1/6 Hot Toys - MMS 279 - Star Wars Episode IV: 1/6th scale Darth Vader

[TaliBane]

I swear, I've never done so much customizing to a figure before

Yeah, I'm seeing that.

The jumpsuit is so much thicker than the SSC DX it's night and day. It's way nicer, but it does impede the body.

Given how sort of "non-specific" Vader this one is (i.e. not very specific to ANH finish-wise) you have to wonder how specifically ESB v2.0 HT Vader will be.

 

[chobits55]

Yeah if not for that, It would be a killer figure. Someday the HT line will do an ESB style - I am sure lots of suits will be used for the Sideshow piece!

Close up showing off chest...

any recommendations on double sided tape? The inner cloak is a beyotch to get to sit right.

QGF: awesome pose. Very simple, yet very Vader-esque

Gonna tape the lower robe to thighs/shins?

I put in back the inner robe with a wire and adjusted the folded end.

No need to remove the whole wire. Thats from my first inner robe. Just wanted to show how I adjusted the lower tip. You can poke out the end, fold and put back in.

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[Matt S]

I don't get the impede body issue, myself....seems ok

Thanks for the wire heads up. Last shot tonight from me:

 

[McHaleyArt]

Neither SSC Vader really had a great helmet sculpt though and were oversized, the Medi seemed better overall (have never seen it in hand) but that's 1/7 and it had QC issues. The Hurricane/Kaiyodo ones seem to be the gold standard for custom Vaders but no dome really works perfectly with the Kaiyodo (Hasbro too big, SSC a tad too small, but Hurricane is working on a new one.) Matrix's is the only custom Vader where someone took the Kaiyodo kit all the way and I'd say that still edges the HT Vader slightly to my eye in the "man in a suit" test, though it's ESB/ROTJ not ANH.

I guess the bottom line is, previous licensed 1/6 Vaders haven't been all that great really, and finally one comes along that's got a really very nice facemask/dome (obviously the toughest part of a Vader,) but the chest armor, gloves and sound (and other nitpicks - belt, wired inner cape) shouldn't have been issues at $300. I do love the pics of the HT Vader where it looks just like the legendary Marmit Vader.

Below is a post from over a year ago of the Vader I made more than 15 years ago. All hard parts are Kaiyodo with the exception of the Hasbro dome. The body was a modified Playmates (from the Star Trek line, I believe). So...There's been plenty of years where a company could have released something better...and we're still customizing! I think it passed the "man in a suit" test then and still looked better than a lot of what we see today. HT is catching up with their Vader, but as many of you are showing...there's room for improvement...

Post:
These pics are around 15-16 years old. At that time, I made 3 Custom Vaders (none of which I have anymore). I'm going to revisit this, upgrading the recipe with some of the Sideshow parts. I'd love to use their new Helmet/Mask, but as beautiful as it is, it's just too off for me. I'd love to be satisfied with my current Vader, (keeping) but want a true(r) to 1/6 scale presence. This old one came in at 13.5" high.

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[GodParticle]

Ok, I painted the chest over with the darker gunmetal(thanks to matt) and it looks a lot better. Also painted the inside of the upper eyelids a matte black. It's nice and dark in person. One of these days, I'm gonna get a decent camera so people see what I'm seeing

 

[Matt S]

Ok, I painted the chest over with the darker gunmetal(thanks to matt) and it looks a lot better. Also painted the inside of the upper eyelids a matte black. It's nice and dark in person. One of these days, I'm gonna get a decent camera so people see what I'm seeing

View attachment 241798

Yeah you have me curious as to the 'upper eyelids' you refer to....and here I thought my pics were in need of some Para! What are you using for light? a 12 watt bulb?

 

[GodParticle]

Yeah you have me curious as to the 'upper eyelids' you refer to....and here I thought my pics were in need of some Para! What are you using for light? a 12 watt bulb?

The inside of the upper eyelids and the facing edge of the eylid are like a gunmetal color on the figure and they should be black. My lighting is normal...it's just i have a crappy old windows phone that can't take decent pics

 

[Matt S]

The inside of the upper eyelids and the facing edge of the eylid are like a gunmetal color on the figure and they should be black. My lighting is normal...it's just i have a crappy old windows phone that can't take decent pics

Hmm, I shall have to take a look -

Last pic of the night - think I know what I am doing wrong. I'm too close to the subject

 

[zeiss]

Below is a post from over a year ago of the Vader I made more than 15 years ago. All hard parts are Kaiyodo with the exception of the Hasbro dome. The body was a modified Playmates (from the Star Trek line, I believe). So...There's been plenty of years where a company could have released something better...and we're still customizing! I think it passed the "man in a suit" test then and still looked better than a lot of what we see today.

I remember seeing your pictures 15 years ago and even saved them to my PC with the hopes of replicating your work. Unfortunately, I got a bootleg Kaiyodo kit at the time so the results were less than ideal.

When you look at the Kaiyodo, Marmit, and to some extent the Medicom Vader, it demonstrates that the ability to make a good Vader could have been possible a long time ago. The main problem has actually been Sideshow. While their attempts have been high quality, their preference towards artistic interpretation over accuracy really hurt the figures.

 

[Jokes & Bats]

what did yuo use to make the lightsabre tip

It a piece of wooden dowel that I painted red.

 

[Too Much Garlic]

So, did a redo, like I had meantioned last night; still needs a final coat:

View attachment 241628

While the shiny black may not be accurate, it looks good in the house and out of the sun....I dig the contrast more.

That gunmetal is way too dark. And it doesn't seem to have much metallic sheen. Mix that color with a little silver or steel and you'd be getting closer.

 

[Too Much Garlic]

publicity still from 1977

The top one is not the screen used costume.

And the second one is from when it was repainted during the tours.

 

[sithgorilla]

Here's a couple of good full on body shots of the costume...

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[TaliBane]

I think those are both fan made (not sure if you meant the actual onscreen costume or just a Vader costume.) That guy has AMAZING replica costumes though. His Yoda is stunning.

 

[sithgorilla]

If those are fan made I'd be really surprised. The signs I look for is the pattern of wear on Vaders right cheek and also the pattern of wear on the inner sides (sides facing the buckle) of the belt boxes. They are identical to any movie still I've seen. If a fan did make these then holy cow they got it down to the last scratch. Good reference pics either way [emoji106]


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[Sturtrup]

It's fan made. Unbelievably accurate. I've used some of his pics as reference for my vader.

 

[Matt S]

I think those are both fan made (not sure if you meant the actual onscreen costume or just a Vader costume.) That guy has AMAZING replica costumes though. His Yoda is stunning.

yeah, its fan made, and its incredible - what a talent.............I 'assumed' it was a 1:1 prop some company made, so I was stunned to see it was an 'amateur piece'

That gunmetal is way too dark. And it doesn't seem to have much metallic sheen. Mix that color with a little silver or steel and you'd be getting closer.

Ok, will do - yeah, seems a tad dark to me too...

 

[GodParticle]

That gunmetal is way too dark. And it doesn't seem to have much metallic sheen. Mix that color with a little silver or steel and you'd be getting closer.

I disagree. I think it has plenty of metallic look and is as dark as what you see on the screen. Sometimes it looked almost black. Or are you talking about what it would look like in person?

 

[Wor-Gar]

Here's a couple of good full on body shots of the costume...

When I see pictures like this, fan-made or not, I once again start to feel the larger chest box on the Sideshow ANH figure from 2009 is more accurate than the new and smaller HT chest box.

 

[Matt S]

I disagree. I think it has plenty of metallic look and is as dark as what you see on the screen. Sometimes it looked almost black. Or are you talking about what it would look like in person?

Hmm, I am gonna have to rewatch the movie now......and I agree with the thought that in person versus on screen are different looking