Darth Vader (Holocomm) — Star Wars The Black Series

Overview

Darth Vader (Holocomm) is an Amazon exclusive released October 2024 at $27.99, part of the Black Series Holocomm Collection sub-line. Vader is one of four figures in the Holocomm line at the lower $27.99 tier, alongside Mae, Osha Aniseya, and Ezra Bridger. This is a version of the Dark Lord in his full ESB/ROTJ configuration — the black armour, the flowing robes, the cross-guard hilt — updated with the Holocomm Collection’s light-up Holo Puck and Bounty Chip.

The Holocomm Collection

The Holocomm Collection is a Phase 4 exclusive sub-line packaging Black Series figures with a light-up Holo Puck and a Bounty Chip unavailable in standard retail releases. The Holo Puck illuminates when pressed. Ten figures were released across 2023–2024 via multiple exclusive channels — Amazon, Walmart, Target, Fan Channel, ShopDisney, HasbroPulse. Vader is the only villain from the Original Trilogy in the sub-line and one of only two Sith Lords alongside Darth Maul.

The Figure

18 joints — ball-jointed dual-axis neck, lower neck, ball-jointed shoulders, swivel-hinged elbows, swivel-hinged wrists, ball-jointed waist, barbell-jointed hip, swivel thighs, double swivel-hinged knees, rocker ankles. The 18-joint count is appropriate for the heavily-robed character — Vader’s billowing outer robe naturally limits certain lower-body poses but the figure achieves the expected standing, pointing, and lightsaber-raised stances without issue.

Accessories

Lightsaber hilt — the cross-guard hilt can be displayed in hand or hung from a hook on the belt. The belt hook is a specific detail that allows a natural “deactivated saber clipped to belt” display option.

Removable lightsaber blade — the red blade detaches from the hilt cleanly, allowing a display with the saber either ignited or deactivated.

Soft-goods inner robe — Vader wears two soft-goods layers: the outer robe and the inner robe. Both can technically be removed, but there is a critical warning here from the source documentation: the belt is not removable. This means that once you take the inner robe off, getting it back onto the figure is extremely difficult or potentially impossible because the belt blocks the re-fitting path. The source documentation advises extreme caution — pop the helmet off if you want to remove the robe, and seriously consider whether the display benefit is worth the risk of not being able to replace it.

Light-up Holo Puck — Holocomm Collection standard.

Bounty Chip — Holocomm Collection standard.

The Belt Warning in Detail

This is the most important practical note on the figure. The soft-goods inner robe sits between the armour and the outer robe. To display Vader without the outer robe, you can remove it relatively easily via the helmet-pop method. But the inner robe — even if you get it off — cannot be easily replaced because the non-removable belt traps it. The outer and inner robes may also look bulky when both are on; this is a known characteristic of multi-layer soft-goods figures in the Black Series line. Unless you have a specific reason to remove the inner robe, leave it in place.

No Head Under the Helmet

Standard for Vader figures — no unmasked head beneath the helmet. The helmet does pop off to allow robe access but there’s nothing face-reveal related underneath.

Darth Vader in the Holocomm Context

Vader’s inclusion in the Holocomm Collection alongside bounty hunters and Mandalorian warriors makes sense — Vader is the Empire’s most prominent wielder of authority over the bounty hunting network (hiring Boba Fett and others in ESB), and a Holo Puck referencing that relationship has thematic grounding. At $27.99 he’s in the lower tier, which reflects the lighter unique accessory count — lightsaber and robes — versus the blaster-plus-jetpack-plus-helmet figures at $34.99.

Amazon Exclusivity

Released through Amazon.com October 2024. Standard Amazon exclusive purchasing. Given Vader’s broad collector appeal, this moved relatively quickly at launch.

Secondary Market

Amazon, October 2024. Verify lightsaber hilt, blade, and that the inner robe is still properly seated. The blade is the most easily separated piece. Confirm the outer and inner robes are both present and the belt buckle clip is intact.

Verdict

Darth Vader Holocomm is a solid addition to any OT Sith shelf, primarily distinguished by the Holo Puck/Bounty Chip additions and the belt-hook lightsaber display option. The inner robe warning is the most important collector note — understand it before handling. At $27.99 the value is reasonable for the Vader name, though the accessory count is lighter than the Mandalorian tier figures in the same sub-line.

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Part of Star Wars The Black Series | Phase 4 | Holocomm Collection.

Darth Vader in Phase 4 Context

Vader has appeared in the Black Series 6” line across every phase, in standard retail, exclusives, and premium tiers. The Holocomm version sits alongside Amazon’s other Holocomm exclusive — Axe Woves — as a direct-to-consumer premium offering. For collectors tracking all Vader releases, the distinguishing features of this specific release are: the Amazon exclusivity, the October 2024 release date, the $27.99 price point, the soft-goods inner robe with the belt warning, and the Holo Puck/Bounty Chip. Any of those details confirm which version you have or are buying.

The Belt Warning — Practical Implications

To make the inner robe warning concrete: if you want to photograph or display Vader without the outer robe only, that’s achievable — pop the helmet, slide the outer robe off, replace the helmet. But if you try to also remove the inner robe to display the armour underneath completely, you will likely be unable to put the inner robe back on because the moulded belt blocks refitting it from below. The source documentation explicitly flags this. The practical display choice is: outer robe on (standard display), outer robe off (inner robe visible), or full robe removal attempted at your own risk. Most collectors will default to standard display.

Amazon and the Holocomm Pair

Amazon hosts two of the ten Holocomm Collection figures — Darth Vader and Axe Woves. If you’re collecting the full sub-line, Amazon is your single-retailer stop for both. The two characters are as thematically contrasted as possible within the sub-line — an Imperial Sith Lord and a Mandalorian warrior — but share the same Amazon exclusive status and the same Holo Puck/Bounty Chip additions. Ordering both in the same cart is the efficient approach.