Darth Vader's 'I am your father' lightsaber sells for a record $4.875M
By Fuzzy Mushroom · Published
The lightsaber Darth Vader swung in the Cloud City duel in The Empire Strikes Back, and again in Return of the Jedi, has sold for $4.875M at Heritage Auctions, nearly five times the $1M+ estimate. That's a world auction record for a screen-used Star Wars prop, beating the $3.75M paid in July for Luke Skywalker's lightsaber and severed-hand rig from the same fight. The hilt started life as a 1950s camera flash attachment.
Nearly $5M for a lightsaber: smart buy or the Dark Side of collecting?
How solid is this story?
Spore Score for the story: 91 (Rock solid). Status: Confirmed. Official: Heritage Auctions sale result.
The films
- The Empire Strikes Back (1980): Spore Score 92, The Pros 89 vs The Punters 100
- Return of the Jedi (1983): Spore Score 75, The Pros 69 vs The Punters 96
Sources
- AP News: Darth Vader's light saber used in 'I am your father' duel sells for nearly $5 million (12 November 2026)
- The Guardian: Darth Vader's lightsaber, used in Star Wars movies The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, sells for nearly $5m (13 November 2026)
- The Independent: Darth Vader's lightsaber from iconic 'I am your father' scene sells for record $5m (13 November 2026)
Our own summary: we always link to the original reporting. More Spore News · How the Spore Score works