Darth Vader’s 'Star Wars' Lightsaber Set to Hit Auction Block

Darth Vader’s actual lightsaber from "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi" is hitting the auction block for the first time ever ... and the estimated price tag is sky-high enough to make you choke!

Yup, you heard that right -- Propstore, the holy grail of movie memorabilia, is ready to unleash the real film-used lightsaber … with a jaw-dropping pre-sale estimate of $1-to-$3M.

It’s worth every penny -- especially 'cause it's the screen-matched lightsaber from the epic Vader vs. Luke showdowns wielded by Darth actor David Prowse and stunt legend Bob Anderson in some of the franchise's most climactic moments.

The prop is actually built from a vintage British press camera flash handle -- then tricked out with plastic grips, calculator bubbles, and cosmetic wiring to become Vader’s iconic weapon of mass intimidation.

It even pulled double duty as a reference for VFX artists, who used it to hand-animate that signature lightsaber glow in the final shots.

It's set to go on a multi-city press tour and then going up for auction in September.