NEW PRODUCT: HOT TOYS: STAR WARS: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK™ DARTH VADER™ (40TH ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION) 1/6TH SCALE COLLECTIBLE FIGURE

“Impressive... Most Impressive.” – Darth Vader

In Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Darth Vader attempted to convert Luke Skywalker to the dark side by luring the young Skywalker into a trap in the Cloud City of Bespin. In the midst of a fierce lightsaber duel with the Sith Lord, Luke faces the startling revelation that the evil Vader is in fact his father, Anakin Skywalker…

In celebrating Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back 40th anniversary, Hot Toys is excited to introduce a series of throwback collectibles based on this iconic film! Today, Hot Toys is pleased to re-introduce the highly popular 1/6th scale Darth Vader Collectible Figure with a specially designed retro style packaging!

The highly-accurate collectible figure is specially crafted featuring a skillfully crafted Darth Vader helmet with complex interior mechanical details and the back of Lord Vader’s battle damaged head, highly detailed Darth Vader armor and sophisticatedly tailored body suit, LED light-up chest panel and belt, an LED light-up lightsaber, and a Cloud City theme diorama figure base!

Embrace the 40 year legacy of this cinematic masterpiece and don’t miss out on this stunning Darth Vader collectible figure for your The Empire Strikes Back 40th Anniversary Collection!
SPECIFICATIONS
PRODUCT CODEMMS572
PRODUCT NAMEDARTH VADER
HEIGHTAPPROXIMATELY 35 CM TALL
POINTS OF ARTICULATIONS30
SPECIAL FEATURESHELMET WITH DETACHABLE OUTER HELMET TO REVEAL THE BACK OF DARTH VADER’S BATTLE DAMAGED HEAD, SPECIAL PACKAGE DESIGN WITH STAR WARS: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK 40TH ANNIVERSARY LOGO
ARTISTSHEAD SCULPTED BY GOX & VIVA LAI
HEAD PAINTED BY JC. HONG
HEAD ART DIRECTED BY JC. HONG

The 1/6th scale Darth Vader Collectible Figure (The Empire Strikes Back 40th Anniversary Collection) specially features:

- Authentic and detailed likeness of Darth Vader in Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back
- Specially crafted helmet with detachable outer helmet to reveal the back of Darth Vader’s battle damaged head
- Specialized body with over 30 points of articulations
- Approximately 35 cm tall
- Nine (9) pieces of interchangeable gloved hands including:
- One (1) pair of lightsaber holding hands
- One (1) pair of hands for holding belt boxes
- Four (4) pieces of gesture hands
- One (1) piece of Force-using right hand
- Special package design with Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back 40th Anniversary logo

Costume:
- One (1) Darth Vader armor and suit
- One (1) black cape
- One (1) chest panel with LED light-up function (red light, battery operated)
- One (1) system function belt with LED light-up function (white light, battery operated)
- One (1) pair of black boots

Weapons:
- One (1) LED-lighted red lightsaber (red light, battery operated)
- One (1) lightsaber hilt
- One (1) red-colored lightsaber blade in motion (attachable to the hilt)

Accessory:
- A Cloud City theme LED-lighted diorama figure base (yellow light, battery operated)

Artists:
- Head Sculpted by GOX & Viva Lai
- Head Painted by JC. Hong
- Head Art Directed by JC. Hong

Release date: Approximately Q3 – Q4, 2020

**Prototype shown, final product may be slightly different
**Battery included for collectible figure, button cells are required
**Batteries are not included for the diorama figure base, 3A batteries (3 pieces) are required
**Product details are subject to change without further notice

& TM Lucasfilm Ltd.
2020 Hot Toys Limited. All Rights Reserved.






























#newproduct #HotToys #StarWars #EmpireStrikesBack #DarthVader #Sci-Fi #movie #40thAnniversaryCollection #male

Ha! Just as I was musing over the new and rather frivolous Boba Fett variation announced by HT, they managed to announce an ESB Vader re-release. Well, he looks great and is bound to sell well, if the price is less than that commanded by the secondary market for its predecessor(s). Otherwise, I feel much the same way about it as the new Boba Fett.

Well at least I'll be able to get some of the missing parts I need for that Vader 'bash now.....

While this is... sort of a good re-release (since I have yet to have a Vader)... I can’t help but think I should still hold out for the version I really want (ROTJ), though I’m terrified at what that will possibly cost by the time HT gets around to doing that one.


And where the Hell is ESB Han and Lando (these easy cash-grabs of faceless characters is getting old).

Stryker2011 wrote:While this is... sort of a good re-release (since I have yet to have a Vader)... I can’t help but think I should still hold out for the version I really want (ROTJ), though I’m terrified at what that will possibly cost by the time HT gets around to doing that one.


And where the Hell is ESB Han and Lando (these easy cash-grabs of faceless characters is getting old).

I couldn't agree more on the latter part. Also agree this is a good re-release (iconic look, full set, possible improvement on previous release?). Having seen the trouble Sky has had putting together a Vader after waiting too long, if you can stomach the price (is there a version without the base?), I'd say grab it. And pray HT will make a sixth-scale ROTJ version and you can grab parted-out the unmasked head and cut up hand.

Agreed with you both! Get a Vader while you can , and plan to pick up spare parts later. And yes.... where is my Bespin Han!!!

Oh man! $285 at Sideshow. I hate to pay that kind of money, but I have a feeling that ROTJ Vader is going to be well over $300 by the time Howard gets off his ass and has him made.

Stryker2011 wrote:Oh man! $285 at Sideshow. I hate to pay that kind of money, but I have a feeling that ROTJ Vader is going to be well over $300 by the time Howard gets off his ass and has him made.

Actually, for one of their Vader sets, and given the gradual and relentless rise in prices, this is not excessively horrendous (I seem to remember them being quite expensive already). And certainly not as excessively horrendous as it will be when they make your preferred version.

Yeah, given what I have just paid to reconstitute an ANH-style one [and then ended up buying a secondhand one anyway cause of the dearth of parts, ugh!]... it's not too bad. Though you are right, the RotJ Vader will likely be insanely priced, which sucks cause that's my fave. :{

Which 1/6 Vader is the best? I thought this one was shorter. Was the Sideshow version better?

MerylAkiba wrote:Which 1/6 Vader is the best? I thought this one was shorter. Was the Sideshow version better?

Well, this one (I mean its first release) looks a little stoutish, I forget whether he is accurate in height, scale wise. The Sideshow one (their second, I think, is the one I have) is actually too tall. And the helmet is a little off and the body looks a little skinny. We did some comparisons in this thread:

https://onesixthfigures.forumotion.com/t771-star-wars-darth-vader-customs

Meryl -- This is a tricky question, and I don't personally feel there is any one definitive 'best' 1/6 Vader at the moment. Definitely check out GF's thread if you are interested in an HT Vader, or curious about the HT vs. Sideshow parts. Also, I found it helpful to watch about a gazillion different HT Vader review videos on youtube, as everyone's mileage on what they prefer in their Vader differs, so it's useful to see consider a variety of opinions. From what I can tell, aside from this one, there have already now been FOUR previous 1/6 Hot Toys Vader figures [the first ANH one, the first ESB one, the Rogue One Vader, and then the second ANH Vader which came in a boxed set with Tarkin], which is nuts, especially considering they still haven't done the RotJ version. I'm guessing they could be waiting for the 40th anniversary of that movie in 2023, but I rather hope not.... that's another three/four year wait, if so. D:

All the existing 1/6 Vader's have 'flaws', both the Sideshow and HT versions, hence why kitbashing one seemed the way to go. My personal favourite from all of them are probably the Tarkin set ANH Vader, followed by the Rogue One Vader. I'm not as keen on the original Hot Toys ESB Vader, I just don't find him aesthetically appealing for some reason. The very first HT ANH Vader is considered by most to be the 'worst', mainly due to some of the wonky proportions, lack of likeness in the helmet/mask, and also the fact that they made the gloves on him in two separate pieces.... one part the hands, and the other a sort of sleeve thingie. Sounds like a great idea for increased articulation, but it was executed very poorly and didn't look very good. Consequently, this made later versions have extremely sought-after loose parts that people would use to upgrade or swap out with the 'bad' version.

In my recent attempt to kitbash an ANH-style Vader for an eventual planned photoshoot I want to do, I discovered to my dismay that locating loose 'good' gloves was nigh impossible. I'd almost gotten the whole thing put together, but then ran into that roadblock. Finally, right before the pandemic lockdown, I managed to find the elusive and usually-super expensive Rogue One Vader being sold by a UK seller for an insanely good price, so I just admitted defeat and picked up that boxed figure secondhand. I'm still planning to kitbash a second version though, since I now have plenty of gloves to go around. ;'D Just been waiting for a decent set of chest box + belt to become available, since that's pretty much all I'm missing now. Looks like I'll probably have to pick those up once parted out from this set, and I strongly suggest if anyone else is missing Vader parts [lol!] to jump at the chance to get them loose whenever and wherever you can. ;p

All that Vader comparison stuff gives me a headache. I wonder if I shouldn’t just get the tall SSC Vader (not really feeling chunky ESB HT Vader — Dave must have put on a few pounds) — plus SS has him with free US shipping...

Stryker -- it gave me a massive headache, too! I had to pester poor GF almost every step of the way with which pieces to get. But after I started, I feel like I need to complete it, or it's just a waste of time, money, and yes... headaches.

I don't personally mind an overly-tall Vader, so I'd say go for it. I mean, he's Vader... might as well look dramatic. My issue is with how 'chubby' some of the HT Vaders look... it makes him look a lot shorter than he really is, somehow.

Wait, the dude with the black helmet and the red lasersword is the dad of the blonde kid with the blue lasersword?? Thanks for that spoiler. Thanks.

For me, Hot Toys sideshow star wars stuff only exists so I can look at the beautiful promo shots, that one shot with the perfect red apple for comparison and of course the In-hand pics of anyone who bought them. ;D

I found out that this (in North America) is a Sideshow Exclusive, just like Fett.

Thanks for the update, Stryker.

I’m still somewhat disappointed that they didn’t do Bespin Han and Lando as the anniversary releases instead. :/

skywalkersaga wrote:Thanks for the update, Stryker.

I’m still somewhat disappointed that they didn’t do Bespin Han and Lando as the anniversary releases instead. :/

Me too. That certainly would have made celebrating the 40the Anniversary a lot more exciting than a bad repaint and a higher priced repackaging.

Stryker2011 wrote:

skywalkersaga wrote:Thanks for the update, Stryker.

I’m still somewhat disappointed that they didn’t do Bespin Han and Lando as the anniversary releases instead. :/

Me too. That certainly would have made celebrating the 40the Anniversary a lot more exciting than a bad repaint and a higher priced repackaging.

Exactly. As it is, I found it a bit of a letdown. Nothing against my dear Vader, but they were already well overdue an ESB Han, not to mention Lando, so getting a FIFTH Vader release at this point, especially of a version of him that's already BEEN released, is just....not that exciting. No matter how 'cool' and 'retro' they make the packaging. 

Something must have changed, because other North American retailers are listing this now (as of today).

I don't own a 1/6 Vader and would like one but refuse to pay these kinds of prices. A bootleg one will be fine with me. It is not as if you need an accurate head sculpt. It is essentially just a costume, helmet, generic figure, and one accessory.

I understand, Shazzdan. I wouldn’t mind a bootleg one either, but I have never seen a KO Vader, let alone one that was actually truly 1/6 scale. Closest I’ve come is kitbashing one from mix of old and new parts... but that didn’t help the price issue, unfortunately.