Watto

This blue-skinned, winged alien runs a scrapyard on the desert planet Tatooine, dealing in podracer parts and mechanical salvage. The Toydarian merchant speaks in broken Basic with a distinctive accent, his small wings keeping his rotund body hovering above the sandy floors of his cluttered shop. Despite his diminutive stature, he proves to be a shrewd businessman who refuses Republic credits and demands payment in more tangible currencies.

The junk dealer owned both Anakin Skywalker and his mother Shmi as slaves, having won them in a podracing bet from Gardulla the Hutt. When Qui-Gon Jinn arrived seeking parts for Queen Amidala’s damaged starship, the Toydarian’s natural resistance to Jedi mind tricks frustrated the Jedi Master’s attempts at persuasion. Instead, Qui-Gon had to resort to gambling, wagering on young Anakin’s podrace performance to secure both the needed hyperdrive generator and the boy’s freedom.

Years later, when Anakin returned to Tatooine searching for his mother, he discovered that the merchant had sold Shmi to moisture farmer Cliegg Lars, who subsequently freed and married her. The encounter revealed a more sentimental side to the otherwise profit-focused dealer, who expressed genuine concern for Shmi’s welfare.

Andy Secombe provided the character’s distinctive voice across both prequel appearances, bringing life to the computer-generated alien through motion capture technology. The character exemplifies the seedy underbelly of Tatooine’s economy, where slavery and gambling intersect in the Outer Rim’s lawless territories.