Taking the form of Darth Vader, the Dark Lord of Sith, this spirit is the embodiment of the dark side of the Force. It dwells in a cave on the swamp-covered planet of Dagobah. Although defeated by Luke Skywalker in combat, its unmasked face revealed that Luke has yet to master the ways on the Force and become a Jedi.

For many children growing up in the 70s and early 80s, "Empire Strikes Back" was their first indication that the world might be a dark place, that good guys might not always win. Rife with dark imagery and disturbing themes, it is still considered by many to be the best Star Wars film.

As Hasbro continues to mine the original trilogy for more action figure possibilities, they keep coming back to the big dogs; while Amanafana-bo-bana might appeal to hardcore fans, it's the main characters that draw in the casual shoppers.

Of course, they can't just keep releasing the same figure over and over--that'd piss off the collectors. So how do they make sure that there's always a Leia or an R2-D2 on the shelves? Variants!

Well, not real variants, but it sounded good to scream that at the end of the paragraph. What they really do is take advantage of the fact that pretty much every character (every character you'd care about, anyway) changes costume an average of every sixteen to twenty frames: Han Solo in blue pants and vest; Han Solo in blue pants and vest with Stormtrooper belt; Han solo in brown pants and vest; Han Solo in brown pants without vest; et cetera.

Even the characters that don't change costume get this repetitious treatment. While there have been easily a dozen Darth Vaders before--including "hands on the hips" Vader and "pointing slightly" Vader--Hasbro decided the market could support one more.

Taken from the scene in the middle of the movie where Luke ventured deep into the Dagobah swamp to face the dark side, this Vader is cast in translucent plastic. The tiny bit of light that can shine through really does give the figure a smokey, ephemeral look. He comes with his red lightsaber, and is articulated enough to either 1) clash with Luke or 2) bat right-handed, depending on which way you have him facing.

To complete the likeness (and recreate the battle), Vader's head pops off. The peg that hold it in place is sturdy, meaning that his head will only come off when you want it to--much better than those weakass magnets the Episode II figures are sporting. Finally, with a bit of work, you can remove Dagobah Vader's faceplate to reveal the rather shocked face beneath.

While the figure's body has been molded from translucent grey plastic, the face mask was molded from a more magenta stock. Therefore, after it has been painted a flat black, the eyes remain a glowing red, and you can almost make out the human eyes within.

If you just plan to purchase one Darth Vader for your collection, this is not the one to get--it's quite nice, but there are better offerings out there. However, as a recreation of a specific scene, Dagobah Vader is top notch. He stands just over 4 1/4" tall, features ten points of articulation, and is ready to show you why you are not ready to face the trials of a Jedi.

Suggested For: Collectors
Bang For The Buck: 4 - Go to the half-price bin.
Best Feature: Sculpt/Likeness

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 5.99
Type of Toy: Action Figure