A lightsaber used by Darth Vader in two of the three original Star Wars trilogy films will be auctioned in September when it is expected to sell for as much as $3 million.
The prop is carried on-screen by David Prowse, the Bristol, UK strongman and actor who filled the Vader suit, and a stunt double, Bob Anderson.
It was wielded in The Empire Strikes Back, from 1980, and 1983’s Return of the Jedi.
Empire features one of the most famous light-saber duels in the franchise’s history when Darth Vader slices off Luke Skywalker’s hand before telling him, “No, I am your father.”
The prop will be sold by Propstore in an LA sale this September.
But such is the interest in Star Wars that it will be on tour in London, New York and Beverley Hills before the sale.
Propstore’s COO told the Hollywood Reporter: “Surviving genuine lightsaber props from the original trilogy of films are exceedingly rare, and Propstore is honored to present this historic artifact in our September sale.
Luke Skywalker battles against Darth Vader in The Empire Strikes back. Both are holding lightsabers; at least one is made from a camera flash. Image courtesy of Lucasfilms.
“It is a grail-level piece, worthy of the finest collections in the world.”
Star Wars must now be considered one of the most valuable and popular media properties for collectors.
Props from the films are the creme-de-la-creme, with models of the iconic space craft that battled it out in starry skies selling for millions of dollars.
The most valuable Star Wars prop thus far is a Red Leader X-Wing fighter that made $3.1 million at auction in 2024.
Toys made in the wake of the films’ huge success can also achieve strong prices if they are rare. A withdrawn Boba Fett action figure sold for $1.4 million in 2024, the second of its type to go for over $1 million last year.
Light sabers – so key to the film’s iconography – always make big money. A Luke Skywalker-used blade made $450,000 in June 2017.
Despite their enormous value and convincing screen presence, the actual objects are counter-intuitively prosaic: this one is largely made from a camera flash handle. Others are converted torches.
