Sky-high price! "Star Wars" Darth Vader's "I Am Your Father" lightsaber duel sold for a record 160 million yuan
This lightsaber, which appeared in the Cloud City duel scene in "The Empire Strikes Back", broke the world auction record for all "Star Wars" collectibles
Quick Look
The lightsaber used by Darth Vader in "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi" was sold for $4.875 million at the "Ultimate Star Wars Auction" on Thursday, setting a new auction record for "Star Wars" collectibles in the world, surpassing the $3.75 million Luke Skywalker lightsaber and severed hand special effects device sold by Heritage Auctions in July.
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Why It Matters
This lightsaber appeared in the climactic duel scene in Cloud City in "The Empire Strikes Back". Darth Vader used this weapon to cut off Luke Skywalker's right hand and said the classic line "I am your father." Heritage Auctions sold Luke Skywalker's lightsaber and severed hand special effects device for $3.75 million in July this year.
The shooting lightsaber owned by Darth Vader was sold for a whopping US$4.875 million (approximately NT$160 million) at the "Ultimate Star Wars Auction" on Thursday. (AP)
The classic science fiction movie "Star Wars" sets another sky-high auction record! A shooting lightsaber once held by the villain "Darth Vader" in "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi" was sold for a whopping US$4.875 million (approximately NT$160 million) at the "Ultimate Star Wars Auction" on Thursday (12th), setting a new world auction record for all "Star Wars" collectibles.
The Associated Press reported that this lightsaber has a high historical and collectible value precisely because it appeared in the climactic duel scene in Cloud City in "The Empire Strikes Back" - Darth Vader used this weapon to cut off Luke Skywalker's right hand and uttered one of the most classic lines in film history: "I am your father."
Heritage Auction House pointed out that the lightsaber's transaction price of US$4.875 million not only set a new high for the entire series of "Star Wars" collectibles, but also surpassed the "Luke Skywalker Lightsaber and Severed Hand Special Effects Device" sold by the auction house for US$3.75 million (approximately NT$123 million) in July this year, officially becoming the most expensive prop used in the actual shooting of the "Star Wars" movie in history.
In addition to this record-breaking Darth Vader lightsaber, Thursday's auction also brought together precious collections spanning episodes 1 to 9 of "Star Wars" as well as multiple spin-off movies and TV series. There were also 27 other "Star Wars" lightsabers for simultaneous public bidding, attracting great attention from movie fans and collectors around the world.
Open Questions
- Who is the buyer?
- What is the source of ownership of this lightsaber?
- What was the price of each of the other 27 lightsabers at the auction?





