A lightsaber used on screen by Darth Vader has set a Star Wars franchise record with a $3.6 million sale at a Los Angeles auction.
The price, $2.9 million plus fees and premiums, makes the weapon the most valuable Star Wars prop ever, surpassing the Red Leader X-Wing spaceship model that sold for a total $3.1 million in October 2023.
The Vader lightsaber was used in The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and 1983’s Return of the Jedi.
It was listed for sale at Propstore’s Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction, a three-day sale in Los Angeles, that continues on September 5 – 6.
Vader’s blade was expected to make between $1 and $3 million. Before the sale Propstore described it as “a grail-level piece, worthy of the finest collections in the world.”
The weapon, used on fictional worlds in a Galaxy Far Away, was built in the UK for shooting on the original trilogy and was largely fashioned from a camera flash.
Vader always sells. This costume made nearly $300,000 in 2020, despite only ever being used on promotional tours. Image courtesy of Propstore.
Stephen Lane of Propstore told Mark Newbold of Star Wars site, Fanthatracks: “There were only two hero light sabers made for those films, one has been in private hands for a number of years, been known about, and it’s been recognised that it’s out there. This particular saber has been lost for decades, it hasn’t surfaced for 40 years.”
The Vader light saber was submitted to the auction by a seller who didn’t realise its significance according to Star Wars-specialist media.
Mr Lane said many of the props from the original Star Wars films have been lost, discarded, or kept in the private collections of film crew and cast.
Toys produced to promote the film can also be valuable. In 2024, a Boba Fett action figure that was withdrawn from sale made $1.4 million.
Movie props from major films can be very valuable, particularly iconic items like this saber that is so intimately tied to the public image of Star Wars, now a multi-billion dollar multi-media franchise.
Earlier this year, a Rosebud sled from Citizen Kane sold for just under $15 million. The Ruby Slippers from The Wizard of Oz became the most valuable movie prop ever sold at auction in December 2024 when they achieved $32.5 million.
Also driving demand for Star Wars is the new museum in Los Angeles built around the work of the series creator George Lucas. It is due to open in 2026.
2027 will see the series celebrate its 50th anniversary, a date that is bound to bring major attention to the films.
