Editor’s Note:  This review has been updated with a second look…

Original Review:  Chris 8/14/2013 06:59 AM

When Hasbro first started circulating promotional images of this figure it was designated Darth Vader (Bespin Trap).  The sub designation has been dropped (presumably to save on ink) and the figure is simply named Darth Vader.  But don’t let the nomenclature revision fool you.  This is still geared toward the betrayal on Bespin scene.  And don’t judge Lando.  He’s got his own problems, man.

As someone who enjoys setting up his displays to recreate on-screen scenes, I’m not opposed to scene-specific figures within reason.  Hasbro once kicked around the idea of an orange Stormtrooper to recreate the environmental lighting of the Carbon Freeze chamber.  Recreating scene-specific lighting is taking the concept way too far and I’m glad the bad idea never came to fruition (unlike so many other bad ideas).  But figures that are packed with accessories to recreate a specific scene are A-OK in my book, especially when they can also be configured to be scene-agnostic, as in this case.

Gone is the removable helmet familiar to most Darth Vader figures.  This is one of the rare cases where collectors will applaud the reduction in functionality.  Having one removable helmet Vader is great to recreate the final scenes of Return of the Jedi.  Having every Vader figure come with a removable helmet isn’t so hot since the helmets don’t always stay seated properly or will fall off under only minimal provocation. In short, the cast helmeted head looks and works better.  Lets hope Hasbro needs to cut costs on clones down the road so the ridiculous oversized buckets on those figures can be deleted.

I have the luxury of writing this review in hindsight of Paul Harrison’s review at Jedi Temple Archives.  This means I won’t get embarrassed over missing things like the retooled torso on the Yavin Ceremony Luke.  When I read his review about the rubbery blast accessory, I thought “here we go again”.  Thankfully my sample does not feature a rubbery laser blast so I don’t have to worry about it sagging.  Here is an interesting note along this line.  My sample did not have the embossed bubble.  In case you missed it, Yakface discovered that the first shipments of The Black Series have the embossed wall pattern on the bubbles.  The later shipments do not.  As my sample is from a later shipment, we can only hope that the rubbery accessories are something Hasbro corrected early in the process.

Aside from the non-removable helmet, the two swappable forearms are what distinguish this Vader figure from the dozens of others based on the 2005 Evolutions mold you undoubtedly own.  One forearm is purpose built to deflect the laser bolt and to receive the corresponding blast accessory.  The other forearm is sculpted to catch the Force-drawn BlasTech DL-44 blaster. Lamentably, I did not realize the second forearm was designed for catching the blaster as I was taking the pictures.  You’d probably miss a few things too when you’re sweating your rear end off under the photography lights which are like 1,000 degrees and all you can think about is heading to a cooler setting.  Hey kids, speaking of that blaster, this figure comes with the new and correct ESB mold of the DL-44, so you can now properly equip your Vintage Collection Bespin Han Solo figures which come with the ANH version.

I’m happy to have this figure, but it’s also a rehash.  An upgrade to ball-jointed hips would also easily upgrade the score.  As it has not been upgraded it likewise won’t get an upgraded score and receive the same 8 out of 10 I’ve given every other figure based on this mold.

Updated Review:  Bret - 10/29/2018 07:05 AM

Chris is the resident Darth Vader fanboy, so I defer to him on the history of the Evolutions mold used for this figure.  While it is essentially a minor retool, that retooling is pretty nifty.  Like Chris, I’m a big fan of scene-specific figures, as long as they are executed well.  Because of the swappable right glove, this Darth Vader not only can be used to recreate the very specific moment in which he deflects one of Han’s laser blasts with his hand, you can also switch out that hand and have Vader grab the included blaster.  I think its actually kind of funny that Vader comes with a blaster.  That alone almost makes it worth having a carded sample this figure.

I actually had completely forgotten that this Vader came with the extra hand and blaster, which was buried at the bottom of one of my figure bins.  Before I realized this, I went ahead and took photos of this Vader capturing the blaster that came with the TVC Han Solo in the images above, and tried to balance it in the open palm.  I thought, “Man, it sure would have been neat if this figure came with an alternate hand, because he can’t even perform a THWG with his lightsaber.”  This, of course, precluded me from doing any dueling shots.  But then I re-read Chris’s review (a bit more thoroughly the second time), and realized I was missing something.  Sure enough, he wasn’t kidding.  So I re-took the Force-grab picture with this proper blaster, and then also added the dueling image. 

The point of all that was that instead of being a figure good for just 2 seconds of screen time, you can, as Chris duly noted, use him in a wider array of display options, serving as a decent (but NOT definitive!) generic ESB Vader.  This is what makes scene-specific figures truly outstanding.  This versatility is especially important for a character like Vader, in which just a minor retooling or additional accessory (like the extra gloved hand) can expand your options.  Otherwise you are left with a disappointing figure like VC88 Princess Leia (Sandstorm), which if it just included the stupid chain collar would have been a much more versatile figure.

In the end, it’s a neat figure to own, and it completes the weird dinner scene.  We like completing scenes here at Bantha Skull.

Verdict: No Action 

This Vader is perfect for what it needs to accomplish.  In the future, if we ever get a definitive Episode V/VI Vader, then maybe it could include a swappable hand and blast effect.  Then again, maybe Hasbro shouldn’t try to be too fancy, and let this figure handle the dinner scene while a definitive dueling Vader can be a definitive dueling Vader. 

Verdict Guide:
Re-sculpt = The figure is not definitive, and a new version should be developed.
Re-issue = This version is definitive (or close enough), and shows sufficient secondary market demand to warrant a straight repack.
No Action = This release does not require new attention.