Toy Review: The Star Wars Black Series Darth Vader Electronic Helmet, Stormtrooper and Dewback, and Range Trooper are impressive, most impressive!

>Solo: A Star Wars Story has just opened in cinemas (go see it, I really enjoyed it, it is lots of fun and you can read our review here) so it was perfect timing for Hasbro to send over some goodies.

This time it was The Black Series Darth Vader Premium Electronic Helmet, The Black Series Dewback and Sandtrooper and The Black Series Range Trooper 6-inch Figure (the latter is from the Solo movie and you see them during the heist scene on the monorail).

Having not got any of The Black Series figures…..although having typed that I am doubting myself, but looking around the office I can’t see any others….I was very impressed with all of them. Everything was well detailed and well put together.

First up was obviously the Darth Vader Electronic Helmet and it is a beast. Here is the official blurb on it.

Imagine donning the signature helmet of Darth Vader with the Darth Vader Premium Electronic Helmet, featuring collar, mask, and hood pieces for multi-piece, adjustable fit and assembly. When the collar is put on, wearers can activate breathing sound effects. When the mask is fitted to the collar with the secondary button and magnetic holds, helmet sealing sound effects will be activated. Using the primary button, wearers can activate breathing sound effects, and when removing the mask, activate helmet removal sounds. With movie-accurate sound effects and premium interior and exterior design, this helmet delivers on the iconic presentation and detail of roleplay items from Star Wars The Black Series.

• Includes helmet (unassembled), stand, and instructions.

• Realistically detailed interior and exterior reproduction of Darth Vader’s iconic helmet
• Multi-piece, adjustable fit with collar piece, mask piece, and hood piece
• Collector-grade quality helmet with iconic breathing sound effects
• Magnetic connection points between pieces

Out of the box, the first impression is how big it is. You realise just how imposing the character truly is. The attention to detail is incredible with being extremely accurate on the interior with all the wires and sensors you briefly see in the film. Once you put in the two AAA batteries it gets even better with the sound effects kicking in. Removing the mask from the collar gives you that lovely hissing sound and putting them back together produces a lovely, satisfying ‘thunk!”

With everything together, you can press a button on the side of the collar which gives the classic Vader breathing noise. With the mask removed, pressing the button gives the wheezing breathing sound you hear at the end of Return of the Jedi. Lovely attention to detail and it truly made me smile the first time I heard that.

It is easy to put on and being in separate parts means you can leave the collar on and remove the mask if need be. The hood part stays on via magnets and seems to have quite a solid connection. The interior is very snug and fitting so I had to remove my glasses to wear it.

All parts of the helmet are very well made. It felt solid and substantial and it now sits behind me in the office watching out for any Rebel Scum!

If you want a movie accurate Darth Vader mask then this is probably one of the cheapest alternatives, but it is still going to set you back about £100. If you are a cosplayer then it is definitely worthwhile getting and if you just want a cool Star Wars helmet in your home, office or wherever then this would look most impressive.

As Hasbro kindly sent it over for me to review I did not have to pay anything for it. However, if I did have that kind of money to spare it is the kind of thing I would love to own (same as the Infinity Gauntlet and Mjolnir). If you are pushed for cash then it is probably something you can live without….but it is very cool!

The Black Series Dewback and Sandtrooper is a brilliant replica of those mounted Stormtroopers we see briefly in Star Wars: A New Hope.

Rugged reptiles with thick hides, Dewbacks are plodding, but reliable mounts. When prodded by their riders, they are capable of brief bursts of surprising speed. These riders are often stormtroopers dispatched to desert worlds who wear specialized gear and are nicknamed Sandtroopers. Sandtroopers wear standard Stormtrooper armor augmented with cooling units, a helmet sand filter, and a survival backpack with extra rations and water. While hunting for the Death Star plans on Tatooine, Sandtroopers used native Dewbacks as mounts.

Crafted to look like iconic creatures from Star Wars: A New Hope, this creature from Star Wars The Black Series is exquisitely-detailed with true-to-story design and incredible features. Designed for ultimate collectability and display, the Dewback creature and Sandtrooper figure feature movie-real design and detailing. Collect all Star Wars The Black Series figures, creatures, and more to expand and enhance any Star Wars collection!

• Includes figure, 5 accessories, creature, and instructions.

• 6-inch-scale Dewback creature figure from Star Wars The Black Series
• Collector grade quality creature and figure with authentic, movie-accurate detail
• Articulated Dewback legs, toes, mouth, and tongue
• Premium packaging and design
• Inspired by Star Wars: A New Hope

Everything is extremely detailed. The Sandtrooper has great sand and dirt detailing, which makes him look like a working guy who’s ready to leave Tatooine. It also comes with a backpack, which you also see in the film. That does make the figure a little top heavy, but if its sitting on the Dewback that isn’t really an issue. The Trooper rifle is also very cool to look at.

Articulation is pretty good and fits well with the design of the Stormtrooper armour.

The Dewback comes with a removeable saddle, but the figure looks a little funny without the saddle being on it as there are a couple of holes on the figure where it sits in. The saddle includes various pouches and a roll on the back and the main part does look like a weathered leather.

You just place the Sandtrooper on the saddle. There is nothing holding him in place so it may fall off if you are playing with the figure and the Dewback does seem a bit on the small side when you have the Stormtrooper figure sitting on it. That’s a only a minor thing though and I am not sure whether that is just me.

The sculpting and painting of the Dewback is fantastic with scales all over. The eyes and mouth are particularly good and it even has an articulated tongue!

Again, there is pretty decent articulation. The front legs have ball hinge joints to give a wide range of movement.

It does look great and my daughter had fun playing with it.

The Imperial expansion requires the settlement of vital operations on remote outpost worlds. These frontier Stormtroopers form a backbone of stubborn defense against would-be thieves and pirates.

This 6-inch-scale Range Trooper figure is carefully detailed to look like the characters from Solo: A Star Wars Story. Figure features premium detail and 9 points of articulation.

• Includes figure and accessory.

• Detailed, 6-inch scale Range Trooper figure from Solo: A Star Wars Story
• Premium design and detail

The Range Trooper looked cool in Solo: A Star Wars Story and the figure is much the same. It has a good weight to it and some very cool details. In particular I love the helmet design, which has elements of a few other Troopers we have seen over the years. It also has the big magnetic boots you see in the film. There is some fur detailing on the collar and it is comes with a blaster that looks a little different from the normal Stormtrooper weapon.

Articulation is good with some good moulding on the body so the chunky arms can sit close to the side without it looking odd. so you can have it in a few different poses.

On the whole, it is a solid figure.

If you are a Star Wars fan and can afford them, then these would be excellent additions to your collection.

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