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Glam Fame Journal

What is a Watto in Star Wars?

Author

Matthew Barrera

Updated on March 17, 2026

What is a Watto in Star Wars?

Watto was a male Toydarian junk dealer and human trafficker who owned a junkshop in Mos Espa on the planet Tatooine. He was the owner of Shmi Skywalker as well as her son, Anakin Skywalker, the young boy who would grow up to become both a revered Jedi Knight and a feared Sith Lord known as Darth Vader.

Who was Anakin’s slaver?

FALL OF THE REPUBLIC. Along with his mother Shmi, Anakin Skywalker was a slave on Tatooine, owned by junk dealer Watto. When Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn, a Gungan named Jar Jar Binks, and Naboo handmaiden Padmé came to Watto’s shop looking for parts to repair their starship, Anakin befriended them.

Who killed Watto?

In one Legends comic Darth Vader returns to Tatooine and brutally tortures and kills Watto.

What happened to Watto in Star Wars?

In the short comic “Old Wounds”, published in the Star Wars: Visionaries collection, Watto is shown to have been beheaded by a resurrected Darth Maul, who is searching for Obi-Wan Kenobi. This conflicts with several elements of established canon, such as Watto’s survival into Star Wars Galaxies, and is non-canon.

When did Watto get Anakin?

Watto first acquired Anakin and Shmi when Anakin was only 3, and even as a young four-year old, Anakin remembers having been severely beaten when displeasing Watto.

Who did Watto buy Anakin from?

Watto was a Toydarian junk dealer in Mos Espa who bought Shmi Skywalker and her son Anakin from Gardulla the Hutt. An inveterate gambler, he sponsored Anakin in several Podraces, but often bet against his own slave, who was talented but inexperienced. Watto lost Anakin to Qui-Gon Jinn in a wager on the Boonta Eve race.

Who owned Anakin Skywalker before Watto?

Watto was a Toydarian junk dealer in Mos Espa who bought Shmi Skywalker and her son Anakin from Gardulla the Hutt.

Is Watto a villain?

10 Watto. As the used-goods store proprietor who enslaved an eight-year-old boy and his mother, Watto is a pretty bad guy. But he’s also, unfortunately, a pretty bad character. He was created with some of the earliest CGI technologies, so his look is bland and dated.

Was Watto cruel?

At least Watto demonstrates less cruelty than most masters and is generally regarded as a decent owner; after all, we witness him grant Anakin an early day off in Phantom. But we’ll soon explore many contradicting pieces of evidence that showcase just how vicious Watto can be.

Was Watto nice to Anakin?

The answer is in your question: Watto was a slave owner. The fact Watto CHOSE to explore the lives of a single mother and her small child is actually an aggravation. Not only Watto abused Anakin by owning him and his mother, he also abused him physically, verbally and emotionally.