Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Darth Vader (Obi-Wan Kenobi)

Release Date: November 2023

RRP: 9900 yen

Even amongst all of the Star Wars series that have been released on Disney+ over the past few years Obi-Wan Kenobi was particularly significant – bridging the gap between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope for the former Jedi Master. However the series was just as notable for the return of Darth Vader, who attempts to chase down Kenobi throughout the series before a final showdown with him on a barren moon. So of course the show prompted a whole range of new action figures (because what Star Wars product doesn't?), with Bandai Tamashii Nations joining in the fun with two new S.H. Figuarts releases of the iconic characters. S.H. Figuarts Darth Vader (Obi-Wan Kenobi) is their fourth rendition of the Sith Lord, following on from a Return of the Jedi version in 2015, a A New Hope version in 2018 and a second Return of the Jedi one in 2019.

This Obi-Wan Kenobi rendition of Darth Vader comes in the usual Star Wars S.H. Figuarts packaging, which isn't especially extravagant from a design perspective but nevertheless feels quite fitting to the franchise. The front of the glossy black box is predominantly taken up by the window section showing off the figure inside, with the S.H. Figuarts logo printed in gold lettering at the bottom of the window and a gold border surrounding it with a very small name card. Once side of the box is relatively plain, again featuring the name card and the Star Wars logo, while the other combines the logo with a nice side bust shot of the figure. On the back of the box is the usual array of images showing off the figure (and accessories) in various poses, featuring some great shots of it locking in combat against the Obi-Wan Kenobi release from the series. Open it up and both figure and accessories are neatly stored on a moulded plastic tray, with almost the entire space of the tray filled with parts.

A nice little bonus with this release is that it also comes with a special insert backing card, featuring bust artwork of Vader against blue and orange lighting. This isn't the first Star Wars release to feature one (the Mandalorian Boba Fett also had a great one), but it certain doesn't make it any less notable. While most will probably just leave it in the box, it's a great piece of artwork that could be framed/displayed elsewhere should you be the kind of person who doesn't keep the packaging or isn't necessarily particular about keeping it all together.

While Darth Vader has retained the same overall suit design over the years, there often a number of key differences (some subtle, some less so) between them in each appearance. Given its place in the timeline the Obi-Wan Kenobi version of Darth Vader is somewhere between the Revenge of the Sith and Rogue One versions, which are largely similar to the original A New Hope suit with a few alterations (mainly the silver stripes on the shoulder section and the robes sitting underneath said section). Despite having produced that A New Hope version of Vader Bandai have done this new figure from the ground up, giving him slightly beefier proportions and a larger helmet sculpt to match how he appears in the series. Compared to previous releases this one also makes better use of glossy plastic to signify differences in armour materials – mostly notably for the helmet, shoulder pads, gloves and boots. As with the A New Hope and 2019 Return of the Jedi versions it features a wired cloth cape, however this time Bandai have also gone the extra mile and added a cloth robe as well – complete with wired skirt section. The soft plastic skirt was a HUGE hindrance to previous versions of the figure, so this addition alone pretty much makes it the best Vader in the line. The chain holding the cape together has also been altered so its smaller and contains more links, which is again a bit more accurate to how it looks in the show.

Although there's been a lot of changes when it comes to the sculpt and materials used on the figure, in terms of articulation not that much has changed since previous releases. That said, the swap to a cloth skirt makes a HUGE difference when it comes to poseability, with Vader finally able to do the kind of poses the S.H. Figuarts line is known for. Altogether he features; 

- Ball jointed head, neck, torso, waist and wrists 

- Swivel hinge shoulders and ankles 

- Butterfly joint shoulders 

- Drop-down ball jointed hips

- Double hinge elbows and knees

- Single hinge toe sections 

- Bicep and thigh swivels 

As usual, the shoulder pads are also connected to the arms via levered ball joints to give them free range movement from the arm itself. It's worth noting that there are still a few minor quibbles – the ankle tilt isn't great which makes wide-legged poses a little trickier, and the thigh swivel is so stiff (not to mention high up) that it may as well not be there at all. The continued use of drop-down thighs is a surprise too (particularly since the cloth skirt actually makes them more exposed), but truth be told the gap when pulled down is barely noticeable at all amongst all that black. But overall this is a massive improvement over previous Vaders, with the unrestricted leg movement allowing proper combat poses to properly show off his brute strength fighting style.

Darth Vader's standard accessories include six additional pairs of hands, two versions of his Lightsaber hilt (one for holding and the other to clip onto the belt when not in use) and two renditions of its iconic red blade. The first is the standard style translucent plastic blade seen with all Star Wars figures, while the other is a wider, triangular shaped blade which is meant to represent the effect the blade has when waved. Bandai have included this kind of blade with a few different figures now, and while it’s a nice idea (and can be very effective when posing), it is a little tricky to do it in a way that looks natural. It'll never replace the standard blade, but as an extra for more dynamic posing opportunities it's certainly appreciated. The hand count and selection on offer here is also very good – including a range iconic Darth Vader poses on top of your usual closed fists, open/accessory holding hands etc. As well open posed hands for suitably dramatic gestures, there's also the obligatory force choke pose hands should Vader hear some particularly bad news from someone expendable.

But for the most part, all of those previously mentioned accessories are the same as what's been included with previous Darth Vader figures. What makes this version unique are the alternate head and chest unit parts included, based directly off the battle-damaged version of Vader at the end of the series following his showdown with Kenobi. This is where the horrific fate of Anakin Skywalker is truly shown to Obi-Wan, with the slash down the side of Vader's mask revealed his former friend's scarred and hateful face. Bandai have recreated this look beautifully for the figure, a fully-sculpted half Anakin face embedded behind the mask with painted scars and yellow eye. The damage on the mask is equally impressive, jagged in a way that looks just like it's been melted away by the heat of a Lightsaber blade. The alternate chest unit just completes the battle-damaged look, taking away all the lights of the switches and adding deep slashes through it. These parts give the figure a whole different vibe, so much so that it's almost tempting to buy a second version in order to display both heads. While Hasbro have also done a battle-damaged version in their Black Series line, that is a whole separate figure – the cost might be higher with S.H. Figuarts, but the choice to swap between the two looks makes this the ideal Obi-Wan Kenobi Vader figure at this scale.

Everyone is going to have their preference on which version of Darth Vader's suit is the best (and I maintain that it's baffling Bandai have never done an Empire Strikes Back variant), but in terms of screen accuracy, articulation and accessories S.H. Figuarts Darth Vader (Obi-Wan Kenobi) is by far and away the best they have ever produced. Each and every Vader figure they've done has had little refinements but making that step towards a cloth skirt was exactly what was needed to finally make the perfect release. Whether you have it displayed in standard or battle-damaged form, this is the one that truly conveys how big, imposing and completely over the top Darth Vader is. Honestly it's my new favourite Star Wars figure, and it's hard to see how it's going to be beaten any time soon.