Record Sum for Luke Skywalker's Legendary Lightsaber: Sold for $3.75 Million

One of the most iconic artifacts in cinema history has been sold for a record $3.75 million. Heritage Auctions confirmed that the original lightsaber used by Mark Hamill during the filming of "Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back" (1980) has found a new owner.

The sale surprised even specialists in the field. Initial estimates for the item ranged between $1 million and $2 million, but collector bidding turned the lightsaber into the most expensive prop ever sold from the "Star Wars" series. With this result, it surpassed the previous record held by an X-wing fighter model, which sold for $3.135 million in 2023.

The item is extremely significant not only because of its role in the film but also because of its history. The lightsaber was constructed on a modified Graflex camera flash body and was part of the personal collection of legendary makeup artist Stuart Freeborn, who passed away in 2013. The sale also includes the original mechanism for the severed hand effect created by Freeborn.

According to Joe Madalena, Executive Vice President of Heritage Auctions, collectors were not just bidding on film prop, but on "a true piece of modern mythology." Although a record for its category, the saber still falls short of the absolute record for film art, held by the original poster of the first film in the saga, which sold for $3.875 million.

The auction in which the artifact was sold is part of the major Hollywood & Entertainment Signature Auction, which includes other iconic cinema items—from the hats in "The Wizard of Oz" to the hoverboards from "Back to the Future II."