Who voices B2EMO in Andor? Meet the latest Star Wars droid
Before K-2SO, Cassian had this adorable little friend.
Star Wars hero Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) became famous for his friendship with reprogrammed imperial droid K-2SO, but we meet another of his robotic pals in his new self-titled Disney Plus series.
Set some years before the events of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the ambitious sci-fi drama reveals Andor's origin story and chronicles how he came to be involved in the fledgling Rebel Alliance.
Early on in the story, we meet cute little salvage droid B2EMO, who Andor has treasured since childhood, treating it essentially as you would the family pet.
The character is sure to be a hit with fans, holding his own against similar creations R2-D2 and BB-8 on the adorable scale, so read on to get the inside scoop on its creation, voice actor and future in the Star Wars franchise.
Who is B2EMO?
B2EMO is a salvage droid who has known Cassian Andor since he was a young boy and has developed a strong bond with him over those years.
When we meet B2 in Andor, which is set in the years leading up to A New Hope, the droid has fallen into a state of disrepair, not functioning as well as it once did – but its personality has remained thoroughly intact.
Neal Scanlan, Creature and Droid FX Creative Supervisor on the series, said of B2's creation: "We chose to design something that was more rectangular in shape, a little smaller, a little squatter.
"Obviously, like all the droids in Star Wars, they have a purpose, and by looking at the script, we were able to understand what B2 would have to do.
"Add to that his relationship to Cassian and his relationship generally to the world around him, and that helps us think about how we can emote that, through small gestures and body language and certainly the motion of our head."
Unlike the similarly sized droid R2-D2, who communicates entirely through beeps and whistles, B2 can speak English, although he does struggle with a stammer presumably developed through overuse.
Scanlan added: "This is the first droid that we built that allows him to be able to do things which we can recognise emotionally, and he also has an ability to be able to shrink down.
"He’s built for purpose; he’s a faithful friend and companion of Cassian’s and he has a moral compass to some extent."
Discussing B2's cute factor, Andor star Diego Luna said: "He always finds a way to be next to you. Like a dog, you go, ‘Stay there, I'm gonna go,' and you turn and he's here again. You know, B2 is like that."
Who voices B2EMO in Andor?
B2EMO is voiced by Dave Chapman in Andor. The puppeteer and actor is no stranger to Star Wars, having been one of the performers charged with operating BB-8 during Disney's sequel trilogy.
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Will B2EMO meet K-2SO?
After meeting B2EMO, fans may be wondering if Andor could see the salvage droid cross paths with Andor's eventual partner in crime K-2SO, which would be a chalk-and-cheese partnership not unlike the iconic R2-D2 and C-3PO pairing.
Luna said that it could potentially happen in Andor season 2, but added: "I don't know if they would have a good relationship. K2 is quite scary."
Andor is available to stream on Disney Plus from Wednesday 21st September 2022 – sign up to Disney+ for £7.99 a month or £79.90 a year now.
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Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
