Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber sold for a crazy sum

He fought with Darth Vader, during the cult scene of The Empire Strikes Back… before losing a hand!

A new legendary Star Wars item has just made auction history.

Luke Skywalker’s real lightsaber, accompanied by the hero’s severed hand, was sold for $3.75 million (around 3.2 million euros) during a sale organized by Heritage Auctions.

Sure, it’s just a simple prop, but it’s now the most expensive Star Wars prop ever sold. It dethrones the previous record, held by Darth Vader’s lightsaber, used in The Empire Strikes Back And Return of the Jediwhich found a buyer for $3.654 million.

More than an object, it is a piece of the 7th art: the accessory comes from one of the most famous scenes in the history of cinema. In The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Darth Vader confronts Luke in Cloud City, cuts off his hand before revealing the incredible truth: “I am your father.” A sequence that became one of the greatest twists of all time.

For Joe Maddalena, executive vice-president of Heritage Auctions, this provenance explains the exceptional enthusiasm of collectors:

“It is one of the most important Star Wars artifacts still in existence. It comes from the emotional climax of The Empire Strikes Back, a scene that changed the saga forever. Bidders were fighting not just for a prop, but for a true piece of modern mythology.”

This cult scene almost kept its secret even longer. A few years ago, Mark Hamill revealed that the vast majority of the team was unaware of Darth Vader’s real dialogue during filming. The line spoken on set was actually: “You don’t know the truth. Obi-Wan killed your father.” Only George Lucas, director Irvin Kershner and Hamill knew the actual phrase, which was only added in post-production. The actor confided that he had to keep this secret for more than a year, until the film’s release.