A lightsaber prop made for "Star Wars" villain Darth Vader sold for $4.875 million (€4.4 million) on Thursday, setting an auction record for a collectible from the franchise, according to Dallas-based Heritage Auctions.
The iconic prop was used in two defining duels between Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker in the original "Star Wars" trilogy.
Vader wielded the lightsaber in the climactic Cloud City duel in "The Empire Strikes Back" (1980), where he cuts off Luke's hand. When Luke accuses him of killing his father, Vader replies with one of the saga's most famous lines: "No. I am your father."
The same lightsaber returned for their final duel in "Return of the Jedi" (1983). This time, Luke cuts off Vader's hand but refuses to kill him.
Vader's lightsaber set an auction record for a screen-used "Star Wars" prop in 2025. Luke's lightsaber from the same Cloud City duel broke it in July. In the latest twist, Vader struck back to reclaim the record.
Actor David Prowse and stunt performer Bob Anderson both wielded the saber as Darth Vader. It may also have been used in the original 1977 "Star Wars" film, but the auctioneers could not confirm that.
"Star Wars" creator George Lucas drew on Errol Flynn swashbucklers and the legends of King Arthur.
