RA - 7 protocol droid The RA - 7 protocol droid , also known as the RA - 7 inventory droid and nicknamed the " Death Star droid " due to its use aboard the first Death Star , was a model of protocol droid manufactured by Arakyd Industries . Produced specially for the Galactic Empire , RA - 7s were almost always used as spies . Characteristics . RA - 7 protocol droid were distinguished by their insectoid heads , which were equipped with broadband photoreceptor s featuring an antiglare coating . Units in existence by the year 22 BBY had body plating identical to that of Cybot Galactica ' s 3PO unit and the TC - series protocol droid . However , this was eventually discontinued in favor of unique plating equipped with an interface connection port by 19 BBY . RA - 7s stood 1 . 7 meter s in height and were able to function as translator s . Unlike most protocol droids , RA - 7s had unpleasant personalities and were almost always used as spies . RA - 7 protocol droids in the galaxy . An RA - 7 designated 4 - A7 was used as a spy droid by the Confederacy of Independent Systems during the Clone Wars . An RA - 7 designated AP - 5 served as an analyst droid for the Galactic Republic during the Ryloth campaign . Later , he became an inventory droid for the Galactic Empire before defecting to the rebellion after having his restraining bolt removed by the rebel astromech droid C1 - 10P . Arakyd Industries later produced RA - 7s specially for the Empire . Due to their use aboard the first Death Star , some called RA - 7s " Death Star droids , " though many of them found it a derogatory term as only a small percentage of the model actually worked on the battle station . Behind the scenes . The RA - 7 protocol droid was created for the 1977 film . The costume built for the film was taken directly from an " elevator scene " production painting and other pencil quick sketches Ralph McQuarrie had done of the character . Two versions of the RA - 7 were seen in the film : it first appeared in the Jawa sandcrawler with a reflective Steinart finish ( 3B6 - RA - 7 ) and a quick repaint allowed the same costume to be used later in the Death Star with a black finish ( 5D6 - RA - 7 ) . Its torso as it appeared in the production painting would later inspire the design of the 2 - 1B surgical droid . The RA - 7 ' s head was sculpted by Brian Muir and , with its large , insect - like eyes and bulbous cranium , it was one of his favorite designs from " A New Hope " . The torso of the character was almost exactly like McQuarrie ' s designs , though it may have been done as concept art for C - 3PO ' s costume . It eventually had shoulder epaulets installed , with a functional joint identical to C - 3PO ' s . The arms and legs were likewise similar to C - 3PO ' s , though the aluminium arms lacked the elbow pistons and other detailing . The fiberglass legs were stripped of their sculpted detail lines to give this protocol droid a slightly different appearance . The costume ' s hands were simple gloves with metal - colored pltes applied to them , to give them a mechanical look . For the RA - 7 protocol droid ' s appearance in the " " animated series , barring its head , its animation model , whose geometry was later updated by Chris Glenn to better match its design in " A New Hope " , was identical to that of C - 3PO . In " Star Wars Rebels " animated series , its design and proportions better match early McQuarrie ' s sketches of the droid , particularly its rounded shoulders .