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- "I am through asking, princess! Now... my little helper will do the asking!"
- ―Cronal
The T0-D interrogation droid, a model of interrogation droid.
An interrogation droid, also known as a torture droid or pain droid, was used as a torture device in coercive interrogations. Various varieties existed, equipped with various implements of torture. Sometimes, they were modified medical droids. While they were technically illegal, Darth Vader used one during the interrogation of Princess Leia Organa in 0 BBY.
Reasons for use[]
The alien and mechanical quality of a droid could make it more frightening than an organic interrogator, which often aided the interrogation. A droid was also more capable of finely judging a subject's reactions to torture, and of applying various "treatments" precisely.
For the interrogator, using a droid was sometimes less troubling than performing the torture oneself. If the interrogator wished to assume a bargaining tone with the subject after the coercive phase, the use of a droid also helped redirect the subject's anger towards the droid, rather than the interrogator.
Behind the scenes[]
The classification of interrogation droids has been inconsistent among various sources; the Legacy Era Campaign Guide incorrectly labels them as class two—repair and maintenance—and classifies the BL-39 interrogator droid as a class one due to its medical basis. The New Essential Guide to Droids lists the IT-O interrogation droid in the class four section, as they are designed for inflicting pain.
