'The Empire Strikes Back.' Courtesy of Everett Collection Logo text How much would you pay for Darth Vader’s lightsaber that defeated Luke Skywalker in the best Star Wars movie ever made?
A lightsaber used in 1980’s The Empire Strikes Back is going up for auction, according to the Associated Press.
The saber — which was also used in Return of the Jedi — is part of the Ultimate Star Wars Auction being held by Heritage Auctions on Nov. 12.
The prop is expected to fetch at least $1 million, but a higher bid seems likely. In July, a Luke Skywalker lightsaber from Empire sold for $3.75 million (though that one had the added benefit of coming with Skywalker’s severed hand). A previous Vader lightsaber sale from Empire sold for $3.6 million last year.
A couple dozen other lightsaber props will also be sold at the auction. Interestingly, by comparison, the lightsabers used by Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan Kenobi and Hayden Christensen’s Anakin Skywalker in Revenge of the Sith are only expected to sell for at least $10,000 each.
While Skywalker’s lightsaber holds the record amount for a Star Wars prop, some other high-value sales have included Red Leader’s X-wing fighter miniature going for $3.1 million in 2023, a full-size R2-D2 droid going for $2.8 million and Han Solo’s blaster from A New Hope fetching around $1 million.
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