The Mandalorian: The Difference Between Star Wars' IG-88 & IG-11 Droids Explained

The "Star Wars" universe is littered with all manner of monsters and machines that stand out from the crowd whenever they're on screen. One prime example is the IG series of droids, killers with a no-nonsense attitude that look like indoor plumbing desperately in need of repair. Playing pivotal moments in "Star Wars" lore, they were first visible to audiences in "The Empire Strikes Back" when Darth Vader tasked bounty hunter IG-88B to retrieve Han Solo and company. However, another model gained more notoriety, stealing scenes in "The Mandalorian" Season 1.

Looking at these killer computers head-on, it's hard to determine the difference between the variety of IG models. So, which ones have made a place for themselves in the galaxy far, far away, and which ones should you steer clear of if you're caught in their crosshairs? Well, thankfully, if you want a reassuring robot pal to get the job done, turning things up to 11 is certainly the way to go. You just have to provide a few minor modifications first.

While this specific range of robots debuted in 1980, it was in "The Mandalorian" Season 1 that we saw the earliest model of the IG assassin droids. Voiced by Taika Waititi, IG-11 was tasked with tracking down Grogu, briefly teaming up with Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal). That was until the latter learned that his package was a child, leading him to gun down IG-11 without hesitation. IG-11 came back with new programming, rewired to help Mando on a mission before sacrificing himself, proving that killer robots can change their ways if they get a chance.

In terms of appearance, it's hard to distinguish between IG-11 and IG-88, but on close inspection, some minor details set them apart. IG-11 had a little bit of extra color on his chest and dual bandoliers that were intentionally included to differentiate him from IG-88. He was also given redesigned hands, allowing him to handle weapons easier. But there's more separating these two than accessories and finger dexterity. In the case of IG-88, it's really what's underneath that counts — and that's a maniacal killer robot with his own hard-wired death squad. 

While the first IG model was spotted making a brief appearance in "The Empire Strikes Back," that IG-88 made some seriously malicious moves before he wound up on the Super Star Destroyer, taking offers from Darth Vader, some not exactly of his own accord. Designed and activated sometime after the Clone Wars, IG-88 was actually IG-88B with an interest in killing and the skills that came with it the moment he was powered up. Wiping out his creators ("all of them") at Holowan Laboratories, he develops a penchant for pain and sets off to become one the best (and most feared) bounty hunters in the galaxy. With that said, some of his most notable targets manage to get away. Crimson Dawn Lieutenant Qi'ra, Han Solo (twice), and Princess Leia all managed to evade his metallic grasp. He was even at one point given the job of taking out Darth Vader himself, which went exactly how you'd imagine.

Sometime after this failed mission that left IG-88B in ruins, he gets rebuilt and goes on a variety of more missions, one of which was to infiltrate and take over the software of the second Death Star. The mission is almost accomplished until the dark-tinted droid, R2-Q5 gets ahead on the invader and thwarts his plans of hijacking the space station. Of course, having it blow up over the forest moon of Endor would've caused an issue, as well.