A lightsaber used by Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy sold for US$4.875 million on Thursday at an auction held by Heritage Auctions, 1News reported.
The sale set a world auction record for any Star Wars collectible and established a new mark for a screen-used prop from the franchise, according to Heritage Auctions. That price eclipses the US$3.75 million fetched in a July auction by Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber and severed hand-effects rig from The Empire Strikes Back.
“No. I am your father,” said Darth Vader.
Prop makers built the hilt from a camera flash attachment
The iconic prop featured in the climactic Cloud City duel in The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and returned for the final showdown in Return of the Jedi (1983), DW.com reported. Actor David Prowse and stunt performer Bob Anderson both wielded the saber on screen.
Prop makers built the hilt from a 1950s British camera flash attachment, adding black plastic grips and tiny calculator display lenses. Heritage Auctions matched a distinctive bend in the hilt’s belt ring to a production photo and a dent at its base to a close-up in the films.
Wider Prop Sales in Dallas
The Ultimate Star Wars Auction featured material spanning Episodes I through IX, alongside television and film pieces. Heritage Auctions assembled 27 other Star Wars lightsabers for public bidding during the multiday event in Dallas.
Vader’s weapon briefly lost its prop record when Luke’s weapon sold in July, but the villainous artifact reclaimed the top spot on Thursday. Auctioneers said that the hilt was reinforced during production to hold interchangeable wooden blades during intense fight choreography.
Which films featured this lightsaber prop
Which films featured this specific lightsaber prop?
The prop appeared in The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983), according to Heritage Auctions. Auctioneers noted it may have also been used in the original 1977 film, though that detail could not be confirmed.
How much did the previous record-holding prop sell for?
Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber and severed hand-effects rig from The Empire Strikes Back sold for US$3.75 million at a July auction, setting the previous mark before Darth Vader’s prop reclaimed the record on Thursday.
What was the lightsaber hilt originally made from?
Prop makers constructed the hilt using a 1950s British camera flash attachment, adding black plastic grips and tiny magnifying lenses from a calculator display.
“an elegant weapon for a more civilized age,” Obi-Wan Kenobi described it as, told DW.com.
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