Darth Vader (Return Of Anakin Skywalker) - ARTFX+

Added: February 22nd 2013
Category: ARTFX+
Reviewer: Paul Harrison
Score:

Name: Darth Vader (Return Of Anakin Skywalker)
Collection: ARTFX+
Scale: 1/10th Scale
Source: Return Of The Jedi
Availability: December 2012
License: Kotobukiya

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A KOTOBUKIYA Japanese import! The Dark Lord of the Sith is back! The latest release in the hit line of smaller scale Star Wars ARTFX+ Statues steps right out of Return of the Jedi: DARTH VADER RETURN OF ANAKIN SKYWALKER ARTFX+! An al new representation of the iconic villain, Vader joins the elite lineup of your favorite heroes and villains from the original Star Wars films in the Saga, following great statues like The Empire Strikes Back version, Boba Fett, C-3PO, and R2-D2.

More powerful in the Force than ever before as well as a master of the lightsaber, Darth Vader prepares for his final battle as the Rebel fleet hammers the fully operational Death Star. Updated to match his appearance in Return of the Jedi, the fallen Jedi stands with his crimson lightsaber at the ready for both attack and defense. A tall and imposing figure, Vader is like a coiled viper with his legs slightly bent and his lightsaber held in both hands. The Dark Lord's armor is intricately detailed and sculpted perfectly to match its appearance in the film with all of the mechanical and cloth elements distinctly textured. You can even display Vader in a variety of poses and looks with multiple interchangeable arm parts and head pieces featuring the iconic black helmet or the unmasked Anakin Skywalker! Like all Star Wars ARTFX+ Statues, he has magnets in his feet for display on the included base.

ARTFX+ Statues are fun-to-assemble pre-painted snap-fit kits that can be easily put together in seconds without glue or modeling skill. Darth Vader stands approximately 7.5 inches tall (1/10th scale) and is the perfect centerpiece for your Saga Collection!

Darth Vader, the return of Anakin Skywalker. Just like Hasbro’s Resurgence Of The Jedi Battle Packs set from late 2009, that sounds whole lot more like a sequel to a Star Wars film than a collectible product. But that’s what the fine folks at Kotobukiya decided to call their very nice Darth Vader (Return Of Anakin Skywalker) ARTFX+ vinyl statue. An excellent piece from multiple angles, the latest Darth Vader 1/10th scale piece would be a wonderful addition to any collection, but especially those that house Kotobukiya product. As with any licensee who holds the Star Wars brand, time seems to improve protocol, the way collectibles are approached and the final production quality of collectibles. Kotobukiya is no exception and their long running learning curve has put them at the forefront of expert collectible-making. Their 1/7th scale line of collectibles was awesome as well, but were unaffordable to most collectors. So with a reduced scale without the reduced quality, Kotobukiya shines once again in a different light.

Darth Vader (Return Of Anakin Skywalker) comes to collectors in a baker’s dozen of parts. What’s especially nice about this is that vinyl figure is interchangeable as it comes with a total of 5 unique arms (three left and two right) which give the piece the versatility it needs. Darth Vader didn’t just stand around in Episode VI, so having the flexibility to arrange him in various configurations is optimal here. As will all figures in the ARTFX+ line, strong magnets have been placed in the bottom of the feet which allows the figure to firmly stay atop the simple yet incredible looking base. Together, the parts work incredibly well together to produce a stunning piece for the vinyl statue focus of your collection. It’s evident that Kotobukiya was concerned with getting that “exact” pose on Darth Vader right because they’ve succeeded tremendously here. And for $49.99 you can be secure that you are getting value for your dollar with a product that has this much attention to detail.

Original Trilogy purists may get their feathers ruffled a bit here because the “Anakin Skywalker” portrait, while still based on Sebastian Shaw, has the Special Edition appearance instead of the original from 1983. This simply means that he has no eyebrows here. We are actually appreciative to small enhancements like this made to the film for authenticity reasons. It’s the bigger CGI issues we taken exception to because it changes the dynamic of the film. So we’re OK with Anakin not having eyebrows here. He looks a little bit pale, but the scarring details and agedness of his facial features is amazing. The “masked” version of Darth Vader is equally incredible. Kotobukiya got the “wider” appearance of Darth Vader’s helmet perfectly. Aesthetically, we have little to nothing to complain about here. The extra detail that we’re thankful for is that Darth Vader stands a full half inch taller than Boba Fett (Return Of The Jedi Ver.) which proves that Kotobukiya is dotting their “is” and crossing their “ts” when it comes to scale. This is another fine execution by Kotobukiya.

Collector Notes

Darth Vader (Return Of Anakin Skywalker) (ARTFX+)

Status: Darth Vader (Return Of Anakin Skywalker) is an all-new figure.

Assembly: helmet, head, torso, lower body, 3 left arms, 2 right arms, cape, lightsaber hilt, lightsaber blade, base

Date Stamp: 2012

Number: SW79/5000

UPC: 603259027882

Retail: $49.99 USD

Market Value: Click here to check the latest prices based on Click here to check the market value on eBay! listings.


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