Own the Dark Side: Discover Why Darth Vader’s $3 Million Lightsaber Is the Ultimate Collector’s Dream
It was likely the lightsaber used during the famous scene in which Darth Vader tells Luke Skywalker that he is his father. The prop was also used in the final scenes of the third and final film of the trilogy, Return of the Jedi, according to Propstore, the company facilitating the auction.
While James Earl Jones gained recognition for voicing the role of Darth Vader, the prop was wielded by David Prowse, who played the character onscreen. It was also used by Bob Anderson, Prowse’s stunt double.
The lightsaber was made from a British press camera flash handle. As Propstore explains, the handle was “converted to a lightsaber prop with the addition of dressing components such as plastic grips, small electrical wires and a circuit board with magnifying bubbles from a calculator.”
In the films, the blade of the lightsaber is a red laser, which was an effect created mostly through post-production visual effects. During filming, a wooden blade was attached to the base of the lightsaber to help with choreographing fight scenes. Now, in place of the red-glowing laser or a wooden blade, the prop has a short Allen bolt sticking out of the handle.
“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,” Propstore COO Brandon Alinger told Hollywood Reporter. “It is a grail-level piece, worthy of the finest collections in the world.”
From Private Collection To The Auction Block
PropstoreOther film memorabilia items will be up for auction in September, including Indiana Jones’ bullwhip and belt.
Darth Vader’s lightsaber has been part of a private collection for decades, and this is the first time it has been put up for auction. However, this isn’t the first time a piece of memorabilia from Star Wars has gone to auction, not even for Propstore.
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