Like several of the most famous droid models in «Star Wars,» the gonk droid first appeared in the Jawa sandcrawler scenes of the original 1977 film. One member of the droid species can be seen in certain shots, bumping around and emitting its distinctive «gonk» noise, which just so happens to mirror its GNK designation. Since then, gonk droids have popped up constantly in «Star Wars,» featuring in everything from «Rogue One» (visible in the rebel base on Yavin 4) to «The Clone Wars.»
One of the more famous gonk droids lately is the aptly nicknamed Gonky, who accompanies Clone Force 99 on various missions in «Star Wars: The Bad Batch.» Gonky may not be a droid of many words, but he does help the crew out on several occasions and develops a special bond with Omega.
Pick up a «Star Wars» novel or comic book and you’re likely to find the same result — some stray mention or appearance of a gonk droid, doing the galaxy’s dirty work and powering whatever ship needs saving. The gonk droid is a true building block of the «Star Wars» galaxy, which is appropriate given that its shape quite literally resembles a massive brick.