Hot Toys Darth Vader : tips , tricks and any other mods

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Perhaps, but the hot toys ones are really bad. This was the best thing I could find ‘off the shelf’ and they look quite good on display.

Screws used on the real helmet, HT are ok for what they are supposed to be:

Vader ANH 03.jpg

Vader ANH 01.jpg

Vader_ANH_mask_01.png



And the EFX Vader Legend tusks, which are VERY accurate:

eFX Darth Vader Legend Edition helmet 36.jpg
 

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It’s all opinion. I think the kaiyodo mask with the tusks I listed is more accurate than a modified HT with stock tusks. Just my 2 cents, as I’ve owned both.

I'll stick with my HT JazzInc modded mask, and original tusks instead of screws :wink1:
 
So, I picked up the vinyl, Kiyodo, Vader kit.

The head sculpt, while nice, is not as amazing as the hype suggests. I would say with confidence that it’s not as good as the Hot Toys, Vader Head sculpt.

Both Kiyodo and Hot Toys have their issues.

Here are my issues with the Kiyodo sculpt.

• The entire Head sculpt appears to be a mirror image of the Vader mask. So it’s completely backwards. This is it’s biggest issue.

• The detail/resolution is soft.

• The brow above the eyes is way too small.

• The nose seems a little small. And the “plug” is close to the surface just like the Hot Toys sculpt.

• It is slightly under-scale for 1/6.

While the Kiyodo HS is definitely one of the better sculpts out there, in my humble opinion, if you already have a Hot Toys sculpt, there’s no reason to go out of your way to get a Kiyodo. In fact, I would say the Hot Toys nudges out ahead by the virtue of being made of high quality plastic, instead of soft vinyl, and Hot Toys has much sharper detail/resolution in the sculpt. It’s also easier to modify the Hot Toys sculpt.

Pictures below:

bf40c643ff7bd4e5320942f8c4bde108.jpg

87d78a47314a0f18023a4375f5686e21.jpg

16cbad38aedcbd38b561e35724078364.jpg

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0c4626949528f2b96311ae3c92fda012.jpg

b1246912a063085a5b545f361f78b428.jpg

c100dedbaa01919c8f846da4ec6c459a.jpg

434e6af303132f843224c9dfe85ac78a.jpg

b3b15ef8df28a0613699e9358f346f0e.jpg

019abf06c807586ace603b185c34ccd4.jpg

f9365677a9005097c8ef367a3f137465.jpg





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This would require work just as much as anything else. Hurrican made anh version for me so there was work done to it. Like the metal mesh wiring inside the mouthgril part. I cut the eyes out and put some brown amber film cell in there place.
 
So, I picked up the vinyl, Kiyodo, Vader kit.

The head sculpt, while nice, is not as amazing as the hype suggests. I would say with confidence that it’s not as good as the Hot Toys, Vader Head sculpt.

Both Kiyodo and Hot Toys have their issues.

Here are my issues with the Kiyodo sculpt.

• The entire Head sculpt appears to be a mirror image of the Vader mask. So it’s completely backwards. This is it’s biggest issue.

• The detail/resolution is soft.

• The brow above the eyes is way too small.

• The nose seems a little small. And the “plug” is close to the surface just like the Hot Toys sculpt.

• It is slightly under-scale for 1/6.

While the Kiyodo HS is definitely one of the better sculpts out there, in my humble opinion, if you already have a Hot Toys sculpt, there’s no reason to go out of your way to get a Kiyodo. In fact, I would say the Hot Toys nudges out ahead by the virtue of being made of high quality plastic, instead of soft vinyl, and Hot Toys has much sharper detail/resolution in the sculpt. It’s also easier to modify the Hot Toys sculpt.

Pictures below:

bf40c643ff7bd4e5320942f8c4bde108.jpg

87d78a47314a0f18023a4375f5686e21.jpg

16cbad38aedcbd38b561e35724078364.jpg

442760c4421bdf63a72a13130986c0cb.jpg

0c4626949528f2b96311ae3c92fda012.jpg

b1246912a063085a5b545f361f78b428.jpg

c100dedbaa01919c8f846da4ec6c459a.jpg

434e6af303132f843224c9dfe85ac78a.jpg

b3b15ef8df28a0613699e9358f346f0e.jpg

019abf06c807586ace603b185c34ccd4.jpg

f9365677a9005097c8ef367a3f137465.jpg





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yeap, good review. That is the reason I never went for a Vader Kayodo mask, too soft overall and the mirror effect. HT is not perfect, but like, you said, it will work, with minor mods.
 
Yeap, good review. That is the reason I never went for a Vader Kayodo mask, too soft overall and the mirror effect. HT is not perfect, but like, you said, it will work, with minor mods.

Thanks.

I’m going to try to recast the “teeth” from the grill on the Kaiyodo sculpt and modify it for the Hot Toys HS. The “mouth” triangles on both sculpts look like they are nearly an exact match, so hopefully it won’t be too difficult to modify.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Thanks.

I’m going to try to recast the “teeth” from the grill on the Kaiyodo sculpt and modify it for the Hot Toys HS. The “mouth” triangles on both sculpts look like they are nearly an exact match, so hopefully it won’t be too difficult to modify.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That could be a nice tying to do indeed
 
So, I picked up the vinyl, Kiyodo, Vader kit.

The head sculpt, while nice, is not as amazing as the hype suggests. I would say with confidence that it’s not as good as the Hot Toys, Vader Head sculpt.

Both Kiyodo and Hot Toys have their issues.

Here are my issues with the Kiyodo sculpt.

• The entire Head sculpt appears to be a mirror image of the Vader mask. So it’s completely backwards. This is it’s biggest issue.

• The detail/resolution is soft.

• The brow above the eyes is way too small.

• The nose seems a little small. And the “plug” is close to the surface just like the Hot Toys sculpt.

• It is slightly under-scale for 1/6.

While the Kiyodo HS is definitely one of the better sculpts out there, in my humble opinion, if you already have a Hot Toys sculpt, there’s no reason to go out of your way to get a Kiyodo. In fact, I would say the Hot Toys nudges out ahead by the virtue of being made of high quality plastic, instead of soft vinyl, and Hot Toys has much sharper detail/resolution in the sculpt. It’s also easier to modify the Hot Toys sculpt.

Pictures below:

bf40c643ff7bd4e5320942f8c4bde108.jpg

87d78a47314a0f18023a4375f5686e21.jpg

16cbad38aedcbd38b561e35724078364.jpg

442760c4421bdf63a72a13130986c0cb.jpg

0c4626949528f2b96311ae3c92fda012.jpg

b1246912a063085a5b545f361f78b428.jpg

c100dedbaa01919c8f846da4ec6c459a.jpg

434e6af303132f843224c9dfe85ac78a.jpg

b3b15ef8df28a0613699e9358f346f0e.jpg

019abf06c807586ace603b185c34ccd4.jpg

f9365677a9005097c8ef367a3f137465.jpg





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

While both the kaiyodo and HT masks have issues....kaiyodo is still the more accurate of the two...and will look a lot better when painted up. HT might be sharper looking....but the sculpt is all kinds of wrong...


That's looking great paul...
 
Man Paul that looks sick! I love my kaiyodo personally, but will admit the material it’s casted in leaves a lot to be desired. I picked up one of those cheap $5.99 unmasked Vader sculpts from eBay and added it to the inside and for now it’ll hold me over until I get my hurricane one in.

6a8e829f1b03da716e3a0ae7e92fa20d.jpg


2b65eaf081fcb2cb7613ea05978a3383.jpg
 
Just removed the entire grill. There is A LOT more material in there than you might think.

This is just a practice HS I’m working on, but I’m super nervous LOL!

I really want to get the grill to look right.

63c349775aaa999b6ff358cdc2463a23.jpg



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To stop the tunic from flaring out run a length of wire through the hem...then stitch it in place
View attachment 404575View attachment 404576

Thanks for sharing this. That’s exactly what I’m planning on doing.

It’s actually amazing how much better any Vader figure looks when you get the cloak and tunic looking right.


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Man Paul that looks sick! I love my kaiyodo personally, but will admit the material it’s casted in leaves a lot to be desired. I picked up one of those cheap $5.99 unmasked Vader sculpts from eBay and added it to the inside and for now it’ll hold me over until I get my hurricane one in.

6a8e829f1b03da716e3a0ae7e92fa20d.jpg


2b65eaf081fcb2cb7613ea05978a3383.jpg

Thank you :)
 
Just removed the entire grill. There is A LOT more material in there than you might think.

This is just a practice HS I’m working on, but I’m super nervous LOL!

I really want to get the grill to look right.

63c349775aaa999b6ff358cdc2463a23.jpg



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Awesome! I'm looking forward to seeing this. I'm excited and it's not even mine! :lol
 
Anyone else working on their Vader's? I have a re-newed enthusiasm for this figure after all the amazing work I've seen :)

I'm getting the Vader/Tarkin pack in tomorrow, and only got it so I can customize Vader. :) I won't go to the extreme of resculpting, but I love what I'm seeing here. My ROTJ custom uses the kaiyodo mask with hurricane dome, I'm looking forward to seeing the differences with the HT mask in person.
 
I STILL LOVE MY HURRICANE ANH MASK HE DID FOR ME. I`M WORKING ON A HELMET FOR HIM. I HAD AN EXTRA HT RO HELMET I CUT IT RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE TO SPLIT IT OPEN AND SANDED DOWN BOTH SIDES TO TRY TO NOT MAKE IT LOOK SO ENORIMUS LOOKING ON THE kaiyodo MASK. STILL WIP.
 
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