Mother’s Day is here! Time for Moms to break free from the sidelines and take center stage in Star Wars. After all, without the likes of Shmi Skywalker and Padme Amidala, we wouldn’t have any of our beloved, iconic trilogies. They need more appreciation, and what better way than a trilogy of articles on infamous Star Wars mothers, starting with the Mother of the Monster: Shmi Skywalker.
Shmi redefines the term ‘single mom’ as Anakin’s only parent under the worst of circumstances. Nevertheless, the person we meet on-screen is the obvious source of her young son's kindness. Shmi makes a great role model with her patience, selflessness, and compassion. She also shows her wisdom with much of the same philosophy as the Jedi. This is probably to help educate those in the audience unfamiliar with said philosophy, but some fans have speculated she was strong in the Force herself.
As a great mother, her first concern is for the happiness and well-being of her child, even over her own freedom. When Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn tells her that her son is Force sensitive, she is the one who brings up the possibility of her child receiving help and training from the Jedi – even if that means giving him up. A harsh decision for any mother to make, let alone someone like Shmi who has nothing else except the dismal life of an enslaved person.
Yet Shmi understands she can't give her child the education or understanding he needs as a Force sensitive. Also, while neither movies nor shows allude to this, there's a practical advantage to giving Anakin to the Jedi. The Temple is conveniently located in Coruscant, far away from any possible slave catchers on Tatooine who might find her recently freed, literal prize-winning child a tempting target! Tragically for Shmi, her son and the rest of the unknowing Galaxy, the biggest enslaver in the Star Wars universe was rising through the ranks right next door and had his greedy eye on her son.
Shmi Skywalker doesn’t escape the tragedy of the prequels either. While she was no longer enslaved during the last years of her life, she was captured and tortured by several Tusken warriors for reasons unexplained in the movie. She is reunited with her son in her final moments but dies before she can gasp out a final 'I love you.' Still more tragically, her death and Anakin’s murderous reaction afterwards sprout the seeds of Darth Vader in Shmi’s little boy. If her son had listened to his mother more, Darth Vader would’ve been nothing but Palpatine’s pipe dream.
Shmi is one of the more underrated character of Star Wars. As the mother of the Skywalker lineage, she deserves all the love and respect from fans.