A lightsaber used by Darth Vader in the Star Wars films The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi has sold for US$4.875 million at auction, setting a world record for any Star Wars collectible. The prop was the centrepiece of Heritage Auctions' Ultimate Star Wars Auction, held on Thursday.
The lightsaber was used in the climactic duel in Cloud City, where Vader tells Luke Skywalker "I am your father", one of the most famous scenes in cinema history, and again in the final battle in the Emperor's throne room in Return of the Jedi. Heritage identifies it as the original screen-matched hero duelling lightsaber, wielded on screen by David Prowse and by Olympic fencer and stunt performer Bob Anderson as Vader.
The sale marks a world auction record for any Star Wars collectible, according to Heritage Auctions, and it also established a new auction record for a screen-used Star Wars prop. It moved past the $3.75 million Heritage achieved in July for Luke Skywalker's lightsaber and severed hand-effects rig from The Empire Strikes Back, and past the $3.875 million paid for Tom Jung's original poster painting for Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope, which had been the previous overall record.
The prop has an unusual recent auction history. It previously sold through Propstore in September 2025 for $3.654 million, at the time establishing the record for a screen-used Star Wars prop. That record was broken in July 2026 by Luke's lightsaber, and just four months later Vader's lightsaber has returned to the top with its $4.875 million result.
Heritage had given the lightsaber a pre-sale estimate of $1 million or more, with an opening bid of $1 million, and bidding climbed far beyond that guide. The auction house described its November sale as the most expansive collection of Star Wars lightsabers ever assembled for public auction, with material from Episodes I through IX as well as later films and television series.
The prop's importance comes from its direct connection to two of the most important lightsaber confrontations in the original trilogy. It was created specifically for combat sequences, and Heritage says no original prop blades from this lightsaber are known to remain in private collections, which adds to its rarity.
Other lots in the sale included Boba Fett's EE-3 carbine rifle from The Empire Strikes Back, Darth Maul's double-bladed lightsaber from The Phantom Menace and Chewbacca's bowcaster from The Force Awakens, alongside original artwork and filming miniatures. Heritage now points to auction records across Star Wars props, original artwork and miniatures.
The result underlines how the market for film memorabilia has grown, with screen-used props from major franchises now commanding prices once reserved for fine art. Star Wars, whose first film was released in 1977, has one of the most active collecting markets of any film series, and its most iconic objects have appreciated sharply in recent years.
The buyer of the Vader lightsaber has not been disclosed. For collectors, the $4.875 million price is likely to stand as the benchmark for Star Wars memorabilia until another object of comparable importance comes to auction — and with so few original props of this calibre left in private hands, that may not happen soon.
