Star Wars: Han Solo’s Return of the Jedi Blaster to Sell at Auction

The prop blaster used by Harrison Ford as Han Solo in Star Wars is headed for auction and may fetch a six-figure price. They may be “clumsy and random,” but blasters are the weapons of choice for the majority of non-Jedi characters in the Star Wars universe. And no character relied on his trusty blaster more than that roguish smuggler Han Solo.

The first time Solo wielded his blaster in Star Wars it was to blow away the bounty hunter Greedo in the Mos Eisley cantina, something that had become a strong point of contention due to all Special Edition changes George Lucas made for the original trilogy’s re-release in 1997, making Greedo shoot first. And despite the blaster saving him from numerous situations, Han Solo’s blaster was no match for Darth Vader, who used the Force to easily snatch it from Solo’s hand when the two came face-to-face in Cloud City in The Empire Strikes Back. Like so many props, ships, and costumes from Star Wars, Solo’s blaster has gone on to become iconic. And now, one fan can own it, if they happen have a half-million bucks sitting around.

Related: 15 Most Expensive Props In Movie History

Reuters reports that the prop blaster used by Harrison Ford as he played Han Solo in Return of the Jedi will sell at auction this summer. According to Julien’s Auctions, the blaster could sell for as much as $500,000. The blaster will hit the block in Las Vegas and online at juliensauctions.com on June 23.

According to Julien’s, the prop was one of two blasters made for Jedi. The whereabouts of the second blaster are not known. The blaster about to go to auction was gifted to Jedi art director James L. Schoppe after the movie wrapped and was in his possession for 35 years. For Star Wars trivia enthusiasts, the weapons’s official designation is the DL-44 heavy blaster pistol.

Any time a piece of authentic Star Wars memorabilia goes up for auction, collectors line up to shell out big cash. In 2017, an original R2-D2 used in several Star Wars films sold for $2.76 million. Also in 2017, one of Luke Skywalker’s prop lightsabers hit the auction block and sold for $450,000.

Of course, 2018 is a big year for Han Solo for another reason; he’s returning to screens in a standalone film. Solo: A Star Wars Story goes back to the years before the original trilogy that culminated with Return of the Jedi to tell fans  all about what Solo was up to before he became a smuggler and later a hero of the Rebellion. Alden Ehrenreich plays the young Han Solo in the film alongside Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian. Maybe one day the blaster wielded by Ehrenreich will go up for auction as well as and potentially fetch half-a-million dollars, but that may take some time.

More: Han Solo Movie: 15 Dos and Don’ts