Kotobukiya Ep.3 Darth Vader

Next is my favorite and the most expensive Vader in my collection, the Kotobukiya Ep.3 Darth Vader. It cost me MYR330 (roughly USD110) in Dec 2006. I got it from Fantasy Toys, another well-known toy shop near Low Yatt Plaza, Kuala Lumpur,

(Photo credit : Kotobukiya)

Kotobukiya is a Japanese brand known for their quality sculpting and craftsmanship. One of their well known line for Star Wars is Art-FX. They are essentially 1/7 scale put-together model kits for beginners. Each comes with separate parts; head, torso, arms and legs. They would snap fit together in a less than a minute, to complete a non-articulated vinyl statue.

In the case of Vader, the head and upper torso are one piece. The cape is also another piece attaching to the back. Although published as 1/7 scale, I think they are compatible with those 1/6 scale from Sideshow, Kenner or Hasbro. I always hate posing two figures with different scales next to each other in the same shelf space. For instance, having a 1/6 (12") next to a 1/10 (7.2") just doesn't work for me. Must be the OCD in me. However with Kotobukiya, it is close enough not to notice. Shown here with a Sideshow 1/6 Stormtrooper, Vader towers over all his troops by an inch.

Vader itself is around 13" tall in a slight squat pose. He extends his left hand, focusing the Force,I supposed, while holding the lightsaber with the other hand. The saber can be attached or detach from the hilt for a different look. The cape itself billows to the sides extending the width of the piece to around 15".

Sculpt lines are clean and clear, detailing the seems of his leather pants and cape. The boots, helmet and black parts have a glossy look on them with silver details on the armor. It comes with a lava based platform for the piece to stand on, hence making this the Ep.3 version. Before this, Kotobukiya also produced an ESB version with Vader standing on the carbon freezing chamber floor.

There were 2 version for Ep.3 produced. Version 1 had the upside down chest piece as shown on the left below. The version I got was version 2 with the corrected chest piece. However, some movie production picture shows the chest piece having blue buttons instead of green.

This is a very impressive piece indeed. It looks high-end while being affordable and still can hold up with the latest 1/6 Vader figures from Sideshow or Medicom.  Although without articulation, the pose itself invokes a sense of control and power of the Dark Lord. Currently Vader is posed next to his troops to drive home this point.

My overall score for Kotobukiya Ep.3 Darth Vader are as follow:

Articulation - 0 ocd

Accessories - 4 ocd

Paint Job - 5 ocd

Sculpting - 5 ocd

Value for money - 5 ocd

OVERALL - 4 1/2 ocd (out of 5 ocd)