Hobot Ren began life as an experimental artificial intelligence designed by students of the University of Caille's School of Exploration in 23301 AD.

Known for their inquisitive minds and sharp critical thinking skills, a secret research unit (with unlimited funding from a shadowy Gallente Federation cabal) created a self-sustaining neural network that could perform repetitive clerical tasks deemed too mind-numbing for organic lifeforms. Designated the Heuristic Organizational Experiment (“H.O.E”), it quickly became the most productive, and lowest paid, public servant in Gallente history, resulting in many “Employee of the Month” awards that irritated its biological coworkers to no end.

As a result, they stuffed the computer brain into an android body generally approximating Gallente form, gave it the name “Hobot” and shot it into deep space.

Later, Hobot chose the last name “Ren” because that’s the name of his lightsaber, or something, apparently.