A New Hope may have launched Star Wars, but The Empire Strikes Back defined it. This was the moment when an everyman hero’s adventures changed into a family saga, complete with a single franchise-defining twist – when Darth Vader revealed he was Luke Skywalker’s father. Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader’s lightsaber duel ended in defeat, with Vader cutting his son’s hand away at the wrist, leaving his lightsaber lost (at least until The Force Awakens).
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Now, the original Skywalker saber is up for sale at Heritage Auctions. Featured in J.W. Rinzler’s The Making of The Empire Strikes Back, this screen-used prop remains the single most influential lightsaber design in Star Wars history, serving as the template from which countless subsequent sabers would evolve. What’s more, this comes complete with a resin severed hand fitted to the hilt. “During filming, Hamill would grip the concealed wrist mechanism while a spring-loaded trigger released the hand-and-lightsaber assembly at the precise moment required for the effect – all achieved entirely in-camera without digital enhancement.”
Bids are opening at a stunning $1 million, which makes sense given the lightsaber’s provenance. This is similar in quality to a screen-used Darth Vader lightsaber that sold for $3.65 million, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Skywalker saber sell for an even higher price.
The Luke Skywalker Lightsaber is a Piece of Hollywood History
According to Heritage, this lightsaber carries extraordinary and unimpeachable provenance, originating directly from Stuart Freeborn, whose legendary contributions toย Star Warsย included the creation of Yoda and many of the trilogy’s most enduring makeup effects achievements. Preserved for decades and never before publicly offered, this lightsaber stands among the most important surviving hero artifacts fromย The Empire Strikes Backย ever to reach the collecting market. Collectibles from the original trilogy tend to attract a premium price, and that’s particularly true for screen-matched props like this one.
“The prop department constructed this lightsaber from a modified 3-cell Graflex flash unit fitted with a Kobold flash attachment forming the lower section,” Heritage note. “Additional studio modifications include black plastic “T-track” grips and a custom faux clamp box replacing the standard Graflex clamp assembly. Instantly recognizable to generations of fans and collectors alike, the Graflex-based Skywalker lightsaber remains the single most influential lightsaber design in the history of the franchise, serving as the template from which countless subsequent sabers would evolve. Measuring approximately 10 inches in length, this example displays the distinctive handcrafted character and practical ingenuity synonymous with the original trilogy productions.
“Created directly from a cast of Hamill’s hand by Freeborn’s makeup department, the resin hand features detailed painted wound effects at the severed wrist cross-section and thumb area. A protruding metal pin joins the hand assembly to the receiving wrist section, while the internal release mechanics remain present though untested. With the hand and wrist assembly attached, the complete rig measures approximately 14″ x 9″.”
Heritage has recorded increasing interest in these ahead of Star Wars’ 50th anniversary next year, which will feature the re-release of A New Hope‘s first theatrical cut, alongside Shawn Levy’s Star Wars: Starfghter. This context alone means the auction will undoubtedly attract some serious bids; it could easily break Darth Vader’s lightsaber record, or even the franchise record (held Tom Jung’s original promo artwork for A New Hope, which sold for $3.875 million). This is definitely one sale to watch.
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