Shmi Skywalker Lars/Legends

"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 mother of Anakin Skywalker, as well as the paternal grandmother of Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa Solo. Shmi was sold into slavery at an early age, and after her son was born, he too served as a slave. Anakin did not have a father, as Shmi was still a virgin, and thus could not understand how it had happened. She cared for ther son greatly though, and was willing to do anything to help him. After Anakin left to become a Jedi in 32 BBY, she was sold to Cliegg Lars, who freed her and married her. Just before the Clone Wars, Shmi died under slow torture at the hands of Tusken Raiders, her legacy continuing through her grandchildren.

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 Territories 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 Elder.

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 them after betting on the podraces. Life under Watto was harsh, and only a few personal possessions, such as her mladong bracelet were allowed her. To help with her work, Anakin built a protocol droid, and after he left, Shmi cared for it, and finished by adding coverings.



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

- Shmi Skywalker to Qui-Gon Jinn

Shmi had become aware of Anakin's gifts, such as his intuition (Force-sensitivity, though she knew it not) and hid them from Watto. She also helped from Watto the fact that Anakin was building a podracer, as Watto would have taken it if he knew. After Anakin helped several strangers by offering them shelter in their house during a sandstorm, she began to realize that her dream that Anakin get off Tatooine could come true with their help. One of these guests was Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, who befriended her son. The ship Qui-Gon was traveling in, which, unknown to them, was Queen Amidal of Naboo's, was damaged and seriously needed parts. Anakin created a plan to help his new friends, which included him participating in the Boonta Eve Classic, with which Shmi disagreed. However, Anakin persuaded 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, as he had given the boy a blood test, and found an extremely high number of midi-chlorians in his blood.

"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 treacherous 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, who would later become stepfather to her grandson, Luke Skywalker.

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 to Owen and his father about her son and how special he was to her. 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 and death
"Why'd she have to die? Why couldn't I save her? I know I could have!"

- Anakin Skywalker

"I... I love--"

- Shmi's last words

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, bringing Padmé Amidala and R2-D2 with him. Upon arriving, he learned that Shmi had been abducted by a tribe of violent Tusken Raiders, while she was out picking vaporator mushrooms. Young Skywalker used his Jedi powers to find her inside one of their encampments, wounded and dying after torture. 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. The Tuskens regarded the slaughtered camp as a sacred grounds, and made offerings to the "spirit" that had destroyed the camp. 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 was 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, and his intense hatred of Sandpeople.



Legacy
In the decades following Shmi's death, she was remembered for starting the Skywalker family. Her old friend Sorna came to the Lars homestead every year to place flowers on her grave. Later, Han and Leia Solo found Shmi's diary and learned that Anakin wasn't always the monster they thought he was.

Personality and traits
Shmi was kind and gentle, despite her years of slavery. She was selfless, willing to sacrifice anything for her son. She loved and cared for Anakin more than anything, and desperately wanted him to have abette rlife, knowing that there was something special about him. It was becuase of he rlove and sense that he had a special destiny that she allowed him to go to Coruscant to become a Jedi, knwoing she would likely never see him again. She was befuddled by his birth however, as it seemed Anakin had "no father". She cared for Cliegg Lars, her husband following Anakin's departure, and his son, Owen Lars, despite the fact that he was not her true son. Years later, her husband additionally described her as loving, "the best partner a man could ask for".

Behind the scenes
The character was portrayed by Swedish actress Pernilla August in The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones. Coincidentally, August portrayed the mother of another miraculously conceived character, Jesus Christ, in Mary, Mother of Jesus. Shmi Skywalker Lars' 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.

Appearances



 * Episode I: Anakin Skywalker
 * Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace novel
 * Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
 * Episode I: Qui-Gon Jinn
 * Episode I: The Phantom Menace ½
 * Bad Business
 * Jedi Quest: Path to Truth
 * Jedi Quest comic
 * Jedi Quest: The Way of the Apprentice
 * Jedi Quest: The Trail of the Jedi
 * Jedi Quest: The Master of Disguise
 * Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
 * Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones novel
 * Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones comic
 * Star Wars Republic 50: The Battle of Kamino
 * Star Wars Republic 62: No Man's Land
 * Jedi Trial
 * Labyrinth of Evil
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith novel
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
 * Star Wars Dark Times 3: The Path to Nowhere, Part 3
 * The Last One Standing
 * Sandstorm
 * Star Wars Empire: Betrayal
 * Star Wars: Galaxies
 * Thank the Maker!
 * Tatooine Ghost
 * The Unifying Force
 * Tempest