Kit Review

Straight build

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

It shares the same scale and product concept as the Figure-rise 6 series.

1/12 Darth Vader - A dedicated stand is included to lock the feet in place, but since the cape itself acts as a support,

A dedicated stand is included to lock the feet in place,
but since the cape itself acts as a support, there's no problem at all standing it on a flat surface.
If anything, the stand is black all the way to the base, which makes the figure kind of disappear into it — so I didn't use the stand for the review.

Front detail shots

1/12 Darth Vader - The switch panels in the middle of the body are meant to be handled with seals, but trying to stick f

The switch panels in the middle of the body are meant to be handled with seals,
but trying to stick flat seals onto raised molded details just doesn't look great.
If at all possible, painting at least the switches would give a much cleaner result.

You can clearly see the difference in gloss between the gloss injection-treated helmet and the cape.

Besides the cape, there's also a skirt(?) wrapping around the waist area.

The lightsaber hilt attaches to the side of the lower cape, at the waist.

1/12 Darth Vader - The back cape works by plugging two smaller side capes onto either side of the large center cape — bu

The back cape works by plugging two smaller side capes onto either side of the large center cape —
but the side capes tend to pop off pretty easily during posing.

A look inside the cape

A total of 5 hands are included.

The inner body with all the capes removed.
Something about the pose is kind of adorable...

With the helmet removed.

The inner body's articulation is roughly this much.

Articulation of the back cape and lower waist cape.

1/12 Darth Vader - Some poses with just the inner body.. For some reason Darth Vader just feels right doing goofy poses.

Some poses with just the inner body..
For some reason Darth Vader just feels right doing goofy poses..????
(Father's dignity is nowhere to be found lol)

Striking a cool pose..

Taunting pose

1/12 Darth Vader - Lightsaber action (1/3)

Lightsaber action

Lightsaber action 2

Goofy poses using the cape articulation..(^^;)

You can also plug an Action Base 2 into the backside.

Poses on the stand

Together with the 1/72 X-Wing / TIE Advanced x1 released at the same time.

Bandai's first entry into Star Wars plastic models is the 1/72 X-Wing and TIE Advanced, along with this 1/12 Darth Vader. It's essentially a kit with the same build and concept as the existing Figure-rise 6.

Compared to the older 1/8 scale MG Figure-rise, the 1/12 scale Figure-rise 6 series always seemed more competitive in terms of size and price. I'd heard rumors about the Figure-rise 6 series expanding into various themes, but I never expected Darth Vader to show up like this.. ^^;

As a Bandai-style articulated action figure model kit, it delivers solid articulation and joint strength. The multi-part articulated cape is included along with a removable helmet feature. Parts of the kit also use gloss injection molding, so the helmet, shoulders, and shin guards have a nice sheen to them that gives the whole thing a premium feel.

For weapons, a lightsaber is included so you can pull off basic action poses, and it's also compatible with Action Base 2 for mid-air poses. That said, the cape gets in the way quite a bit, making it harder to pull off a wide variety of poses than you'd expect. The rear side capes in particular tend to pop off during posing, which gets a little annoying ;;

A plain dedicated stand — similar in style to the one that came with the X-Wing — is included, but since the long cape touches the ground on its own, standing it up without the stand is a breeze. If anything, the stand being black too makes the figure's silhouette kind of disappear, so I think it actually looks better without it.

Anyway, the appeal of this kit is getting to build everyone's favorite iconic character, Darth Vader, as a clean and satisfying Bandai model kit. There's also something fun about putting our ever-so-serious "father" into goofy poses.. (feels a bit like bullying him..;;) It's definitely an enjoyable enough quality for an articulated action figure, but it does feel just a tad disappointing that it comes across more as a toy to mess around with rather than capturing that signature gravitas and imposing presence Darth Vader is known for :-)

1/12 Darth Vader | 2014. 11 | ¥2,800

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.