Writing Droids: Lessons from Star Wars
And even more specifically, how to write and create droids like they do. Droids that serve a purpose and are characters in their own right. Let us begin our lesson, young padawan.
#1: Give them a purpose
When watching The Book of Boba Fett, I was intrigued to see a new droid in one of Mando's episodes. It appeared to be a worker ant inspired droid, building what will become Luke's new Jedi school. (Which is where the idea for this post came from.)
Each of Star War's droids has a purpose. C-3PO is a protocol droid, designed to help with etiquette and negotiations. R2-D2 is made to fly spaceships. You have droids that cook, build, and carry messages.
When creating a robot or droid, first consider what purpose they were built for. Are they a higher level robot for communicating with humans? Or are they only designed to lift heavy objects, and thus don't need to talk? Who designed them, and why?
#2: Give them a personality
Star Wars droids are sassy. R2 may not be able to talk, but you can feel the sarcasm in his various beeps and boops. Each droid has their own personality that shines through clearly, even though not all of them can talk.
BB-8 is very different from C-3PO who is very different from the medical droids. Some of my favorites are the battle droids, especially in the Clone Wars. They're just so dumb and they always make me laugh.
A personality may not work for every robot in every story. But the most memorable kinds have one. They're characters in their own rights, with fears, desires, and a way they talk. What kind of personality will your droid have? What do they want in this story? What makes them unique?
#3: Give them a look
Finally, Star Wars droids are easily recognizable. I may not be able to name all their technical names, but I can look at a picture and go "oh, that's the rabbit droid from the Clone Wars". They have distinct colorations, designs, and faces. Some have more of a human look, others look like trashcans.
These looks help with their personalities. C-3PO is very stuffy, and is shaped like a human that moves stiffly. R2-D2 is a daredevil with all sorts of clever gadgets he uses throughout the movies. The anti-lightsaber droids have cool staffs and purple eyes that shout "hey, I'm evil!".
What does your robot look like? How does their purpose play into their design? What color are they? Do they have any designs? Do they have a face, or a humanoid shape? Draw your robot, or at least write a detailed description so you can really picture them.
May the force be with you, my friends. Until next Star Wars Day!
Which of these tips is your favorite? Which droid do you like best? Tell me in the comments.
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