Before the recent continuation of the Star Wars saga, Lucasfilm had a shoddy track record when it came to introducing non-human, comic relief characters to their sweeping sci-fi epics. While R2-D2 and C-3PO have long been fan favorites thanks to their odd couple persona and their inclusion in the original trilogy, the prequels couldn't quite measure up when they introduced Jar Jar Binks. Widely considered one of the worst parts of the prequel trilogy (unless you're a Darth Jar Jar truther), Binks was so hated during his debut in The Phantom Menace the his role was virtually eradicated in the next two films. The two latest Star Wars movies, however, have broken the curse.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is gaining praise for its balance between a standalone story and connections to the previous films. One of the most talked-about parts of the new movie is Alan Tudyk's turn as former Imperial droid K-2SO. Thanks to his reprogramming as a Rebel sympathizer, K-2 suffers from a lack of filter. This leads to some of the biggest laughs in Rogue One, thanks to the droid's dry wit. Last year, J.J. Abrams accomplished a similar victory with the introduction of the adorable BB-8. The soccer-ball-shaped droid not only managed to fit into the story and win over fans, but it accomplished the goal Lucas attempted with Jar Jar: sell lots of toys.
With all the focus on Rogue One, Banana-Dragon Productions decided shine a spotlight back on BB-8 and one of the oldest droids from Star Wars canon who hasn't always had the same level of recognition. Take a look above.
The short focuses on the GNK Power Droid, better known to fans as the Gonk droid, who first appeared in A New Hope. Since then, the trash can droid has appeared in a number of Star Wars properties, including The Force Awakens. The short details his fall from grace after his last film appearance in The Phantom Menace to his return in the latest entry of the Skywalker Saga.
The short hilariously starts with a black Mustang with the vanity plate '8 BALL3R' pulling up to a curbside Gonk, only to have little BB-8 drop out of the car. From there, he gets Gonk a job as Daisy Ridley's end table on set, which soon gets him pulled back into the films. It's a touching and funny look at one of the more minor characters from the Star Wars universe. Despite his non-spotlight role in the movies, Gonk still managed to turn up again in Rogue One as well. Perhaps he has BB-8 to thank for his return to work.
While we await the first teaser for Episode VIII, we'll keep you posted on all the Star Wars content that drops, be it official or fan-made.
Source: Banana-Dragon Productions
