Darth Vader's screen-used lightsaber from *The Empire Strikes Back* and *Return of the Jedi* achieved a record-breaking $4.875 million at auction. The centerpiece item led a massive lineup that included 27 other lightsabers representing various Jedi and Sith characters spanning Episodes I through IX and later releases. The sale comfortably surpassed Heritage Auctions' previous franchise record of $3.875 million, which had been set by Tom Jung's original *A New Hope* half-sheet poster painting.
Key points
Demand for screen-used film memorabilia continues to surge, establishing new world record…: Demand for screen-used film memorabilia continues to surge, establishing new world record prices for major franchise collectibles.
Historic physical props have demonstrated the ability to command higher auction prices th…: Historic physical props have demonstrated the ability to command higher auction prices than rare original poster artwork.
Heritage Auctions retains multiple category records for *Star Wars* memorabilia, includin…: Heritage Auctions retains multiple category records for *Star Wars* memorabilia, including posters, miniatures, and character weapons.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
A lightsaber used by Darth Vader in
The Empire Strikes Back and
Return of the Jedi sold for $4.875 million on Thursday, 12 November, a price that Heritage Auctions says is a world record for any
Star Wars collectible. The blade went under the hammer at the Ultimate Star Wars Auction held by the auction house that day.
A record price surpassing previous highs for Star Wars collectibles
Pic credit: Heritage auctions
The sale of the lightsaber has surpassed the auction house’s own previous record by about $1 million. That record was $3,875,000, paid for Tom Jung’s original half-sheet key poster painting for
Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope. The lightsaber also set a new benchmark for screen-used
Star Wars props. It surpassed the $3.75 million fetched by the auction house in July for Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber and severed-hand effects rig from
The Empire Strikes Back.
In fact, the auction house already held a record in another category. In 2023, its screen-matched Red Leader X-wing Starfighter, a filming miniature, sold for $3,135,000. The house has now set records…
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