Monday, 27 January 2025

Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Darth Vader -Classic Ver- (Star Wars: A New Hope)

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Release Date: October 2024
RRP: 8800 yen

While the Star Wars S.H. Figuarts line has spread across a number of different films and shows, it seems Bandai Tamashii Nations will always come back to the film that started it all. 2024 saw them announce a new range of "Classic Ver" releases - reissuing a number of characters from the original film with updated paint jobs to make them more screen accurate. The rather lengthily titled S.H. Figuarts Darth Vader -Classic Ver- (Star Wars: A New Hope) was among the first of these releases, and the fifth rendition of the iconic Sith Lord in the S.H. Figuarts line. At this point, Bandai have now done two versions of Vader from A New Hope and two from Return of the Jedi, but still nothing at all from The Empire Strikes Back. Given how long the line has been going for now it really is beginning to feel like Bandai have something against that film...

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This new range of "Classic Ver" re-releases doesn't feature packaging that's significantly different from previous releases - in fact generally Star Wars Figuarts have kept the same box design across the board. The only real difference is that the Star Wars logo that adorns the front window is now in solid gold, whereas on the previous releases it was just a gold stencil. Otherwise the layout itself remains the same, with the front of the box almost entirely taken up by the transparent window and all of the stock images kept to the back and one side. Inside the figure and accessories are neatly laid out on a moulded plastic tray, making good use of all the room available. Although most Figuarts ranges have now moved to printing the instructions on the inside flaps of the box, the Star Wars figures continue to feature them on a loose paper leaflet.

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So as just mentioned this "Classic Ver" Darth Vader isn't a new mould, but rather a slight reworking of a previously released S.H. Figuarts Darth Vader. The Vader in question being the Obi-Wan Kenobi version from 2023, rather than the pre-existing A New Hope Vader from all the way back in 2018. There are no mould changes as such, however there are some slight changes to the deco in order to make it more accurate to the film it's representing. Firstly the colouring on the collar section has been changed to alternating black and gunmetal grey sections, as opposed to the alternating black and silver that's on the Kenobi suit. More significant however is the fact that this version of Vader wears his robes over the top of said collar piece - a trait unique the A New Hope suit which was revised for subsequent films. Even Revenge of the Sith, Rogue One and Obi-Wan Kenobi - all of which take place in the timeline before A New Hope, omit this detail. It's a little detail that most will probably ignore, but I appreciate the fact Tamashii Nations made the effort to get it right. 

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As you can hopefully see from the comparison pictures above the differences between this and the Obi-Wan Kenobi version are minimal, however this new Classic Version is a SIGNIFICANT improvement over the previous A New Hope figure. The Classic Version benefits from all the improvements brought about with the Kenobi release, the most significant of which is the wired fabric robes. While the 2018 figure may have had a wired fabric cape, the robes were still soft plastic which resulted in the legs having heavily restricted articulation. This figure has no such issues, with the "skirt" section able to bend away from the legs to allow for a full range of motion. Other improvements include beefier proportions, more accurate helmet (with correct red lenses - and much like the film itself they only really show when viewed close up or in certain light), better detailing, glossy finish on the armour pieces - it's pretty much improved upon in every aspect.

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With all the changes made to this release being purely aesthetic, the articulation itself remains identical to the Obi-Wan Kenobi version. Thankfully with that still being a relatively recent release that's a hell of a body to use, and the wired soft goods make sure none of that poseability is either hindered or wasted. Altogether Darth Vader 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
The robes being moved to over the collar section doesn't have any significant impact on movement, although you might just have to rearrange them every so often to stop them getting bunched up around the shoulder joints. Although the minor complaint of a poor ankle tilt is carried over from the Kenobi version, I did notice this one didn't have quite so still thigh swivels. Outside of that there really isn't that much to say other than to praise just how poseable he is. It took Tamashii Nations several attempts to get here but with this mould they finally nailed the perfect Vader - capable of all the looming static poses the older ones were capable of but also also those great action poses that simply weren't possible without the wired soft goods. 

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Meanwhile the accessory count is a trimmed down version of what's included with the Obi-Wan Kenobi release - cutting out all the non-related accessories as well as a few alternate hands to meet that slightly lower price point. Altogether this Darth Vader comes with three additional pairs of hands (as opposed to the Kenobi's six), two versions of his lightsaber hilt (one for holding and the other to clip onto the belt when not in use) and finally two different versions of its red blade - one the standard style thin blade, and the other a wider triangular piece representing the motion of the blade. The alternate hands included in this release (in addition to the default fists) are open, lightsaber holding and force choking, so at the very least you're able to pull off all the key poses Vader does in A New Hope. If you do happen to also own the Kenobi version, all the extra hands (as well as presumably the alternate head and chest plate, although I haven't tried to force the chest plate off this) are compatible since they are the same mould. Overall it's a fairly basic selection of accessories, but matches up pretty well with what you'd expect this version of Vader to have. The effect-style lightsaber blade looks pretty strange at first, but when you play around posing it a bit it can make for some great looking action shots - particularly with how poseable this Darth Vader figure is.

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While the Obi-Wan Kenobi version undoubtedly remains the "definitive" figure thanks to its extra accessories, the S.H. Figuarts Darth Vader -Classic Version- (Star Wars: A New Hope) edition offers a similarly incredible alternative to any who missed out on that release or simply wants something a little more movie-accurate. Whether the changes that were made for this version are better purely comes down to preference, they don't in any way change just how wonderful that base mould is - a suitably imposing sculpt, great articulation and above all wired soft goods to ensure none of that poseability is lost. Ultimately you can't go wrong owning either version of the mould, because it's perhaps the closest to perfection a 6" Darth Vader figure is ever going to get.

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