One out of a billion Star Wars fans has officially joined the dark side and has paid a record-breaking price to do it. Darth Vader’s screen-used dueling lightsaber from ‘The Empire Strikes Back’ and ‘Return of the Jedi‘ just sold for a staggering amount of $3.65 million at the Propstore’s Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction in Los Angeles, making it one of the priciest Star Wars props to ever hit the market.
The saber, which was used on set by both David Prowse and stunt double Bob Anderson, was initially valued between $1 million and $3 million. But it ended up smashing expectations and with a winning bid of $2.9 million before fees, proving the Force is still strong in collectors’ wallets.
Marking 45 Years of The Empire Strikes Back, Vader’s Saber Makes History
The reason behind such record record-breaking price for this particular weapon is its history and its rarity. After all, it is believed that this is the only “hero” lightsaber from the original trilogy ever released to auction history. And with 2025 marking the 45th anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back, the timing of putting up Darth Vader’s lightsaber into auction couldn’t have been better.
Brandon Alinger, who is the COO of The Propstore, described this moment and the sale of Darth Vader’s lightsaber as a defining moment in the world of film memorabilia. Because this isn’t just a big win for the store. It is apparently a milestone for collecting and collectors as a whole. According to an article by Variety, Alinger added that, “A Star Wars lightsaber isn’t just a movie prop—it’s a cultural icon. The fact that it’s now the highest-valued piece in the franchise’s history shows just how deeply these stories and artifacts resonate. They’re more than collectibles; they’re pieces of modern mythology.”
Propstore Auction Sees Multi-Franchise Memorabilia Sell for Million
And here’s the cherry on top moment for Propstore because Star Wars wasn’t the only franchise drawing deep-pocketed bids from collectors. Anakin Skywalker’s prequel stunt saber went for a whopping price of $126,000. Indiana Jones’ whip and belt from the movie ‘The Last Crusade’ cracked nearly half a million dollars. Jean-Luc Picard’s Ressikan flute from the ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation‘ fetched $403,200, and Rick Dalton’s flamethrower from ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood‘ sold out at $346,500.
The Bidding was done live at L.A.’s Petersen Automotive Museum, and it continues online throughout the weekend. And this isn’t the first time that Propstore secured such an amount in an auction. Back in 2022, they made the headlines when a screen-matched X-wing miniature from George Lucas’ original Star Wars sold for more than $2.3 million.
Clearly, when it comes to the galaxy far, far away, collectors are still willing to go full throttle and willing to push that hyperspeed button to secure a piece of the beloved Star Wars saga.
