R5-D4 is an astromech droid in the Star Wars universe, best known for appearing in A New Hope. He is a red-and-white R5 unit who is initially selected by Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi as the droid to buy, but his motivator malfunctions almost immediately, causing the group to choose R2-D2 instead. This failure inadvertently changes the course of the story by helping set Luke on his path. R5-D4 is a minor but memorable character who represents the everyday machinery of the galaxy and the small moments that shape major events.