Cliegg Lars

"Cliegg Lars. Shmi is my wife."

- Cliegg Lars introduces himself to Anakin Skywalker, his stepson

Cliegg Lars was a Human male moisture farmer from Tatooine. He had one son, Owen Lars, from his first marriage. In the years prior to the Clone Wars, he met Shmi Skywalker and freed her from slavery before marrying her. As such, he was the stepfather of Anakin Skywalker, and the step-grandfather of Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa.

Shortly before the outbreak of the Clone Wars, Shmi was captured by Tusken Raiders. Lars and a number of other moisture farmers attempted to save her, but the sand people drove them back, and Lars lost his right leg as a result. Anakin Skywalker later arrived on Tatooine, having had visions through the Force of Shmi's suffering and met Lars. Skywalker found his mother, but she died in his arms and he returned her body to the Lars farm for burial, where Lars said goodbye to his wife.

Biography
"Thirty of us went out after her. Four of us came back. I'd be with them, only&hellip; after I lost my leg I just couldn't ride any more, until I heal. I don't want to give up on her, but she's been gone a month. There's little hope she's lasted this long."

- Cliegg Lars tells Anakin Skywalker about his mother

Cliegg Lars was a moisture farmer on Tatooine. He lived on his family's homestead, some of which he built himself, near the settlement of Anchorhead. He had a son, Owen Lars, from an early marriage. Later on, Owen's girlfriend, Beru Whitesun, lived with them on the farm.

A few years before the Clone Wars, Lars took a trip to the spaceport settlement of Mos Espa, where he met Shmi Skywalker, a slave owned by Watto, a Toydarian junk dealer. Lars fell in love with Shmi and bought her from Watto, and then freed her from slavery. The two married and lived together as husband and wife for many years. Approximately one month before the Battle of Geonosis, however, Shmi was kidnapped by a group of Tusken Raiders. An enraged Lars gathered dozens of other farmers and set out to rescue his wife. Although thirty farmers went out looking for her, only four returned alive. Lars himself returned maimed, having lost his right leg to the sand people.

A month after Shmi's disappearance, her son, Jedi Padawan Anakin Skywalker arrived on the farm looking for her, having had Force visions of her suffering. Lars and his family met Skywalker for the first time and explained to him what had happened with the Tusken Raiders. Although Lars told his stepson to accept that Shmi was gone, Skywalker was determined to find his mother and set out into the desert to locate the sand people. He found them and his mother, but she died in his arms. Skywalker returned to the farm after slaughtering the Tusken Raiders for revenge, and, along with Lars and his family, buried Shmi on the farm. Skywalker left shortly thereafter, leaving the Lars family behind.

Personality and traits
"Those Tuskens walk like men, but they're vicious, mindless monsters."

- Lars tells Anakin Skywalker about the sand people

Lars was a Human male who stood at a height of 1.83 meters. He had light brown hair, blue eyes, and fair skin. While attempting to rescue his wife, Lars lost his right leg in pursuit of the Tusken Raiders. He felt an anger towards the sand people for taking Shmi, and felt that they were savage monsters.

Behind the scenes
Cliegg Lars was introduced and made his only canonical appearance in the 2002 film Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. He was portrayed by actor Jack Thompson.

Appearances

 * Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones