Shmi Skywalker Lars

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

- Shmi Skywalker, to her son Anakin Skywalker

Shmi Skywalker Lars was the human mother of the Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, as well step-mother to Owen Lars and the paternal grandmother of Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa.

A slave, Shmi gave birth to a son she named Anakin, who was conceived by the midi-chlorians to fulfill the prophecy of the Chosen One who would bring balance to the Force. After Anakin left to become a Jedi, she was sold to Cliegg Lars, who freed her and married her. Just before the Clone Wars, Shmi died in her son's arms after being brutally tortured by a band of Tusken Raiders.

A mother's sacrifice
"Son, my place is here. My future is here. It is time for you to let go&hellip;to let go of me. I cannot go with you."

- Shmi, to Anakin

One day after returning to the hovel that she and her son shared, Shmi met the Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, and his companions from Naboo: Padmé Amidala, Jar Jar Binks and their astromech droid R2-D2. Shmi offered the group her hospitality and place to stay during a raging sandstorm that enveloped Mos Espa. Like Anakin, Shmi initially believed that these strangers arrived on Tatooine to free slaves. This proved not to be the case when they recounted to Anakin their plight of how they ended up being stranded on Tatooine on a diplomatic mission to Coruscant. Anakin offered to help his newfound friends repair their ship, forming a plan that included Qui-Gon sponsoring him in the upcoming Boonta Eve Classic. Shmi, however, disagreed. It was only when Anakin recalled her words on helping others that Shmi allowed Anakin to help the strangers, claiming that he was meant to help them.

As she watched Anakin build his podracer, Shmi revealed to Qui-Gon Anakin's miraculous birth. When Qui-Gon remarked that his presence in the Force was unusually strong, Shmi hopefully asked if he was able to help Anakin. Instead of getting the answer she had hoped for, the Jedi Master replied that he had not intended on freeing slaves.



The next day, Shmi accompanied the group to the Boonta Eve Classic, where she tensely watched the race from afar. Unbeknownst to her, before the start of the race, Qui-Gon made a bet with Watto for the freedom of Shmi and Anakin. Watto, however, wouldn't have it, claiming that no podracer was worth two slaves. Because of his interest in the boy, Qui-Gon opted to free Anakin, using his powers to tamper with the chance cube Watto had brought out to decide which of the two would be freed. To her surprise and theirs, Anakin won the race, and likewise, his freedom. Shmi joined Anakin in the crowd of admirers, and the two shared a brief mother-and-son moment with Shmi telling Anakin how proud she was of him.

After securing Anakin's earnings from the race, Qui-Gon informed Shmi of Anakin's freedom and of his intention to train the boy as a Jedi. He was, however, unable to secure her freedom. It was then that Shmi had to make the most difficult decision in her life: letting go of her son. Comforted by Qui-Gon, she watched as Anakin prepared himself to leave, the latter stopping a few times to express his doubts about leaving home. She advised him to let go, claiming that her place and future was on Tatooine. This prompted Anakin to leave with the Jedi Master, but not before promising that he would return and free her.

Reunited with Anakin and death
"I'm so proud of you, Ani&hellip; so proud&hellip; I missed you so much&hellip; now I am complete&hellip;"

- Shmi Skywalker

One morning, Shmi went out to pick vaporator mushrooms from the moisture vaporators, but was captured by a group of Tuskens on her way home. Cliegg assembled a search team in an attempt to locate her, but ended up losing 26 out of the 30 that were sent out and his right leg. After a month, he decided to give up the search, believing Shmi to be dead. In actuality, Shmi was still, just barely, alive&mdash;severely beaten and dehydrated.



Through their strong bond with one another, Anakin was overcome with nightmares of his mother, in which he had sensed her pain and suffering. Unable to bear them any longer, Anakin traveled to Tatooine to find her, bringing Padmé Amidala and R2-D2 with him. Upon their arrival in Mos Espa, they were told by Watto that he had sold Shmi to Cliegg Lars, who had freed and married her. At the Lars homestead, he encountered his old droid, C-3PO, and the Lars family. A heartbroken Cliegg recounted to Anakin Shmi's capture and the settlers' attempt to rescue her. He tried to convince Skywalker that it was impossible for Shmi to have survived, but Anakin wouldn't have it. In his disbelief, Anakin set out to find her, leaving Padmé in the care of the Lars. Using his senses, Anakin managed to locate her inside a Tusken Raider encampment, bound to a rack at the side of a tent, and bearing scars from weeks of beatings. After Anakin untied her from her bindings, the two engaged in a short conversation with Anakin comforting her in a vain effort to keep her alive. With her final breaths, Shmi managed to whisper her love for him before quietly dying in his arms.

Anakin allowed the shock of her death to catalyze an explosion of his long-nursed anger and selfishness. He flew into a rage, killing every Tusken Raider in the encampment—even, as he confessed to Padmé later, "not just the men.. but the women.. and the children too." After the massacre, he returned to the tent to wrap her body, and took her back to the Lars homestead, where a small funeral was held. In front of her grave, Anakin voiced his regret that he could not save her, and promised not to let anything of the sort happen again.

Behind the scenes
The character was portrayed by Swedish actress Pernilla August in The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones. She reprised her role as Shmi Skywalker in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 3 episode "Overlords".

That Anakin Skywalker's mother would be named Shmi and that August would portray her were announced in 1998. The original trilogy was rereleased in theaters and VHS to commemorate the twenty year anniversary of Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope the year before and Star Wars Trivial Pursuit was released to coincide with this. The limited edition game contained a sequestered pack of questions that served as a preview of the first new trilogy installment, two of which divulged those bits of information. One of the first drafts for her name was Shmi Warka.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace
 * William Shakespeare's The Phantom of Menace: Star Wars Part the First
 * Star Wars Journeys: The Phantom Menace
 * Star Wars Journeys: Beginnings
 * Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones
 * Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith
 * Lords of the Sith
 * Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith
 * Lords of the Sith
 * Lords of the Sith