Star Wars Advent Calendar - Day 12
Posted by CapnRex101,
75340 Star Wars Advent Calendar returned to good form yesterday, with the microscale V-35 Landspeeder. Hopefully that excellent standard continues at the calendar's halfway point.
Let's open door number twelve and see...
Our second exclusive minifigure certainly reaches the expected standard! This version of Darth Vader originates from the Summer Vacation special on Disney+ earlier this year, so seems odd in an Advent Calendar, but is nevertheless fun. Vader's famous helmet remains unchanged and the printed arms and legs also return from previous minifigures, each looking superb.
The torso is new though and features the tropical paradise of Scarif, with TIE Fighters and the Death Star looming above. The red and orange colour combination is attractive and I love how the Citadel Tower is integrated on the back, although perhaps displaying a Star Destroyer would have been better than repeating the Death Star on both sides.
Darth Vader's smiling expression works nicely here and he comes equipped with some beach accessories, wearing black flippers and carrying a ball. Ideally, his lightsaber would have been provided too, but maybe that will arrive another day.
Overall - Clearly dressed for Christmas in the Southern Hemisphere, the exclusive Darth Vader minifigure is fun.
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32 comments on this article
The flippers are a nice touch. Lime green would have been better though.
This torso is in the running for best torso ever.
"Minifigures that I literally can only use in one setting."
You know what this set really needs is a swimsuit Stormtrooper from the old video games. It'd have been a perfect companion to this figure.
Ha! Funny contrarian Anakin. That’s why he got kicked out of the Jedi Order.
Wish the ball was a mini molded, or at least printed, Death Star like the planet series 9676.
I need this torso in yellow!
@ToysFromTheAttic said:
"I need this torso in yellow!"
Who you calling 'yella?'
It's funny how the ACs seem to align with each other some days. Like today, HP and SW both have their main badies, and GG is just... mainly bad!
I’m not going to lie, I think this is one of the best minifigs of the calendars… I love this one. The c-3po is the second.
I wonder if Leia plans on joining him for a father-daughter day at the beach; she’s got a nice bikini to wear.
I'd get one to switch arms with any regular black arms Vader.
Love it
Is the ball the same size as for football table?
Its hardly a festive minifigure but I suppose he will still feel Luke's "presents" on Christmas day!!
@gradatim said:
"Is the ball the same size as for football table?"
I assumed it was the same ball before looking it up, but this one I am guessing is a little smaller (and has the traditional hexagon pattern on it, whereas the Table Football set doesn't appear to). The Table Football ball is 6261647 while this is 6389694
@OptimShi:
Holy crap, that _is_ a soccer ball! I thought it was smooth when I built Vader this morning, and the photos here just show the faintest of panel patterns. Must be a worn out mold that they’re just keeping in service because they aren’t really intended to connect to anything, so part tolerances aren’t much of an issue.
Just plain awesome. To put a top-notch gift, which for most years would be the gift on the 24th, at the midpoint of the calendar? Bravo!
I really love the torso design here, but I don't really like it on Vader... though I guess the fact that it would be uncharacteristic for him is the whole point of the joke. Still, someday I might look into getting just the torso on its own from Bricklink, and build a custom (obviously a Star Wars fan!) minifigure around it, since it would be a nice one to put to some use ^^
aussie christmas
Nice figure. A bit weird to get it in an Advent Calender, but I'm not complaining!
I was expecting this one later, possibly even (like @fulcrumbop said) on the twenty-fourth. This is actually my first Vader with the two-part mask. Speaking of which, am I the only one who used the spare collar to keep the ball from rolling around?
@TheOtherMike said:
"Speaking of which, am I the only one who used the spare collar to keep the ball from rolling around?"
Not at all. I did that, and similarly made a makeshift support for the T-16 using one of the spare ski poles plus the spare 1x1 round plate with hollow stud from previous days, so that my Skyhopper doesn’t have its nose pointed down into the ground.
Nice balancing act with the "beach ball".
@StyleCounselor said:
"It's funny how the ACs seem to align with each other some days. Like today, HP and SW both have their main badies, and GG is just... mainly bad!"
Hey alcohol has killed more people than Darth Vader and Voldemort combined, so that bottle of whatever at the GotG office Christmas party is the baddest Big Bad of them all!
It's a Scarif beach party!
@ResIpsaLoquitur said:
""Minifigures that I literally can only use in one setting."
You know what this set really needs is a swimsuit Stormtrooper from the old video games. It'd have been a perfect companion to this figure."
It's not just the old videogames. Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga had a few of the swimsuit stormtroopers hidden around the game...
Awesome surprise today!
This soccer ball piece hasn't been seen in white since 2018, so kind of cool to get it here!
Guess he got over his dislike for sand........
I too am surprised to find this at the halfway point. Of course, most of us knew he was coming as he is well featured on the box. This is truly a fun minifig to have. It kind of reminds me of all of the silly Batman variants out there, except with Vader.
We need more summer figures in these calendars. Wool sweaters and Christmas coats are cool but this is on another level.
@ThatBionicleGuy:
Note that this is a tanktop over Vader's armor. Use it on any other minifig and it'll just look like someone wearing a Vader-wearing-a-tanktop costume.
@stevesheriw;
"Hey kids
Find all 33
Crazy Batsuits"
"Hey kids
Find all 1
Crazy Vadersuits"
Yeah, it doesn't have quite the same ring to it.
Quite nice to have some representation of what it's like to experience Christmas here down under, especially in advent calendars like these which traditionally portray wintery, snowy scenes.
I didn't get this year's Star Wars calendar because my girlfriend wanted to pool our money for the Guardians calendar instead, and this minifigure will be my only regret.
Since he's not too expensive on Bricklink (~$8) I'll be sure to pick him up because Darth Vader dressed for a summer vacation seems like a great minifigure to own.
@Torrent_Studios said:
"Quite nice to have some representation of what it's like to experience Christmas here down under, especially in advent calendars like these which traditionally portray wintery, snowy scenes.
I didn't get this year's Star Wars calendar because my girlfriend wanted to pool our money for the Guardians calendar instead, and this minifigure will be my only regret.
Since he's not too expensive on Bricklink (~$8) I'll be sure to pick him up because Darth Vader dressed for a summer vacation seems like a great minifigure to own."
Hope she's worth it. 'Cause that GG AC is a dumpster fire!!
@Torrent_Studios:
Be sure to hang on to this, in case you ever need to win a really minor argument. “Honey, do you remember that time you made me buy the other calendar?”