BL - series Battle Legionnaire The BL - series Battle Legionnaires were a series of battle droids produced by the Confederacy of Independent Systems for the Mandalorian Protectors during the Clone Wars . Though they were manufactured in a limited , one thousand - unit run only , Battle Legionnaire droids were powerful and lethal in combat . Visually similar in design to Cybot Galactica ' s 3PO - series , their deceptively strong metallic bodies were armed with AAP - 11 blaster boxes and decorated in the same green livery that was commonly seen on the armor of the Mandalorian Protectors . Designed in part by the Mandalorian soldier Fenn Shysa , the Battle Legionnaire droids were bequeathed to the Mandalorian Protectors Confederacy following Mandalore ' s alliance with the Separatists . The war droids bolstered the Protector ' s numbers , and acted as front - line troops during battle , assaulting the enemy ' s forward ranks while the Protectors jetpacked in and struck behind the opponent ' s lines . The Mandalorian Protectors equipped their Legionnaire droids with ancient battle harnesses , and the droids saw some of the heaviest fighting during the Protectors ' campaigns at Kamino and New Bornalex , only to be nearly wiped out at Norval II with the rest of the Protectors . Some survived , however , and during the early years of the Galactic Empire ' s reign , one droid was owned by the renowned bounty hunter Boba Fett . Description . A fourth - degree droid , the BL - series Battle Legionnaire was designed as a powerful combat droid . Each Battle Legionnaire was 1 . 7 meters in height , and similar in overall physical appearance to the 3PO - series of protocol droids manufactured by Cybot Galactica , though the Legionnaire droid was produced by the droid foundries of Baktoid Combat Automata . The Battle Legionnaire droids were primarily adorned with a drab green color scheme — matching the color of the Mandalorian armor common among the Mandalorian soldiers with which the Legionnaires fought — though portions of their plating were blue , and marked with gold - colored trim . Their two photoreceptors were typically lit with a gold color , as well . BL - series droids had military - grade balance gyros , and their many joints had been calibrated to allow for maximum torque . As a result , Battle Legionnaire droids could lift thousands of kilograms above their heads , and run at speeds approaching thirty kilometers per hour for more than a day without the need for a recharge . The droids were equipped with signal jammer s , and carried an internal first - aid kit within their armored bodies for treating their organic comrades . Battle Legionnaire ' s were capable of wielding hand - held blasters in combat , though they were most often outfitted with deadly Briletto - made AAP - 11 blaster boxes that were strapped to their chests . A number of specialized BL - series droids were armed with ancient Mandalorian battle harness es , large weapon platforms mounted on twin tank treads and equipped with laser cannons , a heavy blaster cannon , a giant claw arm , and a sonic - pulverizing trip hammer . History . Following the arrival of the former ARC trooper known as Spar on the planet Mandalore , the cultural homeworld of the Mandalorian people , Spar set out to create an army of Mandalorian supercommandos . Drawing from local police forces and former members of the Death Watch splinter group , Spar assembled an army of two - hundred and twelve soldiers known as the Mandalorian Protectors . Spar ascended to the role of " Mand ' alor " , the traditional ruler of the Mandalorian clans , and aligned his world and people with the Confederacy of Independent Systems in a conflict against the Galactic Republic known as the Clone Wars . Remembering the role the Mandallian Giant s played in Mandalorian forces during the New Sith Wars , Spar commissioned a battalion of droids from their new Separatist allies , awarded with a run of one - thousand BL - series Battle Legionnaire droids , bolstering the Protectors ' meager numbers . Designed in part by the Mandalorian Protector Fenn Shysa , who was inspired by a run - in he had with the assassin droid C - 3PX , the BL - series was manufactured in the Separatist droid foundries of the Techno Union - owned company , Baktoid Combat Automata . Though the Mandalorians were traditionally ambivalent toward the use of droids , preferring the benefits of their own hard work , the Battle Legionnaire droids were afforded a level of respect similar to the Basilisk war droid s used by the ancient Mandalorian Crusaders . During the Mandalorian Protectors ' engagements , the Battle Legionnaires saw some of the heaviest fighting ; Spar would often use the BL - series droids as heavy front - line units , attacking the enemies forward ranks while the Protectors themselves would jetpack in behind their opponents ' defenses and strike with the element of surprise . Several Battle Legionnaire droids were also equipped with Mandalorian battle harnesses , using the deadly weapons platforms to deal out more devastating damage . Because of their effectiveness , the Mandalorian Protectors and their Battle Legionnaire droids became highly sought - after Separatist units , with a reputation for taking down a target in a day that the Confederacy ' s droid army couldn ' t in a month . The BL - series droids took part in the Mandalorian Protectors ' strike against the planet Kamino and the Republic cloning facilities located there , as part of a series of blitzkrieg assaults in retaliation for the death of a prominent Confederacy leader . Prior to the assault on New Bornalex , the Protectors toasted their Battle Legionnaire droids , and though the battle was a victory for the Protectors , their army of BL - series droids suffered significant casualties . On Norval II , during an attempt to capture the Republic senator Padmé Amidala , the Mandalorian Protectors were led into a trap and ambushed by the Republic ' s clone army . The vast majority of the Mandalorian Protectors were killed in the ensuing conflict , and all but a few Battle Legionnaire droids shared their fate . One of the few Legionnaire droids to survive , BL - 17 , was acquired by the bounty hunter Boba Fett , and was put to work as the culturally estranged Mandalorian ' s aide during the early days of the Galactic Empire ' s reign . However , BL - 17 came to an end on the planet Boonta in 15 BBY , following a skirmish with the droids C - 3PO and Proto One . In the years after the Battle of Endor , rumors floated about of a belligerent 88 - series droid that possessed the head from a BL - series droid . Behind the scenes . The BL - series Battle Legionnaire droid was first introduced to " Star Wars " canon in the Star Wars Insider article , " The History of the Mandalorians " , written by Abel G . Peña and published in the magazine ' s eightieth issue in March of 2005 . The article retcon ned the appearance of the " " character BL - 17 as a member of the Battle Legionnaire line , and detailed the history of the droids , including their connection to the Mandalorians . The Battle Legionnaire droids received further mentions in Daniel Wallace ' s " The New Essential Guide to Droids " and the " Galaxy at War " sourcebook , in addition to " The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia " .