Darth Vader’s Suit Would Cost $18.3 Million

If Darth Vader were a Sith Lord in real life, he’d likely need a budget nearly the size of the Star Wars’ franchise’s $21 billion and counting in box office and merchandise sales just to stay dressed.

It turns out Lord Vader’s iconic black suit would cost a whopping $18.3 million (and that’s not including a lifetime supply of undergarments or that stunning cape). The folks over at Shade Station broke down the numbers to find this figure, by using a wide array of sources. Here are their findings:

The Helmet

$600,000

Not only does Vader’s helmet keep his facial features a mystery, but this thing has all kinds of fancy features. In fact, according to Shade Station’s estimates, it apparently has augmented reality functionality, similar to what you’d find in the mounted display of the U.S. Air Force combat fighter jet, the F-35. This gives Vader night vision, navigational capability and advanced targeting, so he’s prepared to fight and defend at a moment’s notice, no matter the hour.

Breathing Tool

$45,000

This mechanism helped make the “Luke, I am your father” sequence iconic, but it also keeps the essentials getting to Vader, making sure his lungs and (alleged) heart remain functioning.

The Suit

$12 Million

Factoring for the climate in space, the suit Vader wears has to be pressurized and airtight. Shade Station estimates it would be similar to a suit that is used by NASA — and that doesn’t come cheap.

Prosthetic Legs & Left Arm

$180,000 ($70,000 per leg, $40,000 for the arm)

Vader would have required top-of-the-line prosthetics to regain the mobility he exhibits in A New Hope, Shade Station says, following his battle with Obi-Wan Kenobi in Revenge of the Sith.

Prosthetics Upkeep

$5.4 Million

The initial price tag for creating the prosthetics and then connecting them to Vader is one thing, but their maintenance is something else entirely. Medical bills and upkeep of a single high-end prosthetic can cost an estimated $1.8 million apiece and this infamous spaceman has three.

Voice Box

$1,000

The cheapest item on the list is Vader’s voice synthesizer. Of course, without it, James Earl Jones’ voice would just sound like Mufasa from The Lion King. (“Look, Luke. Everything the dark touches is our kingdom.”)

Grand Total: $18.3 Million

Remember, it’s important to take a look at some of your spending habits and see where you need to or can make adjustments to avoid the dark side. You can find out how changes in your spending habits and debt levels would affect your credit score by viewing two of your credit scores each month for free on Credit.com.

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Image: World-Travel