R2 - KT R2 - KT was a compassionate , pink - plated R2 series astromech droid who witnessed the rise and fall of numerous galactic powers . Serving in the Galactic Republic through the Clone Wars , R2 - KT eventually came into the service of Leia Organa ' s Resistance about fifty years later during their fight against the First Order . While in service to the Galactic Republic , R2 - KT worked in the Republic Navy alongside the 501st Legion of the Grand Army of the Republic . Often stationed aboard the " Resolute " , the flagship of Jedi General Anakin Skywalker , R2 - KT assisted in various campaigns , including the search for Rotta the Hutt let in the Battle of Teth , the rescue of Jedi Master Aayla Secura in the Battle of Quell , and the destruction of the Separatist blockade prior to the Battle of Ryloth . Decades later , the droid served in the ground forces of the Resistance , maintaining starfighter s at the Resistance base on the planet D ' Qar . R2 - KT held this position during the assault on Starkiller Base , a superweapon of the First Order . Following the battle , R2 - KT attended the send - off of Rey and Chewbacca on their journey to find Luke Skywalker , the last Jedi . Biography . Droid of the 501st . R2 - KT was an R2 series astromech droid who served in the Republic Navy beside the 501st Legion of the Grand Army of the Republic during the Clone Wars , a galactic campaign of the Galactic Republic against the Confederacy of Independent Systems . Less than a year into the war , Rotta , the son of crime lord Jabba the Hutt , was kidnapped by the Separatists , and the 501st Legion was assigned to rescue the Huttlet . Meeting with Jedi General Anakin Skywalker , R2 - KT and the 501st rendezvoused for a mission briefing in the hangar of an " Acclamator " - class transgalactic military assault ship above the planet Teth , the location of Jabba ' s kidnapped son . Prior to the mission , Skywalker ' s Padawan , Ahsoka Tano , told the story of how she saved her master in the Battle of Christophsis by collapsing a wall over him and onto enemy battle droid s . The story humored the 501st clone trooper s , prompting Clone Captain Rex to ask Skywalker if it was true . When the Jedi affirmed that most of it was , R2 - KT and fellow astromech droid R2 - D2 chuckled . Wasting no time , Skywalker reminded his men that they had a battle to prepare for , and at the order of Rex , R2 - KT and the 501st disbanded . Later in the war , R2 - KT served aboard the " Resolute " , a " Venator " - class Star Destroyer , which served as General Skywalker ' s flagship and was commanded by Admiral Wullf Yularen . While the " Resolute " was defensively stationed in the Quell system of the Outer Rim Territories , Jedi General Aayla Secura requested aid from Skywalker , since her forces were heavily outnumbered in the Battle of Quell . As the " Resolute " arrived in Quell ' s atmosphere , R2 - KT was present in the capital ship ' s hangar bay beside a Low Altitude Assault Transport / infantry gunship which Skywalker , Tano , and Rex promptly boarded . As R2 - KT left the hangar , the commander s , along with two additional gunships , exited the " Resolute " to assist Secura ' s forces . In the time after the Battle of Quell , the planet Ryloth came under siege by Separatist forces led by Wat Tambor . To confront the blockade , the Republic dispatched three Star Destroyer s , the " Resolute " , the " Defender " , and the " Redeemer " . Skywalker assigned Tano to lead the attack through the blockade , and R2 - KT was stationed in the " Resolute " s hangar bay as the Padawan and Blue Squadron prepared their starfighter s . Once Tano and Blue Squadron engaged the enemy forces , four " Munificent " - class star frigates appeared out of hyperspace to reinforce the blockade . Overpowered , the Republic Star Destroyers were forced into a retreat , although the " Redeemer " was destroyed before it could escape . After the retreat , R2 - KT remained in the " Resolute " hangar , moving past the remaining V - 19 Torrent starfighter s as Skywalker requested a headcount from two clone trooper pilot s . Soon after , R2 - KT continued roaming the hangar as Skywalker and R2 - D2 made repairs to Tano ' s Delta - 7B " Aethersprite " - class light interceptor . After talking with Tano , Skywalker decided that they should return to the blockade , planning to use the heavily - damaged " Defender " to ram the " Lucrehulk " - class Battleship and break the Separatist formation . As the crew of the " Resolute " rushed to the hangar and worked to evacuate the " Defender " , R2 - KT remained posted near an LAAT / i gunship . Skywalker ' s plan succeeded , and additional Republic ships arrived to begin the ground assault . Serving the Resistance . After fighting for three years , the war came to an end in 19 BBY , and the victorious Republic reformed into the Galactic Empire . However , many systems were against the Imperial rule , so the Alliance to Restore the Republic was created , and in 0 BBY , the Galactic Civil War began . In 4 ABY , the Empire suffered a major loss at the Battle of Endor , in which Galactic Emperor Sheev Palpatine was killed . In the months after the Battle of Endor , the Rebel Alliance reformed into the New Republic and decisively defeated the Empire in the Battle of Jakku . However , in the following decades , Imperial sympathizers created the First Order , threatening the safety of the Republic . To combat the First Order , Leia Organa created the Resistance , a small military force , and within six years of the Resistance ' s creation , R2 - KT came into its service , operating at the Resistance base on the planet D ' Qar . Like many Resistance droid s , R2 - KT was granted independence and viewed as a partner rather than a machine . Alongside the loading droid B - U4D , the BB unit BB - 8 , and tech officer Peet Deretalia , R2 - KT was part of the ground forces responsible for keeping the Resistance ' s T - 70 X - wing fighter s ready for flight . Twenty - nine years after the Battle of Jakku , the First Order destroyed the Republic capital in the Hosnian system with the use of a superweapon called Starkiller Base . In response , the Resistance established plans to destroy the weapon , and the Resistance pilot s prepared their starfighters ; during this time , R2 - KT was stationed at the Resistance base airfield . Led by Poe Dameron , the Resistance began their assault on Starkiller Base , successfully destroying the superweapon by crippling its thermal oscillator . Shortly after the battle , R2 - D2 — who was also in service to the Resistance — completed a map to Luke Skywalker , the last Jedi , with the help of BB - 8 . Resistance members Rey and Chewbacca were selected to find Skywalker aboard the " Millennium Falcon " , and R2 - KT attended their send - off . Characteristics . R2 - KT was a 1 . 09 meter - tall R2 series astromech droid produced by Industrial Automaton . Covered in white , pink - accented plating and a gray dome , R2 - KT had a light blue photoreceptor . R2 - KT had a compassionate personality — a characteristic present in the programming of all R2 units . R2 - KT also displayed an appreciation for humor , chuckling with R2 - D2 when Tano told a story about saving Anakin Skywalker ' s life . Equipment . As an R2 series astromech droid , R2 - KT was equipped with an arc welder , a holoprojector , a reader socket , a recharge coupling , and various concealed tools . Additionally , R2 - KT had two motorized all - terrain treads and a third , retractable tread for balancing on uneven surfaces . Behind the scenes . Creation and charity . R2 - KT , the " Droid With the Heart of Gold , " was created by the R2 - D2 Builders Club in 2005 as a tribute to Katie Johnson , the seven - year - old daughter of Albin Johnson , the founder of the 501st Legion costuming group . Katie was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer in 2004 , and Albin ( who was doing 501st charity work at the time ) , began to receive support from around the " Star Wars " community . Garrisons of the 501st Legion started independent fundraisers , and when " Star Wars " creator George Lucas visited on a promotional tour for , the Japanese Garrison told him of Katie ' s condition . In response , Lucas filmed her a " get well " video . As Katie ' s declining health struck her bedridden , the girl wished she had a droid to watch over her , like R2 - D2 watched over Padmé Amidala in . When Jerry Greene of the R2 Builders heard about the Johnsons ' story , he and his fellow builders organized a campaign to collect parts and assemble an R2 unit for Katie . In a few months , they constructed a custom , fully functional droid which they painted pink and named " R2 - KT . " According to Albin , Katie kept the droid by her bedside through her final days . R2 - KT has since been used to visit children ' s hospitals and spread awareness of pediatric illness by attending " Star Wars " events . The droid has also been the focus of various fundraisers ; in 2007 , Hasbro Inc . produced an R2 - KT action figure , raising $ 100 , 000 for the , and in 2015 , sold a Celebration Anaheim – exclusive R2 - KT collectible , donating the proceeds to . With the 501st Legion , R2 - KT has raised millions of dollars for charity . Role in " Star Wars " canon . In 2008 , R2 - KT was introduced to " Star Wars " canon when Dave Filoni of Lucasfilm Ltd . featured the droid in the animated feature film " " as a way to honor the memory of Katie and show respect to fans of " Star Wars " . R2 - KT made two additional cameo appearances in the , appearing in the episodes " Jedi Crash " and " Storm Over Ryloth . " In the episode " Secret Weapons , " R2 - KT was set to appear alongside R2 - D2 as a member of D - Squad . However , to avoid the confusion of having two characters named " Artoo , " R2 - KT was replaced with QT - KT , a droid styled in R2 - KT ' s likeness . On November 28 , 2015 , Albin Johnson revealed that R2 - KT would make a live - action appearance in , the seventh installment to the episodic " Star Wars " saga , and Pablo Hidalgo of the Lucasfilm Story Group confirmed that the droid was the same in - universe character from " The Clone Wars " . In the film , which was directed by J . J . Abrams and released on December 18 , 2015 , R2 - KT appears in three brief cameos . R2 - KT also appears as a playable character in " " , a non - canon video game adaptation of the film released on June 28 , 2016 .