bodyguard droid

• Appeared in:
  
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  V
  VI
  CW

• Size:
  1.95 meters

• Weapon:
  electrostaff, guided missiles (variant models)

• Affiliation:
  Confederacy of Independent Systems; InterGalactic Banking Clan

• Type:
  bodyguard / battle droid

• Manufacturer:
  Holowan Mechanicals

• 

From the Movies

General Grievous, the supreme commander of the Separatist droid armies, kept with him silent protectors known as bodyguard droids. The agile warriors carried impenetrable electrostaffs that scintillated with coursing energy, capable of blocking even a lightsaber attack. These near-mindless humanoid droids faithfully carried out their attacks for the General, tenaciously engaging their foe regardless of personal damage. A bodyguard droid would continue fighting even if it had its head severed.

When Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker and Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi led the mission to rescue Chancellor Palpatine from General Grievous, they faced his personal droid bodyguards on an escaping Trade Federation cruiser.

From the Expanded Universe

Though General Grievous made do with the limitations of battle droid programming and technology for his limitless soldiers, for the guards tasked with protecting his person, he was more demanding. Count Dooku authorized Holowan Mechanicals, a company indebted to the InterGalactic Banking Clan, to develop a cutting edge warrior droid that would meet Grievous' standards.

The end result was the prototype Self-Motivating Heuristically Programmed Combat Droid, or the IG-series 100 MagnaGuards. When developing the droids, Holowan programmed into them all manner of combat forms, but prior to delivery, Grievous requested that their memories and combat libraries be wiped clean. Grievous wanted to train these guards, not program them. He wanted them to learn the combat techniques and improve from their mistakes.

Holowan Mechanicals delivered several MagnaGuard models, distinguished by their shell colors. Not all are schooled in the same forms of combat -- some are strictly close-quarters melee combatants, while others are trained to handle explosives and ranged weaponry. Some models come with twin guided missiles launched from internal magazines in their back plating. Continuing a tradition that stemmed from his days as a Kaleesh warrior, Grievous gave the droids headwrap and cape bearing the mumuu markings from Kalee.

Grievous employed dozens of the IG-100 MagnaGuards during the abduction of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine near the end of the Clone Wars.

Behind the Scenes

Concept artist Warren Fu first developed the look of the bodyguard droid as a design concept for General Grievous. His later illustrations would cement the look of the General, so his initial designs became the bodyguard droid.

The bodyguard droids were played by stunt performers wearing blue or greenscreen jumpsuits on set. Their actions were studied by the computer animators tasked with bringing the bodyguards to digital life.