RA-7 droids, often referred to as “Death Star droids” due to their notable presence on the Empire’s formidable battle stations, are a unique and somewhat sinister-looking class of droid in the Star Wars universe. Characterized by their insectoid appearance, with elongated heads and photoreceptor eyes that give them a distinctly eerie look, RA-7s serve primarily as protocol droids.

Designed for espionage and protocol functions, the RA-7 droid model was manufactured by Arakyd Industries, a company known for producing surveillance devices and droid models especially favored by the Galactic Empire for intelligence gathering. Unlike their more benign protocol counterparts, such as the affable C-3PO, RA-7 droids often found themselves employed in the darker corners of the galaxy, including aboard Imperial facilities where they could be utilized for both their intended diplomatic roles and more clandestine operations.

Despite their somewhat foreboding appearance, RA-7 droids are capable of performing a variety of tasks related to etiquette, languages, and customs, similar to other protocol droids. However, their versatility and innocuous cover as mere protocol droids make them perfect spies, capable of blending into diplomatic and governmental environments to gather intelligence and surveillance without arousing suspicion.

about the artist

matt has worked on a wide range of projects in archaeology, marketing, and illustration /design. When it comes to illustration he is principally a traditional artist with a focus on portraits and comic art with applications on trading cards, character designs, film storyboards, music album covers, t-shirts and team jerseys, and book covers.  he’s also worked for corporations creating professional looking brochures, posters, magazines, websites, social media graphics, video edits, and more. Each and every project is different and there’s not one project he didn’t love!