Darth Vader Lightsaber Sells For Record $3.6M At Auction

https://deadline.com/2025/09/darth-vader-lightsaber-sells-record-auction-1236508813

'A lightsaber used by Darth Vader in the original Star Wars films has sold for a record $3.6M.

At a Propstore auction in L.A. yesterday that finishes Saturday, a record bid came in for what was the highest-valued product ever put on sale from the hit franchise. The piece sold for $2.9M plus a $700,000 buyers premium paid to the auction house.

The iconic red lightsaber was used by Darth Vader to duel in The Empire Strikes Back and The Return of the Jedi, which were the fifth and sixth instalments in the franchise but the second and third to hit the screens. Nine Star Wars films have now been made along with multiple spin-offs.

David Prowse, who played Darth Vader on screen, was reported to have held the item onscreen at auction in L.A. alongside his stunt double Bob Anderson.

Last year, an abandoned Star Wars draft script was discovered in Harrison Ford’s old London apartment, selling for $13,600.

Among more than 400 items on sale, Propstore also yesterday sold an Indiana Jones bullwhip belt for $485,100 and a Ressikan Flute and Screen-Matched Box from Star Trek: The Next Generation for $403,000. Other items to sell were the Platform 9 3/4 sign from the Harry Potter franchise and a helmet from The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.

Propstore COO Brandon Alinger said: “Today’s result marks a landmark moment not just for Propstore, but for the entire world of film collecting. To see a Star Wars lightsaber – the symbol of one of cinema’s greatest sagas – become the highest-valued piece of the franchise ever sold at auction is incredibly special. It speaks to the enduring cultural power of Star Wars and the passion of fans and collectors who see these artifacts as touchstones of modern mythology.”’

Another article on the same auction: https://news.artnet.com/art-world/darth-vaders-lightsaber-auction-2668461