We Need A Series That Traces The Origins Of The Skywalker Bloodline
Image Source: The Escapist
The Skywalker name is synonymous with Star Wars, and while there will always be curiosity about the Skywalker future, the origins of the name haven’t been explored in canon. The first Skywalker we met was Luke, but the prequels revealed that the name came from his grandmother, Shmi Skywalker. Although Shmi gave birth to Anakin, he had no father, so Anakin carried his mother’s surname. The name of Shmi’s home planet is unknown, but she and her parents were sold into slavery in 66 BBY, and she gave birth to Anakin in 41 BBY. It is assumed that Anakin was born on Tatooine, where he and his mother spent their lives as slaves. Anakin was discovered by Master Qui-Gon Jinn, who realized that the young boy had remarkable abilities and an unusually high midi-chlorian count. Although Anakin was freed and raised on Coruscant, Shmi was tortured to death by the Tusken Raiders. Her shocking end was a turning point in Anakin’s life, but it marked the end of her story in Star Wars. Now, many years after the Star Wars prequels were released, Star Wars has an opportunity to explore the origins of the Skywalker bloodline, beginning with The Chosen One’s mother.
A series that traces the origins of the Skywalker bloodline, starting with Shmi, could be the key to understanding why the Force picked Shmi to give birth to one of the most powerful beings in the galaxy. Where did Shmi come from, and is the Skywalker name significant in more ways than one? What was her home planet, and was Force sensitivity common in her family? Answering these questions would help fans better understand a character who is important to the saga in so many ways. Learning about Shmi will help fans understand the woman who gave birth to and raised the ‘Chosen One’, and how much her circumstances impacted his upbringing. Apart from that, Star Wars has been a franchise about father-son relationships, and a series about Shmi Skywalker will shift the focus to a mother-child relationship. Moreover, it gives us a chance to learn about Shmi outside of her role as a mother. Perhaps she was different before Anakin was born, and he might have inherited some of her traits that we’re unaware of. Surprisingly, Shmi wasn’t born a slave, but her home world, her parents’ names, and occupations were never revealed. Their fates are also unknown, but what is known is that Shmi was captured by pirates and sold into slavery. She arrived on Tatooine, and was a slave to Gardulla the Hutt. From here, Shmi’s life took an unexpected turn when she became pregnant. According to Shmi in Episode I – The Phantom Menace, there was no father. She carried, gave birth to, and raised her son by herself. Her life with Anakin was difficult, but he quickly showed how gifted and talented he was and tried his best to help her. C-3PO is proof of how much Anakin wished to give Shmi a better life. He was a loving and caring son, and they had a strong bond which makes her decision to let Anakin go more poignant. After he left, Shmi continued to live a difficult life or servitude with the hope that Anakin would return one day. She was eventually married to Cliegg Lars, and she was adored by her husband and stepson, Owen.
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Image Source: StarWars.com
According to the legends story Tatooine Ghost, Shmi wrote a journal during this time that Princess Leia Organa discovered years later. Through her grandmother’s journals, Leia was able to see a different side of her father, and thanks to Shmi’s descriptions of him, Leia’s heart softened, and she forgave Anakin. This is an aspect of Shmi’s life that sheds light on her character, so it would be great if her journals were explored further. Apart from her time after Anakin left, Shmi’s life before her pregnancy is a period of time that should be explored in a series or a book. This could reveal her personality and whether she had any hopes and dreams before her life took a different turn. Even her life before she was sold into slavery is a mystery. A series could explore Shmi’s childhood and what kind of parents she had. By letting Anakin go to pursue his dreams, Shmi may have indirectly made her own unfulfilled dreams come true. She likely had goals and hopes that never came true, and that’s why she let Anakin go. Shmi never revealed anything about her parents in canon, but it’s possible they had high hopes for her, but their circumstances made it impossible for her to achieve anything. Regardless of that, she was a wonderful mother to Anakin, and her reaction to her pregnancy and her life as a slave with a baby would be interesting to explore.
Unfortunately, most of Shmi’s life was spent as a slave, and it’s hard to find periods of happiness and freedom outside of her time with Anakin. However, her life with Cliegg Lars may have been happy and worth exploring. Similarly, any story about Shmi should reveal her homeworld, even if it’s an ordinary place. It would be nice to know her parents’ names, as that’s where she inherited the Skywalker name. Does Skywalker have a meaning, and does it refer to a job or a gift? For example, in the real world, last names like “Smith” and “Fletcher” refer to trades, and Skywalker may have a similar origin. For now, there’s no canon explanation for it, and no knowledge of any Skywalkers who predate Shmi. Her parents, therefore, should be explored in a series about her.
Image Source: Washington Times
The lack of information about Shmi in canon has led to a strange theory that she might be Abeloth from legends, who is rumored to appear in Ahsoka Season 2. According to the theory, Shmi may have been to Mortis at some point, where she conceived Anakin with ‘The Father’. This could directly explain why Anakin is ‘The Chosen One’, and why The Father wanted Anakin to take the job of keeping the balance in the universe. In The Clone Wars, Anakin, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Ahsoka Tano ended up on Mortis, where they discovered the Mortis Gods. It is assumed that the trio left Mortis with no memory of the events there, and the same thing may have happened to Shmi.
While this theory does a good job at explaining Anakin’s origins, it’s a stretch to connect Shmi to Abeloth from Fate of the Jedi: Apocalypse. Abeloth was a dark Force entity and known as the bringer of chaos in the galaxy, and Shmi was a simple woman. Ultimately, this theory is likely to be completely false. What is true is that Shmi never deserved her fate, and her life was needlessly tragic, and exploring her life and past allows fans to explore a time in the galaxy before the Star Wars prequels. It would provide some insight into the woman whose influence shaped Anakin into the kind boy he was, and whose death led him down a path of destruction. Shmi’s home world, her parents, her life before Anakin, her life as a mother in slavery, and her time after Anakin left with Qui-Gon are aspects of her that remain unexplored, and a series or a book about Shmi Skywalker would definitely draw curious audiences.
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