Darth Vader (A New Hope) — Star Wars The Black Series #43

Overview

Red Line #43 is Darth Vader in A New Hope configuration — the third Black Series Darth Vader in the numbered sequence, and the standalone ANH version that covers his appearance in the original 1977 film without the ROTJ-specific removable helmet engineering of the Blue Wave #02. This is Vader in the configuration that introduced him to the world: the black armour, the flowing cape, the red lightsaber, and the breathing apparatus that turns him into something not quite human.

Seventeen total Black Series Darth Vader releases make this the most extensively produced single character in the entire line — more than Luke Skywalker, more than Princess Leia, more than any other character. Each new Vader release reflects both the character’s commercial centrality to the franchise and the specific configurations that distinguish one era’s Vader from another. The ANH configuration is the original — the design that defined everything that followed. 17 joints, no variants documented. MSRP $19.99.

The Character

Darth Vader’s introduction in A New Hope is one of the most effective villain entrances in cinema history. The boarding of the Tantive IV, the white-armoured rebels, and then the black figure stepping through the smoke — the design does everything. The audience doesn’t need dialogue or backstory; the visual communicates the character’s nature completely.

What the original trilogy manages across three films is to maintain that visual power while gradually revealing the human being inside it. The ANH Vader is almost purely icon — more Force and threat than person. The ESB Vader who tells Luke he is his father is the character beginning to crack. The ROTJ Vader who sacrifices himself for his son and dies as Anakin Skywalker is the person finally emerging from the armour. The Red Line ANH configuration captures the icon at its most purely concentrated, before the cracks appear.

The engineering difference between this ANH release and the Blue Wave ROTJ (#02) is significant: the Blue Wave figure had a removable helmet to reveal the dying Anakin Skywalker face beneath, enabling the ROTJ scene recreation. The ANH version has no removable helmet — the character in this configuration has not revealed his face to anyone. The fixed helmet is not a limitation but the correct production choice for the 1977 film context.

Accessories

Red lightsaber with removable blade. The hilt fits both hands in the two-handed grip appropriate to Vader’s combat style. The articulation scheme — 17 points with swivel-hinged elbows and wrists rather than the ball-jointed scheme used by most Red Line human figures — reflects the engineering constraints of the armour construction and produces the specific range of motion appropriate to Vader’s deliberate, powerful fighting style. The swivel-hinge scheme is more limited in range than ball joints but is accurate to the arm movement visible in the original trilogy.

The ANH Vader vs Blue Wave ROTJ Vader

The two primary Red Line/Blue Wave Vader configurations serve different display purposes. The Blue Wave #02 ROTJ Vader has the removable helmet — it is the character at his most emotionally accessible, the dying Anakin reveal. The ANH #43 has the fixed helmet — it is the character at his most iconic, the pure threat and power of the 1977 introduction.

For a display that spans the character’s arc across the original trilogy: the ANH configuration at one end (the icon), the ROTJ configuration at the other (the man revealed), creates the visual summary of what the trilogy does to Vader across three films. Both Red Line/Blue Wave figures at consistent production quality achieve this.

All Seventeen Black Series Darth Vader Releases

Seventeen releases across every Vader configuration and era: ANH, ESB, ROTJ, Centerpiece (posed display), Legacy Pack, Archive reissue, 40th Anniversary versions, and Phase 4 releases including Obi-Wan Kenobi series and Rogue One configurations. The Darth Vader (Archive) (2019) is a recommended reissue at current production standards. The 40th Anniversary ANH Vader from 2017 and this Red Line #43 are near-contemporaneous releases covering the same ANH configuration.

Vader at Red Line #43

The placement of Darth Vader at #43 — between Hera Syndulla (#42) and Rey Jedi Training (#44) — reflects the Red Line’s pattern of mixing franchise eras across the numbered sequence rather than grouping by film. The ANH Vader at #43 sits between a Rebels character and a TLJ character, which communicates the line’s ambition to be a comprehensive franchise collection rather than an era-by-era catalogue.

The Visual Grammar of Vader’s Armour

The specific engineering of Vader’s armour across the original trilogy has slight variations that collectors with close interest in screen-accuracy track. The ANH armour has specific differences in the chest panel button configuration, the helmet dome geometry, and the costume construction compared to the ESB and ROTJ versions. This Red Line #43 represents the ANH version; the Blue Wave #02 represents the ROTJ version. For era-accurate display, these distinctions matter; for general shelf display, both are clearly Darth Vader.

Secondary Market

The Red Line ANH Vader is available at modest secondary market prices. No production variants documented. The seventeen total releases mean secondary market demand is distributed across many versions rather than concentrated on this specific one.

Verdict

The ANH Vader’s 17-joint scheme deserves specific mention as a display consideration. The swivel-hinged elbows and wrists produce a specific arc of motion different from ball joints — more limited in range, more deliberate in character. For Vader’s standing display poses — the crossed-arms authority stance, the raised-saber combat position — the swivel hinge is sufficient and arguably more appropriate to a character whose physical movement is constrained by his life-support armour. The limitation is accurate. Vader doesn’t cartwheel.

Buy for the specific ANH fixed-helmet configuration, completing the Red Line numbered sequence, or a budget Darth Vader option. The Archive Collection Darth Vader (2019) is the recommended current production equivalent.

---

Part of Star Wars The Black Series | Red Line. Related: All Darth Vader figures | A New Hope | Galactic Empire faction | Sith faction.