Fulfilling his role as the backbone character in two-thirds of the Journal of the Whills/Skywalker Saga and as the Sword of the Emperor, the Jedi turned to the Dark Side known as Darth Vader hunted the remaining members of his previous order and enforced the will of his master encased in a suit of black armor and a fearsome helmet a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.
Conceived by artist Ralph McQuarrie, who conceptualized Vader’s need for his carapace and nightmarish headwear after reading an early draft of Star Wars that had the villain in the hard vacuum of space while he crossed between two starships (which required George Lucas to create the backstory that eventually metamorphized into the duel between Kenobi and the fallen Anakin Skywalker – recreated as 7257 Ultimate Lightsaber Duel in 2005 – on Mustafar), the initial sketches were adapted by costume designer John Mollo, who added the Samurai look to Vader’s bodysuit and German military headgear stylings to the rake of the helmet, and crafted by Brian Muir (who went uncredited for his work on A New Hope).
Minor adjustments – including the replacement of the red lenses that revealed actor David Prowse’sface under certain lighting conditions – were made prior to the filming of The Empire Strikes Back to make the helmet more comfortable and secure. The final version of Vader’s armor was designed and fabricated by costume props supervisor Ivo Coveney to fit Hayden Christensen for Revenge of the Sith and corrected the asymmetrical dome of Vader’s head, a legacy of the defective work by the original mold maker, Andrew Ainsworth, in 1976.
Officially revealed on March 25th, and available to pre-order on the 27th, 75304 Darth Vader’s Helmet comes alongside the addition of the new Scout Trooper Helmet (75305) and saw the number of collectible helmets in the Adult Collector subtheme grow to five when it was released on April 26th.
Unsurprisingly, this isn’t the first rendition of the Dark Lord of Sith’s famous facemask and bonnet because the character was one of the very first LEGO Star Wars minifigures introduced in 1999 (with a further 24 following). Alongside the iconic minifigure – which has also been made available as in key chain, magnet, watch and pen form – Darth Vader has been utilized to bolster the Technics, Clocks, LEDLite accessories, Buildable Figure (twice!), BrickHeadz, Sculptures, Art subtheme and now as an Adult Collector helmet.
75304 Darth Vader Helmet
Pay homage to the Dark Lord of the Sith with this collectible LEGO® Star Wars™ Darth Vader Helmet (75304). Immerse yourself in the complex building process and relive classic Star Wars saga scenes as you recreate the iconic shape and sinister details of the helmet in LEGO style.
Designed for display
The Darth Vader Helmet is a compact size and has a display stand with a nameplate to complete a striking centrepiece that will enhance the decor of your home or workplace. And check out the other new-for-May-2021 LEGO Star Wars build-to-display helmet: Scout Trooper Helmet (75305).Special gift idea
Part of a collection of LEGO Star Wars building kits for adults, this premium-quality set makes a wonderful memorabilia gift for yourself, any Star Wars fan, experienced LEGO builders or someone who enjoys a fun, creative challenge.
- Escape the stresses of everyday life for a while and enjoy some quality time recreating every menacing detail of Darth Vader’s Helmet with this collectible LEGO® Star Wars™ building kit (75304).
- The iconic design of Darth Vader’s Helmet is recreated in LEGO® bricks to spark memories of classic Star Wars™ saga scenes, and the display stand with nameplate completes an impressive centrepiece.
- This set is part of a series of collectible LEGO® Star Wars™ build-to-display helmet models – look out for the new-for-May-2021 Scout Trooper Helmet (75305).
- This 834-piece set offers a complex, rewarding building experience and makes a top birthday, holiday or surprise gift for any Star Wars™ enthusiast, experienced LEGO® builder or hobbyist.
- Measuring over 8 in. (20 cm) high, 5.5 in. (15 cm) wide and 5.5 in. (14cm) deep, this buildable Darth Vader Helmet model doesn’t need much space for display but makes a big visual impact.
- Buying this set for a huge Star Wars™ fan who is a LEGO® newcomer? No problem. It comes with easy-to-follow instructions so they can take on this complex build with the confidence of a Jedi Knight.
- This LEGO® Star Wars™ set for adults is part of a collection of premium-quality and fun building kits designed for you, the discerning hobbyist, who enjoys hands-on creative projects.
- Since 1958, LEGO® components have met rigorous industry standards to ensure consistent, secure connections and robust builds.
- LEGO® bricks and pieces are tested to the max to make sure they meet some of the most stringent safety standards on planet Earth – and in galaxies far, far away!
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| 18+ | 834 | 405 | 75304 |
Barely had this set left toy store shelves before it was mired in confusion when many customers in North Americans mistook the multi-language labelling for a printing error, causing would-be variation hunters to rush out to buy the “Dark Vador” version.
The contents of the box are less controversial, with five bags of pieces, a sticker sheet, and an instruction book contained within the artfully printed container that is as visually stunning as the completed model is.
Starting with the base and the underneath of the helmet’s front, the build moves upwards to include the skeleton-like Technic structure that supports the facial element at the front of the helmet and the lower half of the sides, before continuing on to the top of the dome and the distinctive coal-scuttle back and sides. The build is completed with the addition of the title plate and all in, 75304 Darth Vader’s Helmet model takes a couple of hours to finish.
Overall the symmetrical nature of the helmet is easily captured by LEGO, who opted to make the final Revenge of the Sith version (which was later re-used in Rogue One) despite the introductory text in the instructions leaning heavily on A New Hope references.
The application of hundreds of plates gives the dome a curved look, and the studs don’t detract from the intended smooth finish, which LEGO uses a row of tiled curves as a reminder of the medium ridge that bisects the two hemispheres of the helmet.
Leaving out the smokey red lenses that Vader’s original helmet – and later reintroduced in Rogue One to recapture the nostalgia of Star Wars before they were replaced in The Empire Strikes Back – had and opting to not include a removable top, LEGO has given themselves scope to re-visit this set (assuming the Adult Collector subtheme continues) in a number of years.
If this new set has caught your eye then head over to LEGO.com, Target in the United States or Australia) Amazon.com, Walmart.com, Entertainment Earth, K-Mart, Argos or Barnes & Noble or a nearby branch of LEGO and get your’s (MSRP $69.99) today.
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