Lucasfilm Archives at Celebration Europe

The Star Wars Saga has given generations countless, indelible memories and vivid visions of heroes, villains, spaceships, and creatures in the galaxy far, far away. Fans attending Star Wars Celebration Europe will enjoy a display created especially for them by the archivists at the Lucasfilm Archives. They assembled a few rare pieces that reflect the myth, the mystery, and even the macabre of Star Wars movie history.
Special thanks to Dr. David West Reynolds for writing the fascinating and informative notes and display labels for this collection. The display was curated by Collection Manager Laela French and her assistants, Dinah Houghtaling and Joanee Honour.

Darth Vader Tragic Beginning and End


Originally introduced as a character of formidable power, Darth Vader has, over time, been revealed as a scarred, tormented, and ultimately tragic figure destroyed by his own failings. These artifacts graphically illustrate Darth Vader not as the outwardly powerful villain of A New Hope, but as the broken and fallen man we see at the beginning, and at the end, of his identity as Darth Vader. In the partly burnt mask and helmet we see the end of this character, cremated on a funeral pyre by his son whose faith has redeemed him. The bust of Anakin Skywalker reveals the horrific injuries that necessitate his permanent encasement in a life-support suit with its distinctive artificial breathing sound. His lightsaber weapon is at once a symbol of the character's Jedi training and of his Sith betrayal of the Jedi codes.

Funeral Pyre Mask - Return of the Jedi


The half-burnt mask might be mistaken for the mask seen by Luke Skywalker in the Dagobah cave, but sharp-eyed viewers will recall that the "dream encounter" mask had jagged broken edges rather than the melted look of this pyre mask.

Burnt Anakin Bust - Revenge of the Sith


The bust of Anakin Skywalker was a makeup study and reference tool, on which the artists practiced and finalized the makeup eventually applied to actor Hayden Christiansen for Revenge of the Sith.

Unseen Lightsabers - Revenge of the Sith
Darth Vader's original lightsaber in A New Hope was made from a rare vintage Heiland flash gun handle. This distinctive prop disappeared before the production of The Empire Strikes Back, forcing sequel prop masters to create a second Darth Vader lightsaber design that roughly resembled the original. For Revenge of the Sith, Ty Tieger's prop department produced this custom-made compromise version, with features inspired by both types. Tieger's recreations also include new added detail, with gold and silver variations of one of the décor panels. After all this work and research, neither of these lightsabers was used or seen in Revenge of the Sith, making this display the public debut of these props.

C-3PO Head with Plucked Eye - Return of the Jedi
The golden interpreter droid C-3PO saw a particularly high incidence of damage and disassembly in the course of the Star Wars Saga. In Return of the Jedie of his optical sensors is plucked out by Jabba the Hutt's diminutive companion Salacious Crumb. C-3PO had the last laugh, however--not only was he worshipped as a god later in that movie, but his prop parts have survived the years in much better condition than the rubber puppet of Salacious Crumb. Nonetheless, this C-3PO head is still awaiting the attentions of a qualified droid ophthalmologist.

Luke Skywalker's Severed Head - The Empire Strikes Back
Luke Skywalker faces challenges both moral and physical in the course of his adventures in the Star Wars Saga. This frightening image of his own severed head appears to him in his dreamlike encounter in the cave on Dagobah, where he sees his own face inside the mask of Darth Vader.

Lucasfilm Archive Display
Friday, July 13 9 am - 6 pm
Saturday, July 14 9 am - 6 pm
Sunday, July 15 9 am - 3 pm
Platinum Suite, Level One
ExCeL Center
9 - 10 am each day for members of the Official Star Wars Fan Club only.