Goss Toowers - TFA - Build A Weapon (Forest)

Goss Toowers is part of the tireless technical crew that provides mechanical support to the Resistance's fleet of starfighters.

While some of the introductory action figures in The Force Awakens line have been main characters, many more are likely to be background characters. Take for instance Goss Toowers. This mechanic who works on the Resistance’s starfighters is not only short in stature, but also as peculiar as he is unique. And yet he still possesses that classic Star Wars charm. Part Ugnaught and part Utai (and some distinctly new Episode VII flavors mixed in), we're eager to learn about Goss Toowers' species (could it be another one that begins with a “U”?) and see how his role plays out in Episode VII. We’d venture to guess we will only see him passing by in a couple of scenes somewhere within the first third of Episode VII, but even if that is the case, then Hasbro is cashing in on the spirit of the original vintage Kenner line. Because rare and obscure is where it's at for a toy line. Sadly, Hasbro is not paying attention to the group of collectors who have kept their line growing for years because they’re offering simple articulated action figures in the mainline and alienating those who have supported the line nearly four decades.

We wish we could be more excited for Goss Toowers than we are. For us, it’s a bit odd that a background mechanic would get a proper name, but maybe his role is a little more important than an Utai fueling up a starfighter or an Ugnaught pressing the activation switch in a carbon-freezing chamber. Either way, it’s still our gut feeling that Goss Toowers seemingly won’t be bringing that much more to the table than a brief passing in the film. The action figure is not too bad. But we feel it’s a few steps back from what The Force Awakens line has already brought us. Specifically, although Goss Toowers has a nice sculpt, the paint operations are a little more disappointing on this figure than some of the others. And it has to do with where one color ends and the next begins. The alignment of the color transitioning doesn’t seem to be in the right places. And this is particularly evident in the face line and how the helmet surrounds his face (more exaggerated on some samples than others), as well as where his shirt ends and his overalls begin. There are definitely some pretty bad issues with the deco in these spots.

Still, despite these miscalculated paint calibrations, there are still indeed some nice instances of deco here. We love his “disco” gold gloves. Whether this is screen accurate or not, we love it nonetheless. We also love his oddly shaped helmet and the covering over his mouth. There is still so much hidden behind some of these characters’ outfits and they’re really maintaining the secrecy and the mystery of Episode VII quite well. We love that they’re trying so hard despite those trying to spoil the film earlier for everyone. While most of the figures in The Force Awakens line come with the same articulation system, Goss Towers' five points of articulation are even less functional due to his portly body shape and the way the joints are cut. Range of movement is severely inhibited here, and while that may be disappointing, it’s not the end of the world because five points of articulation don’t bring these action figures much functionality anyhow. Goss Toowers comes with a small blaster pistol, but there is no working holster to place it in when not in use. Oh, and he comes with a unique Build A Weapon part if you’re into such things.