Star Wars Black Series Darth Vader — Every Figure Across All Eras

Darth Vader is the most produced villain in the Star Wars Black Series — a figure range that covers every major film and series appearance across the Original Trilogy and the Disney+ era, with era-specific configurations that reward collectors who know which Vader they’re looking for. The Black Series’ treatment of Vader is the clearest demonstration of the line’s film accuracy ambitions: the same character, produced multiple times across multiple eras, with distinct configurations for the ANH boarding sequence, the ESB command deck, the ROTJ throne room, and the Obi-Wan Kenobi series confrontations.

Darth Vader in Star Wars

Vader is human — Anakin Skywalker inside a life-support suit, sustained by technology after the injuries sustained on Mustafar, the Chosen One reduced to a weapon of Imperial enforcement. The suit is not incidental to his identity in the way that armour is incidental to most armoured characters: it contains him, defines his movement, produces the breathing that is one of cinema’s most recognisable sounds, and separates him from everything human about himself except the parts that the Emperor finds useful.

His arc is the entire Skywalker saga. The Original Trilogy villain who is also the prequel trilogy protagonist is the same person, and the Black Series figures for both periods tell that story across different production eras. The Anakin Skywalker figures and the Darth Vader figures are the same character’s collection, and the visual gap between TPM Anakin and ANH Vader — the child from Tatooine and the armoured enforcer — is the entire tragedy of the prequel trilogy compressed into two figures from different sub-lines.

Within the Original Trilogy, Vader’s specific configurations differ meaningfully across the three films. The ANH Vader operates with the authority of absolute Imperial power — the Death Star, the hunt for the stolen plans, the strangling of officers who disappoint him. The ESB Vader is the father — the revelation, the offer, the specific emotional weight of Bespin. The ROTJ Vader is the redeemable one — the father again, but now in the context of Luke’s refusal to abandon him and the ultimate choice between the Emperor’s instruction and his son.

These are not just different outfits. The sub-line configurations reflect real design differences between the three films’ production decisions about the suit.

The Era-Specific Figures

The ANH Galaxy Collection Darth Vader from 2024 is the current definitive version for the A New Hope configuration — Photo Real production at the current quality standard, tuned specifically to the 1977 helmet proportions and cape. This is the Vader who boards the Tantive IV, who interrogates Leia, who lets Ben Kenobi go. For the Death Star Corridors display, this is the correct figure.

The ESB Galaxy Collection Darth Vader from 2020 covers the Empire Strikes Back configuration — the Vader of Cloud City, the Executor, the reveal. The specific differences between ANH and ESB Vader in terms of costume and helmet proportion are subtle but present, and the sub-line releases acknowledge them. For the Bespin Duel and Bounty Hunter Lineup, this is the era-accurate choice.

The ROTJ 40th Anniversary Darth Vader from 2023 covers the Return of the Jedi configuration — the throne room, the unmasking, the final arc. The 40th Anniversary Kenner cardback packaging gives it specific collector identity within the anniversary programme.

The Obi-Wan Kenobi Darth Vader covers the series’ primary Vader — the post-ROTS Imperial enforcer between the prequels and the Original Trilogy, the Vader who hunts Obi-Wan and encounters him twice. For the Obi-Wan vs Vader Rematch display, the OWK figure is the correct configuration.

The Duel’s End

The Darth Vader (Duel’s End) is the most emotionally significant individual Vader figure in the line — the cracked helmet from the Obi-Wan Kenobi series finale, revealing the burned, scarred face of Anakin Skywalker beneath. No other Vader release in the line’s history has captured this specific moment: the armour broken enough to see what’s inside, the duality made literal in plastic. Originally a Target exclusive, the 2026 standard retail reissue brings it to broader availability without secondary market premium.

Pairing the Duel’s End with the ROTS Anakin figures tells the complete transformation story on a single shelf — the human face and the masked face, before and after, the same person visible in both.

The Variants and Collector Pieces

The Centerpiece Darth Vader is an oversized premium display piece — a different scale and format than the standard 6-inch line, designed as a focal point rather than an army figure. The Carbonized chrome Amazon exclusive applies the metallic finish that characterised that exclusivity programme to the most iconic armour in the line. The Infinities Comic 50th Anniversary figure covers an alternate universe comic version — the Legends-era interpretation for expanded universe collectors.

The Legacy Pack is the 40th Anniversary special edition with additional accessories and packaging that marked the ANH anniversary programme’s premium tier.

The Force FX Elite Darth Vader Lightsaber covers the red saber as a prop piece — the weapon most associated with the character’s combat presence across the Original Trilogy.

Which Vader to Buy

The answer depends entirely on which scene you’re building. ANH for Death Star and Yavin contexts, ESB for Bespin and the Executor, ROTJ for the throne room and the unmasking, OWK for the Kenobi series. The Duel’s End is the emotional collector showpiece regardless of scene. For a single Vader that works across all contexts, the ANH 2024 configuration is the most versatile — the A New Hope look is the most universally recognisable Vader design.

All Darth Vader Figures in the Black Series

17 figures

Check off the figures you own with the Black Series Checklist.