Star Wars The Black Series – Darth Vader Premium Electronic Helmet – Inspired by the Obi-Wan Kenobi Series – Realistic Cosplay for Adults and Teens, Ages 14 and Above

So after sitting on the fence over this purchase for quite a while (and at one point placing an order and then cancelling again). I decided to take the plunge and go ahead and make a purchase. And I'm happy to report that I'm very glad that I did. When this arrived from Amazon the next day by Prime, the very first thing that I did was unbox it. The very next thing that I did was put my Blu Ray copy of 'Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope' on the telly. What I then experienced was a 'Nerdgasm' of titanic proportions. Watching 'A New Hope' or Star Wars in vanilla money, and for those in the no of course. Was that this Hasbro Black Series Vader helmet is really rather good Indeed. In fact glancing at the movie playing on the TV, and then glancing at this Helmet. It was almost as if George Lucas had said to me after he had finished filming. "Well I've finished making this movie now mate, so I really don't have anymore use for this helmet...so do want to save me a bit of bother, and take it of my hands for me". It really is that good. Highly detailed and shiny, with a little button hidden under the chin, for that faithful movie accurate Darth Vader 'wheeze.' The button is not movie accurate of course, but it's well hidden. At this price point I have no intention of wearing this. The helmet comes with a little stand to pop it on. It's a stunning display piece, that gives me a warm glow of nostalgia every time I look it. There's a series of magnets that hold it all together, and they have been well implemented. There's no sign that they might come unstuck due to cheap glue, and need to be reglued again. The whole helmet feels quality and well made. And really just looks truly amazing. Expecially all the lovely detail under that shiny dome. There are a couple of things that you need to know about this Helmet before you make a purchase though. Firstly It is very very...very big. In Fact I found myself questioning if this has been really made to scale. Surely it can't really have been this big in the movie. Poor David Prowse...He must have been paid danger money wearing that. This of course means that finding somewhere to house your new Vader helmet might prove problematic. You will require a very big shelf to display it on. And I mean very big... Secondly and this is my only real criticism of this Hasbro Vader helmet. Rather than use a standard Phillips head screw to secure the battery cover in place. Hasbro has gone for one of those fiddly awkward T9 screws. And you will need one of those micro sized T9 screwdrivers to undo it with. I'm pointing this out because the instructions supplied Don't make this very clear. And even with the correct screwdriver it still isn't very easy to remove and then reinsert and tighten. The dome is very shiny, and will attract alot of dust fairly quickly, however a can of air will keep the dust at bay no problem. No need to wash it with soap and water as one reviewer suggested on here, and hope it doesn't dry with water marks (sigh). These can be expensive so you might want to consider a powered, rechargeable air duster. I purchased one for a little over 20 pounds here on Amazon just recently, and this does the job nicely in under 2 minutes. I purchased this helmet while it was on offer on Amazon, and was lucky enough to get it at a reduced price. However even at full price this is an amazing stunning purchase. And worth every penny.

Superb quality, excellently wrapped. Authentic look, movie quality!

My son loves it. The sounds are great and it looks amazing.

This was a smashing darth Vader helmet & face mask, but who bought it for already got one for his birthday, so I had to return it to the supplier.

Came very fast and well packaged. Helmet is very detailed and well made. Price was very reasonable. Very happy with it.

Saved a few quid £87.99 instead of the £149 other stores are charging, the helmet is quite heavy, great quality too. Fits perfectly although does take a while to put on correctly, the helmet itself looks amazing!

OK, so the good first: Best I can tell it is pretty accurate to the Obi Wan Kenobi series version of the Darth Vader mask/helmet. It's a really cool display piece - you'll want a space at least 40x40x40cm or it won't fit - and it's amazing fun to look at yourself in a mirror or on video and see Vader staring back, gasping asthmatically at you. Overall it feels very sturdy. It's not a toy, or made with small children in mind, but it will cope with the occasional friend who hasn't seen it before wanting to try it on. When it comes to value for money, is it at least double what three pieces of moulded plastic should cost? Yes. But if you're a fan who wants one then that's the price you have to pay. Now the downsides - and these aren't necessarily reasons not to buy, but you should know exactly what you are getting: Slap bang in the centre of the top of the dome is an incredibly obvious mark where the mould has been injected. The thing is made in China, and it would've cost nothing to have one extra child labourer in charge of filling and sanding this before it got painted, especially given how much it costs, but they didn't bother and so it's there. If you're tall enough it won't be visible while you're wearing it, and if you keep it displayed somewhere up high or as dimly lit as a Star Destroyer, then it won't be immediately obvious. Speaking of looking better in the dark, it's not really obvious from the pictures, but the face part is not actually black. Story goes that the prop helmet when all black just turned into a dark blob on camera, so in order to make the features 'pop' it was painted black and gunmetal-silver in a sort of chequered design, which on camera makes it appear as if it's jet black but reflecting the light and showing off the detail. The illusion worked great on-screen, and it works in real life too - in a pretty dark room, with a single, far away, indirect light source. In a normally-lit room, the effect is a tad more like a patchwork quilt. I understand there are people who will want it to be so accurate that it looks like they have an original prop on their shelf; personally I'd have eschewed accuracy for something all-black which would've looked cool as hell in normal lighting - but that's just me. You'll likely want to invest in a display case, for couple of reasons. First, the slightest contact with human skin will make horrid smudges and fingerprints on the glossy black bits (primarily the dome). Seriously, don't even unpack it without gloves on. Second, it attracts dust and fluff like nothing I've ever seen. Third, and the reason the first two are more than mere nuisances, even the faintest brush of the softest microfibre cloth will leave it looking like you've attacked it with sandpaper, and because it is glossy and black those many tiny scratches really show. The only way I found to clean it safely is to mist it with soapy water, rinse, then air dry and hope for no water marks. The magnets that attach the dome to the face section could be stronger, as they slip a little if you turn your head abruptly while wearing it, but the ones holding the face part to the collar are very strong - to the point that you should probably practise detaching them before you put it on lest you get a bit stuck. TL:DR If you want this for cosplay then don't - the injection mould mark and chequerboard design look awful in normal lighting, it'll be scraped and scuffed in no time, and the shuttlecock part will slide around independently unless you move as stiffly as David Prowse. If, like me, you're happy displaying it sealed in a case on a high, dramatically (read poorly) lit shelf, where nobody will ever touch it, then go for it.

Excellent quality, it's the reel one with a fonction that does the breath sound (not the voice) not easy if you wear glasses but well done with the magnet system. Will do the job for long I hope !