Darth Vader strikes back at auction as his lightsaber from two original Star Wars films reclaims the record from Luke Skywalker's prop
A lightsaber prop used by Darth Vader in two original Star Wars films sold for $4.875 million on Thursday, setting a new auction record for a collectible from the franchise.
The prop, which Vader wielded in the climactic Cloud City duel in 'The Empire Strikes Back' (1980) and their final confrontation in 'Return of the Jedi' (1983), was sold by Dallas-based Heritage Auctions. The sale reclaimed the record from Luke's lightsaber from the same Cloud City duel, which broke it in July.
Iconic Scenes
In the Cloud City duel, Vader cuts off Luke's hand and delivers one of the saga's most famous lines: 'No. I am your father.' In their final duel, Luke cuts off Vader's hand but refuses to kill him.
Origins and Creation
Star Wars creator George Lucas drew on swashbuckler films and King Arthur legends to create the lightsaber, imagining it as 'an elegant weapon for a more civilized age.' The hilt began as a 1950s British camera flash attachment, with black plastic grips and magnifying lenses added by prop makers.
A laser sword in a world of ray guns would be a perfect defensive weapon.
Authentication Process
Heritage Auctions authenticated the prop by matching a distinctive bend in the hilt's belt ring to a production photo from 'The Empire Strikes Back' and a dent at its base to a close-up in 'Return of the Jedi.' The auctioneers could not confirm if it was also used in the original 1977 film.
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