Darth Vader’s lightsaber sells for record $3.654M

One of the most recognizable props in movie history has sold for a record $3.654 million.

The lightsaber wielded by Darth Vader in “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi” sold on Thursday, well above the pre-auction estimate of between $1 million and $3 million, The Hollywood Reporter and The New York Times reported.

When the gavel came down, the winning bid was recorded at $2,900,000, but the final was $3,654,000 once the buyer’s premium, paid to the auction house, was tacked on.

It is the highest price ever paid for a piece of “Star Wars” movie history.

The previous record was an X-Wing Fighter model that sold for $2.3 million, TMZ reported.

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The lightsaber was the primary dueling saber, which was screen-matched, and used both by David Prowse and his stunt double Bob Anderson, according to THR.

According to the saber’s description by Propstore Auction, "Constructed from a Micro Precision Products (M.P.P.) Microflash - an English camera flash bulb attachment manufactured in the 1950s - this piece was expertly modified by the production team into a lightsaber. The flash’s front name plaque was removed, but the black shroud, center band, and clamp were retained and integrated into the final design. Additional custom elements were added, including plastic “T-track” grips, magnification bubbles (sourced from a period digital calculator and inserted into the clamp), a D-ring to allow the lightsaber to hang from Vader’s belt, and decorative wiring."

It wasn’t the only “Star Wars” prop to be sold this week. The prop dueling lightsaber used by Hayden Christensen in the prequels sold for $126,000 with the buyer’s premium, or twice of the pre-sale estimate.

Other pieces of movie history sold in the auction included: