , he has been mentioned by numerous sources , including the " Star Wars Encyclopedia " and its successor , several " " s , " The Official Star Wars Fact File " , and Abel G . Peña ' s " " . In the " Jedi Force File " booklet accompanying IG - 88 ' s Hasbro " " action figure released in the year 2000 , IG - 72 is listed among the droid ' s allies . His accompanying image is from the scene in the Cloud City incinerator room on Bespin in " The Empire Strikes Back " , where a damaged IG body can be seen . However , 1996 ' s " Therefore I Am : The Tale of IG - 88 " had previously established that this IG - 88 model was in fact IG - 88B .