Which Star Wars character are you?
I’m a TIE fighter pilot (TI 5850). I’m just one of the many soldiers in the movie. But unfortunately I’ve been mistaken as Darth Vader many times!

Darth Vader? So have you ever made kids cry?
Unintentionally, yes. Some parents like to bring their child close to me. And then the kids will just start to bawl and cry. We try to be observant. If kids look uncomfortable, we won’t force them to approach us or shake our hands.

We’re curious. What happens if you guys go to the toilet?
We get stares and very amused people who sometimes whip out their camera phones very excitedly!

Do you guys get harassed while in costume?
Yes, occasionally there will be people who hit us from the back! That’s why we have one or two members who are not in costume to take care of us. They are also there because our mobility, vision and hearing get affected when we are in costume.

501st Singapore has been cosplaying and doing charity work. Where do you get your funds?
501st Singapore is a non-profit organization. We are all fans who own our own costumes so we are mostly self-sufficient. Because of copyright governed by Lucas Film, we are not supposed to collect payment. When it comes to private events, we usually request for payments, to be channelled to charity.

OK, last question! Who’s the Darth Vader in your life?
No one really...erm, my boss?!