Reviewing Fanhome’s ‘Star Wars’ Darth Vader 1:2 Scale Build-Up Subscription Stages 80-84

The next five stages in my Fanhome Star Wars Darth Vader 1:2 Scale Build-Up Subscription.* This 1:2 scale model represents Darth Vader as he appears in The Empire Strikes Back, including his helmet, cape and iconic red lightsaber. The model also features visual effects and sound effects, such as his unmistakable breathing. It also reproduces some of the Sith Lord’s most famous phrases from the movies.

If you build models of any sort, I don’t need to tell you that 1:2 is bonkers for scale. The finished figure will stand three and a half feet tall. As some of these parts are coming together, it’s really starting to hit home how massive it really is. 

Stage 80

The booklet accompanying this stage has a feature on the Alazmec and a backup story on Whorm Loathsom. 

The build stage involves attaching the leg straps to Lord Vader’s right shin armor, except … the straps included in this parts bag are not going to work. The straps are secured by side release buckles, like the ones on the waist strap of those old Jansport backpacks. These buckles have a prong side and a receptacle side that clip together. This baggie contains three receptacles and one prong. Fanhome is pretty good about this stuff. Message sent. New bag dispatched. Should be here in a few days. 

Stage 81

The magazine in this build stage has a feature on the “Rule of Two.” Darth Bane came up with the rule a thousand years before the Clone Wars. He was the only survivor of a massive conflict between Sith and Jedi. Bane realized that the Sith would die out entirely without a way of passing on the dark arts to new practitioners. He devised the Rule of Two to ensure there would always be a master who would impart their knowledge on an apprentice. Some of the better known pairs are Darth Bane and Darth Zannah, Darth Plagueis and Darth Sidious, Darth Revan and Darth Malak, and Darth Sidious and Darth Vader.

The Catch 22 built into the system: the only way to show that they are ready to become a master themselves is for the apprentice to murder their master and take up the mantle themselves. 

The build stage is identical to the previous stage, but for the left leg. The little plastic tabs that are being used as washers for these side release buckles are a little odd. It feels like Fanhome changed the screws or that these screws were intended to have washers. In the absence of proper washers, the clear plastic tabs feel a little out of place, especially when you look at the inside of the helmet and other parts that are removable. The straps look unfinished or improvised when you look at the back side.

Stage 82

The feature in this stage’s pamphlet is on Darth Maul’s Kom’rk-class Gauntlet vessel, the Nightbrother. The second piece is on Jabba the Hutt’s chief aide and gatekeeper Bib Fortuna. 

The eighty second build stage includes the leather upper of Vader’s right foot and a handful of screws. The screws are for securing the halves of the “central shaft” between the left and right hip joints. This will functionally be the pelvis. This build stage took me way longer than I want to admit. It’s tricky getting the legs to rotate just right to allow access to the screw holes.

Stage 83

The first article in this issue focuses on various groups and cults that exist in the Star Wars universe outside of Jedi and Sith. One of them is called The Path of the Open Hand. Devotees believe that any use of The Force, on either side, is an abomination. The Force is sacrosanct. To manipulate the Force in any way interferes with nature and can have dire consequences across the galaxy. Hard to fault that logic, really. I’ve seen the films. 

The build stage involves securing a massive counterweight to the inside of the sole of The Chosen One’s right shoe and then screwing the shoe base to the leather upper from the last build stage. 

Stage 84

The 84th magazine has a piece on Verosha Aniseya, also known as Osha. The backup is on Haja Estree.

The build stage requires attaching the sole pieces to the bottom of Vader’s right boot, except it looks like there are some screws that will have to be tightened through holes in the bottom of the boot. These sole pieces would obstruct the holes, so I’m going to hang onto them for the time being until the right foot is attached to the right lower leg. I don’t want to place these foam stickers, only to have to remove them in a few stages to tighten those screws.

I do want to take a moment to talk again about the scale of this model. The finished model is three and a half feet tall. At 1:2 scale, that puts Darth Vader’s actual height in boots and helmet at seven feet.

I love that these boots have platforms because it tracks with David Prowse‘s build and costume from Empire Strikes Back, where he wore platform boots to add a few inches to his already impressive 6’7″ height. A couple inches for the platforms and the helmet makes Prowse’s costumed height at almost exactly seven feet.**

 

 

*Fanhome provides this subscription to me free of charge for the purpose of review.

**Yes, I know that Darth Vader is canonically 6’8″. Except he isn’t. The math doesn’t math. Like I said, Prowse was 6’6″-6’7″ barefoot, depending on the source. The Vader boots had 2″ platform soles, and the helmet has that bulge that sat 2″-3″ above the wearer’s dome. My guy stood at least 7′ in that getup. Fight me.