A New Hope Darth Vader

Darth Vader was released in 1977 by Kenner as part of the A New Hope action figure line.

Accessories
He came with a red retractable lightsaber and a black vinyl cape.

Points of Interest
This figure first appeared on the Star Wars 12 back card. The photo for this figure’s card back was changed on the Return Of The Jedi 65C back. The original image replaced the new image again on The Power Of The Force and the Tri-logo card backs.

Variations
Though all vintage figures have minor variations, the only major variation in the figure itself is the hard to come by Japanese Takara version, which, though in a similar stance, is an entirely different sculpt. It is easiest to spot by looking at the head, though still difficult to spot for the untrained eye.

There are two versions of the Lightsaber. The first version (available scarcely on the Star Wars 12 back card only) was made of two pieces and featured a double telescoping action. When weighing out playability versus cost efficiency, the double telescoping version was replaced by the much more common single telescoping Lightsaber. The second version was also shipped in much greater quantities than the first version on the Star Wars 12 back card.