I remember the excitement swirling around this figure when it came out.  Not only was this the first ever removable helmet Darth Vader figure, but it was also the first Darth Vader figure where the aesthetics started to come more in line with reality.  The pumped up steroid era of the early POTF2 figures was on the way out and proper proportions were on the way in.  The buzz around this figure was so strong that before it was released in stores, the Fan Club allowed you to order this figure by phone at a limit of one per customer.  My God, this was 16 years ago, but feels as ancient as the 50’s.  Even though Vader is not an army builder, I bought this figure as compulsively as a Manchurian Candidate buys the Catcher in the Rye.

Not only does this figure come with a removable helmet, but it also features a removable hand to recreate the final scenes of Return of the Jedi.  This removable hand also functioned as a point of articulation.  Times they were a changin’.  Instead of essentially holding the saber straight out in a gesture that looks like an attempt to poke the adversary, the figure can rotate the saber in different dueling poses to include holding it horizontally in a fading defense against Luke’s furious final chops. This figure serves as the first argument that articulation is a good thing.

Hasbro made sure to make the Vader costume Episode VI accurate.  Episode accuracy on Vader costumes would still be an after thought for several more years, but Hasbro knew the first ever removable helmet Darth Vader was a landmark figure and they needed to pay attention to the details specifically the chest box, robe configuration and the gloves.  This is also the first ever Darth Vader figure where the silver highlights on the chest armor are painted as is the norm in the current line.  The injuries to the head are nicely detailed and gives almost a grotesque Freddy Kruger appearance.  One thing to note is that this is one of the few fully Sebastian Shaw Darth Vader heads.  Current figures come with the CGI hybrid Sebastian Shaw / Hayden Christensen head.

But alas this figure has not stood the test of time.  Though the figures were finally starting to scale down, it’s still on the bulky side.  The plastic cape and robe combined with the limited articulation mean there is not a lot this figure can do.  The only reason to buy this figure is nostalgia and a sense of action figure history. 3 out of 10.