Darth Vader (Celebration III) - ROTS - Exclusives

Added: May 25th 2018
Category: Revenge Of The Sith
Reviewer: Paul Harrison
Score:

Name: Darth Vader (Celebration III)
Collection: Revenge Of The Sith
Number: N/A (Celebration III Exclusive)
Source: Revenge Of The Sith
Availability: April 2005
License: Hasbro

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Welcome to Star Wars Celebration III! Star Wars fans like you have come together from around the world to revel in the wonder, imagination, adventure, and sheer fun of this epic space fantasy. Star Wars has thrilled fans of all ages for nearly three decades, and will continue to captivate future generations with a timeless story of the forces of good triumphing over the powers of the dark side. We also gather at Celebration III in anticipation of Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith, the final film of the saga in which the transformation of Anakin Skywalker into Darth Vader will be revealed. And remember, never underestimate the power of the dark side. May the Force be with you!

Every Star Wars Celebration has an exclusive, and for Celebration III the focus was all about Darth Vader. In Revenge Of The Sith, fans would finally learn how Anakin Skywalker turned to evil and became Darth Vader after waiting for decades for the beginning of this story to be told. Celebration III was buzzing with excitement, but a great deal of that buzz was the noise focusing around the Darth Vader (Celebration III) exclusive action figure. Hasbro took the Darth Vader figure from 2002's POTJ Obi-Wan Kenobi And Darth Vader (Final Duel) 25th Anniversary (1977-2002) set, changed a couple of details and paired it with an all-new electronic display stand which sounds off lines and dialogue from Star Wars and specifically about Celebration III. This exclusive figure is all about its novelty. Neither Darth Vader nor the exclusive display stand are anything great separately. But they work together to commemorate the final film in the Prequel Trilogy and provide fans with an exclusive item that will enable to recall the fun times had at Star Wars Celebration III, and memorialize the joy that being a Star Wars collector brings.

The Darth Vader figure included with this set looks nice, but it isn’t too functional as an action figure. It’s almost as if he was designed to be a display figure and nothing more. He only has four points of articulation which include a swivel head, two swivel shoulders and a swivel waist. His legs are essentially one piece of plastic and don’t articulate at all. The paint operations are simple, but nicely applied in this instance. Darth Vader was a great release in 2002, but the figure has aged now, even just three short years later. It’s not often that Hasbro screws up Darth Vader’s screen accuracy, and the same can be said of this version too. Again, not completely perfect, but far from dreadful, this Darth Vader reenters the Hasbro Star Wars toy line as an exclusive and as a character from Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith, complete with exclusivity and beautiful packaging. From this perspective it has excellence. This Exclusive Collectors’ Edition is limited to 50,000 and the Darth Vader figure was created especially for Celebration III to celebrate the release of the final episode in the Star Wars saga, Revenge of the Sith.

Originally an Episode IV version of Darth Vader, Hasbro seems to have repurposed this figure for an Episode III version. The original figure came with slightly red eye lenses, but this version has been revised to be more black. The outer robes hang over the shoulders and the lower close-fitting robes to complete his unique “A New Hope” appearance. It was a highly sought after exclusive at the Celebration III store. Darth Vader was available during the official Celebration III convention on April 20 -24, 2005. Collectors were limited to one figure per day, and their badges were punched to provide evidence that they picked up their allotment. The exclusive clamshell case, designed with special imagery, was sold separately for $3.00 each, something that irked collectors. The display base for this figure includes a voice chip sound effect recorded from James Earl Jones. Four different phrases can be heard by repeatedly pressing the button on the bottom right front corner. Exclusive figures are a huge part of the Star Wars collecting experience, but this Darth Vader release was special for a multitude of reasons.

Collector Notes

Darth Vader (Celebration III)

Status: Darth Vader is a repaint and slight retool of the figure from 2002's POTJ Obi-Wan Kenobi And Darth Vader (Final Duel) 25th Anniversary (1977-2002) two-pack. This time the date stamp has been removed.

Articulation Count: 4 points (4 areas of articulation)

Articulation Details: swivel neck (1), swivel left shoulder (1), swivel right shoulder (1), swivel waist (1)

Accessory Count: 3

Accessory Details: lightsaber, removable cape, novelty display stand (with electronics)

Date Stamp: N/A

Assortment Number: 85178

UPC: 653569011514

Retail: $14.99 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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