Comparing Sideshow Collectibles 1/6 scale Star Wars ANH and ROTJ Darth Vader action figures

continued from previous post...

Size matters! To me, anyway. We are talking about scale here, where differences in height can ruin an otherwise good figure. According to wikipedia, 1:6 scale modeling, a.k.a. Playscale Miniaturism, is a hobby focusing on the collecting and / or customization of commercially produced 1:6 scale action figures and accessories. Playscale miniaturism (with emphasis on articulated figures) emerged as a hobby in 1964 when toy company Hasbro introduced the first fully articulated action figure: G.I. Joe.

The original G.I. Joe was made to be 12 inches tall. 1 inch in his world equals 6 inches in ours which means that a 12-inch tall figure would be 6 feet (12 x 6 = 72 inches) tall in our world. While most 1:6 scale figures are generally 12 inches tall, some figures should actually be taller because in the real world, they tower over most normal people. Case in point: Darth Vader!

Besides being clad in an all black suit with armor from head to toe, Darth Vader's height did play a big part in projecting him as a fearsome and intimidating villain figure. His towering presence helped. So in producing a 1/6 scale Darth Vader figure, he cannot be 12 inches tall as that would put him on the same level as the Stormtroopers and that would have been so wrong. I have posted an entry on my toy blog HERE, comparing the various 1:6 scale Darth Vader figures released before this latest Deluxe Darth Vader figure. In that earlier post, the disparity in height of Medicom Toys' RAH Darth Vader figure was alarming and almost comical, making it look like a hobbit had dressed up as the sith lord. Even though the figure had nice details, the wrong height and size meant that the supposedly 1/6th scale Medicom Toys Darth Vader can never be displayed alongside other 12-inch figures. It was a case of scale gone horribly wrong. What's worse was that over time, the costume simply disintegrated - you can see the pictures HERE.

This latest Darth Vader 1:6 scale figure, released by Sideshow Collectibles and reviewed earlier HERE and HERE, is 13.75 inches (or 35cm) tall which I think is just the right height for one of the most iconic villain and symbol of evil for all time. In the pictures posted, he's standing with the Sideshow Collectibles Stormtroopers which were reviewed HERE and HERE.

Scroll down to see all the pictures.
Click on them for bigger and better views.

You can compare these pictures with my earlier toy blog post of the first Sideshow Collectibles ANH Darth Vader figure which was not only a tad too tall but also came with a very ugly and mis-shaped helmet (see the pictures HERE).

Here's Sideshow Collectibles "Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi" 1/6 scale Darth Vader Deluxe Figure measuring 13.75 inches (or 35cm) standing with Sideshow Collectibles Stormtroopers in the front row and Marmit Stormtroopers at the back row, all 12 inches (30 cm). You can check out the Marmit Stormtrooper review HERE. For a comparison of the various 1:6 scale Stormtroopers that have been released, see my post HERE. Click on the picture for a bigger and better view.

Here's the 13.75-inch tall Sideshow Collectibles "Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi" 1:6 scale Darth Vader Deluxe Figure standing by himself. You can't tell how tall he is unless he stands with the 12-inch tall Stormtroopers.

Here are comparison pictures of Sideshow Collectibles "Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope" 1/6 scale Darth Vader which is slightly taller than 14 inches (or 35.5cm) standing next to the Sideshow Collectibles "Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi" 1:6 scale Darth Vader Deluxe Figure which is 13.75 inches (or 35cm) tall. Now that we have seen the ROTJ Darth Vader (on the right), the Sideshow Collectibles ANH Darth Vader helmet looks way too small and the figure is a little bit too tall, especially when posed with the Stormtroopers.

Click on the picture for a bigger and better view

Related posts:
May 15, 2011 - Father and Son Lightsaber Duel from "Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back"
November 6, 2010 - Star Wars Darth Vader Electronic Talking Bank
July 17, 2010 - Struck by Lightning! Kubrick Star Wars Darth Vader figure
July 31, 2009 - Sideshow Darth Vader with Sideshow Stormtroopers
July 30, 2009 - Comparing Sideshow with Medicom and Hasbro: a look at the different 1/6 scale Darth Vaders out there - Hasbro Ultimate Villain Darth Vader (Episode III), Sideshow ANH Darth Vader (Star Wars Episode IV - his first appearance), Hasbro Electronic Darth Vader from Episode VI and Medicom RAH Episode VI Darth Vader.