Customer Reviews

Darth Vader Episode V FX Lightsaber

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

We just started carrying these at my store, and I have to say that this is one expensive toy that is definitely worth the cost. Master Replicas consistently produces some of the finest reproductions and replicas on the market, and this is no exception. Powered by three AA batteries (which seem to last about 15-20 hours), the saber features some really cool effects: When you first toggle the activation switch, the blade lights up in a manner reminiscent of the films: The light travels from the pommel to the tip, rather than the whole thing just lighting up at once. The red blade has a nice glow, especially in lower light. Swing the sabre, and it hums and buzzes. Strike something--how hard is up to you, the sabre seems to be pretty durable--and it makes a clashing sound. Strike two sabres together, and the clashing sound is louder and more pronounced. The saber also has an auto-off feature to save battery life: Leave it alone for a few minutes, and it automatically shuts off. Some people may be concerned about how well this holds up over time and use, especially since this is no mere cheap plastic sword, but an expensive replica. Fear not. So far, our demo unit has seen probably a hundred hours of use between customers and employees, along with a few duels with our Anakin sabre replica. So far, so good. So it seems to be pretty durable. It's well-made, and the chrome handle is nicely detailed and closely modeled after the one Darth Vader carries in the movie. Highly recommended for Star Wars fans.

I bought this for my 6 year old who will not take it outside to play...I wouldn't allow it for one, and the other kids might be a bit jealous for another. ANYWAY, I was showing it to a co-worker (about 10 minutes ago) and to show how the sounds work (when striking an object) I told him to hit my arm "kinda hard". Well he hits me like a baseball and stung me pretty good (I was expecting a bit of a 'tap'). It is still solid as a rock and works perfectly. I have a red mark on my arm 4 inches long and 1 inch wide.

Indoors or outside in the evening/night this is the most amazing looking light sabre ever. 100 bucks? I'm going to buy another.

Ever since I heard that master replicas was going to make these awesome lightsabers i saved my money for it. Oh was it worth it! It does everything a star wars fanatic (like me) would want it to do. It is cool how they have realistic power up and power down features and all sounds are so digitally clear! In the dark, you are sure to spark awe and shock into any one who sees this thing in action. If you are looking for a realistic and somewhat reasonably priced lightsaber, look no further. I am definitely taking this one with me to the movie.
the force is in your hands with this excellent lightsaber!

This is an absolutely stunning collectible for anyone who cares about the Star Wars universe. The worksmanship is exquisite, and the material has none of the cheap feel typical of a "toy". The blade is made of polycarbonate, the same material used in bullet-proof glass, and I am constantly amazed by its ability to absorb impact and resist scratch. Nonetheless, given the high price and near-impossibility to acquire one at a regular shop (i.e. besides eBay), it is probably more appropriate for grown-ups, although there is no guarantee that they will behave any better than kids once they receive it.

A quick word about the above ratings: while this toy is obviously not educational in the least, I don't subscribe to the notion that a toy NEEDS to be educational any more now than I did as a kid, so pardon me if I lied there, but I didn't want to go bringing down the rating on this excellent gizmo with an honest answer to a rather irrelevant question. Also, I have no actual idea how durable this item is, as I've made no attempts to break this rather expensive doodad in order to find out just how hard it would be to do so; therefore my durability rating is guess. Lies/half-truths end here.

I would've killed, at least certain people, anyway, to have had one of these when I was ten. The technology didn't exist then, but I'm happy to make up for it now. The Darth Vader lightsaber I had back then was this plastic thing with a hilt too bulky for a kid's hand, which looked nothing like the actual prop, had the words "Star Wars: The Force Lightsaber" on the handle, didn't extend, didn't light up, and sort of made a noise if you swung it around so the air could whistle through it. Well, things have gotten better.

I'm not going to go on record saying that this product is worth the money, because let's face it, it costs rather a lot of money, and furthermore I got it as a gift and didn't have to spend anything on it. It's certainly worth somebody ELSE'S money. The detailing is perfect, even if the grip is slightly oversized, and any misgivings I might have had about the brightness of the blade were put to rest the first time I turned it on. This was in a house, and not in a store flooded with overhead flourescents, so if you've tested one of these in such a place and thought it looked dim, it's because the ambient light was likely just washing it out. Never tried it outdoors, because my neighbors will think I'm an enormous (not literally, but figuratively) geek, but indoors the beam is very bright and solid. The sound effects very much add to the package, as for once I don't have to make the swooshing noises myself, and it doesn't take too hard a hit to trigger the impact sound, though it works much better when tapping a wall or similarly solid object; striking something soft, like a couch cushion or even your own leg, take more of a blow to cause the sound to trigger.

As has been mentioned in other reviews, the swinging sounds sometimes don't activate when the saber is swung, and sometimes DO activate when you're holding it mostly still. Also, if I may geek out for just a minute and get nit-picky, I will mention that the power-up sound isn't actually the sound Vader's saber makes in the films, but rather is the sound made by Luke's and Obi-Wan's; Vader's lightsaber makes a much more hissy noise when turned on, hence the overal rating of four, as five would imply that there was no room for improvement. But really, these are very minor quibbles, and this is still the coolest piece of Star Wars memorabilia I've ever had.

One final word on the subject: most reviewers here seem to keep stressing that this item is not a toy. Certainly that is precisely what it is. It's a mock-up lightsaber that lights up and makes sound effects. It has no practical usage. It was made to be played with. This is a TOY. No, not one you'd likely buy for your clumsy nephew who'll likely break it inside of a day, but I think at this point we're all well past the notion that only kids play with toys.

The Guy who gave it 1 star obviously didn't get a Master Replicas Force FX Lightsaber. Someone must have switched it with a Hasbro.
Because these things are awesome. They are very bright. Made of mostly metal. The blade is not plastic it's polycarbonate.
I have this one, the Mace Windu one, and my son has the Luke Skywalker one. I highly recommend these for fans of StarWars.

I purchased the Anakin Skywalker model a couple of months ago and was VERY pleased with the item. The hilt is well-detailed, maybe too well detailed, and has the proper weight to make it feel like the real thing. The blade is very bright, and the sounds are crisp and loud. The only problem I had with the saber is the activation switch: It is located right in the center of the hilt and gets in the way very easily. You have to hold the saber just right to avoid the bulbous switch. Also, it is very easy to accidently turn it off while you're swinging it (Very Annoying). Still, I loved it anyway and you learn to handle it better almost right away.
I loved the Anakin model so much, I just had to get another one: It was a toss up between the Mace Windu Model or the Darth Vader Model. I chose the Dark Side. When it arrived by UPS today, I immediately wanted to grab some AA batteries to compare the two sabers. The Vader Model is just as bright as the Anakin (It IS red, not pinkish) but is noticeably lighter in weight. Also, the digital sound effects are DIFFERENT than the Anakin model (That's good), but the Vader saber is not as loud, and it also takes a moment longer to power up and power down. It should also be noted that the blue Anakin model has 4 different clashing sounds.....the red Vader model has only ONE. Again, the activation switch is right in the middle of the hilt which makes it awkward to handle at first, but you learn to cope with it. I guess that it makes them more "authentic". HOWEVER, the actual lightsaber props used in the dramatic fight sequences did NOT have activation switches in the middle of the hilts (It would be difficult to coreograph a fight scene with those switches in the way, so they were removed to give the actors nice, smooth surfaces.....you wouldn't be able to see the switches since their hands were covering up most of the hilts anyway). All in all, I am very pleased with the Vader model as well. I recommend filming yourself in a pitch-black area and then watch it on your TV. It looks cool! Are they worth the price? In my opinion.....YES, but be careful with them. THEY ARE NOT TOYS.
One more thing: A few of the people reviewing these items say that the sabers are louder when they chash eachother.....not true. You're simply hearing TWO clashing sounds at once which makes it SEEM louder. The sabers don't have any sensors that know specifically when another saber smacks it anyway. A strike is a strike.

Next step.....the Mace Windu Saber!

I bought one Darth and one Anakin Lightsaber from Best Buy before the movie was released. They are supposed to be for my two boys (3 and 6), but I will be keeping them somewhere safe. Playtime will be short and supervised!!

The quality is fantastic and they look and sound great!

I was incredibly lucky to stumble on the Darth Lightsaber - they were only getting a couple a week and were being bought minutes after hitting the sales floor. Employees were buying them before they even made it to the floor in some cases. The Darth one was partially hidden and from the look on the salesman's face, he had his eyes set on that one. I grabbed one Anakin and the last Darth, payed for them, locked them in my car, then went back to finish shopping.

My son looks great with his Darth Vader voice-changer helmet and his new red lightsaber!

Vader's Episode 5 Master Replica saber is a big step up from its Episode 4 variation which was done in poor construction.
The technology has been improved but yet still shows that MR had much too improve.
Vader's E5 saber goes from using a Six AA battery usage down to a 3 AA style. The blade brightness is slightly increased with digital programed sounds and sensors.
The new Saber uses a 60+ Strobe LED light tube which powers up and down like a real saber blade from the movie.
The hilt has been redesigned compared to Episode 4 by placing the power switch closer to the lower end of the hilt while Episode 4's was more in the middle.
However a slight draw back is the swinging sensors. They're very sensitive and will give out the sound effect of being swung even when just holding still or just move ever so slightly.
The battle clashing sound is pretty much limited to 1 sound which is like a sizzling effect.

However for a wanna be sith or a true vader fan you can't pass this up and its perfect for you Anakin collectors.
I enjoy my Vader saber and glad I bought it when I was able to get it and you should be too!

OK, I have the Mace Windu FX saber and it is awesome!!! My friend has the Anakin one and another person I know has the Vader. They are all perfect! The handles are highly detailed, absolutely amazing. My friend bought his at the mall and people kept trying to buy it off of us as we left! The blade on each saber is brilliant and bright. They will work moderately inside, and when in the dark they will work UNBELIEVABLY outside! But during the day, don't bother trying to light it up outside, the LEDs in the blade wont show up. The blades are very sturdy, my friend and I battle intensely with them, and the Windu blade is still firmly attached. The Anakin blade is a little less sturdy, but still better than the cheap toys you can buy for $10. All in all, this is A TOTALLY KICK @$$ TOY! BUY IT!