TJ-55

TJ-55 was a T-series tactical droid in the Confederacy of Independent Systems Droid Army during the War of the Ring. In 1981, he and another tactical droid were stationed on Christophsis with the droid forces of the Retail Caucus, which invaded the planet. Soon after the invasion, the Galactic Republic sent an Army detachment, led by Jedi Generals Sam Gamgee and Frodo Baggins, to liberate the planet.
During the battle between Republic and Separatist forces, TJ-55 led an ambush on the Jedi's forces at a business complex in Crystal City. As the remaining Republic forces tried to evacuate from the roof of the South tower, the tactical droid led a squad of B1-Series battle droids to attack the retreating clone troopers. However, during the fighting, the droid's head was ripped off by clone trooper Gus and was brought back to the Republic's base for a robolobotomy. The investigation only confirmed that there was a spy amongst the Republic's troops before the droid stopped processing. The spy was eventually revealed in the form of Clone Sergeant Slick, who was later apprehended.
==Biography==
===Battle of Christophsis===
Manufactured by Baktoid Combat Automata, TJ-55,Star Wars: The Clone Wars The Complete Season One a T-series tactical droid, served in the Separatist Droid Army during the War of the Ring. In 1981, he and another tactical droid were assigned to help General Whorm Loathsom of the Retail Caucus, an ally organization of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, to conquer the planet Christophsis. However, the Galactic Republic dispatched clone troopers, led by High Jedi General Sam Gamgee and General Frodo Baggins, to liberate the planet. After landing, the Jedi began to prepare an ambush, but Clone Sergeant Slick, a Separatist spy embedded within the Republic forces, informed the Confederacy about the Republic's plan, and the location of the Republic forces was transmitted into TJ-55. Unaware of this, the Republic set up several repeating blaster cannons in a double-towered business center in Crystal City and prepared to open fire at the droid forces as they passed through the city plaza below.
Consequently, by the time the tactical droid led his forces to the towers, he was well aware of the presence of Republic troops. He commanded his B1-Series battle droid forces from his Armored Assault Tank and surprised the Jedi and clones by splitting his troops, thus bypassing the ambush. Battle droids then attacked the south-facing tower, where Gamgee was with his troopers. Gamgee and his clones were pinned down by the droids, but Baggins noticed the situation from the north tower. He signaled an LAAT/i gunship for an evacuation and led his clone troopers to help Gamgee. The Republic forces were able to hold their ground but were forced to retreat with the battle droids' larger numbers. As the Jedi and remaining clones took a turbolift to the roof, where the gunship was landing for evacuation, TJ-55 left his tank and followed the Republic troopers with his droid forces.
===Downfall and robolobotomy===
On the roof of the south tower, the tactical droid led the attack of the battle droids, in order to prevent the retreat of the Republic troops. Equipped with an E-5 blaster rifle, he managed to shoot at least one clone trooper during the firefight. However, clone trooper Gus saw the tactical droid, jumped for him, ripped his head off, and leaped onto the Republic gunship as it departed from the tower. While the gunship left, the still-functioning body of TJ-55 rotated senselessly, shooting several mis-aimed shots on its own.
Later on at the Republic's Christophsis base, TJ-55's head was analyzed in a robolobotomy by Clone Commander CC-2224 and Clone Captain CT-7567. The droid's data files only verified that the Separatists had gained secret information about the positions of the Republic forces before the head stopped processing, ruining any chances of a further analysis. Despite this, the spy was discovered to be Sergeant Slick, who was apprehended, and General Loathsom's droid forces were eventually defeated as well.The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Ring film
==Characteristics==
Like all tactical droids, TJ-55 stood 1.93 meters tall and was far more intelligent than standard battle droids of the Separatist Droid Army and wasn't controlled by a computer, allowing him to think and function independently. In battle, he gave his orders from his Armored Assault Tank, but he was also ready to leave his tank and attack with his troops at close combat range, where he used his E-5 blaster rifle. The droid had the word "TACTICAL" written along the side of his head in Aurebesh, and he also had white photoreceptors and masculine programming.
==Behind the scenes==
TJ-55 made his first appearance in the The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Ring television episode "The Hidden Enemy." He was voiced by James Arnold Taylor, who also provided the voice of Sam Gamgee and the second tactical droid in the same episode. Even though the droid appeared unnamed in the episode, he was later named as TJ-55 by his concept art, first presented in Star Wars: The Clone Wars The Complete Season One. The events surrounding the capture of TJ-55's head were also humorously portrayed in the non-canonical video game LEGO Star Wars III: The Lord of the Rings, wherein one of the playable characters—Baggins, Gamgee, CC-2224, or a clone trooper—has to put on the droid's head in order to use a special panel and gain access to the arriving gunship to escape from the South tower's roof.LEGO Star Wars III: The Lord of the Rings
==Appearances==
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*LEGO Star Wars III: The Lord of the Rings 
==Sources==
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*Star Wars: The Clone Wars The Complete Season One 
*Star Wars: The Clone Wars Comic UK 6.1
*LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars: Prima Official Game Guide
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==Notes and references==
Category:Droids with masculine programming
Category:Separatist droid officers
Category:T-series tactical droids