When it comes to iconic movie imagery, Star Wars is one of the best places to look. From the twin suns of Tatooine to the Death Star blowing Alderaan to bits, Star Wars is home to some of the most recognizable shots in all of cinema history. For many fans, however, there's one piece of the Star Wars mythos that stands above everything else: the 'Slave Leia' scenes from the beginning of Return of the Jedi.
In retrospect, the gold bikini is a strange, out-of-place, randomly sexualized costume – but even so, it still stands as one of the most iconic costumes in the history of film. The metal bikini has not only become one of the most popular Star Wars cosplay items ever, but helped usher in an age of scantily-clad sci-fi heroines. So, when it was announced that the bikini would be up for auction back in September, more than a few people noticed.
It's no secret that authentic movie props fetch a high price, and considering just how ridiculously popular Leia's gold bikini was (and still is), it's easy to assume that someone would be willing to spend a ridiculous amount of money on it. As it turns out, that's exactly what happened: Leia's bikini sold for almost $100,000.
While the buyer's name has yet to be announced, there's no denying their dedication: $96,000 is worth more than a lot of people's homes, much less a single piece of metal swimwear.
What's even more astounding is that the bikini wasn't the most expensive item at the auction: one of the miniature ships from the opening scene of A New Hope sold for roughly $450,000. If you've got enough money to spend almost half a million dollars on a model ship, there's a good chance you could fund your own Star Wars film.
For the rest of us peasants, we'll just have to wait until December to satiate our love of the franchise: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens hits theaters on Dec. 18.
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