Toy Review: Darth Vader lords over ‘Star Wars Black Series’ Wave 5

 

 

Like many born in the 80s, I grew up on the original “Star Wars” trilogy. I watched in awe as Darth Vader made the grandest of all grand entrances, marching down that ruined, corpse-littered corridor like the truest definition of the word “badass”. And you have to admit, when we all heard that very first respiratory rasp, our minds exploded with such force that the aftershock can still be felt to this day.

 

Given the cultural impact of George Lucas’ indelible sci-fi masterpiece, it was only a matter of time before Hasbro gave us the Dark Lord of the Sith himself in 6-inch figure format. Despite a few blunders, the toy giant’s Star Wars Black Series remains an excellent line, and they have done a swell job on Wave 5’s Darth Vader.

 

 

 

Sculpt & paint: 'Impressive. Most impressive.'

 

Before we get to the good part…

 

The problem with Darth Vader becomes immediately apparent upon his removal from the package. This guy is all cape. He has more cape than you’ll know what to do with. I’m tempted to trim more than an inch off his curtain, because that’s how far it extends past his feet – over an inch. Vader’s always had an enormous cape in the films, but Hasbro probably overdid it a tad. Even his divided skirt is awkwardly long; if you set him down, the cloth will either bunch up around his hips, or its tips will curl under his boots.

 

Using real cloth for his inner coat has one other disadvantage: it’s devoid of the sculpted detail the rest of the figure enjoys. The fabric on his torso is plain and flat, empty of those wonderful etched folds adorning the tunic of Wave 1’s fantastic Darth Maul.

 

Thankfully, the portions of the figure that are made of plastic boast some excellent sculpting. His sleeves are nicely corrugated, as are his thighs and upper torso. His belt and chest control box are studded with buttons and other esoteric doodads, while the boots, groin guard, pauldrons and chest armor complete the armored look.

 

 

Lastly, there’s the iconic helmet, which is just perfect. His head is actually composed of three parts – the helmet itself, the mask, and Anakin’s scarred mug with its sunlight-starved basement dweller’s complexion. You can display Vader with his head in various stages of nakedness, allowing you to reenact scenes from any stage in the film trilogy.

 

Speaking of scene reenactment, Vader’s left hand is pre-posed to look like he’s either Force choking or Force pushing some unfortunate victim. Or you could even pretend he’s announcing his paternal link to Luke in Cloud City . A pity Wave 3’s Bespin Luke figure doesn’t come with an extra “no that’s not true THAT’S IMPOSSIBLE NOOOOOOO” head to complete the spectacle.

 

Standing over 6.5 inches, Darth Vader towers over a majority of the Star Wars Black Series figures. He is not the tallest, however; that honor goes to fellow Wave 5 character, Chewbacca.

 

The paint scheme, of course, is 99 percent black. The non-black portions, such as the various buttons and the silver bands on his chest armor, are cleanly applied. Paint quality isn’t consistent in this line, however, so inspect your Vader carefully before making the purchase.

 

 

Articulation & accessories: 'The power of the dark side'

 

The Dark Lord’s points of articulation include his neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, waist, hips, thighs, knees, and ankles. His flexibility is good, but don’t expect to pull off any acrobatic feats with him – which is appropriate, given that Darth Vader is a stiff-bodied cyborg samurai monster, not the limber-limbed gymnast that he was when he was still the snot-nosed Anakin Skywalker everyone wants to forget.

 

The pros and cons of using actual textiles are also evident where the articulation is concerned. The skirt and cape hinder no movement, so you can pose those limbs any which way. However, the torso fabric is connected to his belt and skirt, preventing his waist from twisting more than 45 degrees in either direction.

 

Darth Vader only comes with his red lightsaber, which snuggles into his right fist. The “blade” can be separated from the pommel, but it’s a pity there is no way to store the latter on his belt.

 

 

'Now I am the master'

 

Darth Vader with his surplus of cloth may initially disappoint, but he does grow on you. Any notions of missed opportunities on Hasbro’s part will gradually dissipate, to be replaced by applause for the action figure behemoth’s commendable effort in bringing this hallowed character to the 6-inch scale. So far, this is the best Darth Vader mass market miniature ever produced, making him a welcome addition to your collection whether you’re a Star Wars fan or not. — TJD, GMA News