BB-9E

BB-9E was a black-plated BB-series astromech droid in the service of the First Order. Unlike BB-8, a BB unit in the service of the Resistance, the droid featured a squarer domed head and red-colored sensor. In addition, due to the First Order's views on droids simply being machines, he had a cold, sinister, and even malicious personality to his programming. BB-9E, owing to it being created by the First Order, was built with the latest technological advances, and included a photoreceptor that utilized all spectrums to aid it on its various patrols and keeping various machinery maintained.

BB-9E served aboard the Supreme Leader Snoke's personal flagship, the Mega-class Star Dreadnought Supremacy. While serving on the Supremacy, BB-9E exposed Finn and Rose Tico, covert Resistance operatives, to the rest of the ship.

Behind the scenes
BB-9E was first revealed when several LEGO sets' packaging for Star Wars: Episode VIII The Last Jedi toy line leaked on May 26, 2017. The droid was officially introduced in a preview for the Force Friday II products, released on August 31, 2017. BB-9E also acted as one of the three droids of the "App-Enabled Droids" app AR game by Sphero alongside R2-D2 and BB-8, with BB-9E in particular giving a tour of the Supremacy. The droid made his first appearance in the non-canon Star Wars Blips episode "Hey You", where he had a run in with BB-8.

BB-9E was nicknamed "BB-H8", as in "hate", on the set of The Last Jedi.

During the early development of The Last Jedi, BB-9E went almost three different designs made by Luke Fisher before the final one which was featured in the finished version of the film. Interestingly, every design mostly affected the droid's head. Additionally, its original name was going to be BB-Hate in order, according to droid and creature effects supervisor Neal Scanlan, to demonize BB-8.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Force Arena
 * Star Wars: Episode VIII The Last Jedi