The galaxy far, far away wouldn’t have been whole without the existence of the overarching villain, Darth Vader, and his infamous red lightsaber.
However, the original saber sword has recently been sold at an auction, leaving fans confused whether this means the end of the original Sith era in the franchise. Here’s what we found out.
Why Was Darth Vader’s Lightsaber Sold at the Propstore Auction?
According to Propstore, the movie memorabilia auction house, the prop was the original lightsaber from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, with verifiable screen use, offered for public auction, just in time for the 45th anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back premiere.
The saber was originally used by actor David Prowse, who played Darth Vader, and now, the prop holds the highest-priced Star Wars item ever sold at the Propstore.
The brand is best known for selling the most memorable props in the industry, and so it comes as no surprise that Darth Vader’s possession would score the highest in their book.
.jpg?width=700&quality=10&blur=40)
As Propstore COO Brandon Alinger said, “The result marks a landmark moment not just for Propstore, but for the entire world of film collecting.”
Alinger highlighted that to have the symbol of “one of cinema’s greatest sagas” become the highest-valued piece of the franchise ever sold at auction is “incredibly special” and “speaks to the franchise’s enduring cultural power.”
Darth Vader’s lightsaber landed in new hands as the prop sold for $3,654,000, and who better deserving to amount to such heights than the darkest mastermind in the galaxy far, far away?
“Surviving genuine lightsaber props from the original trilogy of the films are exceedingly rare, and Propstore is honored to present this historic artifact in our September sale,” Alinger added, “It is a grail-level piece, worthy of the finest collections in the world.”
Does This Mean Darth Vader Will No Longer Appear in the Galaxy Far, Far Away?
.jpg?width=700&quality=10&blur=40)
Nothing could ever replicate the original lightsaber, so does this mean Darth Vader is truly gone for good in the Star Wars franchise? Well, not exactly.
The Sith Lord last appeared in recent films like Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and in a flashback in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, which means his story has continued to live on even beyond the grave.
With or without his saber, Darth Vader will most likely remain in the galaxy far, far away, haunting the next Jedi to ever cross paths with him and ensuring that they get destroyed, even with his bare hands, if he had to.
For now, The Mandalorian and Grogu premieres on the big screen on May 22, 2026.
Keep it locked on Epicstream.com, the best source for film, TV, and celebrity coverage!