EV-A4-D/Legends

EV-A4-D, also known as A4-D, was a modified EV-series supervisor droid that served General Grievous as a medical/repair droid during the Clone Wars. Like many EV-model droids, a programming defect caused EV-A4-D to have a sadistic personality. Prior to the Clone Wars, EV-A4-D served as a supervisor in a hospital on the world of Tauber; however, he was relieved from duty after ordering the medical droids under his command to operate on patients without administering painkillers. He was later purchased by the InterGalactic Banking Clan and absorbed into the Confederacy of Independent Systems.

EV-A4-D was eventually assigned to work as the doctor for the Confederacy's cyborg general, Grievous. Stationed in Grievous's castle on the third moon of Vassek, EV-A4-D worked to repair the damage the general sustained over the course of the war. Around 22 BBY, the Confederate Head of State, Count Dooku, lured Republic forces to Grievous's castle in order to assess the general's abilities as the Supreme Commander of the Separatist Droid Army. During a confrontation with the Republic squad, Grievous was heavily damaged, and was repaired by EV-A4-D to be able to confront the intruders once more. EV-A4-D later separated Nahdar Vebb and Kit Fisto, the two Jedi that were leading the Republic forces, allowing Grievous to defeat Vebb. However, as EV-A4-D monitored the castle's security cameras from the control room, he was decapitated and destroyed by Fisto.

Hospital service
EV-A4-D was manufactured by MerenData as part of the EV-series supervisor/interrogator droid line. Like most of the EV-series, A4-D was affected by a programming defect during production which caused it to have a sadistic and malicious personality. Regardless of the defect, MerenData sold the EV-series droids, and EV-A4-D became a supervisor to the droids serving as the staff in a hospital on Tauber. EV-A4-D's work in the hospital yielded dramatically higher productivity from the droids; however, the supervisor droid's methods disturbed the human doctors. After serving in the hospital for a time, EV-A4-D ordered the droids to operate on the patients without the use of painkillers. As a result, the droid was returned to MerenData, only to be purchased by the InterGalactic Banking Clan at a later time.

The general's doctor
With the start of the galaxy-wide Clone Wars, the InterGalactic Banking Clan allied itself with the Confederacy of Independent Systems, a separatist government opposing the Galactic Republic. EV-A4-D, modified with medical and repair attachments, was assigned to work in the castle of General Grievous on the third moon of the planet Vassek. There, EV-A4-D served as a repair droid and doctor to Grievous, the cyborg Supreme Commander of the Separatist Droid Army. EV-A4-D resided within the castle alongside the general's personal IG-100 MagnaGuard bodyguards and Gor, Grievous's pet Roggwart. Over the course of the war, A4-D worked to repair damage the general sustained in battle, replacing his mechanical limbs and mending his duranium body.

Around 22 BBY, Separatist Council member Nute Gunray was captured by Republic forces after a failed attempt to bring Rodia into the Confederacy. Shortly after his capture, Gunray escaped from captivity aboard the Republic Star Destroyer Tranquility and fled in a stolen Republic frigate. Gunray's escape presented the Confederate Head of State Count Dooku with an opportunity to reassess General Grievous's abilities to lead the droid army, which had been called into doubt after a recent string of defeats. While Grievous was away from his castle, Dooku planted the homing beacon of Gunray's frigate within the general's lair, and also remotely deactivated Grievous's IG-100 MagnaGuards, leaving EV-A4-D to believe that Grievous himself had deactivated them.

Intruders
Following the placement of the tracking beacon, High Jedi General Kit Fisto and Jedi Knight Nahdar Vebb arrived on the third moon of Vassek with a small force of Republic clone troopers, having tracked down the Republic frigate in the hopes of recapturing Gunray. Dooku and Gunray revealed their manipulations to the Republic forces via hologram, leaving the Jedi to plan the capture of Grievous instead of Gunray. The group resolved to take Grievous into custody upon his arrival at his castle. When he returned to his lair, Grievous was ambushed by the Republic forces. In the following duel, Fisto severed the general's legs with his lightsaber, and Grievous's faceplate was damaged by blaster fire.

The general escaped into the castle's control room, where he was met by EV-A4-D. The droid reprimanded him for allowing the Jedi to damage him and informed the general of his guard's deactivation. EV-A4-D left and began preparations for repairing the cyborg, while Grievous remained in the control room to release Gor, whom he hoped would be able to kill the intruders. Grievous was pulled away from watching Gor's efforts by EV-A4-D, who was ready to take Grievous in for repairs. The medical droid began removing Grievous's damaged parts, replacing his severed legs with new limbs and painfully lifting away the general's faceplate in order to place a new one on.

After completing Grievous's repairs, EV-A4-D followed the general back to the control room while his new legs set in. The droid informed Grievous of an incoming transmission from Count Dooku, at which point the cyborg learned of the Count's deception. This, coupled with the Jedi's defeat of Gor, pushed Grievous to hunt down the Jedi, despite EV-A4-D's insistence that he take time to rest. While Grievous left to combat Vebb and Fisto, EV-A4-D remained within the control room to monitor the castle's security cameras. Upon catching sight of the Jedi attempting to enter the control room, EV-A4-D contacted Grievous via the stronghold's speaker system.

Fisto opened the entrance to the control room, but Vebb insisted upon remaining outside to confront Grievous. While the two Jedi argued about their course of action, EV-A4-D resealed the entry to the control room, locking Fisto within and leaving Vebb outside to engage Grievous on his own. EV-A4-D gleefully watched Grievous gain the upper hand in his duel with Vebb and encouraged the general to kill the Jedi. However, the droid forgot about Fisto, realizing too late that the Jedi General was now locked in the control room with him. The Jedi approached EV-A4-D from behind and destroyed the droid by bisecting him through the control room chair. Shortly after EV-A4-D's decapitation, Grievous killed Vebb, but Fisto was able to escape.

Characteristics
While most of EV-A4-D's body resembled that of other EV-series droids, EV-A4-D possessed modifications that allowed him to serve as the cyborg Grievous's doctor. Several arms that were attached to the droid's torso and back had medical instruments affixed to the ends, while one of EV-A4-D's primary arms was able to rotate at the wrist in order to switch between a grasper and a welding tool. EV-A4-D also had a tray attached to his waist.

Similar to other EV-series supervisor droids from MerenData, EV-A4-D was known to have a cruel personality. While successful in increasing the productivity and efficiency of the medical droids working on Tauber, EV-A4-D's practices concerned the organic doctors he worked with. His methods eventually led to EV-A4-D's dismissal when he ordered the medical droids to refuse painkillers to the hospital's patients, causing needless pain for the individuals that the hospital meant to help.

During his service to Grievous as the general's personal doctor, EV-A4-D developed an uncommon relationship with the general. Although normally unwilling to tolerate insolence or disrespect, Grievous endured EV-A4-D's criticism of his abilities and demands if it meant repairs. After the general had been fixed, EV-A4-D insisted that he take time to rest. The droid was delighted at Grievous's prowess during his duel with Vebb, cheering the general on moments before he was destroyed.

Behind the scenes
EV-A4-D was created for the Star Wars: The Clone Wars television series. To date, the droid's only appearance was in the episode "Lair of Grievous;" however, at the time of the episode's original air date, EV-A4-D was known simply as "A4-D". The droid's full name was not revealed until the episode's Decoded re-airing, which also introduced EV-A4-D's backstory as a hospital supervisor. His back-story was later expanded in his Databank entry.

In the series, EV-A4-D was voiced by David Acord, whose vocal performance for the character was patterned after the distinctive speaking style of the late Paul Lynde.

Notes and references
A-4D A-4D