Darth Vader Mania

There sure are a lot of Darth Vader figures running around these days.  Lets have them battle it out, and see which Vader is truly the Lord of the Sith(s).

The contenders:

S.H.Figuarts Darth Vader

Manufacturer: Bandai

Price: 5500 Yen

Height: 155 mm

Revoltech Darth Vader

Manufacturer: Kaiyodo

Price: 5500 Yen

Height: 170 mm

Mafex Darth Vader

Manufacturer: Medicom

Price: 4500

Height: 170 mm

Black Series 6" Darth Vader

Manufacturer: Hasbro

Price: 19.99 USD

Height: approx 165 mm

Not included: Variant Play Arts Kai Darth Vader and Movie Realization Darth Vader (both are too redesigned).  Also, Bandai's model kit, as this is an action figure battle.

We will compare them based on several criteria.

1.) Price

Winner:  Black Series
Even without factoring in import pricing and shipping, the Black Series Vader is the clear winner at 19.99 USD.

Loser: S.H.Figuarts & Revoltech

Even though they are tied for most expensive, SHF is the shortest and Revoltech has so few accessories?  Not a lot of plastic for your buck.  (Unless you count the 1st-run exclusive stand SHF comes with.)

2.) Size/Scale

Winner: Revoltech & Mafex

Both are 170 mm tall, accurately portraying actor David Prowse's huge stature at 1/12th scale.

Loser: S.H.Figuarts

Too darn short.

3.) Accessories

Winner: S.H.Figuarts (with caveat)

If you count the 1st-run exclusive base, then this is a clear win for SHF Vader.  If not, most are pretty comparable, except for ...

Loser: Revoltech

With no severed arm and no Anakin head, Revo loses this category.

4.) Look (YMMV)

Winner: Mafex & S.H.Figuarts

If you're going for screen accuracy, Mafex looks the most like the films.  If you want a little more stylized, SHF is the way to go.

Loser: Black Series & Revoltech

Black Series looks almost as real as Mafex, but the helmet is oversized and Vaders' lenses are too reddish.  Revoltech looks strange, with a squished face and lumpy, segmented cape.

5.) Posability

Winner: Revoltech

Based on Revoltech's history, joint tech and the official photos of Vader, it is obvious this Dark Lord is the most flexible.

Loser: Black Series

With far fewer joints, the American contender just can't cut it.

6.) Announced/Released Star Wars Figures

Winner: Black Series

There are already dozens of Black Series 6" figures out, with many more on the way, including in-scale vehicles and creatures.

Loser: Mafex

Only a Mafex Stormtrooper to keep Annie Skywalker company.

7.) Size of Figure Line

Winner: S.H.Figuarts

As one of the largest figures lines in the galaxy, SHF Darth will fit in with the hundreds of figures Bandai has done in this line.

Loser: Mafex

Darth Vader can mix it up with Spider-Man and some Batman characters, but that's it.

OVERALL

S.H.Figuarts: 3 Wins*, 2 Losses

Revoltech: 2 Wins, 3 Losses

Mafex: 2 Wins, 2 Losses

Black Series 6": 2 Wins, 2 Losses

*1 win based on 1st-run exclsuive

Those results align with what figure I pre-ordered (SHF, obviously) but many of these categories are pretty subjective.  I'm sure they're all great figures.  A lot of which one you should go for depends on how you weight the categories.