Shmi Skywalker Lars/Legends

"But you can't stop the change, no more than you can stop the suns from setting."

- Shmi Skywalker

Shmi Skywalker Lars was the mother of Anakin Skywalker, as well as the paternal grandmother of Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa Solo.

Life as a slave
"I will come back and free you mom, I promise!"

- Anakin Skywalker

Shmi was abducted along with her family by pirates during a starship trip to the Outer Rim at a young age and was a slave almost her entire life, more often than not working as a house servant. Shmi changed owners many times during her life, and while some of these masters were kind&mdash;notably Pi-Lippa, who taught Shmi valuable technical skills&mdash;others were cruel, such as Gardulla the Hutt.

In 42 BBY, Shmi discovered that she was pregnant and gave birth to a son she named Anakin on an unknown planet. By 32 BBY, she and her son were slaves of the Mos Espa junk merchant Watto on the desert world Tatooine. They had passed to the Toydarian's ownership as a result of Gardulla losing heavily on the podraces. Life under Watto was harsh, and only a few personal possessions were allowed her. To help with her work, Anakin built a protocol droid, and after he left, Shmi cared for it.



"He can help you. He was meant to help you."

- Shmi Skywalker to Qui-Gon Jinn

She had become aware of Anakin's gifts and hid them from Watto. If he found out, he would have used the boy for his own. Shmi never wanted a slave's life for her son, Anakin, and finally got her wish when a Jedi Master by the name of Qui-Gon Jinn showed up and befriended her son. Qui-Gon's ship was damaged and seriously needed parts, so her son, Anakin, created a plan to help his new friends. The plan included Anakin participating in the Boonta Eve Classic, with which Shmi disagreed. However, Anakin convinced her to let him participate. As she stood by watching Anakin build his podracer, she told Qui-Gon that the boy was born without a father, and Qui-Gon replied that Anakin was to be a Jedi. It was then that Shmi realized that her son was meant to do something great.

"Son, my place is here, my future is here. It is time for you to let go&hellip;now, be brave. Don't look back."

- Shmi to Anakin



At the Boonta Eve Classic, Shmi watched with fear as her son raced against the dangerous Sebulba&mdash;but when Anakin won to her relief, Shmi was overjoyed. Later, Shmi proved herself to be a loving and devoted mother when she did not question the necessity of her son's abrupt departure to Coruscant after he won his freedom in the race. Preparing to leave with Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi to be trained as a Jedi, Anakin sadly discovered that Shmi herself could not be freed as well&mdash;Qui-Gon failed to do so in a bet with Watto. Before leaving, Anakin promised to come back and free her someday, although his Jedi obligations would prevent him from ever doing so.

Sadly, mother and son would not see each other again for ten years. Her son became a Padawan apprenticed to Obi-Wan Kenobi. Shmi herself had been sold to a very kind moisture farmer named Cliegg Lars. Lars freed and married Shmi, making her stepmother to Owen Lars.

Shmi often told her new family how much she missed her son Anakin who had been freed by a Jedi to join the Jedi order years before. She would often talk about her son and how special he was to Owen and his father. Owen, however, became jealous and wished he could be the son that Shmi let go all those years ago. During those years she kept a journal where she recorded events almost every day. This journal would eventually come into the possession of her granddaughter Leia Organa Solo many years later.

Reunited with Anakin
"Why'd she have to die? Why couldn't I save her? I know I could have!"

- Anakin Skywalker

About ten years after he left to join the Jedi, Anakin sensed through the Force that his mother was in pain. Anakin traveled to Tatooine to find her, and upon arriving learned that she had been abducted by a tribe of violent Tusken Raiders. Young Skywalker used his Jedi powers to find her inside one of their encampments. She was amazed to see her grown-up son and managed to say that she was proud of Anakin before she died in his arms. Enraged, Anakin slaughtered every single Tusken Raider in the camp, including all the women and children. This was one of the first incidents where Anakin's potential to slide into the Dark Side of the Force was apparent.

Anakin later took her body, completely wrapped up, back to the Lars homestead where she is buried next to Edern Lars. Anakin voiced his regret in front of her grave that he could not save her. This would be the start of Anakin's phobia of loss.

Legacy
In the decades following Shmi's death, she is remembered for starting the Skywalker family.

Behind the scenes

 * Shmi's first name was derived from Lakshmi, a Hindu goddess. It also closely resembles the Hebrew word שְמִי (pronounced shmi) which means "my name," making her full name a sentence: My name is Skywalker.


 * Shmi was played by Swedish actress Pernilla August in The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones.

Appearances

 * Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
 * Bad Business
 * Jedi Quest: Path to Truth / Jedi Quest comic
 * Jedi Quest series
 * Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
 * Star Wars Republic 62: No Man's Land
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
 * The Last One Standing
 * Sandstorm
 * Star Wars Empire: Betrayal
 * Thank the Maker!
 * Tatooine Ghost
 * The Unifying Force