Darth Vader Kenner Review
If there is one Kenner figure I always wanted and never got, well until I got much older, it's Darth Vader. He was the ultimate villain. So what did I do for an adversary for my Luke Skywalker? Mostly used GI Joe figures. Fun, but missing that edge. Of all the Kenner reviews I have or will write, this one is my most anticipated. Also if any new Vader figure comes out, I have to get one. If I can find it ;)
Vader is simply articulated, he has the standard 5 points. Like the Ben Kenobi and his not yet known to us son Luke Skywalker his right hand has a telescoping red lightsaber. Yes, there is a double telescoping version, and yes that is worth a fortune. Like Ben, and his not yet known to us daughter Leia Organa he comes with a vinyl robe which is supposed to function as his cape. It feels out of place for a toy in 2021, but for 1978, it fits right in.
But what really sets Vader out is the attention to details on not just the overall sculpt, but the little paint details most people overlook. From the paint on his chest panel, which could have been done in one color, Kenner painted it different colors. They painted the belt buckle a simple white, and left the other belt controls unpainted. It wouldn't fly with collector's today, but it fits this era fairly well. The body sculpt is very well done, especially the helmet. Modern sculpting has only been able to give us a more accurate helmet sculpt for Lord Vader, but in 1978 this was ahead of it's time. Even today, it still looks good. The lines on Vader's outfit are also detailed. Only Chewbacca has a greater attention to detail.
Vader is one of the few characters who went unchanged throughout the Kenner run of 1978-1985. No known variants exist to my knowledge, but fans often create their own. I found a spare cloth cape to give my vintage Vader since the vinyl robe ripped. Vader was a great villain on movie screens, but in the imagination of kids of all ages he was so much more than a villain, and as we would learn more about him as the original trilogy unfolded learn his tragedy and his final triumph.
https://www.jedibusiness.com/figureDetails.aspx?id=1949
Vader is simply articulated, he has the standard 5 points. Like the Ben Kenobi and his not yet known to us son Luke Skywalker his right hand has a telescoping red lightsaber. Yes, there is a double telescoping version, and yes that is worth a fortune. Like Ben, and his not yet known to us daughter Leia Organa he comes with a vinyl robe which is supposed to function as his cape. It feels out of place for a toy in 2021, but for 1978, it fits right in.
But what really sets Vader out is the attention to details on not just the overall sculpt, but the little paint details most people overlook. From the paint on his chest panel, which could have been done in one color, Kenner painted it different colors. They painted the belt buckle a simple white, and left the other belt controls unpainted. It wouldn't fly with collector's today, but it fits this era fairly well. The body sculpt is very well done, especially the helmet. Modern sculpting has only been able to give us a more accurate helmet sculpt for Lord Vader, but in 1978 this was ahead of it's time. Even today, it still looks good. The lines on Vader's outfit are also detailed. Only Chewbacca has a greater attention to detail.
Vader is one of the few characters who went unchanged throughout the Kenner run of 1978-1985. No known variants exist to my knowledge, but fans often create their own. I found a spare cloth cape to give my vintage Vader since the vinyl robe ripped. Vader was a great villain on movie screens, but in the imagination of kids of all ages he was so much more than a villain, and as we would learn more about him as the original trilogy unfolded learn his tragedy and his final triumph.
https://www.jedibusiness.com/figureDetails.aspx?id=1949
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