Iconic Star Wars lightsaber fetches $6.1m in Los Angeles auction

Darth Vader's lightsaber has sold for $6.1 million, setting a Star Wars auction record. Photo / Getty Images

Darth Vader’s lightsaber sold for a staggering US$3.6 million ($6.1m).

The iconic Star Wars weapon – which was wielded by David Prowse and his stunt double Bob Anderson in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi – went under the hammer in Los Angeles on Fridayand one lucky fan snapped up the prop for a franchise record of US$2.9m, with the final total reached by adding on the buyer’s premium paid to auction house Propstore.

The prop in question is said to be the only hero lightsaber from the original Star Wars trilogy to ever go up for auction and was part of Propstore’s Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction, which continues today.

Propstore chief operating officer Brandon Alinger said: “The 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.”

Other highlights from day one of the auction included the sale of an bullwhip, belt and whip holster used by Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade for US$485,100, Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man costume going for US$289,000 and Leonardo DiCaprio’s screen-matched “Betty” flamethrower from Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, which sold for US$346,000.

Before the auction, Brandon had predicted the lightsaber would sell for at least US$1m.

He told TMZ: “We got a phone call from a gentleman who said, ‘Hey, I have one of the original lightsaber props’. They did have a few, it’s not the only one, but it’s very specifically the one that Darth Vader used to duel Luke Skywalker, it gets the fans excited ...

“A million is the low end of the estimate, the estimate is [US]$1-3 million, we really don’t know what this will sell for.

“That’s the beauty of the auction process, the final price is determined by the bidders, it depends who steps in and bids and ultimately how hard they want to battle, or duel for, the piece on the day.

“The record was an X-Wing fighter model we sold for about [US]$2.3 million three years ago... a lot of people think this is a more interesting piece, so it has the potential to eclipse that.”

While Brandon noted the winning bidder could have fun recreating Star Wars scenes with the lightsaber, he thinks it is more likely the lot will be treated as artwork.

He said: “I guess if you wanted to, you could re-enact the movie but I think people will put it on display.

“People view these things like artwork, it’s not unlike buying a painting, they want a great piece to go on display.

“If you love these movies, there’s no better way to connect with them then to own a little piece of the magic, something that was there on-set 45 years ago. It’s the real thing, and for collectors that’s really exciting.”