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TT-8L-OT

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«Who did that? Kid, the Jedi temple isn't a place for games. Now, run along.»
―TT-8L-OT speaking in binary — 20?cb=20250116042720 ▶️ (file info)[3]

TT-8L-OT was a surly TT-8L gatekeeper droid employed by the Jedi Order to screen those who wished to enter the entrance to the Jedi temple on the planet Olega outside of its open hours. In 132 BBY, the street urchin Guthan Archi drew the droid out of the wall by throwing a rock and then drew TT-8L-OT's attention until the assassin Mae-ho Aniseya forced the gatekeeper to power down by throwing a magnetic restraining bolt at it. Aniseya then entered the temple to assassinate Jedi Master Torbin but was forced to flee before she succeeded.

Biography[]

Distracted doorkeeper[]

"Hello! I'm over here, come on!"
«This is your final warning!»
―Guthan Archi distracts TT-8L-OT — 20?cb=20250116042720 ▶️ (file info)[3]
Guthan Archi hurls a rock at TT-8L-OT's head shield while the droid is retracted inside the Olega Jedi temple wall beside a shielded doorway.

Guthan Archi threw a rock at TT-8L-OT and distracted it.

TT-8L-OT was a TT-8L gatekeeper droid[1] that the Jedi Order employed[2] during the High Republic Era. Stationed in the wall by the entryway of the Jedi temple on[3] the planet Olega, it[1] was responsible for screening passersby who wished to enter the temple's[2] closed doors outside of the open hours when visitors could freely petition the Jedi.[1] In 132 BBY,[4] the assassin Mae-ho Aniseya was tasked with killing Jedi Master Torbin within the temple and hired a local street urchin[3] named Guthan Archi[1] to aid her in bypassing TT-8L-OT.[3]

Stealing a rock[5] from the cart of the passing[3] scrap merchant Anbert Dregil[1] at dusk,[5] Archi hurled it at the gatekeeper droid's head covering on the temple's wall, causing TT-8L-OT to pop its head out and blink its photoreceptors. Speaking in binary, it questioned who had thrown the rock before spotting the young urchin and warning[3] him[1] that the temple was no place for games. Archi ignored TT-8L-OT's instruction to leave and waved his arms at the droid, calling out to it to draw the gatekeeper's attention.[3]

Powered down[]

"Did you activate the security droid? Hmm?"
[The urchin nods]
"Why did you activate it?"
"She paid me to."
―Jecki Lon interrogates Guthan Archi — 20?cb=20250116042720 ▶️ (file info)[3]
TT-8L-OT retracts back into the Olega Jedi temple wall with a flashing red restrining bolt attatched to its head.

TT-8L-OT was powered down by Mae-ho Aniseya's restraining bolt.

Focused on the urchin as it issued a final warning, TT-8L-OT did not see Aniseya emerge from a nearby alcove and hurl a[3] magnetic restraining bolt,[5] which attached to the top of TT-8L-OT's head. Frantically beeping, the droid's head juddered from side to side[3] and then powered down[5] before retracting into the wall. Aniseya then paid the urchin for the distraction and entered the temple unimpeded but was forced to flee before she could kill Torbin when her break-in was discovered.[3]

When investigating the break-in, the temple's Jedi learned that TT-8L-OT had spotted Archi before it failed, resulting in the capture and interrogation of Aniseya's accomplice.[3] Od Keder,[1] one of the temple's Padawans, then mentioned the failure of the temple's gatekeeper droids when presenting the urchin to a group of Jedi led by Jedi Master Sol, who had arrived from offworld to investigate. Sol's Padawan, Jecki Lon, then questioned the urchin about why he had activated the droid, learning that Aniseya had paid the child.[3]

Characteristics[]

"But before the gatekeeper droids failed, they caught this little scoundrel, messing around our portcullis."
―Od Keder mentions TT-8L-OT — 20?cb=20250116042720 ▶️ (file info)[3]

TT-8L-OT monitored the temple doors tirelessly, but a misloaded program updated gave the droid a surly personality. Unlike similar models of droid, it had binocular vision due to its two spheroid, yellow photoreceptors[1] on extendable eyestalks[2] which it used to scrutinize the world around it.[1] TT-8L-OT was also equipped with a protective shield above its head that signaled approaching visitors. The droid's plating was brown, and it spoke in binary.[3]

Behind the scenes[]

TT-8L-OT first appeared in "Revenge / Justice,"[3] the second episode of the live-action Disney+ series Star Wars: The Acolyte, which aired on June 4, 2024.[6] The droid was first identified by name in its Databank entry on StarWars.com,[2] which was posted by June 5 of the same year.[7] Concept art of the droid titled "Gatekeeper droid" was created by Adam Brockbank under supervision of production designer Kevin Jenkins.[8]

Concept art showing TT-8L-OT emerging from a brown wall.

"Gatekeeper droid," by Adam Brockbank

Junior animatronic designer[3] Matthew Hart and[9] modeler[3] Mitchell Chamberlain worked together to build the model around the droid's animatronic using model making and 3D printing, leaving access points to the mechanism in case anything went wrong. According to Chamberlain, the eyes were especially difficult to get right. Chamberlain applied some of the base coating to the model and believes that[9] modelmaking supervisor[3] Paul Szebesta then completed the rest of the painting and weathering.[9]

Modeler[3] Samuel Johnson created the disc on top of the model's head and the wall mount and[9] animatronic designer[3] Ashton McCarthy-Gould built the parts of the character's mechanism behind the set's wall, including the rail system it slid out of the wall on and the ability for TT-8L-OT's head to move up and down.[9] Droid puppeteers[3] Claire Roi Harvey, Colin Purves, and Mike Quinn did most of the puppeteering for the droid,[9] with Quinn controlling the droid's entrance and exit from the wall and the movements of its head during close-ups.[10] Chamberlain also did some puppeteering work for less important shots.[9] The Olega scenes including TT-8L-OT were shot at Shinfield Studios,[11] England.[12]

Appearances[]

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Sources[]

Notes and references[]

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 Star Wars: The Acolyte: The Visual Guide
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 TT-8L-OT in the Databank (backup link)
  3. ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 3.20 3.21 3.22 Star Wars: The Acolyte — "Revenge / Justice"
  4. ↑ StarWars.com "Lost/Found" Episode Guide | The Acolyte on StarWars.com (backup link) states that the events of Star Wars: The Acolyte take place 100 years before the events of Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace, which Star Wars: Timelines dates to 32 BBY. Therefore, The Acolyte takes place in 132 BBY.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Star Wars: The Acolyte — "Revenge / Justice" (Audio description from Disney+)
  6. ↑ StarWars.com The Acolyte Teaser Poster, Premiere Date Revealed on StarWars.com (backup link)
  7. ↑ June 5, 2024 revision of the "TT-8L-OT" article on Wookieepedia
  8. ↑ Adam Brockbank (@brockbankadam) on Instagram (post on July 22, 2024): "Gatekeeper droid The Acolyte Production designer Kevin Jenkins #theacolyte #starwars #starwarsconceptart #conceptart #conceptartist" (backup link) (screenshot)
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 Mitchell Chamberlain (@theforge_props) on Instagram (post on June 19, 2024): "The first proper droid I ever built - and probably the first thing I've made for film/TV that has its own entry in a database! The TT-8L-OT Gatekeeper droid. I worked with @matt.hart87 to build the 3d model around his animatronics, and to have access points in case anything went wrong. There was some model making and some 3d printing - getting the eyes to look right and function properly took some working out (but we got there in the end!) I did a little bit of the base coating, but I believe @paulszebesta did most of the painting and weathering on this one, and @samijohnson123 built his little hat/wall plug. @ashflash_26 built everything past the wall (the rail system for him to slide in and out seamlessly, and look up and down) The amazing @claireroiharvey, @mikequinnstudios, and I think it was Colin (can't find his Instagram!) were responsible for most of his puppeteering - I even got to play around with him a bit one cold Saturday for some of the less important shots! It was always a dream I thought would never come true to build droids for Star Wars - and I'm going to be saying this a lot over the coming months, but I'm always so grateful (and sometimes in utter disbelief) that I got the opportunity." (screenshot)
  10. ↑ Mike Quinn (@MikeQuinnOfficial) on Facebook (post on June 9, 2024): "👽 Other creatures from the first two episodes I performed on were non-speaking roles. Selkath’s face (eyes & mouth) in the Jedi Temple, costume performed by Liam Cook. The cart puller (face), costume performed by Nick Kellington, who exhibited superhuman strength 🤣. The third was TT-8L-0T the entry droid, performing the entrance, exit and head up/down on the closeups. All super fun and amazing builds from the entire CFX team. This stuff looks so good and is capable of much more scrutiny that is seen on screen. It’s that good! Even for the background creatures. Well done every single person involved! Also a shoutout to the amazing crew who supported and championed us, helped us look beautiful on camera (and encouraged me to say naughty things with my animatronics 😉)." (backup link)
  11. ↑ Lucasfilm on Location: The Acolyte on Lucasfilm's official website (backup link)
  12. ↑ The Acolyte Visual Effects Supervisor Julian Foddy on Lucasfilm's official website (backup link)
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