Darth Vader (Sith Apprentice) - Lords Of The Sith - 1:6 Scale Figures

Within the heart of the Republic's favorite son, a growing firestorm is gathering strength. Anakin Skywalker's Jedi idealism has been tarnished by the corrosive effects of the prolonged conflict. The young Knight has seen death and suffered much in the long war. His duel with the would-be Sith assassin Asajj Ventress, and the dismemberment inflicted upon him by Count Dooku, have left him scarred, but his inner wounds are more extensive still. Misgivings and doubt, fueled by fear of loss and by pride, gnaw at Anakin. His secret love and for Senator Amidala and the child she carries fosters a growing resentment of the stark law of the Order, which forbids attachment. The fear of losing those he loves, a seed planted with the death of his mother and nourished by prophetic nightmares, now drives Anakin's actions. And ever in his ear, the soft deceptions of the Supreme Chancellor nourishes the young man's vanity, insidiously wilting his Jedi humility, burning a wedge between him and his dearest friend and mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Is he not the Chosen One, the greatest Jedi to have ever lived? Why then, should he be bound by rules designed to limit his power?

As the war enters its final, dramatic days, the fiery turmoil within Anakin Skywalker burns stronger than ever. Tortured by his dreams of Padme's death, Anakin makes the ultimate choice and submits to Palpatine's insidious overtures, accepting the Chancellor's dominion in exchange for the dark side's power – the power to control his destiny and that of those around him – the power to end the war and remake the galaxy under his will.

The Jedi, those who have sought to limit and control him, now suffer the scorching of Anakin's fiery wrath. No longer a Jedi Knight, but a vengeful Lord of the Sith, Darth Vader leads an army into the Jedi Temple on a mission of murder and destruction, and none – not the brave, nor the mighty, nor the innocent – can withstand his coming. Friendship and loyalty will burn to stoke the fires of rage as the Sith take their revenge and the Empire is born.

Sideshow Collectibles wasted no time releasing their very first 1:6 Scale Figure exclusive for San Diego Comic Con. After the announcement that a 1:6 Scale Figure line was in motion at end of 2005, Sideshow Collectibles got started right away on some of the inaugural pieces for the line. 2006 brought collectors the first three general release 1:6 Scale Figures. These included Luke Skywalker (Jedi Knight), Anakin Skywalker (Jedi Knight) and Kit Fisto (Jedi Master) all of which had very strong points and were in need of a few tweaks to meet stringent high-end collector demand. But the fourth releases ended up becoming Sideshow Collectibles’ first exclusive release. Darth Vader (Sith Apprentice) was saved for 2006’s San Diego Comic Con and was the first figure to open the door for the Lords Of The Sith sub-line. Some considered the choice lazy, while others reveled in the fact that a “Sith-eyed” version of Anakin Skywalker was released for their 1:6 Scale Figure collection so quickly after the “regular” version of Anakin Skywalker (Jedi Knight) was released. Whatever your opinion, Darth Vader (Sith Apprentice) is a unique figure and one that should please those who adore the 1:6 Scale Figures line.

Darth Vader (Sith Apprentice) is a straight repaint of 2006’s Anakin Skywalker (Jedi Knight) figure. There are plenty of difference between the two figures and we’ll itemize them all here for you. Darth Vader (Sith Apprentice) comes with a unique display stand. It is the “head” of the Mustafar panning droid seen during the climax of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith. It’s a particularly thick stand and it sets the figure much higher than the rest of the standard display stands. The detail is incredible on it however and it gives the figure a great amount of room to display it in a variety of options. There are some variances in the way this figure and its clothing has been painted when compared to the Anakin Skywalker (Jedi Knight) figure, but the greatest difference is the portrait. It has an excellent paint job complete with red and yellow “Sith eyes” and you’ll also notice that “Darth Vader” has some additional darker areas on his face to help pull together a look that translates into his turn to the dark side of the Force. He comes with layered clothing and a dark outer robe which give him a tremendous amount of authenticity to the film. We feel the outfit could have been a bit more tailored as it does come across as somewhat bulky.

The coolest addition to this figure however is his cybernetic arm. It can easily be switched out with the gloved version, and some will find it a detractor because of how loose the fit is. Just a little bit of movement will make either arm attachment fall out almost immediately. It’s a disappointing feature, but the two arms have been created with so much detail that we’re happy to have them both even if their respective fits aren’t that ideal. The cybernetic arm alone has an inordinate amount of detail that should impress all 1:6 Scale Figure collectors. It’s that good. Other accessories include four Jedi food capsules, Jedi aqua breather, Jedi holoprojector, Jedi comlink, and separate lightsaber hilt or lit lightsaber. There are a lot of pieces here to complete the figure. Not all of them were used in the movie, but at least you have some options when it comes to displaying this figure in your collection. Darth Vader (Sith Apprentice) is a very welcomed addition to Sideshow Collectibles’ 1:6 Scale Figures line. Again, it’s the very first piece for the Lords Of The Sith line, which is an eagerly anticipated line by collectors as we can’t wait to see what “evil” Sideshow will eventually release. While we wait, be sure to enjoy this one.