IG-88 made his unforgettable debut in The Empire Strikes Back alongside the galaxy’s most lethal bounty hunters. Despite only appearing briefly on the bridge of the Executor, the terrifying assassin droid captured the imaginations of Star Wars fans worldwide.
For autograph collectors, securing a signed piece featuring IG-88 requires understanding who physically brought the droid to life and who provided its voice across expanded media.
Who created and performed IG-88 Star Wars Character?
Unlike characters played by a single masked actor, IG-88’s legacy is shared between the prop masters who built the physical rig and the voice talent who expanded the character in games and animation.
The creator and prop master: Bill Hargreaves
The credit for creating IG 88’s physical look goes to legendary UK prop maker Bill Hargreaves.
- How IG-88 was built: Hargreaves famously constructed IG-88 out of salvaged junk and aircraft engine parts. Most famously, the top of IG-88’s head is a recycled Rolls-Royce Spey jet engine combustion chamber!
- Operating on set: The physical prop, largely stationary and too tall to stand fully erect on set. Requiring Hargreaves and the team to position the droid on a lower platform during the bounty hunter line-up scene. Hargreaves also operated background elements of the droid during production.
- Autograph appeal: Bill Hargreaves’ signature is highly sought after by prop enthusiasts, droid collectors, and original trilogy completionists.
Stunt and body doubles: Deep Roy
- Deep Roy: Famous for playing all the Oompa-Loompas in Tim Burton’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Deep Roy served as a creature operator and stunt double across The Empire Strikes Back. Aided in dynamic body double work for various background droids and creatures, including standing in for setup shots of IG-88.
Voice actors in expanded media
- Matthew Wood: Legendary Sound Supervisor at Skywalker Sound. Wood voiced IG-88 in modern animated projects such as Star Wars: Forces of Destiny.
- Taika Waititi (The IG-11 connection): While Waititi famously played IG-11 in The Mandalorian, collectors often pair photos of IG-88 and IG-11 together. Ensure you clarify character names if requesting inscriptions from Waititi!
Prop Master Bill Hargreaves with IG-88
Frequently asked questions about IG-88 (Google Search FAQ)
Is IG-88 a male or female droid?
In Star Wars lore, droids technically lack biological sex, but IG-88 is masculine-programmed and referred to with he/him pronouns across canonical sources and novels.
How did IG-88 die in Star Wars?
In current Star Wars canon, IG-88 deactivated and destroyed during pursuits as a bounty hunter. In the famous non-canon “Legends” story Therefore I Am: The Tale of IG-88. Additionally, IG-88 transferred consciousness directly into the computer core of the Second Death Star right before destroyed at the Battle of Endor!
Is IG-88 the same droid as IG-11 in The Mandalorian?
No. While both are IG-series assassin droids built with the same mechanical chassis design, IG-88 an active bounty hunter during the Original Trilogy. Whereas IG-11, a separate model reprogrammed into a nurse droid during the events of The Mandalorian.
What is IG-88’s head made out of in real life?
IG-88’s head created from a reused Rolls-Royce Spey jet engine flame tube/combustion chamber. This same prop part famously reused elsewhere in the Star Wars cantina set as a drink dispenser!
Collector tips: Buying an authentic IG-88 autograph
- Verify with top services: Purchase from well known companies, especially ones who offer proof and money back guarantee.
- Multi-signed pieces: The holy grail for original trilogy collectors is a multi-signed 11×14 or 16×20 photo of the Empire Strikes Back bounty hunter lineup featuring signatures from Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett), Alan Harris (Bossk). Chris Parsons (4-LOM), Cathy Munroe (Zuckuss), and prop maker Bill Hargreaves.
