Darth Vader (Sith Apprentice) - SW [SOTDS] - Saga Legends (SL11)

Added: September 15th 2016
Category: Star Wars [Shadow Of The Dark Side]
Reviewer: Paul Harrison
Score:

Name: Darth Vader (Sith Apprentice)
Collection: Star Wars [Shadow Of The Dark Side]
Number: SL11
Source: Revenge Of The Sith
Availability: August 2010
License: Hasbro

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Now a Sith apprentice, Vader rejects Obi-Wan's pleas to turn away from the dark side. Instead, he attacks Kenobi in a devastating lightsaber duel on Mustafar. Destruction is Vader's only thought, but in the end, he is the one who lies near death on the black sand shores.

Probably one of the most frustrating things Hasbro has ever done to collectors is label action figures who look like Anakin Skywalker as Darth Vader. And while Hasbro isn't incorrect in this designation (after all, Darth Sidious hailed him as Darth Vader before he donned the black suit), it technically is a little confusing when it comes to the Hasbro toy line. Darth Vader is and always will be the tall guy in the big black iron lung. It sort of threatens the strength of our historical memories to refer to Darth Vader as anything but that. It may seem like a bit of an exaggeration to make such a strong claim like this, but when things as we know them change physical form but yet are still labeled the same way, it goes against the grain of our collector fiber (a little bit). While we are happy to get updated versions of Anakin Skywalker, we really don't want to refer to him as Darth Vader deep down inside. That being said, Darth Vader (Sith Apprentice) was originall released as 2008's TAC Darth Vader (08 02) figure and now has been renamed, slightly repainted and released in the Star Wars [Shadow Of The Dark Side] Saga Legends line. As far as paint operaiton updates, more streaking in the hair was added to make it more accurate to the film. Other than that, this release is pretty much identical to the previous Saga Legends versions.

This figure has additional history too. Back in the day, Hasbro took the already very good Anakin Skywalker (Clone Wars Commander) figure from the 2005 ROTS Anakin Skywalker To Darth Vader Evolutions set and added ball-jointed hips for increased optimal mobility! Unfortunately, Hasbro didn't treat his arms as well as his legs as they left swivel joints in the elbows which encumbered the movement quite a bit. Darth Vader (Sith Apprentice) can be posed in a wide array of poses and he is almost a definitive Darth Vader [Anakin Skywalker] figure for the time being. One of the finest attributes of this figure is the paint job. Hasbro has exceeded our expectations here and we are thoroughly impressed with the final product. Simply accessorized with juts his lightsaber, it is all the stuff he needs. This character is intended to represent how Darth Vader looked during (or right before) his now classic duel with Obi-Wan Kenobi. (By the way, Obi-Wan Kenobi (SL12) is also now part of the 2010 assortment.) Perhaps some collectors would have preferred to have a lightsaber hilt packaged with the figure, but we are happy with the arrangement as is. As a Saga Legends figure, the ball-jointed hips are reason enough for us to pick up this figure (as well as the ehanced paint operations).

Darth Vader (Sith Apprentice) comes with a Galactic Battle Game card, a die and an action figure display stand. These have been fun extra pack-ins and everyone seems to appreciate them. We also get a bag of Secret Weapons with each figure in the Saga Legends assortment (Wave 3 neglects them.) Darth Vader (Sith Apprentice) actually doesn't suffer from any big infirmity really and he can balance well on his own two feet. In fact, he can be posed with a wide stance and he is even able to stand in these poses as well. We will always say this in this column. We don't mind retools and repaints as long as Hasbro makes them new enough for our collections. Straight repacks are typically a bone of contention for us, but we have grown tio accept that Hasbro needs to do this to amortize costs (and keep great sculpts in the lineup). Expect to see Darth Vader (Sith Apprentice) frequently in the line in one way or another in the future. This is a solid action figure. We suspect that a completely super-articulated retool is in the works which should see release in a few years or so. The extras and the updates make up for the figure being a relative repack, but the most important thing to remember is that the figure should be taking the spotlight and shine by itself. We feel this one does to an extent.

Collector Notes

Darth Vader (Sith Apprentice)

Status: Darth Vader (Sith Apprentice) is a slight repaint of 2008's TAC Darth Vader (08 02) figure.

Articulation Count: 23 points (14 areas of articulation)

Articulation Details: ball-socket head (1), ball-jointed left shoulder (2), ball-jointed right shoulder (2), swivel left elbow (1), swivel right elbow (1), swivel left forearm (1), swivel right forearm (1), ball-jointed torso (2), ball-jointed left hip (2), ball-jointed right hip (2), ball-jointed left knee (2), ball-jointed right knee (2), ball-jointed left ankle (2), ball-jointed right ankle (2)

Accessory Count: 1

Accessory Details: lightsaber

Date Stamp: 2003

Assortment Number: 21373/21115

UPC: 653569511267

Retail: $7.99 USD

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



Darth Vader (Sith Apprentice)

Star Wars [Shadow Of The Dark Side] Saga Legends Wave 1

Bossk (SL01)

IG-88 (SL02)

Zuckuss (SL03)

Greedo (SL04)

Jango Fett [Version 1] (SL05)

Darth Vader [Version 1] (SL06)

Princess Leia (In Boushh Disguise) (SL07)

Darth Maul (SL08)

General Grievous (SL09)

Clone Trooper (SL10)

Darth Vader (Sith Apprentice) (SL11)

Obi-Wan Kenobi [Version 1] (SL12)



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