Watto
Watto is a male Toydarian junk dealer who owned a shop in Mos Espa on the desert planet Tatooine.[1] As a member of the winged Toydarian species, he possesses small wings that enable short flights and exhibits a strong resistance to Jedi mind influence, famously rebuffing attempts by Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn with the retort that Toydarians are "totally immune" to such tricks.[2][1] Watto purchased human slaves Shmi Skywalker and her nine-year-old son Anakin from the Hutt crime lord Gardulla, employing Anakin in his junkyard operations and repair work.[1][3] An inveterate gambler with a penchant for high-stakes risks, Watto sponsored the young Anakin as a podracer pilot in the Boonta Eve Classic, only to lose ownership of the boy—and his freedom—to Qui-Gon in a subsequent wager using a rare hyperdrive part as collateral.[1][4] This pivotal transaction inadvertently set Anakin on the path to Jedi training, marking Watto's most notable role in the events leading to the Skywalker saga's unfolding conflicts.[1][4] Watto briefly reappears in later dealings, complaining about increased taxation under the newly formed Galactic Republic, underscoring his opportunistic and self-interested nature.[1]Creation and Design
Development and Inspiration
Watto was conceived by George Lucas during the pre-production of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, which began in 1994 and culminated in the film's release on May 19, 1999. Intended as a non-humanoid junk dealer on Tatooine resistant to Jedi influence, the character's core traits—greed, flight capability, and haggling prowess—stemmed from Lucas's directive to populate the planet with diverse, opportunistic alien species to contrast human-dominated worlds.[5] Visual effects art director Doug Chiang led the concept art, producing early sketches that refined Watto into a Toydarian with bat-like wings, a trunk-like proboscis, and a single prominent tusk, the latter asymmetry enabling clearer visibility of mouth animations during dialogue.[6] The design drew from avian motifs in initial iterations, incorporating beak-like features and lightweight, winged anatomy suited for hovering flight, aligning with Lucas's emphasis on biologically plausible extraterrestrials grounded in natural forms rather than pure fantasy. Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) handled full CGI realization, with animation supervisor Rob Coleman prioritizing naturalistic weight and gesture in Watto's movements to integrate seamlessly with live-action footage, as tested in early scenes with Qui-Gon Jinn. Welsh actor Andy Secombe provided the voice, performing on set in a motion-capture rig to facilitate interactions with actors like Liam Neeson and Jake Lloyd, ensuring the character's bombastic personality translated through exaggerated gestures and inflections.[7] No explicit external cultural or mythological inspirations for Watto have been documented by Lucas or the production team, though the film's broader alien designs reflected Lucas's interest in mythological archetypes adapted to sci-fi contexts.[8]Visual and Auditory Characteristics
Watto appears as a stout Toydarian with blue skin and a corrugated face featuring chipped, rock-like teeth.[9][10] His design includes a proboscis-like snout and small tusks, with large bat-like wings that flap rapidly to keep him hovering approximately one meter above the ground.[9] He wears protective goggles, a vest, and simple trousers suited to his role as a Tatooine junk dealer.[9] Auditorily, Watto is voiced by Andy Secombe, who delivers lines in a distinctive raspy tone.[11][10] His speech mixes Galactic Basic with Huttese phrases, reflecting the multicultural environment of Mos Espa, and conveys a greedy, argumentative demeanor through inflection and cadence.[10]Fictional Portrayal
Role in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace
Watto serves as a Toydarian junk dealer and slave owner in Mos Espa on Tatooine, operating a shop specializing in salvaged spaceship parts. He owns the human slaves Shmi Skywalker and her nine-year-old son Anakin, whom he employs in his business and occasionally enters in podraces despite the boy's inexperience.[1][12] When Qui-Gon Jinn arrives seeking a T-14 hyperdrive generator to repair the damaged Naboo royal starship, Watto inspects the vessel and agrees the part is suitable but refuses payment in Republic credits, dismissing them as worthless on Tatooine and insisting on "something more real." Qui-Gon attempts a Jedi mind trick to compel acceptance of the credits, but Watto resists, revealing that Toydarians are immune to such influence, stating, "Mind tricks don't work on me—only money. No money, no parts, no deal!"[12] To secure the parts and free Anakin, Qui-Gon proposes wagering on the upcoming Boonta Eve Classic podrace, leveraging Anakin's piloting skills. Watto, an avid gambler who often bets against his own slave, agrees to the terms: if Anakin wins, Watto will provide the hyperdrive generator and release the boy from slavery; Qui-Gon stakes the Naboo ship as collateral, with winnings split evenly. To determine if the bet includes Anakin's freedom, they toss a gambling cube, landing on the blue side favoring the wager. Watto places his bet on the favored competitor Sebulba.[1][12] Anakin unexpectedly wins the race, forcing Watto to honor the bet despite his fury and accusations of cheating. Qui-Gon threatens to escalate the dispute to the Hutts if Watto reneges, prompting the dealer to relinquish the parts and deactivate Anakin's slave transmitter, freeing the boy while retaining ownership of Shmi. This transaction enables the Jedi and their companions to depart Tatooine, marking Watto's pivotal, albeit reluctant, role in advancing the plot by supplying the necessary repairs and liberating Anakin.[12]Appearance in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones
In Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, released on May 16, 2002, Watto appears in a brief scene set approximately ten years after the events of The Phantom Menace, continuing to operate his junk shop in Mos Espa on Tatooine.[1] He is depicted repairing a malfunctioning droid with the assistance of three pit droids, expressing frustration in Huttese as he directs their efforts with a small electronic screwdriver while hovering in place.[13] Anakin Skywalker arrives with Padmé Amidala seeking information on Shmi Skywalker; Anakin greets Watto in Huttese and swiftly repairs the droid, leading Watto to recognize him enthusiastically as "little Annie" and embrace him, commenting on his growth into a Jedi.[13] Watto reveals that Shmi is no longer his property, having sold her several years earlier to a moisture farmer named Cliegg Lars, whom he believes freed and married her; he offers vague directions to the homestead "over on the other side of Mos Eisley" and suggests consulting his records for precision.[13] Attempting to expedite the process, Anakin employs a Jedi mind trick, gesturing and stating the suggestion to retrieve the exact details from the records. Watto, however, immediately resists, laughing off the influence and affirming Toydarian immunity to such mental manipulation—a trait consistent with his species' physiology.[13][14] This interaction highlights Watto's ongoing shrewdness in business dealings and his unaltered resistance to Jedi powers, providing Anakin the lead to locate his mother while underscoring the junk dealer's continued presence in the Tatooine salvage trade.[1] The role was voiced and motion-captured by Andrew Secombe, who reprised the performance from The Phantom Menace, incorporating an improvised dialect element where Anakin speaks pseudo-Huttese influenced by Watto's speech patterns during their exchange.[11][15]Expanded Universe Appearances and Fate
In the Legends continuity, formerly known as the Expanded Universe, Watto features prominently as a non-player character in the massively multiplayer online role-playing game Star Wars Galaxies, released by Sony Online Entertainment in 2003 and set primarily during the Galactic Civil War era around 0 BBY. Players encounter him in his Mos Espa junk shop on Tatooine, where he issues quests involving scavenging scrap, repairing droids, and acquiring podracing components, underscoring his persistent role as a opportunistic trader amid the Empire's dominance.[16] This depiction extends his lifespan well beyond the prequel films, portraying him as resilient despite economic hardships following the Republic's collapse.[16] Watto receives minor mentions and flashbacks in Legends comics and short stories, such as detailing his pre-Tatooine exploits as a soldier on Toydaria during conflicts like the Ossiki Campaign, which shaped his gambling habits and aversion to mind tricks. These narratives, drawn from anthologies like Star Wars: Visionaries (2005), though sometimes labeled non-canonical within Legends, illustrate his migration to Tatooine as a means of evading debts and pursuing profit through slavery and salvage.[16] Regarding his fate, Legends materials indicate Watto rebuilt his fortunes after losing Anakin and Shmi Skywalker, reopening a viable junk operation in Mos Espa and avoiding major Imperial entanglements due to Tatooine's remoteness. He remains active into the post-Empire Strikes Back period (circa 3 ABY) before retiring sometime after the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY, passing away peacefully from old age without notable violence or redemption arcs. This outcome contrasts with speculative fan theories but aligns with Toydarian longevity estimates of up to 90 standard years, positioning his death around 20–30 ABY.[16] No primary Legends source depicts Darth Vader seeking retribution against him, emphasizing instead Watto's low-profile survival in the Outer Rim's underbelly.[16]Characteristics and Narrative Function
Species Traits and Abilities
Toydarians are fly-like sentient humanoids characterized by wings, long snouts, and webbed feet, enabling adaptations to their swampy homeworld of Toydaria.[2] Their wings facilitate hovering and short-distance flight, as evidenced by Watto's constant levitation in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, which conserves energy compared to sustained propulsion.[2][17]
The species exhibits strong willpower, conferring resistance to Force-based mental manipulation, including Jedi mind tricks that influence weaker minds.[2] This trait is explicitly affirmed in the film when Watto rejects Qui-Gon Jinn's persuasion attempt, declaring, "I'm a Toydarian. Mind tricks don't work on me, only money," suggesting a physiological or innate mental fortitude unique to Toydarians among non-Force-sensitive species.[2][17]
Personality and Motivations
Watto exhibits a shrewd, opportunistic personality characterized by intense greed and a relentless focus on profit. As a Toydarian junk dealer operating in the harsh economy of Tatooine's Mos Espa, he prioritizes monetary transactions above all else, famously declaring that Jedi mind tricks hold no sway over him and that "only money" motivates his decisions. This resistance stems from inherent Toydarian physiology and mental fortitude, rendering the species impervious to Force-based persuasion, as demonstrated when Qui-Gon Jinn's attempt fails during negotiations for spaceship parts.[1] His motivations are predominantly driven by financial accumulation and risk-taking through gambling, earning him a reputation as an inveterate gambler. Watto sponsored the young Anakin Skywalker's participation in podraces, yet frequently placed bets against his own slave despite recognizing the boy's talent, reflecting a calculated skepticism toward underdogs and a willingness to exploit high-stakes opportunities for personal gain. This behavior underscores a pragmatic, self-interested worldview shaped by survival in Tatooine's cutthroat trading environment, where he supplemented income from junk sales and slave labor with wagers that could yield substantial rewards—or devastating losses, as seen when he forfeited Anakin and the hyperdrive parts in the Boonta Eve Classic podrace on approximately 32 BBY.[1] Beyond mere avarice, Watto displays a cunning wariness in dealings, evident in his initial reluctance to accept Republic credits and his insistence on barter systems favoring tangible assets. These traits align with broader Toydarian tendencies toward sharp mercantile instincts, though Watto's portrayal emphasizes individual opportunism over communal loyalty, motivating him to navigate alliances with figures like the Hutts while safeguarding his enterprise against external threats.[2]Plot Significance and Relationships
Watto serves as a pivotal obstacle in the plot of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, where his ownership of essential hyperdrive parts strands Qui-Gon Jinn and his companions on Tatooine after their ship's damage during the escape from Naboo.[1] His insistence on barter over Republic currency, coupled with immunity to Jedi mind influence—a physiological trait of Toydarians—forces Qui-Gon to propose a high-stakes wager on the Boonta Eve Classic podrace.[1][2] This bet, structured around Anakin Skywalker's participation, results in the boy's victory, securing the parts and his freedom while alerting Qui-Gon to Anakin's extraordinary midi-chlorian count and latent Force potential, thereby initiating the discovery of the prophesied Chosen One.[1] In terms of relationships, Watto functions as the exploitative master to slaves Shmi and Anakin Skywalker, whom he had acquired from Gardulla the Hutt through gambling and compelled to labor in his Mos Espa junk shop, with Anakin additionally sponsored in dangerous podracing to generate profits.[1] His adversarial dynamic with Qui-Gon Jinn manifests in tense negotiations marked by Watto's greed and caginess, exemplified by the partial honoring of the wager—freeing only Anakin after deeming Qui-Gon's stake in the Naboo vessel invalid via a rigged "chance cube" decision.[1] Shmi remains enslaved post-race, highlighting Watto's unwillingness to relinquish valuable assets fully.[1] Watto's reappearance in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones underscores the enduring relational ties from Tatooine, as the adult Anakin seeks information on his mother; Watto discloses selling Shmi to moisture farmer Cliegg Lars due to financial decline following the podrace losses, revealing his opportunistic disposition even toward former slaves.[1] This encounter evokes Watto's initial surprise and subsequent wariness upon recognizing Anakin's Jedi status, reflecting the power imbalance reversal and the criminal underworld's deference to Force users.[1] Overall, Watto's interactions propel narrative causality by embedding themes of slavery, gambling, and redemption arcs, directly influencing Anakin's trajectory from slave to Jedi while exposing the Jedi Order's limited reach in Outer Rim territories.[1]