Share and Follow
May the force — and fortunes — be with you.
The lightsaber wielded by Darth Vader in the last two films of the original “Star Wars” trilogy will soon be up for auction, along with numerous other memorabilia from the series, and it’s anticipated to fetch millions, as reported.
The primary dueling lightsaber’s hilt, used by the masked villain in “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi,” is set to be available at Los Angeles’ Propstore in September, with an expected sale range of $1 million to $3 million.
This prop hilt is thought to be the first of its type to hit the market, as no other lightsabers from the initial trilogy have ever been released to private collectors.
They were instead cycled through museums, with Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber from “The Empire Strikes Back” residing with Ripley’s Believe It or Not.
“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. It is a grail-level piece, worthy of the finest collections in the world,” Propstore COO Brandon Alinger told The Hollywood Reporter.
Starting in August, the prop will have its own press circuit from London to New York before finally parking in Beverly Hills, where it’ll be sold to the highest bidder.
The auction coincides with the 45th anniversary of “The Empire Strikes Back.”
The same tour will feature other famed props from acclaimed classics, including the bullwhip and belt worn by Harrison Ford in “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” and a hero close-up neuralyzer, or pen-like object that wipes minds, from “Men in Black.”
Propstore features a long lineup of other relics from classic franchises, including more from “Star Wars” like gifts given to crew members after the films wrapped and a replica of the lightsaber used by Qui-Gon Jinn, the Jedi Master played by Liam Neeson, in the prequels.
Darth Vader’s dueling lightsaber was held on-screen by the late David Prowse, the physical actor for the Sith Lord, and stunt double Bob Anderson.
The fallen Jedi was voiced by the legendary James Earl Jones.
In 2022, the gun used by Han Solo, played by Ford, in “A New Hope” sold for $1 million. It is only one of three surviving models from the trilogy.
In June 2024, a toy figurine of bounty hunter Boba Fett from the 1970s sold for a staggering $525,000.