Bounty hunter was introduced in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. Ralph McQuarrie's production sketches show a sleeker design than the droid that appears in The Empire Strikes Back. The term "IG-88" itself is not the original label either. The script called the character a "chrome war droid", and during production it was called Phlutdroid. The production puppet was actually made out of recycled props from A New Hope, including the Mos Eisley Cantina drink dispenser as its head.
The 1980 film was directed by Irvin Kershner and was the second to be released of the six films. George Lucas was the executive producer and writer of the film’s story. The film is set three years after the original Star Wars. It initially received mixed reviews by critics, but has since grown in esteem and popularity. In 2010, the film was chosen for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.