Note: Vintage review – this review is from an earlier version of our homepage and is correspondingly old!
First impression
At first glance, the Anakin ROTS FX lightsaber already looks high quality.
Like its model, the Graflex flash handle, it has the typical „ears“, two buttons, the activator button and the clamp, which on this saber are more elaborately designed than on the flash handle.
Compared to the Limited Edition, it's only slightly bigger and thicker. There are different versions of this saber too, the first being known as the „light metal“ or „plastic version“. It's made of thinner metal than the other versions. In the second edition, the gold-plated buttons and the activator are a deeper gold. The wiring was also changed, and the packaging was the original ROTS box.
The last version looks the same as the second, but has improved speakers and a power-on sound.
Handling
Since the saber only needs 3 AA batteries, it's very light.
The hilt sits nicely in the hand, but the activator block can get in the way, especially with fast strikes and tricks. The activator itself is located under the activator block. This position turns out to be unfortunate, since you often switch the saber on and off by accident.
The balance is well chosen; it's a little head-heavy, but that's not a real problem.
Light and sound
The blade glows a nice blue, very similar to the other blue sabers like Obi-Wan ROTS or Luke ESB. The sound module is the same as in the Luke ROTJ or Obi-Wan ROTS, it's quite loud and the sound is pretty close to the original.
In total it has 3 swing and 4 clash sounds.
Wear
With regular use, the strong gold color of the activator, the circuit board on top of the clamp and the two copper eyes fades.
Because of the chrome design, fingerprints and scratches are unavoidable, but it's very easy to clean.
After a mod, one part or another may sit a little loose.
Verdict
This saber is perfect for any beginner, it sits nicely in the hand and is very nicely finished. With older versions of the Anakin ROTS, a simple mod is even possible, since they still have a plug&play connector. However, this version hasn't been available in stores since February 2005, so better not risk disassembling it out of curiosity.
