Note: Vintage review – this review is from an earlier version of our homepage and is correspondingly old!
First impression
At first this FX lightsaber seems rather plain, but then it wins you over with its execution.
Apart from the activator box, there are no protruding parts that could get in the way or be damaged.
But anyone who knows the original hilt from Episode VI will immediately notice the much too thick "neck" below the emitter. Compared to the whole saber, this neck is thinner, but it doesn't match the original design.
On the plus side are the D-ring on the pommel and two fake LEDs on the activator box.
Because of the EL foil, the blade looks gray to greenish and isn't white like later LED FX sabers.
Handling
Thanks to the aluminum, the hilt is very light, and the EL foil in the blade adds hardly any extra weight.
The 6 AA batteries give the saber excellent balance, and it sits nicely in the hand.
Since only the activator box sticks out of the hilt, the saber can easily be wielded with two hands.
Light and sound
The brightness of the EL foil doesn't come anywhere near the LEDs of other lightsabers.
In daylight the green is barely visible at all, while in the dark it glows relatively brightly but with very weak color.
This version can in no way compete with the LED version of the Luke ROTJ or the Yoda ROTS.
Even though the Luke ROTJ was only the second FX lightsaber ever to hit the market, it already has the typical Jedi sounds of the later models. However, due to the lower-quality soundboard, they sound weak and tinny through the speaker.
That's mainly due to the state of development of FX saber technology, which had only just begun in 2003. Compared to the Anakin AOTC released in 2002, however, the sound is a huge improvement.
Wear
The copper paint on the „neck“ below the emitter quickly comes off with use; the shiny silver parts also scratch quite easily.
The EL foil is very sensitive to impacts and can tear easily.
This leads to black spots, since the foil no longer glows at the affected area.
At the lower end of the blade there are two large holes used to attach the blade in the sound module.
This creates a weak point: with heavy use, the blade breaks at exactly this spot and can't be repaired afterwards.
Verdict
Master Replicas' second FX lightsaber is a good step forward compared to its predecessor, the Anakin AOTC, and overall it feels quite solid.
Unfortunately, the EL foil is a big drawback, because its high susceptibility to damage makes the saber completely unsuitable for combat.
For a collector, however, this saber is very valuable, since along with the Anakin AOTC it's the rarest FX lightsaber.
