Darth Vader (Ver. 2.0) - Real Action Heroes

Once a Jedi Knight named Anakin Skywalker, Darth Vader was consumed by the dark side of the Force and became an evil Dark Lord of the Sith. Emperor Palpatine relies greatly on Vader's motivational skills, combat techniques. and starfighter tactics.

Sometimes when a new line start off, the final figures don’t come off as well as they were planned at the inception of that line. Medicom Toy, as far as one-sixth collectors were concerned, were seemingly right on the money out of the gate with the Star Wars Real Action Heroes line. Yes, there were scale issues because Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker (Jedi Knight) were the same exact height, but that’s because these were created in an era where there weren’t different body bucks to represent tall/medium/short characters. All characters were subject to the same starting point and it did raise concern with collectors. We’re not sure if Medicom Toy has moved all that far away from this issue. While we have experienced what we believe are taller Darth Vader figures in years since the first releases, all figures are relatively the same height. There were other issues to correct however. Medicom Toy has found new methods to create eerily exact likenesses for human faces. The very first Darth Vader figure was certainly impressive, but they’ve been able to produce superior versions of the dark Lord of the Sith since. The biggest improvements to Darth Vader can be found however in the proudly named Darth Vader (Ver. 2.0), a new take on Darth Vader as he appeared in Star Wars Episode VI: Return Of The Jedi specifically, but since his outfit is identical in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, this can technically be a Darth Vader based on that film too.

What does set the Darth Vader (Ver. 2.0) apart from all previous versions is that this one is a talking Real Action Heroes. (We’re not big fans of electronics in high-end collectibles, but if it is done subtly and not frequently we’re alright with this decision.) Darth Vader (Ver. 2.0) says five complete phrases with a push of a button on his back including “I’ve been waiting for you, Obi-Wan. We meet again at last. The circle is now complete. When I left you, I was but a learner. Now I am the master,� “There is no escape. Don’t make me destroy you,� “There is no conflict,� “If that is your destiny,� and “You don’t know the power of the dark side.� The figure also come with breathing sounds. It’s quite obvious that Medicom Toy has selected phrases from across the Original Trilogy. But this could drive anal-retentive collectors nuts because this is really Darth Vader based on his appearance in Episode VI. We share this concern. Any fully removable helmet Darth Vader figure is based from Return Of The Jedi. There should be no ifs, ands or buts about it. Darth Vader (Ver. 2.0) also comes with a stunning light-up lightsaber accessory. A gentle turn of the a section of the hilt will instantly ignite the blade brightly, thanks to a tiny battery in it. It is quite an accomplishment to make the hilt to scale and still add electronics to it. We’re very impressed with this feature. There are many parts to Darth Vader (Ver. 2.0)’s armor. Medicom Toy has sculpted them all beautifully and the accuracy extends well beyond our own expectations of what this figure could bring to the collecting community.

The updated Real Action Heroes body is loaded with over a mind-boggling 40 points of articulation. It’s clear that Darth Vader (Ver. 2.0) comes with the same articulation. But you have to keep in mind that between the tight ribbed leather body glove and the armored pieces that you really don’t get the full range of movement out of this collectible. But we also don’t think collectors would expect this either. When you have a fully outfitted Star Wars character like this, there will be inhibitions of movement. The most impressive part of Darth Vader (Ver. 2.0) is the portrait. In our opinion, Medicom Toy nailed the likeness of actor Sebastian Shaw AS WELL AS the battle-damage and scarring the character sustained years and years earlier. His eyes are haunting, his expression looks recently redeemed and the cuts and gashes on his skull will make you feel a little nauseous. These are key details that make the unmasked Darth Vader so unique and all have been beautifully captured here. The helmet breaks down into three separate parts and the tooling that went into each piece is nothing short of impressive. They connect together like a puzzle and maintain the integrity with a screen accurate silhouette. The helmet and boots are cast in a very shiny plastic and look amazing. His cape is double layered and has a beautiful drape. It contains a wire in the hem for aggressive posing if you’re so inclined. The cape is also attached to his chest armor which really helps it keep its shape. This is a beautiful Darth Vader figure. Medicom Toy has done right by Darth Vader (Ver. 2.0). For us it’s a must-have collectible.