VC 280 Darth Vader (Return of the Jedi)

 

Very rarely does a figure come out that I drop literally everything I do and spend hours just playing around with jt, putting it in action poses, etc. Last year, that was what I did with the Dark Times Darth Vader, which was my top figure of 2022. That figure was perfection, excellent new sculpt head to toe. It was only a matter of time before Hasbro would wisely go back to that new sculpt for a Vader figure from one of the Lucas Era films. And with this year marking the 40th anniversary of Return of the Jedi, Hasbro decided to pack Darth Vader again, but this time as a figure that can cover every scene from that film, including having something that is difficult for the 1:18 scale: a removable helmet. Needless to say, Hasbro: mission accomplished!!

Vader comes packed on a new card for ROTJ, not showing the classic Vader image, but one with his helmet removed to show the scarred face of Anakin Skywalker just before he becomes one with the Force. For collectors who want a Sebastian Shaw Anakin, this is probably the closest you'll get. Using stills from the film on the Kenner style cards are always draws for me when getting VC figures, especially ones I'll keep on the card, like Vader.

Now onto the figure itself! Since it's a recycle of the Dark Times Vader, the figure has the same 17 articulation points as that figure. However this time there are differences. Not only is there a removable right forearm, there is another forearm to re-enact his stump after Luke cuts his right hand off. His accessories are that stump, a lit and unlit lightsaber, and a 3 piece removable helmet. In the past there have been one or two part removable helmets for Vader, but removing that 3rd part has been difficult (pictures below). Here, Anakin's head rests on a ball joint so removing all 3 pieces are easy. At first I was hesitant to remove the head, but it's simple. The unlit hilt can fit on his belt, and this Vader can do the two-handed weapon grip (THWG) quite well, which is essential for any display of Vader in his final battle. Nothing really inhibits his articulation, and it isn't like Vader was an acrobatic fighter, but this is still an excellent feature. Even Vader's chest plate is accurate to how it looked in ROTJ. But one problem of past Vader figures with removable helmet pieces is the helmet not staying attached, or coming apart when moving the head. This figure doesn't have that problem. Up close, you can tell the helmet can be removed. But from a distance you can't tell. I store this figure in a container with other figures and the helmet stays on, which is amazing! Also, I used the Dark Times Vader lightsaber and unlit hilt, because I got a little dyslexic so, fair notice.

Now, there are a couple flaws. I'm not a fan of the cape, as I feel it's too large. I mean, Vader isn't patrolling the rooftops of Gotham City and flying down like Batman! If this was a Batman figure in the 1:18 scale I'd dig the cape. Note to self: invest in 2 sided fabric tape to keep the cape looking normal. Another flaw are his gloves. I know details of Vader's costume changed from film to film, but while the Dark Times Vader had great detail on his gloves, this figure has what appear to be basic black gloves (see the photos below for comparison). These flaws may not bother you, but I point them out because I'm a Star Wars collector and griping is second nature to me, LOL! Honestly these aren't big issues, and don't take away from my enjoyment of this figure. I find the head sculpt to look more like Hayden Christensen than Sebastian Shaw, but your opinion may vary from mine. I tried to get a great head shot, so you can form your own opinion. It should be noted later this year a battle damaged Vader from the Obi-Wan series will come later this year, and that will of course be Hayden Christensen under the helmet. One thing I might do is paint clear gloss paint over the helmet to make it shinier, as Vader's helmet in the start of ROTJ was very shiny. Please leave a comment if I should do that, would be interesting to see what those who read this think about my suggestion.

I will note I found this at Wal-Mart a week ago today, so check your local Wal-Mart (or Target as they stock new toys mostly on Sunday's)! Normally I get figures from internet sellers since retail has been spotty for me the last 4-5 years. I took a ton of pictures so below are the rest of my photos to show how cool this figure is. It's the best figure in 2023, and I should add I also got Cad Bane a couple days ago. I cannot recommend strongly enough to get this figure, as he is absolutely ESSENTIAL for anyone's Star Wars collection! So VC fans can finally rejoice at getting a definitive ROTJ Darth Vader, and the good news is if he's repacked a couple years from now I doubt anyone complains. Unless they missed out, so don't miss out on this figure!! The photos below are my best attempt at recreating some key scenes from Return of the Jedi using this figure:

Thanks for reading! All pictures except the carded image are mine. The carded image is from eBay. Please share this blog on your social media account (copy link and post) so I can get more readers. Thank you!