Obi-Wan Kenobi’s full trailer seems to reveal an obscure bounty hunter from the original Star Wars trilogy who has been rumored to appear in the upcoming Disney+ series. The bounty hunter 4-LOM appears briefly in The Empire Strikes Back as one of many mercenaries hired by Darth Vader to track down the Millennium Falcon. 4-LOM is a distinctive protocol droid with an insectoid head, and an identical droid is shown in Obi-Wan’s trailer, seemingly confirming the bounty hunter’s appearance.
According to Star Wars lore, 4-LOM is a LOM-series protocol droid, whose insectoid head – which some humanoids find unsettling – speaks to the model’s intention of serving insectoid species. Due to a glitch in his software, 4-LOM overrode his programming and became bored by his mundane directives, finding the life of a jewel thief and bounty hunter far more satisfying. 4-LOM typically works alongside the bounty hunter Zuckuss, a member of the insectoid Gand species whose mystic and spiritual demeanor was balanced by 4-LOM’s use of logic and data to track down his prey.
While 4-LOM has appeared in numerous Star Wars canon and Legends non-movie materials, he had also been rumored to appear in Obi-Wan, whose latest trailer seemingly confirms the droid bounty hunter’s live-action return. With Imperial Inquisitors hiring “every lowlife and bounty hunter” to find Kenobi, the trailer shows what appears to be 4-LOM firing at Obi-Wan with two blaster pistols (a notable change from his usual heavy repeating blaster). Since 4-LOM is shown being hired by the Empire in Empire Strikes Back, it’s not surprising that his first live-action appearance in over 40 years has him similarly pursuing a major Star Wars character.
No doubt aware of Obi-Wan Kenobi’s legendary martial prowess, given his service as a Republic General in the Clone Wars, the Inquisitors will utilize every available resource to find Kenobi, including using mercenaries as cannon fodder to either wear the Jedi Knight down or draw attention to him. 4-LOM is far more formidable than the galaxy’s more typical hired enforcers, however, and he’ll likely be a serious threat to Kenobi when they encounter each other in the Disney+ series. Although his failure to defeat Obi-Wan is a forgone conclusion, perhaps his efficiency in tracking down the Jedi and the challenge he poses to even the legendary Clone Wars general helps cement his reputation as one of the galaxy’s best bounty hunters, as far as the Empire is concerned.
In both Star Wars canon and Legends, 4-LOM is rarely seen without his more esoteric partner, Zuckuss, but the Gand bounty hunter is missing from Obi-Wan’s trailer. 4-LOM may have only recently begun his bounty hunting career at the time of Kenobi and not met Zuckuss yet, or the Disney+ series will feature another bounty hunter from The Empire Strikes Back. Whether he menaces Obi-Wan on his own or works alongside Zuckuss, 4-LOM’s appearance in Obi-Wan Kenobi is a welcome live-action return for an obscure Star Wars character with a fascinating history.
