The Mandalorian & Grogu brings Din Djarin and his apprentice back to theaters on May 22. Jon Favreau’s continuation of the Disney+ series promises the duo’s most thrilling adventure yet as they help the fledgling New Republic fight scattered Imperial warlords.
New merchandise for Toy Fair 2026 showcased action figures and Funko Pops! with a battle droid-style character wearing weathered Mandalorian armor and piloting prequel-era technology. Hasbro's Star Wars ActionVerse Guard Droid & Mercenary STAP will be available for fans to pick up at Toy Fair 2026. The packaging shows the character’s distinctive orange helmet with two blaster-like antennas protruding from the top.
The droid wears weathered Mandalorian armor, including a distinctive burgundy fur-lined shoulder cape. The chest plate features orange, yellow, and silver sections. The armor shows heavy wear and damage, suggesting years of combat use.
The character’s legs feature asymmetrical coloring: the upper part of the left leg is mustard yellow, while the rest of the leg, including the knee, shin, and foot, is weathered metallic silver. The right leg, on the other hand, is primarily metallic silver but features a prominent, bright light blue paint splash on the lower shin.
This detail reinforces the character’s history as a droid that has been modified or repaired with disparate parts over time. The helmet design clearly evokes battle droids and BX-series commando droids from Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
The merchandise includes a STAP speeder bike, orange in color, matching the Guard Droid’s armor. STAPs first appeared in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace as the Trade Federation’s preferred reconnaissance vehicle.
These Single Trooper Aerial Platforms allowed battle droids to patrol quickly across diverse terrain. The vehicles appeared extensively throughout The Clone Wars animated series, primarily piloted by battle droids during the Separatist conflict.
Seeing a STAP nearly 30 years after the Clone Wars’ end raises fascinating questions. Did the Mercenary Guard Droid scavenge this technology from Clone Wars battlefields, or do STAPs remain in circulation throughout the galaxy as cheap, reliable vehicles?
The orange color scheme suggests customization rather than standard military issue. The Guard Droid clearly modified the STAP for personal use, painting it to match its armor’s weathered appearance.
The most intriguing aspect of the Mercenary Guard Droid involves its Mandalorian armor. Battle droids served the Separatists during the Clone Wars as disposable soldiers. Seeing one wearing Mandalorian beskar armor creates immediate narrative questions.
How did a battle droid acquire Mandalorian armor? The armor appears genuine rather than cosmetic plating. The fur-lined cape and distinctive helmet styling match traditional Mandalorian design.
Several possibilities explain this unusual combination. Perhaps the droid defeated a Mandalorian in combat and claimed the armor as a trophy. Maybe it serves a Mandalorian clan as a warrior, earning the armor through service. Or it could have scavenged armor from fallen Mandalorians during the Imperial purge.
Funko's Mandalorian & Grogu Pop! collection also prominently features a Guard Droid.
The Funko Pop! version depicts a battle droid-style unit wearing a large, weathered reddish-orange helmet with tall antennae-like ears. It is outfitted with a brown, tattered cloak and holds a large black blaster rifle across its chest.
The Mandalorian & Grogu Brings Back Prequel Villain
The Mandalorian & Grogu taking place approximately 28 years after The Clone Wars makes the Guard Droid’s existence particularly interesting. Battle droids largely disappeared after the Separatist defeat, though scattered survivors remained.
The Mandalorian previously featured reprogrammed battle droids in supporting roles. Season 3 showed a modified B1 battle droid working in Mos Espa. The galaxy clearly contains functional Clone Wars droids decades after the conflict ended.
While battle droids largely disappeared after the Separatist defeat, The Mandalorian established that functional Clone Wars units still exist in the New Republic era.
Though Din Djarin's childhood flashbacks originally depicted them as nightmares, more recent chapters, such as Season 3, Episode 6 (Guns for Hire), show them in surprisingly domestic roles.
This episode famously introduced a reprogrammed B1 battle droid foreman and an entire community of retired droids on the planet Plazir-15, proving that these clankers are still common decades after the conflict ended.
The Guard Droid’s design suggests BX-series commando droid origins rather than standard B1 battle droids. Commando droids possessed superior combat programming and durability. One surviving 28 years makes sense given their advanced construction.
The STAP’s presence reinforces The Mandalorian & Grogu’s connections to Star Wars history. Jon Favreau consistently references prequel-era lore throughout The Mandalorian. Bringing back Clone Wars vehicles and droids continues that trend.
Geraldo Amartey is a writer at The Direct. He joined the team in 2025, bringing with him four years of experience covering entertainment news, pop culture, and fan-favorite franchises for sites like YEN, Briefly and Tuko.
