Basilisk war droid The Basilisk war droid was a powerful , semi - sentient combat droid , designed by the Basiliskan race native to the planet Basilisk , located in the Core Worlds . Following the Mandalorian Crusaders ' conquest of Basilisk in 4017 BBY , the Mandalorian warriors pillaged the powerful war droids for themselves . To the Mandalorians , the Basilisk droid was known as the Bes ' uliik — the " iron beast " in the Mandalorian language of " Mando ' a " — and came to be valued as animal - like companions . Measuring several meters in height , Basilisk droids resembled a cross between a Zalorian rock - lion and a Karran beetle , though there were those that noted the similarity between the war droids and their reptilian Basiliskan creators . Basilisk war droids were armed with an array of weapons in and on their armored frame , including laser and pulse - wave cannon s , shockwave generator rods , and shatter - missile launchers . The Mandalorians were known for riding Basilisk war droids down into the atmosphere of a world from space at tremendous speeds , using gravitational force and the element of surprise to overwhelm their foes . Over time , the warrior culture adapted the droids to suit different combat roles , and developed new iterations of the Basilisk that included enhanced features such as a closed cockpit . With the Basilisk war droids under their control , the Mandalorian Crusaders struck at worlds across the galaxy , conquering Kuar and assaulting the shipyards of Foerost . Aligned with the Sith Lords Ulic Qel - Droma and Exar Kun during the Great Sith War , the Mandalorians rode their Basilisks into combat during an attack on the galactic capital of Coruscant , and again during the fighting at Ossus against the forces of the Galactic Republic . At Onderon , the Mandalorian Basilisk riders flew in opposition to the world ' s famed Beast Riders . Following the end of the Great Sith War , the Basilisk war droids went on to become a powerful component of the Mandalorian Neo - Crusader forces during the subsequent Mandalorian Wars : Basilisk droids participated in battles at Cathar , Vanquo , Essien , and Althir III . Following the Mandalorians ' defeat at Malachor V in the final battle of the Mandalorian Wars , the warriors were commanded by the Jedi Knight Revan to destroy their Basilisk mounts as part of the terms of their surrender . However , not all complied with Revan ' s demands , and numerous Basilisk droids continued to survive with Mandalorians who refused to give up their beast - like companions , including members of Clan Jendri and Clan Ordo . Even still , the war droids ' numbers dwindled over time , and by the rise of the New Republic , most Baslisk droids could only be found in the museums of the galaxy . The Basilisk droid remained a symbol of strength in the Mandalorian culture , and the design of later Basilisk droids could be found emulated in the " StarViper " - class starship manufactured by MandalMotors ; the Mandalorian company also named it ' s " Bes ' uliik " - class starfighter after the ancient war droids . Description . A beast - like droid , the Basilisk war droid visually resembled a mechanical cross between a Zalorian rock - lion and a Karran beetle , standing on its six legs — two clawed , powerful front legs , and four smaller hind legs — at a height that varied from 2 . 98 meters upward to closer to five meters , depending upon the model . The Basilisk ' s droid brain gave it a rudimentary , animal - like self - awareness of a semi - sentient degree , and though they could operate independently , the war droids most often took the role of loyal mounts to direction - giving riders , and had to be powered up or shut down externally in a process that took seconds . Basilisk droids formed powerful empathetic relationships with their riders , and were known to howl as if in pain when their rider was killed . The bodies of Basilisk droids were heavily armored and often colored in shades of green , though others were known to display hues of gray , or red with gold . Mandalorian riders , who controlled the beast - like droids from protective armored saddles atop the Basilisks , were known to garnish their mounts with an assortment of their personal weaponry strapped to the droid ' s body , including axe s , swords , and flashpistols . The war droid ' s open combat models were , themselves , armed with a powerful array of artillery : pulse - wave cannon s and auto - firing laser cannons , shatter - missile launchers , and concussion missile launchers with a four - missile payload could all be found on or under the armored plates of Basilisks . At the droid ' s nose resided the Basilisk ' s primary weapon , a cluster of shockwave generator rods that together could form a burst of plasma capable of ripping through the hulls of starships . Even the droid ' s heavy claws that adorned it ' s two front legs , used mostly as landing struts or for walking on the ground , could be used for brawling , crushing obstacles , or tearing open the body of an opponent . Basilisk droids often carried a pair of deployable space mine s , and war droids of the combat type could tow volatile atomic compression bomb s between them , catapulting the nuclear bomb into an enemy ship or space station . Mandalorian tinkering eventually spawned countless customized variants of the Basilisk , such as the two - seated bomber , which accommodated both a pilot and gunner , while the designated stealth configuration bore lighter armament and supplementary engines . Later models departed dramatically from the original droid ' s design , incorporating closed cockpits and larger S - foils , virtually eliminating the droid ' s animalistic appearance in favor of a form more similar to a starship . Basilisk droids could operate effectively on the ground , in the air , or in the vacuum of space , and sensor clusters located at the fore and aft of the war droid allowed the Basilisk to detect threats from all directions . On the ground , Basilisk droids were typically slow and lumbering , but could move at faster speeds when required . In aerial combat , the Basilisk ' s rear armored wing plates — typically tucked against their bodies while at rest — would lift up to expose a set of high - boost engines that allowed the Basilisk droid to fly at speeds up to 550 kilometers per hour . However , while the war droid could reach great speeds , especially during bombing runs , it was slow to turn , weighted down by its heavy armor , and without the stabilizer fins at the tip of the droid ' s tail section , a Basilisk in flight was hard to control . Role . With a level of intelligence slightly above that of typical domesticated creatures , the animal - like Basilisk droids formed strong empathetic bonds with their Mandalorian owners . These bonds allowed the droids to react almost preternaturally to the commands of their riders , and act as extensions of their own bodies . They were loyal companions , and were capable of serving as mechanical beasts of burden , carrying heavy equipment or towing large sleds laden with cargo . In spite of their mechanical beast - like appearance and animal - level intelligence , a Basilisk acted more often as a gunship than a droid . Capable of operating in the vacuum of space — their Mandalorian riders dressed in pressurized suits of vacuum - sealed Mandalorian armor — Basilisk war droids were carried aboard Mandalorian warships , held in place by magnetic locks until being launched from drop bays , where they could participate in fleet engagements alongside other Mandalorian craft , even using their claws to latch onto opposing vessels . Pairs of war droids were able to coordinate the deployment of towed bombs against enemy starships or space stations . Basilisk droids could also enter a planet ' s atmosphere , and it was not uncommon for Mandalorian riders to direct their mounts in a surging dive directly from orbit to the planet ' s surface , using the rapid rate of descent to confuse the targeting computers of opposing ground cannons . Within the atmosphere , Basilisk droids were used to conduct high - speed bombing runs , or provide strafing air support for ground troops while hovering . On the ground , the typically lumbering war droids were capable of significant bursts of speedy movement , and could use their heavy claws to batter or slice the body of a hostile . History . Creation and capture . The Basilisk war droids were first created by the Basiliskan race , a technologically minded reptilian people from the Core Worlds planet Basilisk , thousands of years prior to the rise of the Galactic Empire . In 4017 BBY , the Mandalorian Crusaders under the command of Mandalore the Indomitable launched an assault on Basilisk . The Basiliskans were overwhelmed by the Mandalorian Taung warriors , but rather than allow the invaders to claim their world , the arrogant Basiliskans poisoned their own planet in order to deny it to the Crusaders . Their actions succeeded in ensuring the Mandalorians abandoned the toxic world , but not before looting countless Basilisk war droids , along with numerous Basiliskan warships and Lagartoz War Dragons . Mandalorian war mounts . Among the most unique weapons in the galaxy , the Basilisk war droid became a frequent sight among the forces of the Mandalorian Crusaders . Though the Mandalorians were traditionally ambivalent toward the use of droids , preferring the benefits of their own hard work , the Mandalorians came to view their acquired war mounts as close companions , forming strong empathetic bonds with their droids . Known in the Mandalorian language of " Mando ' a " as " bes ' uliike " , or " iron beasts " , only the warriors of the highest standing in a clan were given the honor of piloting a Basilisk droid . The Mandalorians took to feeding their Basilisks a combination of locap plasma and unrefined Mandallian Narcolethe , and when a Basilisk droid fell in battle , it was given the funeral rites of a warrior before being sent to rest in the heart of a star . With the Basilisk war droids under their command , the Mandalorian Crusaders conquered Kuar , and raided the borders of Krath space near the Empress Teta system . There , the Mandalorians came into conflict with the fallen Jedi Ulic Qel - Droma : Qel - Droma and Mandalore the Indomitable agreed to a challenge of single combat to take place on Kuar . Amidst the duel , Mandalore the Indomitable mounted his Basilisk war droid in combat against Qel - Droma , only to be defeated and forced on his honor to swear loyalty to the recently anointed Sith Lord . In service to Qel - Droma and his Sith Master , Exar Kun , the Mandalorians under Indomitable rode their Basilisk war droids into battle in an attack on Foerost that allowed them to claim the fleet of vessels being constructed at the planet ' s shipyards . Shortly thereafter , the Mandalorian Crusaders ' Basilisk riders were part of the Qel - Droma ' s assault on the galactic capital world of Coruscant . Though the Mandalorians were ordered to retreat following the false declaration of Qel - Droma ' s death , they struck at Onderon atop their Basilisk droids , intent to conquer the world for Qel - Droma when they learned he had indeed survived . During the fighting at Onderon , however , a Galactic Republic frigate opened fire on Mandalore the Indomitable ' s war droid , leaving the Mandalorian leader to crash on Onderon ' s moon , Dxun , where he perished at the hands of the indigenous beasts . Upon finding the ceremonial Mask of Mandalore , Mandalore the Indomitable was replaced by a new warrior as the Mandalorian leader . Although the Great Sith War ended soon after , the new Mandalore had his own plans for the Mandalorians and their Basilisk droids . Mandalore the Ultimate set to challenge the Republic and conquer the known galaxy , inducting as many of its inhabitants as Mandalorians as possible with his army of Mandalorian Neo - Crusaders in what became known as the Mandalorian Wars . Mandalorian warriors astride Basilisk droid mounts assaulted Althir , and devastated Cathar , wiping out close to ninety percent of the Cathar populace , before moving on to conquer Flashpoint . At the battle at Vanquo , Basilisk droids took part in the orbital fighting , with at least one droid latching onto a Republic " Aurek " - class starfighter and tearing the canopy from the vessel with its front claws . By this point in time , the Mandalorians had established a number of Basilisk war droid variants , and a large number of the droids took part in the Mandalorian Siege of Taris , with several patrolling the skies of Taris during the Neo - Crusader occupation . War droids fought alongside the Mandalorians again at Onderon and Dxun , while several Basilisks and their riders fell victim to the rakghoul outbreak on Jebble . At Essien , at least a dozen Basilisk droids were part of the Neo - Crusader forces intent on taking the planet . During the fighting , the war droid flown by Ko Sornell was shot down , though she and her son Gheedor were saved from Republic fire by the pacifistic Jedi Zayne Carrick . A squadron of Basilisk droids were carried aboard the " Kandosii " - type dreadnaught " Parjai " , headed for the planet Dantooine when the Mandalorian Knights targeted the Jedi Enclave there . At Duro , the Neo - Crusaders struck with numerous Basilisk droids , raining them down on the orbiting cities in a manner similar to meteors , and war droids fought under Cassus Fett at Jaga ' s Cluster . The Mandalorian Wars came to an end with the Battle of Malachor V , wherein Mandalore the Ultimate was killed in single combat by the Jedi Knight Revan , and the Mandalorians ' fleet was devastated over Malachor V by the superweapon known as the Mass Shadow Generator . In victory , Revan commanded that the Mandalorians disarm , and even destroy their Basilisk droids . However , not all obeyed the terms Revan set down , and kept their war droids in secret ; the Mandalorians of Clans Ordo and Jendri were two such groups who refused to give up their loyal mounts . While searching for Mandalore ' s Mask , taken and hidden by Revan following his defeat of Mandalore the Ultimate , several clans including Jendri and Ordo traveled to the Outer Rim world of Rekkiad , bringing their Basilisks with them . The Basilisk droids belonging to Clan Ordo assisted in transporting heavy cargo across the frozen , ice - covered surface of Rekkiad , before being forced into a skirmish with the Basilisk riders of Clan Jendri , when Ordo ' s members crossed into the territory Clan Jendri had established . However , Jendri possessed only four war droids in comparison to Ordo ' s six , and the battle turned in Clan Ordo ' s favor as the members of Clan Jendri retreated with their Basilisks . Clan Ordo succeeded in recovering Mandalore ' s Mask from Rekkiad , and Canderous Ordo went on to become Mandalore the Preserver . As the new " Mand ' alor " , the traditional leader of the Mandalorian clans , Canderous Ordo attempted to unite the Mandalorians that had scattered after the end of the Mandalorian Wars , assembling his clan and others at the Mandalorians ' old outpost on the Onderon moon of Dxun . There , the Mandalorians who rallied to Ordo kept a modified Basilisk war droid , one with an enclosed cockpit and room to seat three Humanoid individuals . When the Jedi Exile Meetra Surik traveled to Dxun , she made use of Clan Ordo ' s Basilisk droid to reach the Onderon capital city of Iziz , swooping sharply from the moon down to the planet ' s surface to evade the fire of the city ' s laser cannon defenses . The city locals feared the Basilisk ' s arrival , the memory of seeing the droid in action during the recent Mandalorian Wars still fresh in many of their minds . By 2 BBY , Chop ' aa Notimo had come into possession of a Basilisk war droid . That year , Notimo and his band of Mandalorian mercenaries took Corellian senator Garm Bel Iblis hostage on the planet Bespin . At the request of Jedi Knight Rahm Kota , the former Sith apprentice Galen Marek set out to rescue Corellia ' s senator from Bespin ' s capital , Cloud City , engaging Notimo ' s mercenaries before finally confronting the veteran Mandalorian soldier . Notimo called upon his Basilisk war droid to engage Marek , using the droid ' s heavy claws and laser cannon to keep the Force - wielder at bay . However , Marek was eventually able to violently throw the war droid into a wall , before ripping its mechanical body apart using the Force . Without his droid mount , Notimo attempted to fight Marek on his own but was defeated and killed , and Bel Iblis was rescued . During the Galactic Civil War , engineers were able to acquire schematics for manufacturing recreations of the ancient Basilisk war droids . The droids the engineers designed were largely similar to the animalistic incarnation of the Basilisk , though they incorporated a pair of hind legs in addition to the long - standing front set , and could only carry one rider . During the early portion of the war between the Galactic Empire and the Alliance to Restore the Republic , these war droids were available for purchase to a number of spacers . By the time of the New Republic , Basilisk war droids had become a rare sight in the galaxy . Most had been destroyed , and those that survived were largely deactivated , able to only be found behind the transparisteel display barriers of the galaxy ' s museums . Legacy . Despite the decline of the Basilisk ' s presence in the galaxy , the war droid remained a powerful symbol in the Mandalorian culture , and an icon of Mandalorian strength . When MandalMotors — a prominent Mandalorian starship company headquartered in the capital city of the planet Mandalore , Keldabe — began designing the " StarViper " - class attack platform around the time of the Battle of Yavin , many element of later Basilisk droid incarnations were evident in the new starfighter ' s conception . Decades later , the engineers at MandalMotors created a new prototype starfighter known as the " Kyr ' galaar " . However , upon the discovery of a new lode of nearly indestructible Mandalorian " beskar " iron on Mandalore , the company ' s CEO , Jir Yomaget , decided to incorporate the addition of " beskar " armor plating and rechristened the vessel as the " Bes ' uliik " - class starfighter . A long - time admirer of the ancient Basilisk war droids , Yomaget felt the name appropriate for the highly advanced starfighter . Behind the scenes . Basilisk war droids first appeared in the " Star Wars " universe in the first issue of the " " story arc " " , entitled " " and written by Kevin J . Anderson . The war droids continued to appear in subsequent issues throughout the story arc , and were given informational entries in " The Essential Guide to Droids " and it ' s later update . The first " " video game provides a detailed mention of the Basilisk war droids , before appearing in the sequel , " " . However , there was a discrepancy between the Basilisk droid as described by the player ' s companion , Canderous Ordo in " Knights of the Old Republic " , and the appearance of the droid in the sequel . Ordo indicates that the vehicle is a small , open - aired mount , whereas " Knights of the Old Republic II " portrays a closed fighter , copying the design of Prince Xizor ' s " Virago " from " " . This was a conscious decision by Chris Avellone and the second game ' s developers , who described the original animal - like appearance of the Basilisk droids as " really stupid " , and attempted to bring the more " ancient " look of the comics to the more modern , plausible , look of the movies . However , both designs are canon , and references have subsequently been made to the older version , so this difference may have been implicitly retcon ned as a difference between varying models of the war droid type . Dustin Weaver , the artist for " " seems to have made an effort to reconcile the design variations , depicting Basilisks with both the body of the traditional mount - type droid and the wings and details of the " Virago " - like design from " Knights of the Old Republic II " . Basilisk war droids made a number of appearances throughout the " " comic series , and into the subsequent mini - series , " " . Several Basilisk droids featured in Drew Karpyshyn ' s " " tie - in novel , " " , and the PlayStation 2 , PlayStation Portable , and Wii versions of " " included a Basilisk war droid as part of a boss fight on Bespin . Two of Karen Traviss ' " Legacy of the Force " novels , " " and " " , mention the Basilisk war droid , and Basilisk replicas can be found in the massively - multiplayer online game , " Star Wars Galaxies " . Some ambiguity over the origins of the war droid ' s name have arisen since it first appeared . When introduced in the " Tales of the Jedi " comics , the Basilisk name was given with no explanation , and may have been a reference to the of real - world myth . Later , with the release of " The History of the Mandalorians " reference article in the eighty - sixth issue of " Star Wars Insider " , Abel G . Peña linked the Basilisk droids with the Basiliskan race of the planet Basilisk , implying that the Basilisk name was a descriptor based upon its creators . However , Karen Traviss , while developing the " Mando ' a " language , created the Mandalorian word " bes ' uliik " in reference to the war droids , a name which meant " iron beast " . There is , as yet , no canonical explanation of the apparent of the name of the planet and the " Mando ' a " term , though various solutions are possible . Page 86 of The New Essential Guide to Droids states that the Mandalorians obtained the war droids from " the Basilikian homeworld . "