One of the most interesting accomplishments of the Star Wars universe is its ability to make every minor background figure interesting. In the first couple of films, fans were left with tons of questions about every being displayed on the screen. Though droids have always been key to the franchise, they rarely claim the spotlight. However, fans have always wondered whether the Force's "all living things" policy extends to artificial intelligence.
The Jedi Order is extraordinarily diverse. They bring in children of all species and frequently make heroes of their mortal enemies. It seems as if anyone could be lucky enough to be born with an innate connection to the Force, but could someone be programmed to use it?
Has There Ever Been a Force-Sensitive Droid?
In the current continuity, there has never been a droid who can use the force. However, there are a few close calls and one proper example that has been rendered non-canon. Most notably, a 1999 comic book introduced a character named Skippy the Jedi Droid. Most fans would know him better as R5-D4. R5 was originally introduced in the original 1977 Star Wars. He was one of two droids that Luke Skywalker and his uncle Owen looked over while shopping for automated farm help. Luckily, R5's motivator unit exploded, causing Owen to buy R2-D2. In the 1999 comic, R5 was depicted as the first and only Force-sensitive droid. R5 experienced a premonition, convincing him of the importance of this purchasing decision. R5 deliberately caused his malfunction, sacrificing himself for the galaxy. Though R5 no longer has Force powers, the new canon sees him make the same decision after a talk with R2. Either way, he's a hero.
The Legends continuity also features the Iron Knights, which certainly look like Force-sensitive droids. To the uninformed observer, they're seven-and-a-half-foot tall droids with the typical Force powers and lightsabers. However, underneath the metal and wiring, Iron Knights are silicon-based living crystals called Shards. Shards are sentient and frequently Force-sensitive, but their natural form is immobile. As a result, a Jedi Master called Aqinos taught them the Jedi ways and gave them a variety of combat droid bodies. Technically, Iron Knights are cyborgs, rather than full droids. They haven't been incorporated into the Disney canon, but the tale of a Jedi who seeks to combine the Force with advanced technology could be very interesting.
Finally, in the current canon, there's the curious case of Professor Huyang. Huyang is a four-armed architect droid who has been performing an extremely important task for over one-thousand years. Huyang is the teacher that helps Jedi younglings assemble their lightsabers. Jedi youths must use their burgeoning Force powers to create their primary weapon, then heed the Force's call to find the Kyber Crystal that will power it. This process would logically be taught by a being with a deep spiritual connection to the Force, but Huyang gets the job done every time. He seems to have a mechanical understanding of the Force, viewing it more as a scientific phenomenon than a mystical one. His connection to a power he cannot experience for himself raises a lot of interesting questions, most of which have gone unanswered so far.
Why Can't Droids Use the Force?
The droid's inability to access the Force is probably an issue of logistics. Star Wars is still explaining its mystical powers through an unpleasantly biological concept. Midi-chlorians were introduced inThe Phantom Menace, immediately becoming one of the most despised aspects of the narrative. All the magic and wonder of psychic powers were replaced by a numerical value that can be determined by a blood test, barely one step removed from the tenants of Scientology. Since symbiotic genetically transferred blood-dwelling organisms are the real explanation for the theoretically mystical Force, droids just don't have the right fluids. Droids don't have blood, so they can't have midi-chlorians. It's as simple as that, even though it shouldn't be.
There is one droid in the galaxy who is pretty sure he's figured out a way to use the Force. 0-0-0, frequently referred to as Triple-Zero, is a protocol droid of the same model as C-3PO. He's designed with the same general purpose, but he also specializes in torture and interrogation. Triple-Zero suggests that pulling the blood out of a victim with a particularly high midi-chlorian count and inserting it into a droid could grant the droid powers. The theory hasn't been tested and Trip is unpleasantly vague with some of the fine details. He's also evil and seemingly obsessed with pulling the blood out of people, so he might just be trying to buy himself some more test subjects.
Droids have gotten the short end of almost every stick in the Star Wars universe. They're either doing menial labor for ungrateful organic life, sacrificing themselves to save the day, or being mowed down in droves by more important characters. If there is any truth to Triple-Zero's theory, it might be time to test it out.