The first of the IG-series assassin droid models created in secret by Holowan Laboratories. IG-88B, more commonly known as simply IG-88, and also known as a Phlutdroid, realized his skill and desire to kill the moment he was first activated and turned on his creators, killing everyone in the lab. From that moment on, he became one of the most feared bounty hunters in the galaxy, in part due to the lingering fear of droids from the Clone Wars, particularly those capable of battle and assassination, gaining notoriety comparable only to that of Boba Fett, his chief rival.

Sometime later, IG-88 was hired by Sly Moore to kill Vader alongside the Droid Crush Pirates of Bestoon. She also informed him of the Sith Lord’s damaged state and gave him the code needed to slice into his armor. Vader and the accompanying Sith assassin Ochi of Bestoon were both lured into an ambush by a Hutt named Bokku, who sent them after the pirates in an attempt to locate the recently stolen Han Solo. Upon arriving at Zee-Nine City Seven, Vader and Ochi’s ship was sabotaged, causing them to crash. They were then attacked by IG-88 and the pirates. During the firefight, IG-88 warned Vader that his mechanics were in worse shape than the droid’s. When Vader told IG-88 that he had information he required, the droid responded that Vader would have to download it from his severed head. Vader went to destroy the droid, but IG-88 then used a remote to breach Vader’s armor, gaining control over the Sith Lord. As he forced Vader to hold his lightsaber to his head, the Sith ordered IG-88 to tell him who had given him the code. The droid replied that the terms of his employment prevented him from sharing the information.

While IG-88 was distracted, Vader used the Force to take the remote from him, allowing him to use it against the droid and force him to blast himself in the head. Once IG-88 was subdued, Vader and Ochi forced the pirates to retreat and used one of the droid’s hands to access a terminal he had been using, allowing them to discover various dead ends the droid had been chasing, as well as the symbol of crime syndicate Crimson Dawn. After repairing himself, IG-88 returned to Coruscant and reported his loss to Moore and her court. The droid lamented that Vader could not be defeated, but Moore assured him that Vader could only defeat them one at a time. And if they all stood together, then they would be more powerful than either Vader or Sidious could ever imagine. After uncovering Sly Moore’s betrayal, Vader and Ochi returned to Coruscant to find her, her court and IG-88 in Administrative Temple Garden 313A. Vader then struck down IG-88 once again before chasing Moore and her court into the Imperial Palace.