DARTH VADER (Or, Anakin Skywalker)
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch The Journey of Anakin Skwaylker set, Shop Disney/Hasbro Pulse
Item No.: No. G1282
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #344A
Includes: 3 lightsabers, 3 hilts, 2 alternate hands, Sith lightning wrap
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $49.99
Availability: May 2025
Appearances: Star Wars: Ahsoka
Bio: A hero of the Clone Wars, Anakin Skywalker was a caring and compassionate Jedi. But his deep fear of loss led him to become Sith Lord Darth Vader, who spearheaded the Empire’s eradication of the Jedi Order. (Taken from packaging.)
Image: Adam's photo lab.
Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!
Commentary: I don't read a lot of fan forums, mostly because the postings are from people who might not have the scars of having bought every last Anakin Skywalker - or
Darth Vader - for the past 40-something years. I guess it's perception - from 2005-2011, there were
tons of variations on the
Revenge of the Sith Anakin figure. From the movie, from deleted scenes, it was almost a guarantee you'd get at least one new figure per year of this very costume. Each one has a new twist. This one has the most modern articulation, with the base figure mostly inspired by the various Force visions on the streaming series
Ahsoka.
In the show, a 40-something Hayden Christensen is digitally swabbed and physically wigged to look like he did around 2005. The effect on the show is fine, but it works well as a figure. Plastic smooths over a lot of rough edges. The face sculpt is excellent, with Sithly eyeshadow and what seems to be very very small yellow eyes. What's funny is I'm unsure if the actual head sculpt is based on a 2005 head scan, or something more recent. His
The Clone Wars counterpart
seems younger, as very subtle marks between his eyebrows and around "Darth Vader"'s mouth makes him seem like it might be from a more recent scan. It's hard to tell - it might be my imagination, but his skin seems slightly more tanned too. The lips are painted perfectly and the eyes seem as good as technology will allow. It's remarkable. The wig is glued down and generally looks good enough, but hair is a challenging thing to represent well at this size. Or in this material. I don't doubt Hasbro will refine their manufacturing to get us an even better portrait later, but by then my eyes will likely be so bad I won't notice. This is great.
The body is also good. It takes the costume you recognize and adds in bending wrists, rocker ankles, and those great new hip joints. This would be a perfect figure to put in a vehicle, if Hasbro still made Jedi Starfighters. The texture on the sleeves and outer vest are amazing, and the soft goods are as perfect as we're likely to see at this scale. Those darker brown robes are separately molded, too. I'm wondering if this was a cost issue or a "premium" feature as getting paint hits down no doubt lowers the cost... but molds aren't free. The belt looks great, too. The right hand has painted silver clips so he can hide his cybernetic hand.
Speaking of hands, he has an alternate one. The left hand pops off and can be replaced by a Force-push/Thing from
Addams Family extremity. It's silly to ask if you've ever really taken a look at your hands, but it is clear Hasbro has. The undersides of his fingers look like they have a little bit of that puffy give that our real hands do, and you can see signs of sculpted fingernails. This is super impressive, especially when you consider that Hasbro was just starting to figure out how to make fingers that can be splayed apart and not snap off around 2000/2001. We've come a long way.
Anivader also has two lightsabers, one lit and one not. They're good. Neither is the revised Vader hilt, but you get a red blade. A lot of 2005 figures were conceived of this way too, supposedly as a result of deleted scenes or editing that resulted in some changes during duels. Regardless, it's a match for what we saw on Ahsoka and it's good.
This is a very good figure. While you might not need the armored Vader or Clone Wars (with cape!) Anakin, this figure might be essential for your collecting well-being. Technically a streaming show figure, it'll fit in well with your prequel shelf and there are a lot of little details showing Hasbro's ever-improving capabilities. I'm not saying it can't be better... but at this price, at this point in time? You won't find much better than this.
Collector's Notes: I got mine from Hasbro Pulse. And apparently it was sitting around for months until I cracked it open. New characters tend to get priority here.
--Adam Pawlus
Day 3,285: October 16, 2025
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