There is a war going on. A star war, if you will. A battle to find the perfect 1/12 scale Darth Vader to star in your 6-inch display. And now the hunt to find and punish me for trying to tie Star Wars into the intro commences…
The Medicom MAFEX Darth Vader (Rogue One version) is the last officially announced Dark Lord of the Sith figure announced as of this writing. Bandai slipped a new S.H. Figuarts Vader into a display a few months ago, but nothing has been officially solicited yet. So the MAFEX is it, the newest entry into the pool, the last chance for some to get that perfect version. A new hope, some might say.
I’ll stop.
But it’s a very subjective quest. Sure, you can place movie stills and screen captures beside each and every figure all day long but Darth Vader had so many tiny, subtle tweaks movie to movie, not to even mention other media, that for some of us, the mind begins to play tricks. We form this version of the character in our head that may not match any one source. An amalgam, a mental image. For me, the MAFEX ticks a lot of those off. For now. Who know what the next SHF version will look like, whenever that empire strikes back with it’s next offering.
Just go with it, shhh shhh, it’s okay.
The new MAFEX isn’t reusing the sculpt from the first version or the Revenge of the Sith release, it’s a completely new sculpt. It’s damn close in a lot of spots but the details are crisper, slight changes here and there. The mask lenses are actual lenses, allowing you to see eyes behind the sinister red tint, which is probably my favorite part. And yes, it comes with an ignited lightsaber.
But it has kind of a Revoltech effect going on. The torso articulation and layout is definitely ugly, and things go a little screwy when in a vanilla pose. The figure shines in action poses though, very dynamic and striking. I didn’t go for anything insanely acrobatic because I seemingly have a mental block on things like that, the character not doing that sort of thing in the movies. It’s a problem.
This may not be your Vader. You may stick with the Black Series 40th anniversary Vader. There’s nothing wrong with keeping the Bandai model kit version, or even the first MAFEX offering. Perhaps the ROTS MAFEX, or the S.H. Figuarts? The very first Black Series still tops in your book? THe Revo Vader do it for ya? Maybe you like your sith lords in blueberry flavor? Point is, there are a lot of options out there and everyone has different tastes and mental images. If you want a more buff build, there’s a figure for you. Larger head, more flared helmet, there’s a version for you. Smaller head, taller, lankier, there ya go. Smaller, more articulated. Over there, under V, for Vader.
For me, and NOT because it’s the newest and shiniest (shut up), I think this MAFEX takes the main shelf honors. It has presence and the articulation allows for a lot of subtle tweaks to perfect any pose I want. And those red lenses! I absolutely love them. I may change my mind as time goes on, or another version comes out, but I’m pretty damn happy at the moment. There won’t any return of this jedi to the store.
Okay, cut me some slack, we all knew that was going to be a reach.
Video:
Package:
Figure:
Removable top helmet (not sure if front mask comes off, it seemed glued):
Hand options:
Lightsaber:
Comparisons:
Action:
