Basilisk war droid

The Basilisk war droid was a powerful, semi-sentient combat droid, designed by the Basiliskan race native to the planet Basilisk, located in the Core Worlds. Following the Mandalorian Crusaders' conquest of Basilisk in 4017 BBY, the Mandalorian warriors pillaged the powerful war droids for themselves. To the Mandalorians, the Basilisk droid was known as the Bes'uliik—the "iron beast" in the Mandalorian language of Mando'a—and came to be valued as animal-like companions. Measuring several meters in height, Basilisk droids resembled a cross between a Zalorian rock-lion and a Karran beetle, though there were those that noted the similarity between the war droids and their reptilian Basiliskan creators. Basilisk war droids were armed with an array of weapons in and on their armored frame, including laser and pulse-wave cannons, shockwave generator rods, and shatter-missile launch tubes. The Mandalorians were known for riding Basilisk war droids down into the atmosphere of a world from space at tremendous speeds, using gravitational force and the element of surprise to overwhelm their foes. Over time, the warrior culture adapted the droids to suit different combat roles, and developed new iterations of the Basilisk that included enhanced features such as a closed cockpit.

With the Basilisk war droids under their control, the Mandalorian Crusaders struck at worlds across the galaxy, conquering Kuar and assaulting the shipyards of Foerost. Aligned with the Sith Lords Ulic Qel-Droma and Exar Kun during the Great Sith War, the Mandalorians rode their Basilisks into combat during an attack on the galactic capital of Coruscant, and again during the fighting at Ossus against the forces of the Galactic Republic. At Onderon, the Mandalorian Basilisk riders flew in opposition to the world's famed Beast Riders. Following the end of the Great Sith War, the Basilisk war droids went on to become a powerful component of the Mandalorian Neo-Crusader forces during the subsequent Mandalorian Wars: Basilisk droids participated in battles at Cathar, Vanquo, Essien, and Althir III.

Following the Mandalorians' defeat at Malachor V in the final battle of the Mandalorian Wars, the warriors were commanded by the Jedi Knight Revan to destroy their Basilisk mounts as part of the terms of their surrender. However, not all complied with Revan's demands, and numerous Basilisk droids continued to survive with Mandalorians who refused to give up their beast-like companions, including members of Clan Jendri and Clan Ordo. Even still, the war droids' numbers dwindled over time, and by the rise of the New Republic, most Basilisk droids could only be found in the museums of the galaxy. The Basilisk droid remained a symbol of strength in the Mandalorian culture, and the design of later Basilisk droids could be found emulated in the StarViper-class starship manufactured by MandalMotors; the Mandalorian company also named it's Bes'uliik-class starfighter after the ancient war droids.

Text and facts from the “Basilisk war droid/Legends” article on Wookieepedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Modified for this site.