Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,321 Darth Vader (Force Masters / Epic World of Action)

DARTH VADER Force Masters Pack
Epic World of Action Target Exclusive
Item No.: Asst. G0363 No. G0778
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Red lightsaber, Force lightning, 4 other figures with accessories
Action Feature: Lightning grip for fists, lightning can wrap around figure
Retail: $34.99
Availability: July 2025
Appearances: Obi-Wan Kenobi

Bio: Jedi Masters take on Sith Lord Darth Vader in this 5-pack of Star Wars action figures inspired by Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke Skywalker, Force Ghost Yoda, Ahsoka Tano, and Darth Vader. (Taken from the Target's web site. Package has no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

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Commentary: This is an interesting Darth Vader, in a year with many Darths Vader. In 2025 Hasbro gave us a "basic" Vader that's pretty much the same as this one - but with some minor changes. For this release, Hasbro added red lightning to his gloves, changed his belt buckle to have an unpainted triangle for some reason, and also painted the lenses on the helmet red. It's different!

The body itself is the same basic mold we got with the Mech or on the individual cardback - and it's a very nice figure. You get bend-and-swivel joints at the shoulders, elbows, and knees plus ball-jointed hips. The whole thing is very efficient and while it isn't the joint-spree of The Vintage Collection it's also half the price. He stands easily, but I might not recommend him as a fighter pilot. Yes, the cape is removable, but the skirt piece is a little thick and may get in the way of driving the family car. Hasbro did a good job sculpting him, unfortunately the grooves and cuts aren't super deep or detailed like many of the older figures. The detail is still present - check out the silver on the chest armor, which is over the robes. Note the horizontal lines on the gloves, which is specific to Obi-Wan Kenobi, Rebels, Rogue One and Star Wars. Hasbro also sculpted the figure to have a smoother, shinier texture on the various "hard" elements of the costume. It's a clever cost-cutting measure, this way they don't need to paint it with a glossy black paint.

I had no problems getting him to stand, even while holding his massive accessories. The big boots and tight joints keep him from doing a face-plant. This is a good design for a figure. "But Adam!" you say, "I don't like kiddo toys." Well, sure you do, we all grew up with toys and you can be an adult and admit it is OK if you buy toys for children. You've been doing it for years, it's OK, I won't make fun of you and we'd probably even be good friends if we met and if you're, you know, cool. If adult fans didn't insist on demanding features they don't want to pay for, I think collectors would see the mold and design as a good one. It's better than what we got in the 1990s, arguably cheaper given inflation, but I will admit that deco is a mixed bag.

This mold mostly replicates the looks from Rebels and Obi-Wan Kenobi with brighter than bright red lenses that are unique to this release, and kind of welcome. As we get older, or display our stuff in dark rooms, having brighter or in some way exaggerated features on small items helps a bunch. I like the light silver armor, I appreciate the belt buckle and the two lights on the chest they painted. I'm disappointed they left off the coin slots and the column ornament deco, though - it's sculpted, just blank. I also can't explain why they changed the belt buckle from being all silver to having a black cut-out for the paint mask. Some merch has this region partially black due to the vents - but the other Hasbro figures using this mold don't. I'm not sure why they would make the change. It stood out, and it's a notable difference. Hasbro also gave him some red lightning on hisi gloves which, honestly, I could do without. We got the red lightning as an accessory, and blue is the typical color whenever we see Vader lighting up some fools or being lit up himself... canon or otherwise.

But how's the gear? Good. The cape fits on the back peg hole, the lightning fits in his fist, and the cracklin' lightsaber also fits in the fist. The lightning is sort of a venus fly trap, able to grasp a figure a bit depending on its weight. It's pretty clever, as you can "grab" a guy in a distinct pose too. I know Vader is typically not canonically shown using it, but also, I unlocked all the secret characters and found the movies in Star Wars: Masters of Teras Kasi so Hasbro can do whatever they want if it's on screen somewhere.

I love that Hasbro gave him red lenses to make him stand out from the Mech Pilot, the Single Card (5 joints), the Single Card (9 joints), and of course the 2-pack with the Stormtrooper (5 joints.) Any time they include a unique accessory or deco hit to make it stand out - especially if it's weird - I'm generally supportive of the change. This might be the most interesting deco overall on this version of the mold, so I'd steer you to this set especially if it's on sale. I'd love a little more silver paint on the helmet and chest, but it's also a kid toy in a kid line that I feel is not long for this world. I would love to see more figures made in this 4-inch style (maybe not with the lightning), and I commend Hasbro for coming up with a way to make these stand out from last year's models. And I can also be cranky I've bought the sculpt about five times between the two significant molds.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Target on sale for $24.49. If I didn't overpay for Walmart's exclusives last year, I probably would've bought this one at full price and not complain. I needed that karmic price adjustment.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,321: February 19, 2026