GNK POWER DROID
STAR WARS: ELITE SERIES (DISNEY)
“GNK power droids understand commands and generate power for mobile operations, They are often called “Gonk” droids in imitation of their simple vocalizations.”
While the premiere Star Wars line these days is undoubtedly Hasbro’s The Black Series, my nomination for the line that is consistently the most unexpected and surprising line is Disney’s in-house Elite Series, a line of 7-inch die cast metal figures. For the most part, the line’s scale makes it incompatible with The Black Series, but every so often, you get those designs where scale’s less of an issue. Such is the case with today’s focus, the GNK Power Droid, better known as the “Gonk.”
THE FIGURE ITSELF
The Gonk is part of the newest assortment of Elite Series figures, which started hitting right around the same time as the three Disney Store-exclusive Black Series figures. This assortment is all about the droids, featuring a number of the lesser droids from throughout the franchise (and an R2 variant for good measure). The Gonk is based on his appearance in A New Hope, which is really the go-to, so it works. The figure stands 4 inches tall and has 2…ish points of articulation. There are technically joints at the top of each leg but, admittedly, there’s not much mobility to be had there. The Gonk is primarily constructed from die cat metal, which makes up the main body and the feet. This makes the Gonk one of the densest figures in the line, and certainly the densest figure I own. It’s really just a brick of metal when you get right down to it. Disney has once again stepped up their game on the sculpt front, with the Gonk being one of the most detailed sculpts to date in the line. It’s a very good match for the Gonk’s design from the movie, and areas like the leg covers in particular are really sharply defined. Even the paint work is more defined than what we’ve seen before. Prior Elite Series figures have been more on the clean side, but the Gonk actually gets some sizable wear and tear detailing, helping him achieve that proper worn-in appearance that the Gonk just wouldn’t look right without. The Gonk is packed with one accessory: a display stand. It’s the same stand that’s been packed with all of the prior figures, and he doesn’t really need it to keep standing, but it’s always nice to have it, I guess.
THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION
The Gonk is rather a sentimental character to me, due largely to its presence as a playable character in Lego Star Wars, where it was my brother’s favorite character. When we unlocked the “Super Gonk” feature, he would run all around the levels shouting “Super Gonk!” Ever since then, whenever either of us sees the Gonk anywhere, we always shout “Super Gonk!” to the other. So, when I spotted this guy at the Disney Store while grabbing the Black Series Zuckuss, there was no way I was turning him down. As of right now, the odds of a Black Series Gonk are somewhat slim, and this one definitely makes for a good stand-in.