Star Wars films tend to dwell upon space fantasy adventures that mix starships with space wizards wielding laser swords in a galaxy far, far away. Despite that focus, a number of Star Wars films also happen to feature another staple of science fiction: killer robots.
Fictional killer robots often represent either the agents of greater villains or the primary existential threat to humanity in many science fiction films. Iconic Star Wars villains such as Darth Vader and Kylo Ren would seem to naturally go glove-in-hand with the idea of commanding killer robot armies to do their bidding. But the Star Wars films generally go in a different direction by featuring villains who mostly disdain the use of killer robots — even if the bad guys may secretly like the idea of mindless automatons doing their bidding. Turn back now if you want to avoid spoilers on any of the Star Wars films other than "The Last Jedi."
Rise of the Killer Robot Armies
At first glance, the Star Wars prequel trilogy appears to follow the traditional "killer robots are bad" script. The initial threat from armies of killer robots help set events in motion that eventually bring about the downfall of both the Old Republic and the Jedi Knights: a monastic order of warriors that had protected the Republic based primarily on their mastery of the mysterious power known as the Force. During the prequel films, a group of star systems and corporations forms a Separatist Alliance with the goal of breaking away from the Old Republic's rule over most of the known Star Wars galaxy.
