Figure of the Day: Day 385: Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader

ANAKIN SKYWALKER Changes to Darth Vader
Revenge of the Sith Deluxe Figures
Item No.: Asst. 84845 No. 84987
Number: n/a
Includes: 2 lightsabers, arms, armor, cape, cloak, and more!
Action Feature: Anakin transforms into Darth Vaer
Retail: $9.99
Availability: Fall 2003
Appearances: Revenge of the Sith

Bio: Anakin Skywalker, hero of the Republic, turns to the dark side of the Force and joins the evil Sith. After nearly dying in combat, one final change erases all traces of his former self. No longer Anakin, he is now Darth Vader. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' toy shelves.



Commentary: When I first heard about this Anakin Skywalker figure, I cringed-- I assumed it'd be like all those Batman figures I bought where it turns from Bruce Wayne to Batman and neither outfit looked any good. While it isn't perfect, it does have some things going for it that other Sith Anakin figures can't even dream of being able to do. Things like sitting. Anakin's lower robes are fully removable for his transformation into Darth Vader, so you can get them out of the way and he can sit in his Jedi Starfighter with absolutely no problems. This is why I think everybody should own this figure. Kids may enjoy the transforming bits, and it's fun to throw on some armor, push down his head, and say "presto, new figure!" but when you look at them both, do either really look awesome? Each has a few high points, like Darth Vader's helmet looks really good in this set, but the armor isn't quite a perfect fit and you can still see some of the brown Jedi outfit under the armor. Obviously, this is not your one-stop figure to meet all your Anakin or Darth Vader needs, but if you're looking for something that's fun to play with, or for something for your kids, you should totally get this one.

Collector's Notes: A small "warehouse find" resulted in these coming back in stock at Entertainment Earth, but other than that, they've been off the market since late 2005. It's worth about the same as it was when it first came out, so expect to drop about $10-$13 for this one. If Hasbro ever makes a Darth Vader with a ball-jointed head, I really, really hope they use this helmet sculpt as the basis of the head.

Day 385: May 26, 2007