Darth Vader's lightsaber from iconic 'I am your father' duel sells for record $4.9 million
Darth Vader's lightsaber from the films Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi has sold at auction for nearly $5 million, a world record for any Star Wars collectible.
A lightsaber used by Darth Vader in the legendary "I am your father" duel with Luke Skywalker has sold for $4.875 million, setting a world auction record for any Star Wars collectible.
The prop appeared in The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983), according to the Associated Press.
It was used in the climactic confrontation in Cloud City, where Vader reveals to Luke that he is his father - one of cinema's most famous plot twists.
The lightsaber was sold on November 12 at the Ultimate Star Wars Auction organized by Heritage Auctions.
According to the auction house, the sale also set a record for a screen-used Star Wars prop, surpassing the $3.75 million paid in July for a Luke Skywalker lightsaber and severed-hand mechanism from The Empire Strikes Back.
The auction featured memorabilia spanning all nine episodes of the Star Wars saga, as well as other films and television productions. Another 27 lightsabers from the franchise were also offered for sale.
The identity of the buyer was not disclosed in the reports cited.