What Only Hardcore Star Wars Fans Know About The Book Of Boba Fett Chapter 7's Scorpenek Droids
Contains spoilers for "The Book of Boba Fett" Chapter 7.
Disney continues to surprise "Star Wars" fans with "The Book of Boba Fett." After years of passionate calls for the titular bounty hunter (played by Temuera Morrison) to receive his own spinoff, he is finally the star of his own series on Disney+. The story chronicles Boba's journey from desperate survivor to burgeoning crime lord on Tatooine, all the while giving him a substantial back story courtesy of flashback sequences.
That said, "The Book of Boba Fett" is also proving to be a deep dive into the wider history of the galaxy far, far away. The series is loaded with Easter eggs and references to "Star Wars" lore as a whole, including nods to creatures, droids, people, and places that haven't featured in a "Star Wars" live-action release in the past.
Chapter 7 is no different. The episode features an appearance from an intimidating Scopenek annihilator droid that poses huge problems for The Mandolorian (Pedro Pascal), Peli (Amy Sedaris), Grogu, and Boba's gang during an intense chase sequence. However, this was likely the first introduction to the droids for some viewers, so let's take a look at their history.
What is a Scorpenek annihilator droid?
As the name suggests, the Scorpenek annihilator droid is a scorpion-esque machine that was constructed by the Colicoid Creation Nest manufacturing company during the Clone Wars. Built for battle, the droids are equipped with two dual rapid-fire heavy laser cannons, crimson photoreceptors and composite radiation sensors. The machines are also very difficult to destroy as they're protected by a particle-energy shield, but they can be destroyed by targeting their eye.
The annihilator droids were used in several wars, but the chaos they unleashed while serving on the front lines in the battles of Formos Palahni is particularly significant (via Wookiepedia). The droids' efforts in those showdowns ensured victories for the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Unsurprisingly, Darth Vader wasn't a fan of them, and he was quick to deactivate the machines when he burst onto the scene.
Here's another fun fact that only true "Star Wars" die-hards will know: the Scorpenek annihilator droid is based on concept art for "Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones" (per Wookiepedia), and "The Book of Boba Fett" marks a rare on-screen appearance for the insectoid destroyers.