This year, for the first time, Darth Vader‘s original lightsaber from The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi will become available at auction. Propstore, the leading experts in collecting and auctioning film props and memorabilia, will present this incredible Star Wars collectible on September 4 in LA. ScreenRant was among the first to see Vader’s original trilogy-era lightsaber up close.

Attending a Propstore press event in London, I was lucky enough to view multiple pieces of iconic film memorabilia, including an original, working neuralyzer from the first Men in Black film, Jane Fonda’s costume from Barbarella, a shark-toothed clapperboard from Jaws, Harrison Ford’s whip from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and Sauron’s helmet from The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.

While it was exciting to see all these beautiful, soon-to-be-auctioned pieces in such an intimate setting, the real star of the show was Darth Vader’s lightsaber. Vader is, after all, one of the most recognizable villains in science-fiction history, and his menacing, red-bladed lightsaber is an inextricable extension of his character. It represents his connection to the dark side of the Force.

Seeing the lightsaber at the event, knowing what it means to so many fans and the art of cinema in general, made this an unforgettable experience. The detail was astounding, and there’s so much to learn about this incredible, timeless Star Wars prop.

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Darth Vader’s Lightsaber Is More Valuable Than I Could Have Ever Imagined

Realistically, I know that any genuine prop from any Star Wars movie will be valued at a high price; it’s one of the most successful and popular cinematic franchises of all time. And yet, this version of Darth Vader’s lightsaber is more valuable than I ever thought possible.

Propstore has estimated its worth at between $1 million and $3 million, though there’s a real possibility it will be sold for more on the day of the auction. When I spoke to Brandon Alinger, Propstore’s COO, and asked him whether the lightsaber’s value might rise above that, he responded:

“It certainly has the potential to. You know, the interesting thing about auctions is you don’t know what things are going to sell for until you get to that auction day. It’s anybody’s guess, really, what it will go for.”

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This Is One Of Only A Few Genuine, Film-Used Lightsabers To Have Ever Been Put Up For Auction

Propstore’s Darth Vader Hero Lightsaber is one of only a few genuine, proven film-used lightsabers to have ever been put up for auction. What’s even more special about this particular lightsaber is that it’s both screen-matched and pH๏τo-matched, meaning that the details on this prop can be explicitly seen in Empire and Return of the Jedi and their production stills.

Alinger explained:

“This is one of the primary lightsabers used in the original Star Wars films… It’s the one that they actually mounted a prop blade on and the actors used for those duel sequences, which are the highlights of the films. It’s one of the most significant Star Wars artifacts to ever come to auction.”

More specifically, this lightsaber was used during Luke and Vader’s Cloud City duel in Empire, as well as during the “majority” of the duel sequence between Luke and Vader on the Death Star in Jedi. That means this particular lightsaber has been used in some of Star Wars’ most important scenes: those that embody the fight between good and evil and the relationship between father and son.

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It’s Possible Vader’s Lightsaber Was Also Used In A New Hope

While Propstore’s specialists were able to definitively verify that this Darth Vader Hero Lightsaber was used in both Empire and Jedi, they haven’t been able to prove beyond a doubt that it was also used in the first Star Wars movie. Even so, despite limited pH๏τo evidence, it remains possible that this lightsaber was originally used as a bladeless hilt prop in what was later reтιтled A New Hope.

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Two Versions Of Darth Vader’s Lightsaber Were Made For Filming

There are two versions of Darth Vader’s lightsaber. Propstore’s Hero Lightsaber was specifically made for dueling sequences, and another was made to function solely as a hilt, which could be clipped onto Vader’s costume when needed. What makes the lightsaber being showcased by Propstore so special, among other things, is the modifications that allowed for a blade to be attached.

Solid aluminum cylinders were inserted into the handle to handle the extra weight and movement necessary for filming dueling scenes whenever one of the 39″ blades was attached. These blades were made from found objects, like billiard cues, and painted over in white to help the animators create the lightsaber’s trademark glow effect.

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Multiple Blades Were Needed To Film Empire’s Frenetic Choreography

Dueling is a dangerous art, so one lightsaber blade per lightsaber hilt was never going to be enough during production. Alinger mentioned that there were “issues where the blades would break, and they would need to change them out,” so multiple blades had to be used throughout filming. Interestingly, though, Propstore’s information packets confirmed that there are “no known original blade props in private collections today.”

There’s a mᴀssive difference between Vader’s lightsaber duels seen in A New Hope and those in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. The movements were much faster, and the sets were more complicated. It’s no surprise that production needed more than one lightsaber blade and hilt, though nothing compares to the fanatic energy of the lightsaber duels in George Lucas’ prequel trilogy.

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The “Damage” On The Lightsaber Adds To The Value

For the most part, collectors want their collectibles to be in mint condition. Scratches, dents, and paint chips normally decrease the value of art, miniatures, and figurines. The opposite is true here. There are numerous small damages to Darth Vader’s Hero Lightsaber, but they only add to the value of the prop, especially in terms of historical significance.

Propstore’s appraisers were able to use the damage to prove that this was an original lightsaber used during production and in the final film. Sian Taylor, Propstore’s UK Director of Operations, excitedly mentioned the “scratches to the hilt” and the “big dent on the bottom” and how they matched up to the available visuals from Empire and Jedi.

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How Darth Vader’s Lightsaber Was Made

Anyone who has ever watched the Light & Magic documentary on Disney+ will know that the artists behind the original Star Wars trilogy’s visual effects were an incredibly talented, creative, and resourceful group of people. Darth Vader’s lightsaber is a testament to their endless ingenuity.

Vintage press cameras, those that unfold like an accordion, were often fitted with camera flash attachments. Vader’s lightsaber hilt was made from one such camera flash handle attachment, as produced by Micro Precision Products. Some of the flash handle’s original features became part of Vader’s lightsaber design, including the “black shroud at the top and the center band and the clamp.”

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Who Used This Incredible Darth Vader Lightsaber?

Famously, it took three people to bring the character of Darth Vader to life: bodybuilder and actor David Prowse, whose imposing 6 ft 6″ frame perfectly captured Vader’s menacing presence, stunt performer Bob Anderson, and the voice of the late, legendary James Earl Jones. The lightsaber being auctioned by Propstore was used by both Prowse and Anderson during production on The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.

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How Darth Vader’s Lightsaber Has Survived For Decades

So, how is it possible that a movie prop with so much historical importance and eye-watering monetary value has been kept out of the public eye for all these years? Taylor explained, “Essentially, someone called up, I think, on a Friday afternoon, and was like, ‘Oh, I’ve got this thing that I think is from Star Wars. Had it for years and years and years. Don’t know what character it’s from.'”

Propstore’s COO was instrumental in identifying the found object as Vader’s lightsaber. Taylor continued, “Brandon [Alinger] is the biggest Star Wars guy in the world. He has written books about Star Wars. So they had a quick chat about it, they sent through some pH๏τos, and I think within minutes, Brandon had identified it as a dueling lightsaber.”

Alinger also revealed that the individual selling the prop had it for decades, and that “This is the first time it’s seen the light of day, really. He’s had it stored in his garage.”

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Modern Star Wars Lightsabers Are Very Different

VFX has come a long way since the pioneering days of the original Star Wars trilogy. At the time, they had several different ideas about how to bring lightsabers to life on screen. They originally attempted to create the lightsaber’s all-important glow using an in-camera effect by wrapping a reflective material around the blade that reflected light back at the camera.

Additionally, they installed a small motor in the handle to make the blades spin quickly enough to create pulsing flashes of light. This effect wasn’t good enough, however, and animators were brought in to add the iconic colored glow over the white prop blades. This technique continued to be used and adapted throughout Star Wars’ history.

Nowadays, lightsaber blades can be illuminated while on set. On Ahsoka, for instance, the lightsaber blades are lit from within with LED lights, which allow the crew to light the scenes around the weapon’s natural glow. Getting this new technology to a usable point took some time, though. Obi-Wan Kenobi struggled with getting the lighting in certain scenes right with these new lightsabers.

We wouldn’t have those lightsabers today without the successful and innovative design and creation of Vader’s original Star Wars lightsaber, however. This is a truly historical find, and it’s wonderful that Darth Vader‘s original lightsaber has been unearthed during such a transitional period in Star Wars’ long legacy.

Darth Vader’s Hero Lightsaber and more iconic film props will be showcased during Propstore’s Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction between September 4 and 6 in Los Angeles.

Source: Propstore