When you go out looking for a good MR FFX lightsaber, what do you look for? Do you look for a saber with an authentically replicated hilt? Should it include a well-balanced hilt that's very close in size to its on-screen counterpart? Does your search necessitate a bright, CONSISTENTLY lit blade? What about some great sounds that sound precisely like what you heard in the film? If your answer is YES to all of these questions, then the Darth Vader Force FX lightsaber is for you!
After getting myself my first FX saber, the Anakin ROTS, I began to imagine how cool it would be to have a Sith lightsaber as well... to compliment the Jedi saber that I'd gotten. ;) It took until September for the FX sabers to resurface anywhere in town, and I happened to come across them at Sharper Image in a new outdoor mall. They had both the Anakin ROTS and Vader ESB sabers. A few days later, I decided to get myself the Vader ESB. What primarily drew me to this saber was the unique sounds that it had, along with the red blade of course. So I go to Sharper Image, and lo and behold, I get the last one. By this point they've also sold out of the Anakin sabers. I then take my saber home, drop it off, and then go to work, all the while anticipating 10PM so that I can go home and indulge. ;D
Upon opening the Vader ROTS, I was extremely pleased to see a gorgeous lightsaber hilt. I was like, "Wow, I have Darth Vader's lightsaber!" The hilt is just extremely well-built. It's constructed similarly to Anakin's, but in my opinion, I think it may have been constructed better. When comparing this lightsaber to pictures of Vader's original ESB prop, I can find virtually no differences, save for the speaker openings at the bottom of the hilt. The D ring may be another difference, though I am uncertain as to whether or not the Vader ESB saber actually had one (I believe that it did). In any case, the rubber grips are nice and long... longer than they are on the Anakin ROTS. The ignition button is also in the middle of the hilt, with some nice clean metal between the on/off button and the shroud emitter. This design makes this saber absoutely ideal for dueling with. Unlike the Anakin saber, there is plenty of grasping room on either side of the hilt. Whoever originally designed this hilt knew what they were doing. I also found myself enamored for some reason or other with the shrould emitter. It's made of a soft plastic type material that's also sturdy. I think it looks superb. Another thing I love about this handle is the on/off switch. It's a clear bubbly switch that both feels great and slides on or off easily. I think it's the best on/off button on any of the lightsabers. It's also how Vader would have turned his own saber on. ;) The only thing I have to wonder about is why there's a small letter "B" near the shroud.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v199/Vickyrose85/000_1139.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v199/Vickyrose85/000_1145.jpgAfter I installed the batteries to my Vader FX, I flipped the ignition and was marvelled at a stunningly bright, deep red blade. The blade itself is a solid piece of work. It doesn't wobble around anywhere near as much as the Anakin ROTS did. I find it to be very well balanced. It's a bit heavier than the Anakin ROTS, but I find the weight to be perfect. And one thing that was very important to me was the consistency in the red LEDs. I find the Vader ESB to have the most consistently-lit blade of all my FX sabers. You virtually cannot see the individual LEDs, unlike the other lightsabers. I found this to be a very good thing. :)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v199/Vickyrose85/000_1141.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v199/Vickyrose85/000_1005.jpgOne of my most favorite things about the Vader ESB lightsaber is the sound! ;D
If that's not an idle hum, I don't know what is. This humming sound is DEEP. The volume is good, though if I had it my way, I'd have it a bit louder. The idle hum is exactly that in which you can hear in ROTJ right before Vader tells Luke, "You are unwise to lower your defenses!" Once you begin swinging it around, the sounds are just brilliant. I love the different swinging sounds that MR put into this saber. I hear nearly everything that I heard in both ESB and ROTJ. It makes sense for the swing sounds to be random, since in real life, a lightsaber wouldn't have a special sound arrangement. The battle clash is awesome, though unfortunately there is only one clashing sound. The sounds, combined with the vibrant blade and the awesome hilt make me feel like a true Sith. ;) It really is my favorite saber to swing around for some reason.
All in all, I'd have to say that the Darth Vader ESB is the best lightsaber in terms of quality. While the Anakin ROTS is currently my favorite, I'd have to say that Vader's was manufactured better than the others and is just the best overall. You can never go wrong with Darth Vader or his Sith saber. ;)
Stay tuned for a review on the Luke ROTJ re-issue, coming soon. :)