R-DUO

This article is non-canon within the canon continuity.

This article covers a subject from a Star Wars: Visions story that Lucasfilm declared is set in an alternate history within a reimagined galaxy.

This article is nominated to be highlighted as a Featured article!

Feel free to review this article's entry and voice your opinion.

"You're right, R-DUO. It's just like you said. There is no try, only do. I can make this work!"

―Karre, to R-DUO^[3]

R-DUO was an R-series astromech droid who served Am and Karre, Dark Lords of the T-Empire. At some point after the Battle of Exegol of 35 ABY, while aboard a Gemini-class Star Destroyer, R-DUO accompanied Karre as he entered the Star Destroyer's reactor core chamber, where he stole the reactor core and kyber crystal within it. As they walked toward a hangar to escape, several T-Stormtroopers attempted to stop them, but Karre defeated them using the Force. After arriving at the hangar, R-DUO slipped away to steal a T-X-wing starfighter while Am and her forces confronted Karre. R-DUO fired on them, allowing Karre to reach the X-wing, then piloted it out of the hangar.

Am used the Force to pull them back, and after Karre was pulled out of it, the X-wing crashed on the Star Destroyer. Am and Karre dueled on the ship's surface, and after Karre was launched into space, R-DUO flew the X-wing to catch him. Am's armor began overloading from using the crystal, and to destroy it and save her, R-DUO flew toward her while Karre extended his lightsaber. R-DUO activated the starfighter's hyperdrive, giving Karre enough power to push past Am's block and destroy the kyber crystal. After leaving hyperspace, they crashed on the planet Tatooine.

Biography[]

Sneaking around[]

Karre: "Don't worry, R-DUO. Everything's gonna be fine. They won't find us."

R-DUO: [Beeps]

A T-Stormtrooper: "Freeze!"

R-DUO: [Beeps]

Karre: "Okay, you told me so."

―Karre, R-DUO, and a T-Stormtrooper^[3]

KarreRDUOSneaking-TheTwins — R-DUO and Karre preparing to steal the X-wing

R-DUO was an R-series astromech droid^[1] who served Am and Karre,^[2] Force-sensitive twins who were Dark Lords of the T-Empire.^[1] At some point after the Battle of Exegol of 35 ABY,^[4] while aboard a Gemini-class Star Destroyer, R-DUO accompanied Karre as he walked between two lines of T-Stormtroopers toward the Star Destroyer's reactor core chamber. Karre planned to steal the reactor core and the kyber crystal within it to save Am, as he had seen a vision of her death as a result of her using the crystal's power. After Karre took the power core, R-DUO beeped while they walked down a corridor together. Karre assured the droid that they would not be found^[3] and promised to give^[5] him^[2] oil later.^[5] However, after opening a door, they were confronted by several T-Stormtroopers, and Karre acknowledged that R-DUO had told him they would be caught. Karre and R-DUO ignored the T-Stormtroopers' warnings to stop and walked past them through the corridor. When the troopers fired at him with stun blasts, Karre used the Force to defeat them, and he and R-DUO continued to a hangar.^[3]

In the hangar, R-DUO and Karre planned to steal a T-X-wing starfighter to escape in, but they were confronted by Am, her protocol droid B-2ON, and a larger group of T-Stormtroopers. Karre signaled to R-DUO, who slipped away to the X-wing. After Am failed to convince Karre to return the power core, she attacked him with her lightsabers, but R-DUO powered on the X-wing and fired at Am's forces, allowing Karre to reach the starfighter. R-DUO then piloted the X-wing out of the hangar. As Karre flew the starfighter away from the Star Destroyer, R-DUO told Karre that he had a bad feeling. Am, who was now standing on the Star Destroyer's surface, then began pulling the X-wing back toward her, causing R-DUO to believe they were caught in a tractor beam, though Karre quickly corrected him. Am was able to pull Karre and the power core out of the X-wing, which then crashed onto the Star Destroyer.^[3]

Escaping the Star Destroyer[]

"What if I'm not strong enough to save her? What do I do?"
[R-DUO beeps]
"The hyperdrive? Maybe. If I use the power of the ship's propulsion, then it just might…"

―Karre, to R-DUO^[3]

TheTwinsThumbnail — Karre and R-DUO on Tatooine

The twins dueled on the Star Destroyer's surface, and Karre was launched into space by Am. R-DUO flew the X-wing to catch Karre on the outside of the starfighter, and after being rescued, Karre saw that Am's dark armor was overloading from using the kyber crystal's power. Karre told R-DUO that he needed to destroy the crystal or she would die, but he did not have enough power to do so. R-DUO suggested using the X-wing's hyperdrive to provide the needed power. Karre agreed with R-DUO's idea, but stated he was unsure if he could do it. In response, R-DUO suddenly turned the X-wing around and piloted it toward the Star Destroyer.^[3]

As they approached Am, R-DUO encouraged Karre, and he ignited his lightsaber, causing several large beams of various colors to appear and then form a single larger beam. As R-DUO flew the X-wing upside down over the Star Destroyer, Karre cut through it with his lightsaber as they approached Am. When they reached her, she blocked Karre's lightsaber with her own and the two argued. Karre then ordered R-DUO to jump to hyperspace. The droid did so, which allowed Karre to push past Am's block and destroy the kyber crystal within her armor before the starfighter completed its jump to hypersapce. After exiting hyperspace, their X-wing crashed on^[3] the planet^[6] Tatooine.^[1] R-DUO beeped at Karre, who awoke on top of the X-wing, which was being scavenged by Jawas. Karre told R-DUO they had succeeded, and when he beeped again, Karre assured him they would find Am and that he was certain she was alive.^[3]

Characteristics[]

"Nice work, R-DUO! Now keep firing!"

―Karre, to R-DUO^[3]

R-DUO had white and gray plating, with a horizontal orange stripe around his legs. He had two orange bars on the top of his head, and a black sensor within a blue rectangle. R-DUO spoke binary.^[3] Like B-2ON, R-DUO was devoted to Am and Karre, but was more devious. He was also a friend of Karre, who knew that R-DUO was the perfect partner to win a battle, and R-DUO knew he was indispensable to Karre.^[2]

Equipment[]

"Punch it!"

―Karre, to R-DUO^[3]

R-DUO piloted a T-X-wing starfighter while escaping with Karre.^[3]

Behind the scenes[]

"Karre knows that R-DUO is a perfect partner if he needs to win a big battle. And R-DUO knows that he's indispensable to Karre, too, which he proves again and again throughout the episode."

―Kanako Shirasaki^[2]

R-DUOConcept-ArtOfVisions — R-DUO concept art

R-DUO first appeared in "THE TWINS," a short film written by Hiromi Wakabayashi, directed by Hiroyuki Imaishi, and released as part of the first volume of the non-canon Star Wars: Visions series. The animated short, produced by Studio Trigger,^[3] was released on September 22, 2021.^[7] Prior to the short's release, R-DUO was first depicted in a video uploaded to the official Star Wars YouTube channel on July 3, 2021.^[8] He then appeared in the original Japanese and English dub trailers for the series, which were both uploaded to the official Star Wars YouTube channel on August 17 of that year.^[9]^[10] He was first identified in a StarWars.com article published on September 15 of that year.^[2] Concept art of R-DUO was included The Art of Star Wars: Visions, a reference book written by Zack Davisson^[1] and published on November 8, 2022.^[11]

R-DUO's friendship with Karre is intended to mirror the relationship between the Rebel Luke Skywalker and the droid R2-D2 in^[1] the 1977 Original trilogy film^[12] A New Hope, and R-DUO's name is a reference to R2-D2. His design is similar to R2-D2's, but is more simplified and lacks input ports and panels. Although R-DUO is an R-series astromech droid, he does not use an existing design.^[1]

In Keisuke Sato's manga adaptation of the short, originally published in Big Gangan Vol.09^[5] on August 25, 2022,^[13] R-DUO appeared in an omake that was noted to be the artist's imagination. In the bonus scene, Karre tells R-DUO that they need a new ship after crashing on Tatooine. They then encounter a Rodian who offers them a lift to the nearest town. Although R-Duo tells Karre he does not have a good feeling, Karre thanks the Rodian and places a bag with the credit symbol on his speeder. The Rodian then speeds off with the bag and leaves behind Karre and R-DUO, who chase after him.^[5]