Darth Vader (Death Star II) - TVC - Basic (VC280)

Have you ever seen Hasbro's quick to reuse their existing tooling to produce different versions (or new) of characters from the Star Wars universe? Everyone raved about 2022’s TVC Darth Vader (The Dark Times) (VC241) figure and hoped they’d reuse it for the Original trilogy-inspired version of Darth Vader. And they did. Collectors can now welcome Darth Vader (Death Star II), a definitive interpretation of Darth Vader’s final moments in the Star Wars universe, before being reborn as Anakin Skywalker and turning to the light side of the Force because of the love for his only son, Luke Skywalker. The new version of Darth Vader is exquisite and a lovely addition to the long-running The Vintage Collection basic figure line. With new forearms, hands, head sculpt, and three-piece helmets, collectors have a refreshed and revised take on this Episode VI version of Darth Vader, and we know you’re going to be as happy with it as us. The new tooling makes Darth Vader (Death Star II) feel wholly new, and while we’re not convinced the new likeness is a dead ringer for Sebastian Shaw, it works in the capacity of an evil man turned good and reminiscent of the on-screen character seen in 1983. The newness brought here is married to a stunning articulation system. It presents collectors with a long-awaited update to the now-obsolete Darth Vader (VC08) figure, and we’re happy to pack that figure away once and for all.

Like its predecessor, Darth Vader (The Dark Times), Darth Vader (Death Star II) is another magnificent creation. We all concede that Hasbro’s 3.75-inch action figure-making has come far in recent years. But with the last couple of figures, they’re pushing the boundaries of what seems to be their standard comfort level. How do they get such incredible movement and functionality out of these tiny areas of articulation? How do limbs move agilely and spread more expansive than ever before, and how do they translate magnificent detail effortlessly on these miniature works of art? They’ve done all these things effortlessly on Darth Vader (Death Star II). Darth Vader’s “Anakin Skywalker” portrait is gorgeous. Even if you’re not sold that it’s a perfect likeness. Admittedly, the character’s portrait looks too young to be Sebastian Shaw but doesn’t necessarily resemble Hayden Christensen. That said, the details are crisp, and the deco captures the alternating silver and black shadows that hang in the mask, and we believe we see the slightest red wash in the mask’s “eyes.” The new portrait attaches itself to the upper body thanks to the technologically-advanced barbell joint, so you get a range of movement not always standard on super-articulated versions of Darth Vader. What’s more, the newly designed three-piece helmet wraps around the new head sculpt like a glove and doesn’t look too large or oddly shaped in any way. It looks fantastic.

The pliable plastic in the upper body allows the shoulder flaps to bend upward when moving the arms at the shoulder joints. The arms no longer appear bulky and have a more streamlined appearance. Most importantly, the torso is “v-shaped,” allowing you to bring the thinner arms closer to the body for a natural human-like hang. As you can see, Hasbro spared no details here. The ball-jointed torso also gives you a wide range of movement and allows you to achieve exaggerated poses as needed, from static to action-oriented. The new ball-socket hips give Darth Vader (Death Star II) fantastic flexibility. You can recreate the battle with Luke Skywalker beautifully, and the figure looks natural in these poses. You may criticize the soft goods Hasbro employed here. Their drape isn’t perfected, but they fit the figure nicely and cooperate somewhat when you pose the figure dynamically. We also have to point out how happy we are to see the drilled hole on the figure’s left side for the included hilt accessory. And lastly, Hasbro included an interchangeable “stub” from the damage Vader sustained from Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber blow. Darth Vader (Death Star II) is a triumph on every level, and we’re thrilled Hasbro developed an Original Trilogy version of Darth Vader based on something from Disney Star Wars. It should have happened oppositely, but we digress. Walmart is the retailer of the first store reports of this wave, but unfortunately, they're selling figures for $16.97 now. That’s laughable.

We hope Hasbro will continue to build upon this tooling and give us more definitive versions of Darth Vader from all the Original Trilogy films and Revenge Of The Sith. Hasbro has so much untapped potential here; we pray they don’t squander it. Photos, critiques, and varying opinions will not help to sell what this figure offers to The Vintage Collection and 3.75-inch enthusiasts. Darth Vader (Death Star II) is another extraordinary Darth Vader action figure on a 3.75-inch scale. It’s unequivocal. It will help us all endure the pain of the dreadful Disney Star Wars garbage. They must continue making exquisite super-articulated 3.75-inch action figures like this for our collections. Darth Vader (Death Star II) is inarguably one of the best figures in 2023. For some history, to date, The Vintage Collection brought us a couple of versions of Darth Vader based on the character’s appearance from Return Of The Jedi. The first version was part of the inaugural wave of The Vintage Collection back in August 2010, even though placed on a The Empire Strikes Back card. But the figure came with a removable helmet showing the likeness of Anakin Skywalker underneath. Hasbro eventually repacked the exact figure and placed it on a Return Of The Jedi card for Hasbro’s 2011 “Revenge Of The Jedi” campaign. Then, during the summer of 2012, they released a “new” version of Darth Vader based on the attack of Force Lightning from Emperor Palpatine. The figure was a pleasant update to the version released in 2001’s Power Of The Jedi line, but at best, it’s a novelty figure inspired by a few film frames.