Darth Vader (Emperor's Wrath) — Star Wars The Black Series
The Black Series Darth Vader (Emperor's Wrath) — Walgreens exclusive, Holiday 2015. $19.99. Rework of standard Vader with just two changes: translucent semi-transparent head (skull visible — fantastic and creepy) and removable right hand (wires show underneath). 18 joints. 3 accessories: lightsaber hilt, removable red blade, removable right hand. Soft-goods robes not removable. No belt hook for unlit saber. Joints beautifully hidden.
Overview
Darth Vader (Emperor’s Wrath) is a Walgreens Holiday 2015 exclusive at $19.99 — based on the moment in Return of the Jedi when Vader receives Force lightning saving Luke, resulting in the damage visible in his final unmasked scenes. A rework of the standard Black Series Darth Vader (id=2318) with precisely two changes: a new translucent head and a removable right hand. Everything else is the same figure. 18 joints — note the asymmetric wrists: right wrist is swivel-only, left is ball-jointed.
The Translucent Head
The defining feature of this release. Vader’s helmet and mask are rendered in semi-transparent plastic, and you can make out the skull inside. The source documentation describes it as fantastic and creepy — both words apply. For a ROTJ Emperor’s Wrath display depicting the moment Vader has been struck by Force lightning, a visible skull through the helmet is a powerful visual choice.
The Removable Right Hand
The right hand pulls off cleanly to reveal exposed wiring underneath — the mechanical interior of Vader’s prosthetic. This is the character’s cyborg anatomy made visible. Easy to swap in either direction. The right wrist is swivel-jointed rather than ball-jointed, so the regular hand’s articulation is limited compared to the left.
The Robes
Both the outer and inner soft-goods robes are permanently attached to the chest armour and not removable. The outer robe sits a little too long but doesn’t significantly obstruct posing. The silver chain around the neck is too large in scale — a noted proportion issue.
One Missing Feature
There is no hook on Vader’s belt where the unlit lightsaber hilt could be hung for a “carried weapon” display pose. The hilt can only be held in hand or set aside.
Secondary Market
Walgreens, Holiday 2015. Three accessories: lightsaber hilt, removable red blade, removable right hand. The right hand is small and the most easily lost on a loose set.
Verdict
Emperor’s Wrath Vader earns its place through the translucent skull-visible head alone — a unique and genuinely striking visual that no standard release achieves. The removable hand adding wiring is a nice character-accurate bonus. The robe-attachment limitation and missing belt hook are honest notes on what remains otherwise Hasbro’s standard Vader tooling.
Part of Star Wars The Black Series | Phase 3 Red Line. Related: Obi-Wan Kenobi Force Spirit P3-EX-WAG-OWK-SPIRIT | Kylo Ren Unmasked SDCC P3-EX-SDCC16-KRU.