yellow R4 astromech custom figure and his story from Clone Wars

Unidentified yellow R4 astromech unit from the Clone Wars seasons

Such yellow R4 unit was in that episode when Anakin Skywalker and Mace Windu land on Vanqor, searching for Admiral Kilian, Ponds, and the clone officers who went down with the Endurance. This Clone Wars episode is one of my favorites. While searching, the two Jedi were assassinated by Boba, Aurra Sing, Bossk, and Castas, exploding Jango Fett’s helmet. Anakin and Mace survived the explosion, but are now buried under a large pile of rubble. The small R2 is the only one, who can bring help. The clever astromech recorded a short video message from Anakin, then heroically protected the two injured Jedi. Boba, Aurra, and Castas climb through the wreckage of the ship because the young Boba wants to go back to make sure if Windu was really dead and Artoo sees them climbing, and pushes things down the shaft to hold the bounty hunters back. Anakin tells Artoo to contact the Jedi Temple, so Artoo heads outside to contact the Jedi Temple, but runs into a gundark. Only Windu’s Starfighter is available, so R2 tries to make a radio connection via Windu’s radio. But the bounty hunters jam all communications, preventing Artoo from contacting the Jedi Temple. The unbelievable clever Artoo had no other choice to fly Windu’s fighter into the space, pursued by Slave I all the way into space, out maneuvering the deadly laser bolts which was shot by the young Boba, where he attempts to dock with a hyperspace ring. R2 moves closer to one ring, making Boba believe that was the droid choice. Quickly, Boba fires at the hyperspace rings, but only succeeds in destroying one, and Artoo uses the other one to reach hyperspace. Artoo lands on Coruscant, where he wastes no time in getting to the Jedi Temple. The droid races into a Jedi strategy room, rushing on a corridor he pushes away 2 other astromechs, who beeps angrily at him. One of them was this yellow R4 unit, who is the protagonist of our article. His identifier and name is unknown. (I can tell you a secret, the other blue astromech is also customized, so he will be also introduced here in CustomStarWars soon.) R2-D2 after getting into a brief fight with another astromech in the briefing room, shows Anakin's message to the Jedi, bringing help finally for his master who is in trouble.

An other, very similar yellow R4 unit can be seen in an other episode, too. He is in a clone hangar, where a republic cruiser is being loaded. This astromech rolls over in front of them. This is an usual thing in Star Wars, the background is often used for moving droids and creatures, but they disappear after a moment, we can not watch them too long. The creators want them to serve as a living crowd in a scene, let it be a hangar, a cantina, or a town. But these episodists mostly have no name, story, or function, just passing by. For example in the scene there is a small yellow R4 astromech droid in the background, when R2-D2 and C-3PO pass by in front of him, we can hardly spot this droid, but I managed to notice. :) Many fans love them, since they have seen the films several time, knows everything on the main plot, so these background characters are unique, new, and unknown, therefore interesting. And they worth customizing, that is a challenge to spot such character in the back, and to handmake them. But for this reason we can be sure, such droid is an unique figure, that not too much fans has at home.

An other hangar scene has to be mentioned. When the CIS attacks Obi-wan Kenobi’s destroyer with large space fleet in the 8. episode of the 5. season. The republic cruiser suffers serious damages, there are many injured, the ship is on fire. Kenobi runs to an injured clone, helps him to stand on feet, and helps him out from the hangar. In the background there is an R5 unit, who starts putting out the fire. Later a yellow R4 comes in from the right, who looks like the one who is the protagonist of today’s article. He immediately helps the R5 unit in the work. Astromechs sometimes have some built-in fire-extinguisher, which is good for putting out wide variety of fires, but this time it is not enough for this large fire. But they want to gain some time, until the humans evacuate the ship, or at least while Kenobi saves that clone. They have calculated this, so they stay there and put out fire protecting the humans.

And finally I have found an other similar little R4 unit in one of my favorite locations, in Iziz, capitol of Onderon, which is also known from the game KotOR2, where this great planet can be visited. This is in Season 5, episode 4. Angered by the rising rebellion, Sanjay Rash, the fake king supported by CIS, had the former but real king, Ramsis Dendup brought into the throne room and ordered him to call off the rebel attacks. A yellow R4 astromech unit rolls in, and projects a hologram with the rebel leaders, Lux Bonteri and Steela Gerera. But the king refuses this, due to Dendup having no control over the rebels as he was not leading them. He can not stop what he hasn’t started. And that is true. The people want the real king back from their own wish, they want him back on the throne, and to get rid of the fake king, and to free Onderon from CIS rule.