Wikipedia

BB-8

For other uses, seeBB8.

BB-8(orBeebee-Ate) is adroidcharacter in theStar Warsfranchise.He appeared in the three films of thesequel trilogy,Star Wars: The Force Awakens(2015),Star Wars: The Last Jedi(2017), andStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker(2019). He also appeared as a major supporting character in the animated seriesStar Wars Resistance,appearing in the first 17 episodes of season 1, and in the 2023short filmRogue Not Quite One.He is a BB astromech droid serving theResistance,and is owned byPoe Dameron.Spherical with a free-moving domed head, BB-8 is portrayed by both arod puppetand a remote-controlled robotic unit. The character has been well received by critics and fans, and has become one of the most beloved and recognizable characters of theStar Warssaga in recent years.

BB-8
Star Warscharacter
A robot with a spherical body and a smaller hemisphere for a head. It is white with orange and silver decoration.
BB-8 from The Force Awakens
First appearanceStar Wars: The Force Awakens(2015)
Last appearanceRogue Not Quite One(2023)
Created by
Voiced by
Performed by
In-universe information
SpeciesAstromech droid
Affiliation

Conception

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Idea and design

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BB-8's design was based on a sketch byThe Force AwakensdirectorJ. J. Abrams.[3]According to special effects artistNeal Scanlan,"It was a very simple sketch, beautiful in its simplicity of a ball with this little dome on top."[4]His design included asymmetrical panels to make it easier for the viewer to track motion, because, Scanlan says, "If you had parallel patterns that ran around the circumference, they would be less informative as to the direction BB-8 was traveling".[4]

Abrams also named the character, saying, "I named him BB-8 because it was almostonomatopoeia.It was sort of how he looked to me, with the 8, obviously, and then the two B's. "[5]The name was conceived early on in the film's production and was one of the few to remain unchanged.[5]Before receiving his final name, the droid was nicknamed "Surly" by the pre-production team.[3]

Constraints and realization

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In August 2013,The Force AwakenscinematographerDaniel MindelandEpisode VIIIdirectorRian Johnsoneach stated that Abrams would use littlecomputer-generated imagery(CGI) and more practical, traditional special effects in order to recreate the visual realism and authenticity of the originalStar Warsfilm.[6][7][8]To that end, the droid BB-8 was a physical prop developed byDisney Research,[9]created by Neal Scanlan and operated live on set with the actors.[10][11][12]Seven BB-8 puppets were constructed for filming.[13]The most prominent was a rod puppet, controlled by puppeteersDave Chapmanand Brian Herring. In addition, there were several radio controlled units and some static prop versions. A fully functioning, self-contained robotic unit was not practical for shooting, so most of the "walking" scenes were achieved by the puppet, with rods removed in post production. Later a self-standing remote controlled unit was constructed and used at promotional events.[2]

Description

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BB-8 is aspherical robotwith a free-moving domed head. It is white, with orange and silver accents and a black optical lens on its headpiece. BB-8 also possesses multiple panels containing various tools or ports. Scanlan said of the robot's personality, "We always imagined BB-8 as being quite manipulative. I think he knows he's cute. He knows that he can win people over. And he uses that, like children do, to get his own way. In this film, he has a very important mission that he has to accomplish and so he uses his personality, his coyness, and all of those things."[4]Of BB-8's gender he said, "I'm still not sure, dare I say, whether BB-8 is male or female... BB-8 was female in our eyes. And then he or she became male. And that's all part of the evolution, not only visually, but in the way they move, how they hold themselves."[4]

Calling the robot a "Swiss Army Knifethat shouldn't be trusted ", he noted that while each of the BB-8's panels has a specific purpose, like a port or tool, not all of them have been absolutely defined to leave options for future films.[4]

Voice

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The voice of BB-8 was supplied by comediansBill HaderandBen Schwartz,both credited as "BB-8 vocal consultants" in the film. The effect was created by Abrams manipulating Hader and Schwartz's voices through atalkboxattached to aniPadrunning a sound effects app.[14]

Appearances

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In film

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The Force Awakens(2015)

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Main article:Star Wars: The Force Awakens

BB-8 was first seen in the 88-secondThe Force Awakensteaser trailerreleased byLucasfilmon November 28, 2014.[15]Its name was revealed byEntertainment Weeklyin a Lucasfilm-designedTopps-styletrading cardmockupin December 2014.[16][17]

In the film, the robot is theastromech droidof the ResistanceX-wing fighterpilotPoe Dameron(Oscar Isaac).[18]Poe entrusts it with a map that must be delivered to the Resistance headquarters in order to determine the whereabouts ofJedi KnightLuke Skywalker.While Poe is captured and interrogated by the sinisterFirst OrderwarlordKylo Ren,BB-8 flees across the desert of the planetJakkuand finds sanctuary with the plucky scavengerRey.Eventually Rey, the renegadestormtrooperFinn,Han Solo,andChewbaccabring BB-8 to Resistance leaderLeia Organa,and ultimately reunite him with Poe.

The Last Jedi(2017)

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Main article:Star Wars: The Last Jedi

InThe Last Jedi,BB-8 fixes Poe's X-wing weapons system by smashing his head into it. InCanto Bight,a drunken gambler repeatedly inserts coins into a slot in BB-8, thinking he is a slot machine. The droid later subdues several guards, allowing Finn and Rose to escape imprisonment. BB-8 then uses the coins to subdue a fourth guard. Later, he operates a First OrderAT-STin order to rescue Finn and Rose after they are captured by the First Order.

The Rise of Skywalker(2019)

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Main article:Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

BB-8 appeared inThe Rise of Skywalkerwhere, in mission with Rey, Finn, Poe, Chewie and C-3PO on Pasaana eventually befriended a droid named D-O. Later followed them on Kef Bir and Exegol in the last war againstEmperor Palpatineand theSith Eternal.After celebrating the victory of the Resistance on Ajan Kloss, BB-8 followed Rey on Tatooine where she buried Luke and Leia's lightsabers in the Lars homestead and, in the end, the droid watched the binary sunrise along with her.

In television

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Forces of Destiny(2017–18)

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Main article:Star Wars Forces of Destiny

BB-8 makes several appearances inStar Wars Forces of Destiny.[19]In "Sands of Jakku" and "BB-8 Bandits", both of which take place shortly after Rey finds him inThe Force Awakens,Rey helps the droid evade a Nightwatcher worm and several bandits. In "Tracker Trouble", the droid, Rey, Finn, and Han help to get a tracker off theMillennium Falconshortly after leaving Jakku. In "Shuttle Shock", which takes place during the journey to Canto Bight inThe Last Jedi,BB-8 is overloaded by electrical shocks from a jellyfish monster, forcing Finn and Rose to try and fix it.

Star Wars Resistance(2018)

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Main article:Star Wars Resistance (season 1)

BB-8 is a supporting character in the 2018 first season of the animated television seriesStar Wars Resistance.[20]

Rogue Not Quite One(2023)

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Main article:Rogue Not Quite One

Other appearances

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BB-8 is apoint of viewcharacter in both the2015 novelizationofThe Force AwakensbyAlan Dean Foster,[21]and the 2017 novelization ofThe Last JedibyJason Fry.The droid also appears in the comic book seriesStar Wars: Poe Dameron,published byMarvel Comicsin April 2016.[22]

Merchandising

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The official September 4, 2015 launch of all merchandise forThe Force Awakens[23][24][25]included an 11.4-centimeter-tall (4.5-inch) mobile app-enabled BB-8 robot toy developed bySphero.[9]Sphero had participated in a Disney-runstartup acceleratorprogram in July 2014, during which Disney CEOBob Igershowed Sphero executives on-set photos and imagery of BB-8 before anyone outside of the production team knew of the robot's existence. Sphero acquired the license in November 2014, completing the development and production of the toy in time for its September 2015 release.[26][27][28][29][30][31]Wiredcalled the BB-8 toy "the only truly cutting-edge item" in theForce Awakenscollection.[26]In 2015, Sphero sold over 1 million of the robots.[32]

Other BB-8 merchandising includes household items,[33]luggage and bags,[34][35]a life-size plush,[36]aLegoStar Warsplayset called Poe's X-wing Fighter,[37][38]Hasbro'sStar Wars: The Force AwakensTakodana Encounter set,[39][40]and other action figures and other toys.[35][41][42]The Lego versions of Poe and BB-8 have also appeared in the 2016 short form animated seriesLego Star Wars: The Resistance Rises,[43][44][45][46]and the shortPoe Dameron vs the First Order Snowspeeder.[47]

Reception

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Anthony BreznicanofEntertainment Weeklywrote of BB-8 in November 2015, "He bowled us over immediately. From the momentStar Warsfans laid eyes on the droid with the roly-poly body and the babyface, it was love. "[4]The droid has been called abreakout characterof the film,[36]and of 2015.[48]Time'sAlex Fitzpatrick wrote in September 2015, "As a movie character, BB-8 feels destined to become a fan favorite. SomeStar Warsfans have already tattooed likenesses of the droid on various parts of their body, and the movie isn't even out until December. "[28]Richard Roeperof theChicago Sun-Timesnoted that "the hype forThe Force Awakenshas been so insane and the marketing so intense, we knew about BB-8 as a pricey and cool toy well before BB-8 ever made his big-screen debut.[49]According toTor:

We haven't even seenStar Wars: The Force Awakensbut we (as in: humanity) don't need to in order to know that BB-8 is the break-out star. This soccer ball that thinks it is a robot is a masterpiece of evocative design that instantly evokes a galaxy far, far away. You see BB-8, even if only in silhouette, and you immediately thinkStar Wars.Rey and Finn and Poe's little pal is a hint of the continuing universe that will unfold withThe Force Awakens,and a promise to fans that the filmmakers of the new films have a deep understanding of what makesStar Warsfun and mythic.[50]

Peter TraversofRolling Stonewrote that "no one can steal a scene from BB-8".[51]The Hollywood Reporter'sTodd McCarthy explained that the droid "serves as a welcome robot reboot from the sidelined (but hardly vanquished)R2-D2",[52]and Emmet Asher-Perrin ofTordescribed BB-8 as "the perfect hybrid of R2-D2 andWALL-E".[53]Entertainment Weekly'sChris Nashawaty called BB-8 "that rolling gyroscopicweeblethat, if possible, may out-cute R2-D2 ".[54]Ann Hornadaywrote inThe Washington Postthat "BB-8, a roly-poly little Wall-E of a creature, rolls, beeps and blinks with such puppy-ish charisma that R2-D2 andC-3POmight want to call their agents to make sure they're in the next installment.[55]Stephanie ZacharekofTimealso praised BB-8:

Abrams and his team of designers and technicians introduce a new star... A roly-poly cueball with a surprisingly expressive half-dome for a head—and a vocabulary of squeaks and squiggles that are more eloquent than mere words—BB-8 is both modernist and old-fashioned at once, a marvelous creation that could have sprung from the imagination ofJules Verne.[56]

BB-8 appeared with several otherForce Awakenscharacters on the December 2015 cover ofRolling Stone,[57][58]and alone on the cover of the December 18, 2015 issue ofThe Hollywood Reporter.[59]The droid was also featured alone on one of two alternate covers of the December 14, 2015, issue ofTime(the other cover featuring R2-D2).[60][61][62]This was the first time the magazine has offered two covers for editions worldwide.[60]TheTimecover photographer, Marco Grob, said, "The moment you meet BB-8, you almost build some form of weird human connection. It has this really cute way of looking at you."[60]

The Force Awakensreceived sevenVisual Effects Society Awardnominations, including one for Outstanding Models in a Photoreal or Animated Project for BB-8.[63][64]

References

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