Darth Vader - RO - Basic

An imposing figure standing two meters tall and encased in ominous armor, Darth Vader is the emissary and enforcer of the Emperor's commands. Vader helped the Emperor carry out the elminiation of the Jedi Order and the rise of the Galactic Empire. Now, he is charged with rooting out rebel activity and any threats to his master's reign.

If there is one character in the Star Wars universe that all fans love, it has to be Darth Vader. The Original Trilogy and Prequel Trilogy revolve around him (more or less), and every action figure line produced has at least one action figure of him in its lineup. So is it any surprise that Darth Vader makes the cut in the Rogue One basic figure line? Surprisingly, Darth Vader didn’t make it into the first wave of the Rogue One line. Part of wave 2, this action figure brings some much needed closure about the character’s role in the new Rogue One: A Star Wars Story film. Obviously he’s in the film now, but to which degree we’re unsure. What we do know is what he looks like thanks to Hasbro’s 3.75” simply articulated action figure. He looks like he is wearing a hybrid of the costumes he wore in Star Was Episode IV: A New Hope and Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. Really, aside from the Episode IV chest box, this might as well be and Episode V or Episode VI Darth Vader. As you know, the robes went over his shoulder armor in Episode IV. On this action figure they do not. (Should we expect another Episode IV Special Edition with these robes digitally removed at some point now?) (Editor's Note: There is debate on whether the robes go over the chest armor or not. The paint job creates this confusion.) The bottom line is that this Darth Vader action figure has been approached carefully and with respect, and for what it is Hasbro did a nice job on him. At the same time, no new ground has been broke, and he truly does feel like more of the same.

Darth Vader looks great. No one can criticize that. Sure, he comes with one more joint than the standard 5POA figure. Darth Vader comes with six points of articulation which include a ball-socket head, swivel shoulders, a swivel waist and swivel hips. This is certainly out of the ordinary for this time period of collecting. But the articulation works well with this sculpt. He has a rather simple “straightforward” pose that isn’t exaggerated at all. His stance is uncompromising and gives the clear indication that this is the same Darth Vader character to fear and loathe (in a good way) from the Original Trilogy. As we’ve mentioned, the sculpt is very nice. His right leg is ever so slightly taking a step forward while the lower skirt is opened up so you can see this “action”. His cape is removable which is a nice touch. So you can achieve very different looks for Darth Vader despite him being a relatively simple action figure. In typical Darth Vader action figure fashion, his left hand is opened and outstretched. So it’s kind of a useless extremity for holding the included lightsaber. But his right hand is posed in a gripping manner and cold hold the included lightsaber without issue. We’re perhaps most impressed with the sculpt of his helmet however. It is absolutely excellent for a budget action figure. While it looks superb when ogling it straight on, it has the most perfect profile (both directions). Literally, we’re having trouble recalling ANY Episode IV Darth Vader action figure that has had a head sculpt this divine. Any collector of any preference will find this to be true. The plastic has some artifacts throughout, so we don’t really get a smooth and shiny surface, but for the most part the portrait does look fantastic.

The paint operations are obviously very simple here, but Hasbro did an admirable job making sure the colors didn’t suffer from overspray or uneven applications. The short of it is that this Darth Vader action figure really doesn’t fill us with too many complaints. It has an excellent sculpt, passable paint operations. And he comes with a center of gravity that is solid. Even the accessories are admirable. In addition to his signature lightsaber, Darth Vader also comes with a gimmicky Force effect launching gauntlet. Hey, it’s for the kids, right? It breaks down into a couple of pieces, and Darth Vader is a solid enough action figure to be able to hold this bulky accessory without toppling down to the ground. The projectile comes with a removable (and softer) tip that looks like it is meant to recreate some Force effect. It looks ridiculous, but again, this has been designed for kids who should derive some pleasure from it. This may become old, but if Hasbro must make simply articulated action figures, then this is the way to do it. It’s difficult to be critical of an action figure when it looks this good. Because of this, Darth Vader is definitely one of the highlights in the Rogue One lineup. It’s unlikely that Hasbro will produce a “Rogue One” Darth Vader for the Walmart exclusive The Black Series 3.75” line. This may be their worst mistake. The main villain of the Original Trilogy, even if making a cameo appearance, is worthy of making an appearance in all scales they make. We’ll just have to see what transpires.