So I heard this nasty rumor that the VC Vader might be the same figure as the Saga Legends Vader. Is there any verifiable proof of this thus far? Or is the Saga Legends Vader actually the TLC BLUE figure from 2008?
Since I have all three, I just went down to my collection room and checked.
Personally, there are only two differences between the new VTC Vader and the TLC Blue/White 2008 figure - paint apps and the fact that the head can easily be popped off of the body.
The paint apps is obvious, the head of Anakin in the VTC version is much darker gray than the TLC head which is more of a light/pale gray - almost white with darker gray motting. The back of the neck brace also has different paint applications.
For the pop-off head so you can remove the neck brace/collar, I really didn't want to break/ruin my TLC Vader, so it's entirely possible that the head is exactly the same head - the sculpt itself does indeed look identical, so it's entirely possible that the two figures are indeed the same.
For the new 2010 Legends release, it is indeed the same figure, but the paint apps are different between that figure and both the TLC and VTC figures (at least with my samples).
So the net-net is that until someone cares to tug at the head of their TLC Vader to see if it comes off/out, I think it's an identical figure with the exception of paint-apps and that the head peg that inserts into the torso has been redesigned to allow for easy removal of the head.
If you're never gonna remove the head so you can remove the neck brace, there really isn't any point to this figure. And since the neck brace was only ever not-on Hayden in ROTS, this version with the Sebastian Shaw head is even more pointless.
Get it if you're a completist (like me), pass on it if you really don't give a crap about the three piece helmet.
If I were Hasbro, I'd already be planning a re-release with the arms from the ANH Tin and a burnt Hayden head.