Electronic Duel Darth Vader (Star Wars: Rebels) - RO - 12-Inch Figures

Once a heroic Jedi Knight, Darth Vader was seduced by the dark side of the Force, became a Sith Lord, and led the Empire's eradication of the Jedi Order.

Whether you enjoyed the Star Wars: Rebels television show or not, one thing that made it visually appealing were all of the Ralph McQuarrie inspirations worked into the characters. Whether it was the concept art of Chewbacca that made Zeb or the McQuarrie-inspired take on Darth Vader, this style homogenized the cast of characters while keeping them visually relevant. Darth Vader may stand out as one of the best looking characters in the Star Wars: Rebels television show. After making a 5POA version of Darth Vader in The Force Awakens Two-Packs line, Hasbro felt an over-the-top 12-Inch Figure would make sense for release in the Rogue One line. And in all honesty, the figure looks great. It may not have the greatest articulation or some accessories, but the aesthetics of the figure are beautiful, and it is a visually pleasing figure. Let’s take a close look at this figure.

Electronic Duel Darth Vader (Star Wars: Rebels) comes with seven points of articulation. The figure comes with all of the standard points of articulation that most figures in the 12-Inch Figures line have. The shoulder joints are particularly loose, but that’s because the figure has an action feature and for it to work these joints need complete freedom to move as needed. In this case, you have to squeeze Electronic Duel Darth Vader (Star Wars: Rebels)’s legs, and it raises his lightsaber-wielding arm so that he can battle as needed. It’s easy to grasp the legs thanks to the included soft-goods cape which doesn’t inhibit you holding onto the figure at all. Sadly, the lightsaber blade isn’t removable, so you’re stuck with one look for this figure, and we find that to be very disappointing. Why couldn’t Hasbro have added a little bit of interchangeability to this figure to make the most of it?

Electronic Duel Darth Vader (Star Wars: Rebels)’s lightsaber blade also lights up. And the figure comes with battle sounds for extra play value. Most collectors would easily overlook all of the extra bells and whistles that come with Electronic Duel Darth Vader (Star Wars: Rebels). Perhaps a more standard type of 12-Inch Figure approach would have ultimately worked better here. The design of this figure is nothing short of impressive, however. The head sculpt in particular is one of the most gorgeously designed likenesses of Darth Vader we have seen in the line to date. It’s an animated take on Darth Vader, but it has a level of realism to it that we cannot ignore at all. Hasbro added a touch of red/orange color to the lenses of his helmet, and it gives the character the finishing touches it needs. Sadly, these figures didn’t perform well at retail and can still be found on clearance at many online shops.