Darth Vader's Original “Star Wars” Trilogy Lightsaber Shatters Auction Records

Would you pay $3.6 million to have a screen used lightsaber?

A lightsaber used by Darth Vader in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi has become the highest-valued Star Wars item ever to go up for auction.

What’s Happening:

  • The Hollywood Reporter has shared that the iconic character’s screen-matched primary dueling lightsaber, used in two films from the original Star Wars trilogy, sold for $3,654,000 at auction at the Propstore in Los Angeles on Thursday.
  • This makes it the highest-valued piece from the Star Wars franchise ever to go up for auction, with the winning bid hitting $2,900,000 and reaching the final total with the additional buyer’s premium that is paid to the auction house.
  • On-screen, the item was held by Darth Vader actor David Prowse and stunt double Bob Anderson, with a presale value estimated from $1 million to $3 million.
  • This is said to be the only hero lightsaber from the original Star Wars trilogy to ever hit an auction.

  • Anakin Skywalker’s stunt dueling lightsaber from the prequels also sold for $126,000 with the buyer’s premium, at nearly twice the presale estimate.
  • Items from other franchises, such as Indiana Jones’ bullwhip and belt used in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and Jean-Luc Picard’s Ressikan flute from Star Trek: The Next Generation also fetched hefty prices at the auction.
  • Back in 2022, Propstore sold a screen-matched model miniature X-wing fighter created for the original Star Wars for more than $2.3 million.

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