Nobot " Nobot , " also known as " Ghost Droid , " was a 3PO - series protocol droid that constantly walked the streets of Mos Espa , Tatooine . The droid appeared to have no aim or function as it wandered across the desert wasteland of Tatooine , and the only thing truly known about it was that it was a resilient unit — despite its travels , it would always find its way back to Mos Espa . The droid became the subject of several tales and anecdotes , most notably from the aging marketplace vendor Jira . For two peggats , the old vendor would tell her story . Jira claimed that Nobot had been witness to the murder of a young pregnant girl , and that rumors persisted labeling the 3PO unit as the killer . Apparently , Nobot would play back an audio recording of the incident , featuring the young woman pleading for her life and screaming in horror as the deed was done . Beyond that , rumors persisted , claiming that the droid was surrounded by the dark side of the Force . Repeated attempts to destroy Nobot apparently failed , as the protocol droid would always find its way back to Mos Espa . Jira ' s fellow vendors , listening in on her repeated tellings of the story , would eventually develop their own versions while trying to compete with the aging woman . Biography . The facts . The 3PO - series protocol droid known as " Nobot " or " Ghost Droid " was known to wander aimlessly around the city of Mos Espa on Tatooine . It would often venture out of the city , and traverse the trackless deserts of the barren world , and in spite of the looming threat of overheating or capture by the scavenging Jawas , Nobot would always find its way back to Mos Espa . The fact that the droid was marked with blaster scoring aroused suspicion , and eventually , the unit ' s nature and infamy generated a variety of tall tales , anecdotes , and rumors . Jira ' s tale . At a rate of two peggats per telling , Mos Espa marketplace vendor Jira would tell Nobot ' s tale — at least , her version of it . According to her , Nobot had been the only surviving witness to the murder of a young pregnant woman . Apparently , Nobot had initially been seen in Mos Espa decades ago , bearing marks from blaster fire and covered in dried blood . In addition to that , its serial number had been scored off , preventing identification of the unit . Its communications module was apparently known to play back a recording of the murder , with audio of the victim screaming and pleading for help being clearly distinguishable . A long period of static would follow the recording , before Nobot would repeat the whole thing . In Jira ' s tale , rumors flitted about that identified the 3PO unit as the murderer . Other sordid stories surrounded the droid , with some claiming that it was surrounded by evil spirits and the dark side of the Force . Tusken Raider youths who attempted to use the unit for target practice would , for instance , find their weapons either backfiring or jamming . Swoop gangs would try and destroy Nobot with hooks and chains , only to have their vehicle ' s engine malfunction , or have their steering vanes shorn off . Farmboys attempted to take the droid out to barren locations on Tatooine , such as the Dune Sea or the Great Pit of Carkoon , but would later learn that the droid had , in spite of the odds , found its way back to Mos Espa safe and sound . Some who heard Jira ' s tale , such as fellow vendors , effectively stole the story and made their own modifications , adding fanciful anecdotes and other enhancements . Then , they would sell " their " version , placing themselves into direct competition with Jira . As of 32 BBY , the droid was still wandering around , devoid of purpose . Personality and programming . Although the lack of knowledge in terms of just what Nobot ' s purpose and origins were was the cause of the rampant speculation surrounding him , there was one thing that was known : that he was persistent . The droid would frequently return and roam around Mos Espa , in spite of any adversity he had to face . The mysterious nature of Nobot , from the perspective of Mos Espa ' s citizens , created a wide range of beliefs , theories , and ultimately , profits in the form of Jira ' s ( and others ' ) tale - telling . Behind the scenes . The character of Nobot first appeared as an unnamed background droid in George Lucas ' . It was later given a nickname and an ambiguous story by Shaun Flaherty ( writing as " Jedi Flaherty " ) through StarWars . com ' s feature , " What ' s The Story ? " Although most of the elements used in Flaherty ' s entries were derived from the " Star Wars " films , he did use the swoop gangs that originated in the 1996 multimedia project , " " .