B1 battle droid B1 battle droids , also referred to as standard battle droids , were the most widely - used battle droid s manufactured by Baktoid Combat Automata and Baktoid Armor Workshop . The B1 battle droid saw extensive service as the mainlines soldier of the Trade Federation ' s mechanized armies during the Clone Wars , where it served in the Separatist Droid Army of the Confederacy of Independent Systems . Following the defeat of the Confederacy , B1 battle droids were deactivated by the Galactic Empire along with the rest of the droid army , although they continued to see use on through Separatist holdouts and the black market during the Imperial Era . Characteristics . Design . B1 battle droids were humanoid fourth class battle droid s measuring 1 . 93 meters tall . They were the direct successor to the OOM - series battle droid . Unlike early OOM - series and early B1 models , latter B1 models were able to operate without requiring a Droid Control Ship or Central Control Computer . Central Control Computers were used in early models because the budget - minded Trade Federation saved the production costs of thousands of individual droid brains , this move was avoided by the Confederacy of Independent Systems , and the droids received the brains . Despite the new model within the Separatist Droid Army there were still a small amount of older B1 models used , such as RB - 551 , a B1 battle droid who served in the Battle of Ryloth and was destroyed by the Twi ' lek Resistance . The humanoid physiques of the B1 model were specifically commissioned by the Trade Federation for practical reasons . The humanoid form allowed B1 ' s to operate existing machinery , vehicles , and weapons originally designed for organic operators and pilots , saving the Federation unnecessary production costs and retrofitting . B1 ' s could pilot STAPs , AATs , MTTs , and Federation battleships , among other vessels . B1 battle droids were also designed to resemble their Geonosian creators . For protection , inexpensive yet durable metal protected the droid ' s signal receiver assembly . Performance . The B1 was designed to be easily controlled , inexpensive to mass - produce , designed to be unquestioningly obedient . However dispute this being their design , there were instances where B1s would questions their orders , and or would comment on them . When General Grievous ordered that all fighters be launched to combat Anakin Skywalker during the Republic ’ s mission to sweep the outer corridor of space a droid stated that it did not believe every fighter was necassry to take out Skywalker , but ultimately followed its orders . The B1 primarily relied on mass - assault tactics to achieve victory . Although later models were capable of independent thought , they had a limited intelligence compared to other soldiers and required a superior commander to lead them effectively in battle . Motion - capture data from highly trained organic soldiers allowed the B1 to demonstrate an array of combat stances , positions , and maneuvers . Despite their advantages , B1 ' s were just as vulnerable to EMP weapons as other droids . The Gungan Grand Army used this during the Battle of Naboo when they used Booma s against the Trade Federation Droid Army . During the Clone Wars the Republic also used this fact as well . Clone trooper s used Electro Magnetic Pulse grenade s , which were nicknamed " droid poppers " by the clones , and in 21 BBY the Republic developed the electro - proton bomb , which could short - circuit an entire droid army . In the field , B1 droids often utilized E - 5 blaster rifle s and wore Comlink booster pack s . They were programmed to never surrender , however despite this there were instances where they and the OOM command battle droid s they served under attempted to escape or surrender . History . Origin . B1 battle droids were manufactured by Baktoid Combat Automata and Baktoid Armor Workshop under contract from the Trade Federation . Based on the OOM - series battle droid , the first iterations of B1 battle droids were constructed in droid foundries on Geonosis , allowing millions of droids to be produced at one time . Invasion of Naboo . In 32 BBY , after Prop 31 - 814D made the Trade Federation eligible for taxation by the Galactic Senate , the Federation initiated a blockade of the planet Naboo . The Jedi Obi - Wan Kenobi and Qui - Gon Jinn were sent to negotiate with the Federation , but the negotiations were thwarted when Darth Sidious contacted Neimoidian Viceroy Nute Gunray and ordered him to kill the Jedi . Although the two Jedi were able to escape , the Trade Federation sent an invasion force to Naboo in hopes of forcing Queen Padmé Amidala to sign a treaty which would legitimize the occupation . However , the droids were shut down when the Trade Federation ' s orbit ing Droid Control Ship was destroyed . Clone Wars . In 22 BBY , ten years after the Battle of Naboo , the Federation provided B1 battle droid forces to the Confederacy of Independent Systems , a secessionist movement composed of wealthy industrialists and disgruntled citizens of the Outer Systems , and the Confederacy ' s Droid Army . The Separatist Crisis soon broke into full war at the Battle of Geonosis , and the Separatists officially waged war against the Galactic Republic and it ' s newly released clone army in a conflict known as the Clone Wars . During the Clone Wars , B1 battle droids were the most common form of battle droid , to the point where there were often one hundred B1 battle droids on a battle field for every one B2 super battle droid . However despite their numbers but they were not as effective as the experienced Clone troopers of the Republic . During the war , many Separatist leaders voiced their anger at the failures of the B1 , particularly the Supreme Commander of the Droid Army , General Grievous . The droids were used throughout the entire conflict , and when not used on the front lines this model of droid could be seen patrolling on Separatist worlds and Military locations , such as ships and bases . In addition to their use against the Republic in the multiple battles and campaigns of the Clone Wars , the droids also saw action against other the enemies of the Confederacy , such as the Nightsisters at the Battle of Dathomir and Darth Maul ' s Shadow Collective . Age of the Empire . Battle droids were outlawed by the Galactic Empire , the totalitarian state that replaced the Republic , in the wake of the destructive conflict in 19 BBY . Orders were given to stormtrooper s to shoot and destroy " clankers " on sight . By 2 BBY , the super tactical droid Kalani continued to command several battle droids and droideka s at a wrecked Separatist supply ship on Agamar . These droids had not received the shut - down code issued years prior . After the rebel group known as the Spectres made contact with the Separatist remnant , the two forces joined to fight off an Imperial attack . With the aid of two Jedi , Kalani and his B1 battle droids were allowed to escape the planet . Legacy . The wide - scale use of the B1 battle droid and its variants in combat led to an increase in anti - droid propaganda and rhetoric following the Clone Wars . When several thugs saw the modified battle droid Mister Bones deployed by Temmin Wexley in the last months of the Galactic Civil War , they laughed at the droid , due to the model ' s history of failures . However this droid was modified , and proved to be very effective . Notable Individuals . Some notable B1 battle droids included the OOM command battle droid s OOM - 9 and B1 - 268 . During the Galactic Civil War , the modified battle droid Mister Bones served as a companion to Temmin Wexley . Following the Rebellion on Akiva , Mister Bones along with Temmin and his mother Norra Wexley joined the New Republic . Specialized B1 battle droids . Fighting in uniformity , the B1 was only distinguished by numerical markings on the back of their comlink booster pack s . Command structure and function was designated by distinct , colored markings on their armor . Blue denoted pilot droids , red denoted security droids , and yellow denoted command droids . Behind the scenes . B1 battle droids appeared in several pieces of canon media , including the Prequel trilogy , " " movie , " " television series , " Star Wars Rebels " , and Chuck Wendig ' s " " . In addition , they have also appeared in multiple Legends media stories and literature including Genndy Tartakovsky ' s " " television series and the Dark Horse Comics " " series . The battle droid Roger also serves as one of the protagonists of the non - canon Disney XD television series " " . The earliest designs of the battle droid were clearly inspired by the stormtrooper s of the original trilogy , suggesting the evolution of large - scale combat in the " Star Wars " galaxy . The finished droid ' s proportions are reminiscent of African sculpture . Early design had towering droids twice the height of humans , but subsequent iterations brought their height down to human size .