Darth Vader's 'Empire Strikes Back' lightsaber goes up for auction
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LOS ANGELES - A lightsaber wielded by Darth Vader during one of the most iconic scenes in "Star Wars" history is heading to auction, with an expected price of at least $1 million.
Darth Vader’s lightsaber goes up for auction
Big picture view:
The prop, used in the climactic duel between Vader and Luke Skywalker in "The Empire Strikes Back" where he tells Skywalker "I am your father," is among the highlights of Heritage Auctions’ Ultimate Star Wars Auction on Nov. 12. The weapon also appeared in "Return of the Jedi."
More than two dozen lightsaber props spanning "Star Wars" Episodes I through IX will also be available at the November auction, along with memorabilia from other films and television shows set in the galaxy created by George Lucas.
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Among the other items are lightsabers used by Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan Kenobi and Hayden Christensen’s Anakin Skywalker in "Revenge of the Sith." Each is expected to sell for at least $10,000.
A lightsaber prop, used by the character "Darth Vader" in the Star Wars films "The Empire Strikes Back and "Return Of The Jedi", is displayed at a photocall ahead of an auction of entertainment memorabilia. (Credit: Neal/Getty Images)
A carbine blaster wielded by Boba Fett throughout "The Empire Strikes Back" is also estimated to fetch more than $100,000.
Additional items include a Yoda puppet hand used by Frank Oz in the character’s original appearance in "The Empire Strikes Back," a signed, a third-draft screenplay for the original 1977 "Star Wars" belonging to actor Anthony Daniels, who played C-3PO, and a TIE fighter pilot helmet from "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story."
Lightsaber previously sold for $3.75 million
The backstory:
The auction comes just months after a lightsaber featuring Luke Skywalker’s severed hand from "The Empire Strikes Back" sold for $3.75 million in July, setting a record for the highest price ever paid for a prop used in a "Star Wars" film, according to the auction house.
The Source: This story was reported from Los Angeles. The Associated Press contributed.