WOW, I ❤ IT!!! AWESOME!!! I AGREE with you. I'm a HUGE fan of Darth Vader, and I swear after all these decades he is still the hot ticket. Disney was an idiot not to capitalize on that and they still are...we need more of his backstory. If you look at the Empire State Building in New York and you look at all the Fanfare, and even RU-vidrs still do all these "what if" scenarios on Anakin and Vader because he is still the most ICONIC and the most MEMORABLE and eternal part of Star Wars and will be FOREVER. As Vader would say... "Impressive, most impressive...!"
That helmet is an easy fix if desired with almost any cheaper Vader helmet. But that is beyond cool. As a kid back in 70s, I could never have imagined this thing being made to buy. 😎👍
The Best Animatronic I ever had. As a Star Wars fan, this is a must! At the beginning I thought it will look weak, skinny and poor quality looking like other animatronics from Home Depot but it did not. This thing is AWESOME and looks perfect as a prop in a collection/media room.
Very cool! Good review, too. I noticed that his outer helmet is warped on the left side, probably due to how it was packed in the box. To fix that, just take a hair dryer, hold it a few inches from the surface, and go back and forth over the warped area for about a minute to soften the plastic. You should be able to return it to its proper shape after that, and once it cools, it will be good as new.
Thanks for the tips! I’m not sure how it looked on camera but in person the helmet is fine. I think it’s the lighting and the picture behind Vader is made from glass so there is a reflection that throws it off on camera as well. It’s awesome!
That is going to look so cool on trick or treat night in the dark. Can I make some recommendations? Build a box for him to stand on that looks like the floor from cloud city, put some orange/red light inside with a fog machine. You could also rig up a subwoofer and some higher watt speakers for the sound output . You could also have the death march theme playing in the background
@@ViewsFromTheCrypt-lm2kz I have a vader costume and I was wearing a concealed speaker that was playing his breathing and the imperial death march on a loop while I walked around. People were losing their minds for it!
@@TheCurtRoberts I did the same thing. I have a small JBL clip speaker I used to do that and I have the imperial march song playing as I walked around.
Wish I had known about this prior to May 4. However, I was so busy getting my May the 4th LEGO orders in. Will definitely have to pick it up when it's released to retail/online later in the year.
@@ViewsFromTheCrypt-lm2kz Cool beans...and, a HUGE "thank you" for offering to let me know. With the email newsletter, they don't always cover everything...plus, for some unknown reason, I don't always receive it - sometimes I do receive it, sometimes I don't, and on rare occasions, I receive 2 of them approx 1-3 minutes apart.
We talked with my bro about it while we watching and speculated the pricetag,i fall really close with my 300-400 bucks price! Really neat and also liked allot the fact you can make it seasonal with the death star halloween & christmas ball!
I was able to secure one, but wasn't sure if I had a mistake...was hard to tell the quality. I have no regrets after watching this video...amazing review. Was thinking about getting the stormtrooper to go with it now; any idea when it drops?
Oh trust me, you will not be disappointed! It’s amazing! I’m not sure about the storm trooper but it now has my interest because I’m sure he is better in person as well! I just hope they have something other than a candy cane that he can hold. If not, I will have to try to get him a pistol or something 😂
Ok everyone! I got home just now and looked at the helmet, it’s perfectly fine. I created a short showing what it looks like with better lighting. See the short video below. ru-vid.comKboP21vub4o?si=tgn9efjWvG6Yst61
I hope you’re able to get one when it drops again later this year! Nobody knows the date as of yet but if I hear anything, I will let you know. Definitely worth it!
Yep! Well May 4th is the official Star Wars day but HD has been selling halfway to Halloween items for years now. It has been labeled code orange. They usually drop about 4-5 items including the popular 12 foot skeleton. That always sell out. They will drop everything later this year.
How much was this may I ask!!! Unfortunately it's sold out but man when it comes out later this year I might to get it depending on price!!! Thanks for a great review! If you know about the re-release...date of release...please let us know! Thanks!
Hi Nelson! Will do! Yeah he dropped on May 4th and sold out in a hour! He will drop again later this year. The problem is, how many are they going to make? Normally HD will drop between 500-4,000 of a particular Halloween prop/animatronic. We have to see but I’ll keep you posted if I hear of anything. They are coming out with a stormtrooper as well!
I'll admit I had my doubts. Not anymore! Head size isnt bad like the pics out there. Helmet seems a bit smooshed, maybe from shipping. A heat gun on low can fix that. Looks Great! I'm in for this one. I do have Yoda already. I had to, for Mom, RIP.
Hey J! I think it’s the lighting in the video. I’m very picky with my stuff so I assure you it’s fine in person. The glass picture in the back of him had a reflection too so I think it’s that. Highly recommend you get him!
Holy heck, I had plans to create my own life-sized vader animatronic... maybe I'll settle for this. BUT, is it sold out? I don't see it online. Nutballs! Better restock!
So do you think the stores will have them when they put out their Halloween merchandise because they're sold out online you can't even find them on the website
Hello there I would like to have this vader but I live in France and there is no home depot here, do you know if they are going to ship it internationally at some point so I could have one ?
I’m not sure about international shipping. You could call Home Depot customer service, and check and see. Do you have any family or friends here in the US that could ship it to you?
I found one of these for sale, they want $400. They say it's 'new' but the packing tape on the box doesn't look right. What should I offer? They sold new from Home Depot for $299 plus tax, so that would be $330.
I would get it and have them open it up in front of you to make sure it’s all there. $400 isn’t bad. I’ve seen them as high as $1000. Retail after tax is around $325 so not to bad. It’s still worth the $400.
This probably isn't something they sell in-store at Home Depot? Gonna have to keep an eye out for a re-release. 300 is surprising low for a life size Darth Vader.
Well he dropped on May 4th, early in the morning. He sold out in a hour. He will re-release later this year. If I hear of a date I’ll let you know. Definitely worth the price and yes, a costume alone of Vader and this quality would cost more than $300!
It really is awesome! Home Depot released it on May 4th and it will drop again later this year. It might drop in July or later early Fall. You have to keep checking the HD website but if I hear of a date I’ll post it in this chat.
It looks like the right side of the helmet is squished. Can you take the helmet off and put on a proper one? I have a movie accurate helmet I'd like to put on it if I find ine
I would check the Facebook Halloween forums! They are a good source of info! This one dropped on May 4th early in the morning and sold out in about an hour. If I find out, I’ll let you know on the next drop date. Definitely get one!
It was $300 plus tax. It sold out in about a hour. It will drop again later this year. If I find out a specific date I’ll let you know. The Facebook Halloween forums are a good place for that kind of information.
He was $300 plus tax. He will drop again sometime this year. I am seeing people sell him for up to triple the price so wait on him to drop again. I just don’t know if he will be limited supply or not.
Mine came today. The crazy thing is, it got here before my Frankenstein and I ordered Frank first! I will say, I was up early on the website for this one so I saw it actually drop online. I bought it immediately. I’m sure yours will be coming soon!
I hope so because it says it's processing but then it also says that it's back ordered. And I literally ordered May 4th the morning it went online at around 7:30 a.m. EST
That sounds like James Earl Jones himself. I wonder if they're using the A.I. copy of his voice like in the Obi-Wan show? This is way cooler than those life size Vaders that dont move but cost as much as a small car
Well those more expensive vaders are film accurate costumes with the right material and parts cast off the originals. This animatronic is cheap and it shows but its only $300.
@@jeremydrew1227 in person, it definitely doesn’t look cheap. I felt the same way until I saw it in person. But I respect your opinion. Not everyone is going to like it but I’m glad I got one!
@@ViewsFromTheCrypt-lm2kz as an experienced and seasoned Vader enthusiast there is a huge difference between that animatronic and what I have standing in my living room. But the price reflects the difference.
It dropped early May for Star Wars day. It will re-release sometime later this year. Not sure when but if I find out I’ll comment in this comment section. Also not sure if this is limited or not. They are also dropping a storm trooper later this year as well!
Hi, I'm a blind person. Could you reply with a description of what happens when you activate him? I've heard the sound sequences, but not sure what happens lighting wise or movement wise so a description of that would help. I'm absolutely loving the video, love how loud he is and loving your excitement!
Hi there! Of course I can help! When he is activated, his head turns left to right his right arm moves along with his right hand, tilting back-and-forth with the light saber. The light saber lights up red of course. His belt lights up on both sides and the voice box lights up as well. This voice sounds pretty accurate too. It definitely sounds like James Earl Jones. I highly recommend them and hope you can grab him once he re-releases. I’m still excited about it and I still have them up. Thank you for watching and let me know if you have any other questions.
@@ViewsFromTheCrypt-lm2kz Oh wow thnk you for the description, that's really awesome! I sadly won't be able to get one as I'm in the UK, or it might be very unlikely unless it goes up on Ebay at some point, and even then it's also huge.
There are some yoda’s for sale on the after markets. Yoda retailed for $200. He went on sale for 50% off and then dropped again for 75% off. I think I got him for $75 new.
This thing is a great idea but to me as a die hard star wars fan and especially a vader lover the company could have done better but hey just means they can make improvements over time with the next model.
I get it but until you see it in person…..I think it would change your mind. When I bought it I was just taking a chance and I really thought I was going to return it. Once I started to put it together….i knew it was a keeper!
@@jeremydrew1227 I respect you opinion but I have to disagree. In person it does not look cheap at all. No it’s not movie accurate but it’s a really good version for the price! A costume of this quality would cost more than $300.
How much was it? Dang it, I wish I would have seen this in early May! I so would have bought it. Not sure how to get alerted in the fall if they re-release it! This would go perfectly in my man cave! I'm not about to pay the price everyone is sell it for on ebay, etc. My wife would kill me dead!
He was $300. I’m not sure if he will be limited or not. If I get wind of the next release date I will let you know. Try to get him for retail first. He is definitely worth the price point! If he really-releases and you can’t get him, I would still say he is worth up to $500-$600 in my opinion.
@@ViewsFromTheCrypt-lm2kz gotcha, man, I so would have bought it. Thank you. Please do jump back on here and let me know! I can't wrap my mind around such an awesome figure being 300 bucks. Love it.
Sorry, but, it's not accure to any movie but it's true that it's not expensive for the size and the fact that it's animated. That's fine for people who aren't particular demanding, but it doesn't bear much resemblance to the real Vader.
I respect that but I completely disagree. It resembles him a lot. For $300, this is a steal for what you get. Yes it’s not perfect and needs modification but for what you get, nobody should be disappointed.
@@ViewsFromTheCrypt-lm2kz It's a nice toy but it doesn't come close to what the character is and what he radiates. As I said, it's for people who don't want high standards. You can see that the quality is pretty low. If you have to modify almost everything to get something good, it's better to make it from scratch.
@@philippealain-art I thought the same as you did when I saw the original pics. Bought it on a whelm and thought I would return it if I wasn’t happy. The pictures and even my video don’t do it justice. It’s going to be great for my Halloween parties and everyone who has seen it in person is impressed. It’s not nowhere as bad as you make it seem. You also have to remember, it’s $300. Anyone expecting lifelike or movie accurate for $300 is not being realistic. But I understand where you are coming from. If you can, see it in person first but I have a feeling your mind is pretty much made up and nothing wrong with that.
@@ViewsFromTheCrypt-lm2kz I haven't seen the article in real life, so maybe it's a bit better than what you can see, but I'm very familiar with the design of the character and its various versions. I'm not saying it's bad, it's pretty good for the price, I'm just saying that I can tell you that it's not a faithful representation contrary to what you claim. Let's be honest, yes, for the price you can't get a totally accurate representation, but don't pretend that it is the case.
😂 well the good thing is, it came in a plain brown box but it did have the words Darth Vader written on it! I was nervous about that but I was home at the time! I was just glad the package wasn’t destroyed like many other boxes from HD were in the past!
“It’s not accurate” Look yeah, this isn’t an accurate Vader design. But also, I’m not buying a screen accurate suit, I’m buying a $300 prop to decorate my arcade with/Halloween decoration. Would I love if it was more realistic? Absolutely. The truth is that most “pretty good” Vader helmets will run you over $350 alone. The people buying this are people like me who know it’s not correct but have always wanted some semblance of this iconic character in their home or casual fans who see this as just Darth Vader. I love detail, I love being in universe (my Jedi outfit is Rebel Legion approved) but sometimes it’s okay to know these things are strictly for enjoyment and that’s okay. The attitude of some of these comments have the same energy at yelling at an excited 9 year old for having a plastic lightsaber instead of a legit hilt.
I agree! Thank you for your comment! I had to delete many of the comments for just taking it to far. I completely agree. This wasn’t meant to be perfect or screen accurate. For $300 and a decent looking life size Vader animatronic, you can’t beat it!
Considering the one from Sideshow is $10,000, this isn't terrible. Still a bit on the cheap-looking side for my taste. I wonder if Home Depot will do more Star Wars animatronics?
Well HD has released yoda last year and they released Vader this year. Later this year they will release a storm trooper. Yes, $10k vs $300! For the price, it’s totally worth it and looks so much better in person!
Oh it probably would be. I recommend this one for indoors only. Plus, it’s Darth Vader, we can’t have him getting wet or scorched by the sun where his black cape turns burgundy! You know how all the animatronics clothing fades so fast in the sun! This is one you will want to keep Indoors for sure!
I made a quick short that you can check out. It’s nothing wrong with the helmet. Not sure why it looks like that in the video but the helmet is perfect in person. I think it was the lighting and reflection in the glass picture behind it. Thanks for checking it out! It’s definitely worth it!
@@ViewsFromTheCrypt-lm2kz No, it happened to mine too. After the unboxing, the helmet was bended from one side, but it fixed by its own and now looks totally normal
The helmet really isn’t that bad. It’s the lighting that throws it off. It’s definitely worth the $300! Can’t find anything this close to his size and quality for less than $1000.
Yes! Home Depot drops about 4-5 Halloween items during the halfway to Halloween event. Halfway to Halloween is celebrated by many stores. The Star Wars series of these animatronics are part of the Halloween and Christmas seasons. Last year HD dropped Yoda and this year they dropped Vader and the stormtrooper is coming later this year. They will drop Vader again later this year. When I find out more info. I will make a comment in this post!
Fun fact: you don't need to hold those mics right up to your mouth, they're more than sensitive enough to pick up what you're saying from over a metre away and it would stop the thumping noises from the Ps and Bs while you're speaking
Yes, you are correct. This is a new camera and mic so I didn’t realize that until after the fact but I know this time. It doesn’t clip on my shirt well. I’m going to have to go with a different mic
@@ViewsFromTheCrypt-lm2kz it should have come with a magnet, which is more than strong enough to clip it to your clothing. The sensitivity is adjustable on them as well, I recommend playing around with them a bit as you're not gonna find a better quality wireless mic for the price
I guess you would have to see it in person. The helmet is perfect in person. I was worried about scratches but it looks great. For the price, you won't find anything like it. Highly recommend. Even if he wasn't animated, I think he is worth it.
Yes, the dome of the helmet is sitting too high, but should be easy to adjust I would think. I'm a 10+ year 501st Darth Vader, and custom movie-accurate suits with genuine leather, fiberglass helmet and armor, working electronics, etc... easily range from $2500-5000+ depending upon a variety of factors. This animatronic really surprised me being $300 considering the Black Series helmets were going for $100 by themselves. For what it is, it's not a bad base to do a little modification and it could easily be improved. The movement and voice samples are fun and I'm sure people who are able to buy this for retail price will be pleased with what they get.
@@DavidSherman1980 I agree! There could be some modifications to definitely make it more realistic. For example, I’m already looking at the Cape chain online. I also agree with the price. I think for what you pay for for a full Darth Vader costume or like you said, a black series helmet, this is well worth $300. I hope you can get one if you don’t already have it!
The scumbags at home. Depo oversold the prop, and even though we stayed up all night to buy one we did not get it. We were told we got one and tgry took the money but later on sent an email that said they oversold them. I loathe them now. My husband is very sick and he wanted this sooo bad.
I hate to hear that! That has happened to me a few years back. I do hope you get him when they release him again later this year! I also hope your husband feels better!
@@jeremydrew1227 I have seen 6’7 and 6’8. The base is at least an inch thick so it gives him more height but I like how tall it is. Makes him look more menacing! I look at it and if he were real, I’d definitely be intimidated! 😂
