Darth Vader - TLC - Basic (BD 8)

As has been the custom of the Jedi and Sith for many centuries, Vader uses a meditation chamber to enhance his powers. Within this specially pressurized, hyperbaric enclosure, the Sith Lord is able to remove his mask and briefly still be able to breathe.

When The Legacy Collection debuted on July 26, 2008, the first so-called Return Of The Jedi wave really didn't contain that many figures that were based on the film; many were from deleted scenes or other Expanded Universe sources. Darth Vader is an exception to this - he is based on one of the final and most beloved scenes of the saga and having a true source from Star Wars Episode VI: Return Of The Jedi. Although he is not a new concept to the modern line, as we have received our fair share of Darth Vader (removable helmet) figures. But for the first time it was cleverly constructed with a helmet that comes apart in two separate pieces. This is a first and a very cool improvement on a previously established (and successful) figure. Hasbro had explained to us that the helmet was originally intended to come apart in three pieces, but production delays (and obvious additional tooling costs) prevented this from happening. But the two-piece gimmick works very well and it doesn't detract at all from its authenticity - the pieces lock together to form a complete helmet without blatantly visible connection points or lines for that matter. And to be honest, aside from the need for the droid part, this would be one of the few reasons to pick up this figure. After all, Darth Vader is not that much different from what we have already received before from Hasbro.

For the most part, this figure is nothing new as it is a retool of the 2005 ROTS Evolutions Darth Vader figure. It has seen release after release in one form of another including the late 2006 Episode IV Commemorative Tin Darth Vader and the 2007 TAC Darth Vader (30 16). Each time, Hasbro has done something just different enough to make you at least consider each purchase, including interchangeable uses of the Hayden Christensen head or the Sebastian Shaw head among many other changes. So if you're like us in the slightest (gluttons for punishment that is) then you will most likely see this figure as a necessity for your collection rather than a novelty purchase. Darth Vader is clearly the most popular character of the entire Star Wars saga, so it makes sense to get him multiple times every year in the basic figure line (and many other sub-collections). And while Hasbro could have simply just repacked an old figure, they have been gracious to collectors and made him new enough to warrant another purchase. Since you have seen this figure before (for the most part), Darth Vader is super articulated and his joints are quite utilitarian and posing-friendly. It is a great action figure even if it borrows so much from an older figure. As an additional side note, another Darth Vader figure was released in wave 1. It was Battle-Damaged Darth Vader GH 3, a straight repack of the 2008 TAC Battle-Damaged Darth Vader (08 12) figure. If you didn't pay attention, you may have picked this one up by accident. Since the blue TLC line look is so similar, it was easy to mix these two figures up.

Depending on the sample you have, your figure's paint job could be a bit messy and outside of the lines. Of particular note, the chest plate colors have ranked anywhere from OK to horrid for samples we saw out in the wild. We had to search the pegs high and low to find a very nicely painted Darth Vader figure ourselves. It still puzzles us how one figure's paint job dramatically differs from the next. We are even more puzzled by how Hasbro seems to let so many sloppy samples slip out from the manufacturers in China. Take the time to find a great painted figure because it makes all the difference in the world, trust us on this one. As a figure who Hasbro knew would be popular, this figure has seen subsequent releases in refresh waves with new droid parts quite a few times. And we expect it to make repeat appearances throughout the future of the basic line. And although the 'red phase' of the Legacy Collection is about to begin as of this entry, it's likely that this figure may be chosen to be added to this new line to because of its intense popularity. If Hasbro can clean up some of the paint ops, it will be a nearly flawless figure! But no matter how good or how well this figure is painted – it is still excellent for its attention to details and articulation. Besides, you know you want to remove his helmet (in pieces like Luke did) to recreate your own Anakin Skywalker reveal! This is reason enough for us to own this figure. And after all, he is Darth Vader. That should be all the reason in the world to add this figure to your collections.