Overview

• Propstore has confirmed it will auction Darth Vader’s screen-matched primary dueling lightsaber, used in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, in Los Angeles this September with a $1 million to $3 million pre-sale estimate.
• The hilt, wielded on-screen by David Prowse and stunt double Bob Anderson, is believed to be the only hero lightsaber from the original Star Wars trilogy ever to reach public sale.
• In August, the lightsaber will lead a three-city press tour in London, New York and Beverly Hills alongside other headline artifacts such as Indiana Jones’s bullwhip and Sauron’s helmet.
• Constructed from a vintage British press camera flash handle and fitted with plastic grips, wiring and a custom blade-mounting system, the prop served both on-set dueling and as a visual-effects reference for hand-animated glow.
• The auction coincides with the 45th anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back and follows Propstore’s 2022 sale of an original-trilogy X-wing model for over $2.3 million, reflecting robust demand for authenticated film memorabilia.