Every Time Hollywood Re-Used Expensive Props

42. Darth Vader’s Lightsaber

Also Appears In: Return of the Jedi
Estimated Savings: $200*

It makes sense that Darth Vader would reuse his lightsaber throughout the Star Wars franchise—after all, why throw away a good lightsaber? The lightsabers cost around $200, so there’s no sense spending hundreds on a new one every movie.

The lightsaber that Luke Skywalker wielded in The Empire Strikes Back was the same one used by Skywalker’s estranged father, Darth Vader, in Return of the Jedi, making this a classic case of ironic prop recycling. Vader’s lightsaber from earlier movies was, reportedly, stolen. The culprit behind the theft was never found, though perhaps it simply fell down the reactor shaft with the Emperor.