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A lightsaber used by Darth Vader in two of the most celebrated Star Wars films has sold for $4.875 million at Heritage Auctions, setting a new record for Star Wars memorabilia.
Record-Breaking Sale at Heritage Auctions
The prop appeared in both Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1983). Most notably, it featured in the iconic “I am your father” scene, in which Luke Skywalker discovers the truth about Darth Vader. That moment remains one of the most recognized sequences in cinema history.
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The sale surpassed two previous Star Wars auction records. Last year, Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber and severed hand effects rig sold for $3.75 million. Earlier in 2025, a poster painting for Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope fetched $3.875 million. The Vader lightsaber eclipsed both figures.
One of 27 Lightsabers Offered
Heritage Auctions offered the Vader lightsaber as part of a larger collection of 27 screen-used lightsabers. Brian Chanes, the auction house’s senior director of Hollywood and entertainment, described the collection as extraordinary. “I’ve been doing this for 35 years and I’ve never seen a compilation of screen-used lightsabers like this,” he told Los Angeles’s ABC7 Eyewitness News.
Chanes emphasized the historical weight of the specific prop. “It’s the one on the set. It’s from the most iconic sequence of the entire franchise,” he said. “From a memorabilia standpoint, this is like the holy grail.”
The Emotional Appeal of Star Wars Memorabilia
Beyond the financial record, Chanes also reflected on why collectors pursue items like this. He explained that memorabilia carries deep personal meaning for buyers. “I always tell people that memorabilia — the m-e-m portion — is your memories,” he said. “What you remember when you first saw the first Star Wars film. It basically takes you to the happy place when you first saw it, and it’s a feel-good thing.”
The $4.875 million sale confirms the enduring cultural power of the Star Wars franchise. As auction prices for original props continue to climb, screen-used items from the classic trilogy clearly hold exceptional value for collectors worldwide.
