When faced with the decision to choose my favorite droid, my initial gut instinct was to go with R2. He was my first droid love and is a big part of why I love Star Wars in the first place. But then I thought about it. The crazy amount of BB8 merch I’ve amassed the past year, the fact that I am actually recognized by people as ‘BBK8’ and the sheer level of excitement I get when I see anything BB-8 related made me reconsider.

It breaks my heart to try to pick favorites, and I really love them both. It’s kind of like when you get a new kitten. (Think Garfield and Nermal.) You still love the other cat, but the new and adorable kitten is just irresistible. So, with that in mind, this submission for ComLINKS is all about our spherical friend, BB-8. (Don’t worry R2, I’ll write about you another time, I promise!)

Love at First Roll

The first time most of us saw BB-8 was that brief glimpse during the first TFA teaser. The moment I saw this adorable little roly poly droid flash across the screen I was in love. His droidiness somehow perfectly conveyed the very essence of Star Wars. And at the same time, his clever rolling motion added something fresh and new to the concept of droids. I hardly knew anything about this ‘new droid on the bIock’, but I knew BB-8 would be a welcome addition to my astromech obsession.

Then at Star Wars Celebration we got a much better look at BB-8 and his personality. We saw him roll onto stage with the other droids and got to see how they interact. It was simply magical to see BB-8 brought to life this way! We also got an up close look at the droid where he was on display at the TFA exhibit and it was incredible!

As we got closer to the release of TFA my love for anything BB-8 related steadily continued. And much like I am with R2 merch, almost everything BB-8 related that I saw, I needed! Especially the Sphero BB-8. I was instantly captivated by this realistic and innovative technology. (You can hear my unboxing on the Astromechs episode of NOP.) It felt like having my own little droid and that made me indescribably happy. My collection continues to grow and is getting close to the amount of stuff I have for R2!

BB-8 in Action

Then the time came to actually see BB8 on the big screen. He did NOT disappoint! His adorableness came through with his various beeps, head turns and even a thumbs up! His loyalty to Poe and the Resistance is also heartwarming. As is Poe’s love for BB8. Something about BB-8’s sweet, persistent and playful personality makes him so endearing. The future is certainly bright for this beloved droid!

No matter who your favorite droid is, I’m sure we can all agree that droids will always be integral to the galaxy far, far away and will continue saving everyone’s butts. So, let’s hear it for the droids!

Note: This article is a submission for AnakinAndHisAngel.com’s Monthly ComLINKS where this month’s topic was “Favorite Droid“. Be sure to check it out!