3 days ago
Darth Vader's Original Lightsaber From STAR WARS is Hitting Auction For $1 to $3 Million — GeekTyrant
If you've ever dreamed of wielding Darth Vader's actual lightsaber, now's your chance, assuming you've got a few million dollars lying around.
The prop used by the Dark Lord of the Sith himself is a true piece of cinematic history. According to the listing on the lightsaber hilt on sale was screen-used in the climactic battles that defined the original trilogy and the estimated price is between $1 million and $3 million.
The auction description notes the familiar Vader hilt, complete with an allen bolt sticking out of the top where a dueling blade would have been attached for filming.
'The prop is made from a British press camera flash handle,' the listing explains. 'It was converted to a lightsaber prop with the addition of dressing components such as plastic grips, small electrical wires and a circuit board with magnifying bubbles from a calculator.'
This legendary artifact has been in a private collection for decades and is now surfacing at public auction for the first time. Its authenticity has been confirmed by comparing it to the films, with the listing stating that 'specific damage to the body' matches what's seen on-screen.
'Genuine lightsaber props from the original trilogy are incredibly rare,' the site emphasizes. 'This is believed to be the only hero lightsaber prop with verifiable screen-use to ever be offered at public auction. It is one of the rarest and most sought after 'grail' Star Wars props in existence.'
For a bit of context, the original Star Wars film had a production budget of just $11 million. Now, a single prop from that era might fetch nearly a third of that.
Also, let's not forget the badass artistry that made this lightsaber so iconic. Back in the pre-CGI days, the glowing blades were made using metal rods wrapped in reflective tape, with the shimmering effect painstakingly rotoscoped into each frame by animators, and paired with those legendary sound effects in post.
For those of us who aren't freakin' rich, we'll have to settle for our replicas.
