Hasbro Star Wars Episode III Darth Vader Lightsaber Attack Action Figure
Written: Apr 15 '05 (Updated Apr 26 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: It's Darth Vader, lightsaber attack, head looks more stable than the 25 year ago version
Cons: You still have to buy lava scene Darth Vader
The Bottom Line: If you are going to buy any Star Wars figures you are probably going to need this one
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| some_guy5's Full Review: Hasbro Star Wars Episode III Darth Vader Lightsabe... |
The man himself. The reason all this stuff is being passed on from a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. On finding out that the Episode III figures had hit the shelves I ran out to check them out. I limited myself to only two figures in that first trip, and this was one of them.
Since I am a collector Darth Vader, figure number 11 is still sealed in his package, so my perspective will be from outside the case. There is a small amount of longing to take him out and play with him. After all, I have already been through several of him and I am anxious to see if his head pops off as ridiculously easily as it did when I was a boy. Now the Storm Troopers, they had some stable heads. These figures are not recommended for children under the age of four due to small pieces that could be a choking hazard.
The text in this paragraph will be common throughout all of my reviews of Star Wars Episode III basic characters. As far as the durability of these figures, well I don't open them. But I did open some from Episode I and I can tell you from past experience that the small weapons and accessories will get lost. As a boy I tried so hard to keep track of them and just failed. Slowly but surely the guns and lightsabers disappeared. By and large the figures are durable. The heads can be popped off by abuse or a determined push, and the hands can be chewed until they no longer function. That is my best guess as to how well this series will hold up.
Darth Vader stands 3.75 inches tall. He is clothed from head to toe in black. What else would he wear? He is bad. The figure is made of black hard plastic, with a black cloth cape secured around his neck by a silver chain. The arms appear to have joints at the shoulders and elbows. In my review of the Royal Guard I went on about how the cloth capes are so superior to the hard molded plastic ones. That applies again here. His cape hangs nicely and doesn't stick up awkwardly in any places. Darth Vader is carrying his signature red lightsaber and wearing his one and only helmet. He has his chest control panel with green, red, and silver buttons. That reminds me, I have wondered since I was a little boy what all those buttons did. Maybe Luke just needed to mash the panel on his chest and then saber him up while Vader was set to dance mode or something. His belt also has the green, red, and silver buttons. This figure also looks to have a waste cape underneath the main one. This particular figure has a bonus signature move. When you squeeze his legs together, Darth Vader performs a lightsaber attack. His left hand is molded into a force using gesture. So you could pose him to beckon Luke to join him, or choke some subordinate as you see fit.
As far as how Vader fits into the movies? Well in a lot of ways he is the movies. He starts off as the nice little boy loaded with force potential. He goes on to become a Jedi, with a scary little angry streak. Episode III isn't out yet but I am going to venture that he goes all the way bad and joins the Sith. Cut to A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back and he is the scourge of the galaxy, a force choking, rebel suppressing machine. Finally, Vader rejects the dark side at last and offs the Emperor to save his son. Not much of a father but at least he did one good thing. Below is Vader's bio according to the package.
Giving up everyone and everything he cares about, Anakin falls to the dark side. Encased in the black armor that will come to strike fear throughout the galaxy, he is no longer Anakin Skywalker - he is now Darth Vader.
Spooky. Well I don't think that info was exactly earth shattering but at least you get to learn something about the character of your toys.
So do I recommend this figure? If you are going to collect any Star Wars figures this would be a good one. It would be hard to call you a collector if you don't have him and hard to play along with the movie plot without this great villain. So yes, I recommend this figure.
Please also see my other reviews of Star Wars Episode III Revenge of the Sith basic figures
Figure 23 Royal Guard
Figure 32 Aayla Secura
Figure 13 Count Dooku
Figure 20 Agen Kolar
Figure 24 Mon Mothma
Figure 31 Luminara Unduli
Figure 29 Ki-Adi-Mundi
Figure 34 Clone Pilot
Figure 30 Saesee Tiin
Figure 6 Clone Trooper
Figure 10 Mace Windu
Figure 35 Palpatine
Figure 4 Super Battle Droid
Figure 22 Kit Fisto
Figure 21 Shaak Ti
Figure 3 Yoda
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 5.24
Type of Toy: Action Figure
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