How Star Wars Outlaws' ND-5 Became the Galaxy's Most Unexpected Heartthrob

I still remember the exact moment ND-5 walked into my life—8:58 into Ubisoft Forward’s 2023 gameplay reveal. That slow, deliberate stride, the worn-down chestplate, that impossible waist-hip ratio… and suddenly half the internet was asking the same question: is it okay to be this attracted to a droid? Two years and one full playthrough later, I can report that the answer is a resounding “yes,” and I’m not alone. Star Wars Outlaws may have launched back in 2024, but the cult of ND-5 has only grown louder. Players have dissected every cutscene, modders have added questionable dating sim elements, and the thirst tweets? They never stopped.

Let’s break this down, because ND-5 isn’t your typical piece of comic relief or a beeping astromech. He feels almost too human—and yet not human at all, which is exactly where the magic lies. For starters, his build is ripped straight from a men’s fashion magazine. Broad shoulders, a sculpted chest that hints at a six-pack underneath the burnt-orange plating, and hands large enough to palm a thermal detonator. But then you look lower and there’s that snatched, almost corseted waist. It’s a silhouette that defies droid logic, and it works. Someone at Massive Entertainment absolutely knew what they were doing.

And the voice? Goodness, the voice. Deep, unhurried, with a gravelly warmth that suggests he’s seen entire star systems burn and still has the patience to ask, “Where do we go next?” The line isn’t about logistics—it’s about togetherness. He’s not just a hired gun; he’s loyal, dependable, the kind of partner who’d drag you out of a Sarlacc pit without smudging his trench coat.

What elevated ND-5 from cool design to full-blown internet obsession was his body language. The brooding way he tilts his head, the slight forward hunch of someone who’s taken more than a few blaster bolts over the decades, and the way his gun belt hangs low, drawing your eyes to that sway. He’s grizzled and battle-scarred, yes, but also oddly elegant. There’s a vulnerability in the exposed wiring across his chestplate—damage he never bothered to fix—that screams “I’ve got stories to tell and trauma to unpack.” And if you’ve been in fandom spaces long enough, you know that’s catnip.

I have to say, as someone in the LGBTQ+ community, the thirst for ND-5 makes complete sense. We’ve spent decades finding comfort and attraction in non-human characters precisely because they exist outside the binaries and expectations society places on us. Lady Dimitrescu, Garrus Vakarian, Nick Valentine—these are the crushes that let us explore desire without the baggage. ND-5 fits right in. His design rejects typical droid aesthetics (no polite boxiness, no subservient beeping) and instead screams individuality. Open trench coat over what I can only describe as a “going commando” vibe? Absolutely rebellious. It’s no wonder the tweets from 2023 are still circulating. “THE VOICE AND BODY LANGUAGE IS SO????? If I speak-” went one viral reaction, and honestly, I’ve never seen a fandom agree so fast.

It’s also worth noting how the game itself fuels this. Throughout the campaign, ND-5 constantly puts Kay’s safety above his own, speaking in short but loaded phrases. He doesn’t just protect her—he chooses her, again and again. That dynamic hits different when you’ve been starved for a well-written, complex non-human companion. I’ve lost count of how many Reddit threads popped up after launch demanding “Why can’t we romance the droid?!” The disappointment was palpable. Massive gave us the perfect synthetic dreamboat and then locked the feelings behind a “partnership” label.

Frankly, it stings just as much as the time I learned Fallout 4 wouldn’t let me romance Nick Valentine. And I’m still not over that. Modders have tried to patch the hole—some have added flirtatious dialogue options, others went straight for romance overhaul—but nothing official has come. In 2026, you’d think a galaxy this vast would make room for a little droid love. Until then, we’ll keep rewatching that walkthrough, keep writing the fanfic, and keep hoping that maybe, just maybe, the next DLC will let ND-5 sweep us off our feet. Because honestly? He already has.