Shmi Skywalker Lars/Legends

"Now, be brave, and don't look back."

- Shmi Skywalker, 32 BBY

Shmi Skywalker Lars (72 BBY–22 BBY) was the mother of Anakin Skywalker, as well as the paternal grandmother of Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa Solo.

Biography
Separated from her parents at a young age, Shmi had been 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 - notably Pi-Lippa - who taught Shmi valuable technical skills - others were cruel, such as Gardulla the Hutt.

By 32 BBY, she and her son were slaves of the 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.

Shmi was a loving and devoted mother who did not question the necessity of her son leaving after he won his freedom in the Boonta Eve Classic podrace and left for Coruscant with Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi to be trained as a Jedi.



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 moisture farmer named Cliegg Lars. Lars freed and married Shmi, making her stepmother to Owen Lars. During those years she kept a journal where she recorded events almost everyday. This journal would eventually come into the possession of her granddaughter Leia Organa Solo many years later.

Ten years later, Anakin sensed through the Force that his mother was in pain. Anakin travelled 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 just in time for her to die 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.

Behind the scenes
Shmi's first name was derived from Lakshmi, a Hindu goddess. 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
 * Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
 * Star Wars Empire: Betrayal (flashbacks)
 * Tatooine Ghost (flashbacks)
 * The Unifying Force (mentioned)