How Much Does a Lightsaber Cost?

The answer to “How much does a lightsaber cost?” depends what kind of lightsaber you’re looking for. A real, working lightsaber that can cut off arms and block incoming blaster fire obviously costs a lot more than a toy with a plastic blade.

The table below sums up how much a lightsaber costs, by type. Lightsabers cost anywhere from $2 for a 3D printed hilt on Etsy to $80 billion for a 100% real lightsaber than can melt its way through a nine-inch thick blast plate.

People looking for a free lightsaber that can’t actually cut can just download an app that has authentic sounds and turns their phone into a fun office toy.

How Much Does a Lightsaber Cost?

How much does a lightsaber costThe table below shows lightsaber costs by type. A real lightsaber costs significantly more than a knitted lightsaber cat toy that can be had on Etsy for $9. A fun, real looking lightsaber toy with a bright blade that has awesome sound effects plus hilt vibrations for sword clashes costs $42. A very real looking replica lightsaber with an actual laser in it costs $300. The real McCoy – an actual, no-kidding lightsaber than can slice open a Ton Ton’s belly in a pinch – will run about $80 billion.

Lightsaber Cost QuestionCostDescriptionLink
How much does a lightsaber cost at Disneyland?$30Build your own lightsaber from lots of different available parts.Click here
How much does a lightsaber cost at Walmart?$10-$40$10 version has extendable plastic blade and gets good reviews but may break. $40 lightsaber is more durable, has authentic sound and can be rebuilt into different sizes and shapes.Click here
How much does a toy lightsaber cost?$2-$300Anywhere from a 3D printed lightsaber hilt for $2 on Etsy to a $300 real laser sword toy on AmazonSee below for links
How much does a lightsaber cost that actually exists and looks really real but can't really cut?$300Spyder 3 laser + Laser Saber hilt and housing make the most real looking lightsaber on the market. Metal hilt, plastic blade, very real looking. Not for play fighting with other lightsabers. Looks very cool but apparently not durable.Click here
How much does the cheapest lightsaber toy cost?$2.003D printed toy lightsaber hilt. Looks really cool. 226 mm. Sold on Etsy.Click here
How much does the most expensive lightsaber toy cost?$300Spyder 3 laser + Laser Saber hilt and housing make the most real looking lightsaber on the market. Metal hilt, plastic blade, very real looking. Not for play fighting with other lightsabers. Looks very cool but apparently not durable.Click here
How much does a lightsaber cost that looks 100% real but can't actually cut?$50,000,000Click here
How much does a lightsaber cost that's 100% real?$80,000,000,00Click here
How much does a lightsaber cat toy cost?$9Crochetted lightsaber, sold on EtsyClick here
How much does a lightsaber cost that's the coolest reasonably priced toy?$55Battery powered, 36 inches, durable, authentic sound, looks awesome, plastic blade, can be seen well even in full light.Click here
How much does a real-looking Kylo Ren lightsaber cost?$259Real looking, metal grip, kyber crystal light floods plastic blade, authentic sound.Click here
How much does a lightsaber app cost that makes your iPhone sound like a lightsaber when you weild it?$0Cool app. Swing your phone around like Rey or Kylo Ren and battle co-workers in the office. Yelling "You're not my father" optional.Click here
How much does a really good midrange lightsaber toy cost?$42Bright blade, 34 inches, authentic sounds, vibrates for clash effect, durableClick here
How much does an Ultimate FX lightsaber cost?$55Battery powered, 36 inches, durable, authentic sound, looks awesome, plastic blade, can be seen well even in full light.Click here
How much does a lightsaber baby rattle cost?$23Crochetted, sold on EtsyClick here

Also see: How Much Money Has Every Star Wars Movie Made?

Laser Replica Lightsaber Cost $300

lightsaber cost laserA company called Wicked Lasers has made a lightsaber that looks pretty awesome in their promo videos. It can’t actually repel blaster fire or cut off a thug’s arm in a space cantina. It’s got a real Spyder 3 laser in it, encased in a plastic tube with an aircraft metal grip. The “lightsaber” is actually called a “laser saber” because of copyright infringement.

This “lightsaber” powers up and powers down just like the ones in the movies. It’s a great, fun replica, but it lacks sound effects. It’s also too delicate for use in combat play, and too dangerous to use outside of a “controlled environment.” Would be Jedi are encouraged to wear laser-safe glasses while operating the replica weapon.

Adult Dueling Lightsaber Cost: $300-$800

lightsaber cost how muchThere are now lightsabers that aren’t toys but aren’t real. In other words, they’re not for kids. They don’t cut anything, but you can actually duel with them. They look authentic, especially in the dark, and they sound real too. One of them even comes with a “flash on clash” effect that makes the blade flicker when it hits another blade.

How much does one of these lightsabers cost? Anywhere from $300 to $800. Check them out below.

Also see: How Much Money Did Harrison Ford Make for Star Wars?

Best Toy Lightsaber Cost: $30-$55

Disney lightsaber costThe best lightsaber toys on the market cost $30 to $55 in stores, on Amazon, the Disney Store or on Google shopping.

How much a lightsaber toy costs depends on the quality and where it’s sold. It’s true that lightsaber toys can be had for $11 at Walmart, but some shoppers have reported durability issues with the cheaper models. The best lightsaber toys come from Disney and Hasbro.

Note that Disney lightsabers cost less when purchased from the Disney Store.

Lightsaber Cost: Best ToysDescriptionShopping OptionsLightsaber Cost
Disney Kylo Ren LightsaberOfficial Disney Kylo Ren lightsaber. Durable, bright glow, authentic sound effects, hilt rumble/vibrate for sword clash effect. Gets high reviews.
Amazon$55
Disney Store$30
Disney Rey LightsaberOfficial Disney Rey lightsaber. Durable, bright glow, authentic sound effects, hilt rumble/vibrate for sword clash effect. Gets high reviews.
Amazon$63
Disney Store$30
Ultimate FX LightsaberCool, durable Hasbro lightsaber with bright glow, motion-sensor sound effects, power up and power down effects. Comes in Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, Kylo Ren models and more.
Amazon$55-$85

Real Lightsaber Cost: $80 Billion

real lightsaber costEinstein proved time travel isn’t possible. He did no such thing with lightsabers. The technology for a real lightsaber would have to be developed, but it’s certainly within the reach of modern science. An extremely powerful laser would have to be miniaturized to handheld size. The beam would somehow have to stop at about 3 feet. The engineering roadblocks, while daunting, are not insurmountable. They would just cost a lot of money.

To estimate how much a lightsaber costs, we took a look at DARPA’s budget. In case you’ve had your head under several rocks, DARPA is the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. It’s the U.S. military’s department of building really awesome weaponry. Their annual budget is $2.97 million. With that money, they’re creating biologically inspired climbing aids, wound stasis systems, photonic communications systems and of course robots. The $2.97 billion is spread across 192 projects.

We conservatively estimate the entire DARPA budget for about 27 years would fund the cost of a successful lightsaber. That puts the price tag for a working lightsaber at $80 billion. It’s not that DARPA or some billionaire couldn’t make a lightsaber if they put the effort into it. It’s that there are more important things to do with the money. Bill Gates could very probably have a lightsaber if he wanted one. Instead, he chooses to use his $80 billion for things like ending disease and world hunger. Go figure.

Also see: How Much Money Does Daisy Ridley Make?

Fairly Real Lightsaber Cost: $50 Million

fairly real lightsaber how much costHow much would a lightsaber cost if it looked and felt absolutely real, but didn’t kill anyone or cut through walls and robots? About $50 million.

The problem with most replica and toy lightsabers is that the blade doesn’t disappear when they’re deactivated. Do we have the tech to build a lightsaber with a totally real looking blade that doesn’t cut? Probably. Would it cost a lot less than a real lightsaber? Of course. Would it be cheap enough to make it practical for mass production? Probably not.

Going by the cost of special effects budgets for major motion pictures, we’re putting the cost of a working lightsaber that functions in every visible way at $50 million. That’s a lightsaber that looks 100% real but can’t actually strike down evil emperors.

Build Your Own Lightsaber Cost at Disney: $22-25

how much lightsaber cost at disneyDisney’s Hollywood Studios park has a built your own lightsaber attraction. Lucky kids get to put together their own custom lightsabers out of plastic parts in bins. They can even take the special made lightsabers home with them for about $25 each.

Young Jedi in training select a style, blade and hilt. The lightsabers can be further customized with special switches, rings, hilt sleeves, caps and adaptors. The kids assemble the parts themselves, a process that takes about five minutes.

The build your own lightsaber attraction is in the Tatooine Trader store in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Disney has announced there will soon be a build your own droid factory coming too.

Also see: How Much Money Does John Boyega Make?

Cheapest Lightsaber Cost: $2 for a 3D File

lightsaber file costGot a great imagination and a 3D printer? You’re in luck. A guy with access to CAD software is selling a 3D file for full sized 3D printed lightsaber hilts for just $2 on Etsy (link in table above).

That’s a rock bottom cost for a lightsaber hilt, even if you do have to print it yourself. You also have to pretend there’s a pulsing, cracking blade of light extending from it. The hilt looks awesome and the maker says it was based on the “Imperial Knight lightsaber.”

According to the designer, the lightsaber was the standard issue carried by the Imperial Knights, loyal to the Fel Empire.

Awesome Lightsaber Phone App Cost: $0

lightsaber iphone app cost freeJedi who are really looking for a rock bottom, entry-level lightsaber probably already have one with them and didn’t even know it. No, it’s not within. It’s in your iPhone. The “Great Lightsaber” iPhone app by Byte Flux turns your phone into an imitation lightsaber.

Install and launch the app, then wave the iPhone around like you’re Rey battling Kylo Ren. The phone emits the sounds of battle. A bluetooth “duel” option lets two users duke it out in true Empire vs rebel scum style. The lightsaber app has over a million downloads and the only cost is for upgrades like different weapon styles.

This app will probably cause the most damage to office furniture since the invention of wheelie chairs.