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Darth Vader's Iconic 'I Am Your Father' Lightsaber Sells for Record $4.87 Million
A piece of movie history from a galaxy far, far away has sold for a record-breaking price.
Darth Vader's iconic lightsaber, used in the climactic duel with Luke Skywalker in 1980's The Empire Strikes Back, sold Thursday for more than $4.87 million at Heritage Auctions in Dallas.
The weapon was used by actor David Prowse and stunt double Bob Anderson during several fight sequences. It is best known for its appearance in the Cloud City battle, when Vader cuts off Luke's hand before revealing the shocking truth about their relationship.
The same lightsaber also appeared in the confrontation between Vader and Luke in the Emperor's throne room in 1983's Return of the Jedi.
Heritage Auctions described it as Vader's primary dueling lightsaber, making it one of the most significant surviving props from the original Star Wars trilogy.
The sale establishes a new auction record for Star Wars memorabilia, surpassing the previous record held by Luke Skywalker's lightsaber from the same Cloud City battle. That weapon sold for $3.75 million at Heritage Auctions in July.
Despite its iconic appearance, the original trilogy's lightsabers were often constructed using repurposed vintage camera flash handles. The props were modified to accommodate blades during filming, while the glowing effects audiences recognize were added later through animation.
The auctioned Vader weapon showed visible signs of its years of use, including scratches, a crack, a missing section of its upper shroud and a partially broken grip.
The Heritage Auctions sale featured nearly 200 pieces of Star Wars memorabilia, including props and artwork from the original films and later productions.
Other notable sales included a Boba Fett rifle that fetched $375,000 and a miniature Snowspeeder model from The Empire Strikes Back that sold for $200,000. The model had once belonged to Carrie Fisher, who played Princess Leia.
Additional lightsabers from the collection included weapons associated with Obi-Wan Kenobi, Rey Skywalker, Darth Maul and Anakin Skywalker.
For Star Wars collectors, however, Darth Vader's weapon proved to be the ultimate prize, setting a new high-water mark for movie memorabilia.
By: CNN Newsource
November 13, 2026
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