Darth Vader lightsaber prop sells for $4.875 million at Heritage Auctions sale

A lightsaber prop used by Darth Vader sold for $4.875 million at auction on Thursday. AP described the price as nearly $5 million.

The prop appeared in "The Empire Strikes Back" (1980) and "Return of the Jedi" (1983). It was used in the Cloud City duel in "The Empire Strikes Back", the scene with the line "I am your father".

Heritage Auctions in the United States sold the prop. It was one of 27 lightsaber props offered at an event titled the Ultimate Star Wars Auction. Before the sale, auctioneers estimated that it would sell for over $1 million.

The price exceeded the $3.75 million paid in July for a Luke Skywalker lightsaber from the same duel. That sale had set the previous record.

Reported details

According to Deutsche Welle (DW), Heritage is based in Dallas. DW reports that actor David Prowse and stunt performer Bob Anderson both wielded the saber as Darth Vader.

According to DW, the hilt began as a 1950s British camera flash attachment. Prop makers added black plastic grips and small magnifying lenses from a calculator display. DW reports that Heritage matched a bend in the hilt's belt ring to a production photo from "The Empire Strikes Back", and a dent at the hilt's base to a close-up in "Return of the Jedi".

The Guardian reports that other lots included lightsabers used by Ewan McGregor's Obi-Wan Kenobi and Hayden Christensen's Anakin Skywalker in "Revenge of the Sith", and a Yoda puppet hand. The reports do not give results for these lots.

What remains unclear

The record claims for Thursday's sale are attributed to Heritage Auctions, and the outlets describe them differently. DW reports a record for a Star Wars collectible. The Guardian reports a world auction record for any screen-used Star Wars prop. Euronews reports a world auction record for any Star Wars collectible and a new auction record for a screen-used Star Wars prop. DW and Euronews describe some earlier records without attributing them to Heritage.

DW reports that the lightsaber may also have been used in the original 1977 "Star Wars" film, but the auctioneers could not confirm that.

DW says Vader's lightsaber set a record in 2025. Euronews says the price exceeded a $3.6 million sale last year but does not identify the item. Neither report says whether these refer to the same item.

The reports do not identify the buyer or the seller. They do not say whether the price includes the buyer's premium or other fees.

What each side says

The Guardian and Euronews quoted Brian Chanes, senior director of Hollywood and entertainment at Heritage Auctions, as saying the saber was "like the Holy Grail" to a Star Wars collector. The Guardian also quoted him as saying: "It’s the one on the set," and "It’s from the most iconic sequence of the entire franchise."

DW quoted Heritage as saying the prop was "built to perform rather than merely to be seen."

Analysis

The price, well above the pre-sale estimate of over $1 million, suggests strong demand for screen-used props from the original Star Wars films. The Luke Skywalker lightsaber had set a record only months earlier. However, the record claims for this sale come from the auction house itself, and outlets describe their scope differently. Without details on fees, the buyer or the prop's ownership history, comparisons with earlier sales remain limited. If similar items come to market, buyers and sellers may treat this price as a reference point. Results for the other lots, which the reports do not include, could show whether demand extends beyond the most famous props.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.