Darth Vader’s lightsaber, used in two original “Star Wars” films, sells for nearly $5 million at an auction. Multiple outlets say the sale sets a new world auction record for a Star Wars collectible.
The context across reports is that the lightsaber had previously been recorded by collectors in relation to Luke Skywalker–associated props, and this sale is described as reclaiming or surpassing a prior record set by a Skywalker lightsaber. Several stories also specify the hilt’s connection to the iconic “I am your father” duel in “The Empire Strikes Back” and that it appears in “Return of the Jedi.” Coverage is largely consistent, with small differences in how outlets phrase the previous record and how they describe the item’s usage.
Outlets generally focus on the headline figure and the record-setting nature of the sale, with one report adding detail about how the hilt was made and another providing an exact sale price and auction house description.
