ARCHIVE: Sideshow SDCC 12" Darth Vader Sith Apprentice

Article originally published 09/24/2006 at figures.com

Star Wars fans have long been asking for more realism and detail in their 12 inch figures. In the past, quality control in large scale Star Wars figures has taken a back seat to the more popular 3 ¾” line. To appease fan’s demands, Sideshow Collectibles announced earlier this year that they would begin releasing a number of highly detailed 12 inch scale Star Wars figures. In true Sideshow form, these figures feature high quality clothing, accessories and other features that bring characters in the Star Wars universe to life.

At this year’s San Diego Comic Con, Sideshow offered a limited quantity of their exclusive Darth Vader Sith Apprentice 12” figure. This item, the first to be released in the Star Wars ‘Lords of the Sith’ series, sold out via pre-order to SDCC attendees. In this review, I examine what makes this figure one of the most popular 12 inch Star Wars figures ever released.

PACKAGING:
One of the prerequisites when it comes to packaging for a 12 inch figure is the ability to clearly view both the figure and its accessories. Sideshow addresses this exceptionally, presenting this figure in a two panel fold-out window box. When opened, the figure is displayed on one side of the packaging with it’s accessories on another. The two sections fold together nicely and are secured together by a magnetic flap (a pleasant advance over velcro). The front and back of the box contains full color images of the figure as well as film stills. Sideshow also included two full panels detailing the background of the character. One features a history of the Sith while another recounts Anakin Skywalker’s decent into becoming Darth Vader. The package looks beautiful displayed on a shelf and is sure to make happy those collectors who prefer to keep their figures unopened.

SCULPT AND CHARACTER LIKENESS:
The Darth Vader Sith Apprentice is essentially a new version of the previous Sideshow Anakin Skywalker release. This figure sports a new head sculpt which features Skywalker with a scarred face and yellow ‘Sith eyes’. Like the previous Anakin, the Sith Apprentice is a vast improvement over previous 12 inch attempts to capture the doomed Jedi. As with most of Sideshow’s figures, much of the Sith Apprentice Vader is covered with clothing and accessories (I’ll cover these in the Accessories section below). Therefore, the only components on the figure that feature a unique sculpt are the arms, boots and head.

The Sith Apprentice version of the Anakin head is visually stunning. Sideshow did an amazing job capturing the ruthlessness of Skywalker as he allowed his rage to overtake him in Revenge of the Sith. The figure includes two interchangeable right arms. One is Anakin’s cybernetic replacement shown at the end of Attack of the Clones. The other is a gloved version of the same arm.

PAINT AND COLOR:
One of the main selling points of this figure is the Anakin’s ‘Sith eyes’. These brooding yellow and red eyes really make his face stand out, even if partially covered under the hood of his cloak. The only issue I found with the paint apps is that Anakin’s hair and part of his face appear slightly glossy. If his face isn’t partially covered up by his hood the light reflection off his hair may be a bit distracting.

The other highlight in this figure is the interchangeable right arms. The cybernetic version highlights a stunning amount of detail with its interwoven mix of black and gold paint layers. The gloved arm also sports crisp paint apps, but the figure really looks its best when displayed with its cybernetic limb.

ARTICULATION:
According to Sideshow’s website, the Sith Apprentice includes 30+ points of articulation. This allows the figure to be posed in a large number of battle poses. The figure comes with a very durable stand, which is needed for it to maintain a number of poses. However, it isn’t completely necessary. He is well-balanced enough that I was able to keep him standing on his own even when posed in a number of different action poses.

After swapping out the figure’s right arm a couple of times, I found that the connection joint became extremely loose. Every time I tried posing the arm, the removable piece would disconnect. This process became extremely frustrating. For those wanting to display their Sith Apprentice out of the package, I would recommend choosing your favorite right arm and adding a bit of glue when attaching it. This makes for a more permanent solution, but it saves you the frustration of reconnecting the piece every time it falls off.

ACCESSORIES:
This 12 inch figure is definitely not short on accessories. The list includes a lightsaber, lightsaber hilt, food capsules, aqua breather, holoprojector, comlink and a base with stand. He also comes with interchangeable right forearms and left hands. All of these items are replicated seamlessly from the source movie props and are in perfect scale with the Sith Apprentice Vader. The figure is dressed in a film-authentic costume including an undershirt, leather jerkin & belt, pants and a hooded cloak. None of this clothing makes the figure look bulky or detracts from its stunning articulation. One additional neat feature is that the hood on the cloak includes a thin wire around its rim. This allows the hood to be shaped when placed around Anakin’s face and prevents it from looking awkward.

VALUE AND OVERALL IMPRESSION:
I won’t kid you; this will not be an easy figure to track down. The Darth Vader Sith Apprentice was only made available as an exclusive at this year’s San Diego Comic Con. As popular as Sideshow’s 12 inch Star Wars figures have become, its no surprise that the Sith Apprentice sold out almost immediately. It originally retailed for $54.99, but you can expect to pay up to twice that amount on the secondary market.

I love what Sideshow had done with their line of 12 inch Star Wars figures. Though I must admit, the ‘Sith eyes’ Anakin was not originally high on my want list. However, after having one in my hand, I can say that this is one of the finest 12 inch Star Wars figures that I have ever owned. The articulation, clothing and accessories are exact duplicates from what was seen in the movies. This and the rest of Sideshow’s 12 inch line should become a cornerstone in Star Wars collections across the world.