Note: Vintage review – this review is from an earlier version of our homepage and is correspondingly old!
First impression
The classy-looking packaging of the Luke Skywalker ANH Black Series FX lightsaber raises hopes for a great collector's item. At first glance, the re-release of the lightsaber already produced in 2007, 2008 and 2010 looks just like the previous versions.
Unfortunately, small quality flaws in the workmanship quickly become apparent. The paint on the activator box is brittle, and the holes for the electrical pins (directly below the emitter in the recesses) are crooked. The pins sit differently on each side, which looks more like a cheaply made toy version than a high-quality collector's item. The Black Series FX lightsabers all come with a new display stand. It makes an interesting impression, looks elegant and can be screwed onto a flat surface. However, there's no longer a way to hang the saber on a wall with it.
Handling
Handling hasn't changed compared to the earlier editions of the model. The saber's pivot point is still slightly above the emitter, giving good balance for all tricks.
The clamp pointing to the left gets in the way less for right-handers, making the hilt a better choice than, for example, the Anakin Skywalker ROTS, whose box points to the right.
Light and sound
The only improvement in the Black Series is the sound. The volume hasn't changed noticeably, but the four clash and four swing sounds are recognized and played much better by the soundboard.
The swings in particular are played to match the speed of the movement. This is something soundboards for custom lightsabers, like those from Plecter Labs, have offered for years, but it's a great innovation for Hasbro lightsabers available in stores.
The brightness hasn't changed; the blade glows an even blue.
Wear
The paint isn't of particularly high quality and can start flaking off after a while. However, all Luke Skywalker ANH lightsabers have this problem. On our test model, the gold paint on the electrical pins was already partly worn, revealing a dull yellow.
Verdict
With the Black Series, Hasbro announced several improvements, which they delivered in terms of motion detection and sounds. Everything else has either stayed the same or even gotten worse. What's particularly negative is that details that were nicely made on the previous versions now have obvious flaws.
Nevertheless, the Luke Skywalker ANH FX lightsaber is still a good entry-level model that can also be modded with a high-power LED.
The bonus point of this model is of course that it's the "original lightsaber", the first one ever seen in the Star Wars saga.
