Shmi Skywalker Lars

Shmi Skywalker Lars was a human female who lived in slavery on the planet Tatooine during the last years of the Galactic Republic. She gave birth to a son whom she named Anakin Skywalker. In 32 BBY, her son was discovered by Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, who found the boy to be unusually strong with the Force. He learned through Shmi that there was no father involved in Anakin's conception, leading Jinn to believe that Anakin was conceived by the midi-chlorians. With Shmi's support, Anakin was taken by Jinn to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant and presented to the leaders of the Jedi Order as the Chosen One—the one who was destined to restore balance to the Force, according to Jedi prophecy.

After Anakin left Tatooine to begin his Jedi training, Watto sold Shmi to Cliegg Lars, a moisture farmer, who later freed and married her. Her chance to see Anakin one last time came when, in the waning days of the Separatist Crisis, Shmi was abducted and subjected to torture by a legion of Tusken Raiders in 22 BBY. By then, her son had returned to Tatooine as a Jedi Padawan after experiencing nightmares of her pain. Having seen her son again, Shmi told him she was complete but died in his arms. Unable to prevent his mother's demise, Anakin gave into the dark side of the Force and massacred the Tusken Raiders, including their women and children, and buried his mother at the Lars moisture farm. Shortly after Shmi's death, her son went on to become a Jedi Knight, and a general in the Grand Army of the Republic during the Clone Wars. The loss of his mother created in Anakin a strong desire to save his loved ones from death, which ultimately pushed him to become Darth Sidious' Sith apprentice, Darth Vader.

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