The Force was certainly with the winning bidder of Darth Vader’s original lightsaber, which was sold for a whopping $3,654,000 during an auction at Propstore in Los Angeles on Thursday.
According to the auction house, the prop is the only hero lightsaber from the original Star Wars trilogy to hit a public auction. It was specifically used in 1980’s The Empire Strikes Back and 1983’s Return of the Jedi by Darth Vader actor David Prowse and stunt double Bob Anderson.
With the winning bid of $2.9 million and an additional buyer’s premium paid to Propstore, the Darth Vader lightsaber is now the highest-priced item from the Star Wars franchise ever sold at auction.
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In a statement, Propstore COO said: “To see a Star Wars lightsaber — the symbol of one of cinema’s greatest sagas — become the highest-valued piece of the franchise ever sold at auction is incredibly special. It speaks to the enduring cultural power of Star Wars and the passion of fans and collectors who see these artifacts as touchstones of modern mythology.”
For Star Wars fans with shallower pockets, LEGO is releasing a more attainable $1,000 Death Star set on October 4th.
The franchise is also set to expand with Shawn Levy’s now-in-production Star Wars: Starfighter, which stars Ryan Gosling, Amy Adams, Matt Smith, Aaron Pierre, and Mia Goth. The movie is currently set for release on May 28th, 2027.
Editor’s Note: See where Star Wars landed on our list of the best action movie franchises of all time.