RA - 7 protocol droid / Legends The RA - 7 protocol droid was a fifth - degree primary , low - intelligence model of protocol droid produced by Arakyd Industries specifically for the Galactic Empire . Characteristics . Humanoid in shape with an insectoid head , and similar in build to the 3PO - series of protocol droids , the RA - 7 was covered in reflective plating and commonly found in the offices of high - ranking Imperial officials , military officers , courtiers , and Coruscant dignitaries . It was intended to help its owner with scheduling and translating . Unlike 3PO - series with their delicate personalities , RA - 7s were programmed to be " stern , " but bland . It had a secret surveillance system installed in its head , hidden beneath layers of benign cognitive circuitry . The espionage unit was hidden behind sensor bafflers that were disguised as soldering welds . It would record everything using extremely sensitive audio pickups and low - light photoreceptors and would make periodic dumps of data via encrypted frequencies on standard public comm units to the Imperial Security Bureau . History . The RA - 7 series was first shown at the North Quadrant Intergalactic Automaton Show . The model was an attempt by Arakyd Industries to duplicate most of the abilities of the 3PO series of protocol droids , and in most aspects it failed . A prototype , 4A - 7 , saw use by Separatist agent Asajj Ventress during the Clone Wars in 22 BBY . While not particularly useful , the RA - 7 became nearly ubiquitous in the Empire by 0 BBY in a plot by the Imperial Security Bureau to spread the droids . The Bureau had ordered thousands of RA - 7s from Arakyd and installed special programming in the droids to use them as spies . Almost no one would willingly buy an RA - 7 as an assistant — so the ISB gave them away as gifts . As those targeted by the droids began to uncover hidden recording devices and surveillance equipment in the nigh - useless droids , they began to hide , misplace or lose them to avoid attention and branding as traitors for spurning a gift from the Emperor . This often led them to be found in junk shops , droid auctions , or swap meets . A number of RA - 7 droids were used aboard Star Destroyers to monitor medical equipment , such as life support capsule s . A combination of the destruction of the majority of their droids and the detection of their program caused the Bureau to cancel the RA - 7 droid surveillance initiative shortly after 1 ABY . Ominous nickname . As the first Death Star came online , the Bureau grew concerned that Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin would attempt to use the superweapon to overthrow the Empire . Unable to trust the Grand Moff or any of his subordinates , the Bureau stationed thousands of RA - 7 droids on the Death Star , earning them the nickname " Death Star droids . " Behind the scenes . An RA - 7 appears inside the Jawas ' sandcrawler after R2 - D2 is dropped in after being disabled by the Jawas in . A black Death Star Droid appears briefly in " A New Hope " walking past Han Solo , Chewbacca and Luke Skywalker outside the Death Star elevator doors . Kenner released a Death Star Droid as part of its second wave of action figures in 1978 . The droid was also a Freeze Frame Fan Club Exclusive in 1999 . Along with the Freeze Frame slide , this black Death Star Droid came packaged with a mouse droid model . In " " , the adaptation of " A New Hope " by Marvel Comics , Darth Vader tortures Leia Organa with an RA - 7 unit rather than an IT - O Interrogator . In " , " the " Death Star Droid " can be spawned by typing " npc spawn protocol _ imp " . The droid appears , somewhat ironically , as the " guide " droid for the Zann Consortium in the place of where R2 , or a black Imperial astromech droid , would in the game " " .