Pistoeka sabotage droid / Legends Pistoeka sabotage droids , better known simply as buzz droids , were a type of insect - like automatons that were deployed in swarms during battlefleet actions by the Confederacy of Independent Systems . They could wreak havoc upon squadrons of starfighters that happened to fly through a formation of such deployed droids . Approximately one - quarter of a meter in diameter and well armed for their role , they were typically delivered by discord missiles from droid tri - fighters and " Vulture " droid starfighters . Design and function . Buzz droids were intended to disable instead of destroy their targets . Since they were so effective when being deployed by droid tri - fighters , the CIS retrofitted a number of " Vulture " droids to carry them as well . The buzz droids also had simple maneuvering jets that helped them to move while still encased within their spheres . Once they came into contact with an enemy starship , they would use a magnetic leg to gain a foothold . The outer shell was coated with a heat dissipating alloy that allowed it to penetrate enemy shields ; it was also constructed of shock - absorbing materials . The buzz droid ' s design was based off the pisto , a pest that lived in tropical regions on the planet Colla IV . When pressed for more droids by the Confederacy , the Colicoids took their existing repair droids and modified them to be saboteurs . They apparently communicated through chattering , as shown when a group of buzz droids cut off the dome head of R4 - P17 , Obi - Wan Kenobi ' s astromech droid , during the Battle of Coruscant . Each droid has a main eye and two secondary eyes used for additional spacial awareness , an x - ray sensor , an extendable probe capable of invading computer systems , and is powered by a reactor primed for self destruction . History . Late in the Clone Wars , the " Venator " - class Star Destroyer " Renown " was seized by the Separatists . The droids were led by a tactical droid , which dispatched a lone buzz droid to search for the Republic ' s D - Squad , which had boarded the ship and was in hiding . The buzz droid was seen , and led D - Squad to a swarm of buzz droids . R2 - D2 created a perimeter of fire , and M5 - BZ sacrificed itself to draw the buzz droids out an airlock and into the void of hyperspace . Discord missiles were carried aboard tri - fighters at the defense of Cato Neimoidia . They were launched against Eta - 2 interceptors piloted by Anakin Skywalker and his Padawan Ahsoka Tano . A discord missile expelled its complement of buzz droids , which attached to Skywalker ' s craft . he and his astromech R2 - D2 knocked away several droids , but the remainder succeeded in causing Skywalker ' s starfighter to crash , although the pilot and astromech managed to escape . Some buzz droids were deployed from a HMP droid gunship to attack a " Nu " - class attack shuttle that carries a entranced clone trooper Tup . Introduced around the same time as tri - fighters , sabotage droids were feared by Republic pilots . They were often deployed when Separatist commanders wanted to capture starships . During the Battle of Coruscant , Obi - Wan Kenobi ' s Jedi interceptor was covered in a swarm of buzz droids , which destroyed his astromech , R4 - P17 . His former Padawan , Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker , tried to save him by blasting the buzz droids off , which only resulted in the loss of most of Kenobi ' s port S - foil . Skywalker then tried to scrape the droids off , which destroyed most of the buzz droids still active at the expense of several more systems on both Obi - Wan and Anakin ' s respective craft . However , a lone droid scrambled over to Skywalker ' s interceptor . His astromech , R2 - D2 , destroyed the buzz droid by hitting it in its central eye with his built - in fusion - welder . The buzz droid bounced over his fighter and was sent jetting away when it fell behind the exhaust of his engines . Skywalker and Kenobi later encountered buzz droids on foot as they explored the " Invisible Hand " as they searched for Chancellor Palpatine . The droids were effective against infantry , swarming their opponents and latching onto them . They were no match , however , for a lightsaber , as used by the two Jedi . Buzz droids became a very deadly weapon once Darth Sidious gave the plans of the Galactic Republic ' s starfighters to the CIS , and proved effective at destroying these craft in battle . Following the execution of the Separatist Council by Sidious ' s new apprentice , Darth Vader , these units were deactivated . However , the billions of buzz droids left behind at the end of the Clone Wars were later utilized to great effect in junk yards , while others were taken to droid gladiator rings . In addition , during the early stages of the Galactic Civil War , several were also involved in an incident above Coruscant , where they also attacked a Star Tours - owned StarSpeeder 1000 that had fled from an Imperial - orchestrated raid at Spaceport THX1138 , although R2 - D2 had managed to drive them off . The next time they would be seen in combat was within the hands of the Zann Consortium , which utilized large quantities of these droids during the Galactic Civil War to bring havoc to enemy ship systems during combat . These droids would be deployed from upgraded " StarViper " - class attack platforms . Weapon systems . Although individual tools might vary for each mission , the little buzz droids that were used in the Battle of Coruscant carried the following weapons : drill heads , puncture and cutting blades , plasma cutting torches , circular saws , prying hooks , and picket and pincer arms . The buzz droids ' three sensor eyes included multiple filters and X - ray sensors . Darth Sidious provided the manufacturers of the buzz droid with design schematics of Republic starfighters then in - use for maximum efficiency . Behind the scenes . There were plans to introduce a buzz droid generator in the . It was to be a mobile machine that would constantly produce buzz droids . Although this was not included in the final game , concept art for the generator was available on the game ' s official website and on the video game itself . In " " , buzz droids are featured as an extra playable character , only accessible with Extra toggle and in levels . Its only ability is to smack with a circular saw device .