A slave on Tatooine, Shmi Skywalker raised her son Anakin in Mos Espa. The Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn discovered that Anakin was strong with the Force and helped the boy win his freedom, then took him to Coruscant to be trained as a Jedi.

Shmi remained on Tatooine, where a moisture farmer named Cliegg Lars bought her from Watto, freed her and made her his wife. But Tusken Raiders captured Shmi and tortured her. Anakin arrived too late to save his mother, and vowed he would grow so powerful that he could prevent those he loved from dying.