A Darth Vader lightsaber prop sold at Heritage Auctions for $4.875 million, setting a Star Wars collectible auction record.
Heritage Auctions sold a lightsaber hilt used by Darth Vader in "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi" for $4.875 million on Thursday. The sale surpassed the $3.75 million July auction of Luke Skywalker's lightsaber and hand-effects rig. The hilt was built from a 1950s camera flash attachment.
4
Divergence score
2 outlets covered it, splitting into 2 framing camps across 1 bias group.
2 camps
1 bias group
The spectrum · how 2 outlets placed this story
LeftCenterRight
Deutsche Welle
Globe and Mail
Supportive of action
Neutral
Dismissive
Critical
Alarmist
International angle
Widest split · the two outlets furthest apart, and who published first
Furthest apart on this story
Deutsche Welle
Darth Vader strikes back at auction as his lightsaber from two original Star Wars films reclaims the record from Luke Skywalker's prop
playful record-reclaimed narrative with prop history · positive
Globe and Mail
Darth Vader’s lightsaber from iconic ‘Star Wars’ duel sells for nearly $5-million
straight auction-result wire report · neutral
First to report
- Globe and Mailfirst
- Deutsche Welle+6 min
By each outlet's earliest publish time in this story. Feeds that index slowly can appear later than they printed.
The split, in one line
Both outlets report the same sale price and record, but one frames it as Vader striking back to reclaim the record while the other stresses 27 other lightsabers also on the block.
How each outlet covered it
No left-right split here
Coverage clusters in the center and international press. Here is each take as it stands.
Center & international coverage
“Darth Vader strikes back at auction as his lightsaber from two original Star Wars films reclaims the record from Luke Skywalker's prop”
“Darth Vader’s lightsaber from iconic ‘Star Wars’ duel sells for nearly $5-million”
5 tracked claims across 2 outlets
Fact ledger
All5Claimed1Corroborated4
1/2
Claimed
27 other Star Wars lightsabers were also assembled for the auction
Corroborated
Disputed
4 more tracked claimsSign up free to see the full ledger