There are different types of droids in the Star Wars universe. Some look humanoid, some do not. And when it comes to droids, they all have different names to help identify them. And then comes the astromech droids, more specifically the R-series droids. These droids look very similar, with nearly identical naming conventions as well as their design. It would be a shock to no one if they mistake one for the other.
In season three of The Mandalorian, viewers were introduced to R5-D4, a droid that actually first debuted in Star Wars Episode Four – A New Hope. While there was excitement to see this droid in action for the first time since he was rejected by Luke Skywalker all those years ago, one may wonder what makes these droids any different from one another. Aren’t they the same class of astromech droids?
Star Wars Astromech droids explained
The best way to describe the R-series astromech droids in Star Wars is like an iPhone or Samsung phone — the higher the number, the more features and improvements that the phone has. Sure, they look similar and have the same naming conventions. But an iPhone 10 would be superior to an iPhone 5. The same can be said for these two astromech droids.
According to Star Wars lore, the R-series droids originated from the P2-series astromechs. These droids were a huge success in the galaxy which led to the creation of the R-series we know and love. At the moment, there are nine variations of the R-series droids, and would be named accordingly from R1 to R9.
What’s the difference between an R2 and an R5?
R2-D2 and R5-D4 are part of this droid lineup, and were featured in both the films and the Disney Plus series. Personality-wise, R2-D2 seems to be braver compared to R5-D4. But perhaps that may be because R5-D4 may not have an epic adventure compared to its R2 counterpart.
But if we are speaking of astromech models and their features, the R2 series apparently is better compared to R5, despite it being an older model.
The R2 units are smaller than their predecessor and were built so they could fit in a starfighter. This model was very popular with fighter pilots since it had multiple features like life-form sensors, heat sensors, and motion sensors, and was built to withstand any environment. This is why R2-D2 is a well-loved astromech droid and possibly the most recognized one in the Star Wars franchise.
The R5 units could have been superior to the R2 droids, but they had a ton of flaws. R5 is the 5th generation of R-series droids. They have the same features as the R2, 3, and 4 units combined, but were cheaper to build. This led to this droid malfunctioning constantly, which is not good for a machine designed for pilots. It was also noticed that the R5 droids’ personalities aren’t pleasant. This led to an early end to these droids’ production period.
It’s like Samsung Galaxy Note phones. Galaxy Note 7 was meant to be superior to its older models. But was eventually recalled due to it malfunctioning (or in this case, exploding) and was discontinued. Not to mention, a handful of airliners prohibit passengers to have these phones onboard. The same can be said for the R2 and R5 astromech models. This could possibly answer why The Mandalorian was somewhat furious at Peli Motto when she told him R5’s flaws just as he’s about to leave Tatooine. This droid was meant to be built for adventure, but in actuality, not so much, and will need to be pushed to do so.
For a casual Star Wars viewer, seeing R5-D4 scared to travel to Mandalore could have been seen as a funny joke at first glance, especially since we keep hearing how Mandalore is dangerous. But perhaps that’s how R5 models are and their cowardly nature could be part of the droid’s “unpleasant personality.” But in the end, R5 droids are similar to the R2, just with a few added features and a handful of flaws.