Star Wars character
Watto
Watto, the greedy junk dealer.
Position	Junk store proprietor
Homeworld	Toydaria (resides on Tatooine)
Species	Toydarian
Gender	Male
Height	1.37 meters
Affiliation	Commercial
Portrayed by	Andy Secombe (voice)

Watto is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe, featured in the films The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones. He is computer-generated and voiced by Andy Secombe. This article is about the series. ... File links The following pages link to this file: Minor residents of Tatooine ... The following are fictional planets set in the Star Wars universe. ... In George Lucass Star Wars saga, Tatooine is the home planet of the Skywalker family, the setting for much of the action in the sagas films (as well as several of the novels and other pieces of written fiction) and one of the most iconic Star Wars planets. ... Spoiler warning: // The Palowick are native to the swampy world of Lowick. ... The shield and spear of the Roman God Mars are often used to represent the male sex In heterogamous species, male is the sex of an organism, or of a part of an organism, which typically produces smaller, mobile gametes (spermatozoa) that are able to fertilise female gametes (ova). ... Andrew Secombe (born April 26, 1953 in Mumbles Head, South Wales), better known as Andy Secombe, is a British actor, voice actor, and author. ... This article is about the series. ... A fictional universe is a cohesive imaginary world that serves as the setting or backdrop for one or (more commonly) multiple works of fiction. ... Film poster for Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace is a 1999 film by George Lucas starring Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, and Jake Lloyd. ... Film poster for Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002) is the fifth Star Wars science fiction movie released and the second part of the prequel trilogy which began with Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. ... Computer-generated imagery (CGI) is the application of the field of computer graphics (or more specifically, 3D computer graphics) to special effects. ... Voice acting is the art of providing voices for animated characters (including those in feature films, television series, animated shorts), doing voice-overs in radio and television commercials, audio dramas, dubbed foreign language films, video games, puppet shows, and amusement rides. ... Andrew Secombe (born April 26, 1953 in Mumbles Head, South Wales), better known as Andy Secombe, is a British actor, voice actor, and author. ...

A mean-tempered, greedy Toydarian, he is the owner of a second-hand goods store in Mos Espa on the planet Tatooine. While one of the minor stores of Mos Espa, Watto's junkyard was nevertheless a wealth of surplus equipment and spare parts. Spoiler warning: // The Palowick are native to the swampy world of Lowick. ... This is a list of cities and towns in the fictional Star Wars universe. ... In George Lucass Star Wars saga, Tatooine is the home planet of the Skywalker family, the setting for much of the action in the sagas films (as well as several of the novels and other pieces of written fiction) and one of the most iconic Star Wars planets. ...

Relationship with the Skywalkers

Amongst Watto's belongings were the slaves Shmi Skywalker and her son, Anakin. He acquired them after winning a podracing bet with Gardulla the Hutt, and he put them both to work in his store. Anakin demonstrated an incredible aptitude for equipment repair, and Watto took a liking to the youngster. Despite being unprincipled enough to own slaves in the first place, Watto was a reasonable master. It most likely had to do with the point that the boy was a major source of profits for Watto, not only in servicing his machinery, but also contending for Watto in the podraces. The Buxton Memorial Fountain, celebrating the emancipation of slaves in the British Empire in 1834, London. ... Shmi Skywalker (72 BBY - 22 BBY) is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe, the mother of Anakin Skywalker and paternal grandmother to Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa. ... Anakin Skywalker (41 BBY - 4 ABY) is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe. ... Podracing is the name for a fictional racing sport known in the Star Wars universe. ... Otherworldly wildlife -- Terryl Whitlatchs creature study of Tatooine inhabitants This article is about minor characters in the fictional Star Wars universe who reside, or at least appear primarily, on the planet Tatooine. ...

Anakin was an astonishing pilot, the only human to participate in the treacherous speedy sport of podracing. However, whenever Anakin would race against the scheming Dug Sebulba, Watto would always put money on Sebulba, who always won. Spoiler warning: // The Abyssin inhabit the planet Byss. ... Sebulba is a fictional character from the Star Wars universe. ...

Watto's greed and gambling got the better of him when the Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and the young Queen Amidala of Naboo crossed his path. Watto wagered all his money -- and Anakin as well – on Sebulba, who lost the Boonta Eve Classic to Anakin. This article or section should include material from Jedi Sentinel —The Jedi Code — Obi-Wan Kenobi The Jedi Knights are a fictional brotherhood and organization from the Star Wars series of films by George Lucas. ... Qui-Gon Jinn (92 – 32 BBY) was a Jedi Master character in the fictional Star Wars universe. ... Padmé Naberrie Skywalker, also Her Royal Highness, Queen Amidala of the Naboo and later Senator Amidala of Naboo (46 - 19 BBY), is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe played by Natalie Portman. ... Naboo is a fictitious planet in the fictional Star Wars universe with a mostly green terrain and which is the homeworld of two societies: the Gungans who dwell in underwater cities and the humans who live in colonies on the surface. ... The Boonta Eve Classic is a fictional racing tournament in the Star Wars universe. ...

Watto ultimately sold Shmi Skywalker -- in an effort to recover some of his losses -- to a moisture farmer named Cliegg Lars. The unlucky trader reported as much to a grown Anakin Skywalker, when he revisited Tatooine a decade later to see his mother. Otherworldly wildlife -- Terryl Whitlatchs creature study of Tatooine inhabitants This article is about minor characters in the fictional Star Wars universe who reside, or at least appear primarily, on the planet Tatooine. ... In George Lucass Star Wars saga, Tatooine is the home planet of the Skywalker family, the setting for much of the action in the sagas films (as well as several of the novels and other pieces of written fiction) and one of the most iconic Star Wars planets. ...

Controversy

It has been suggested that this character is offensive because he portrays an old Semitic (Jewish or Arab) stereotype. He has a large nose, beady eyes, gravelly Yiddish-sounding accent. In linguistics and ethnology, Semitic (from the Biblical Shem, Hebrew: שם, translated as name, Arabic: سام) was first used to refer to a language family of largely Middle Eastern origin, now called the Semitic languages. ... The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination... For other uses, see Arab (disambiguation). ... For the term used in its original printing sense, see etymology below. ... Yiddish (ייִדיש, Jiddisch) is a Germanic language spoken by about four million Jews throughout the world. ...

• "...the most blatant ethnic stereotype is the hook-nosed merchant insect who owns young Anakin" (Hoberman, Village Voice, 1999)^[1]

• "Even in a galaxy far away, the Jews are apparently behind the slave trade" (Gottlieb, Slate, 1999)^[2]

• "Although a number of groups have protested that Watto is an insulting Arab stereotype, he struck me as more comprehensively anti-Semitic -- both anti-Arab and anti-Jew" (Williams, The Nation, 1999)^[3]

• "As we left the movie theater, a couple of young boys around age 12 made reference to 'that weird little Jew guy with wings.' The movie's depiction in Watto was not at all subtle. It can be counted on to flush out already-formed Jew-haters among young audiences and give them permission to continue their hatred out loud." (Prettyman, American Review, 1999)^[4]

Other "Star Wars" characters have also been alleged to represent offensive ethnic stereotypes. (See Jar Jar Binks#Allegations of racism) Map of the Star Wars galaxy released by Star Wars Insider The fictional galaxy where the setting of the Star Wars saga occurs is known simply as the Star Wars galaxy while in the canon it is referred as the Galaxy or the Known Galaxy. ... Jar Jar Binks (born c. ...

Expanded Universe

Canon

Prior to coming to Tatooine, Watto was part of the Ossiki Confederacy Army during the conflicts of his homeworld of Toydaria. In one battle, Watto suffered injuries that left him with a broken tusk and a disabled leg.

On Tatooine, Watto learned much of his business savvy from dealing with the native Jawas. Not only does he have a talent for haggling, but also cannot be affected by Jedi mind tricks. His preferred targets were outlanders -- whom he regarded as easy marks. Though Watto's junkyard is one of Mos Espa's smaller stores, he stocks such a broad collection of machinery that it is well patronized. If Watto didn't persistently gamble away his earnings it would turn a tidy profit. Spoiler warning: // The Falleen are a scaled, cold-blooded, reptilian humanoid species with pigmentation that varies with mood, known to be as long lived as the Hutts (the Falleen have an average lifespan of 250 Standard Years) who inhabit and originate from the planet Falleen. ...

Non-canonical

In the non-canonical Star Wars comic book Star Wars: Visionaries, Watto was killed when a half-cyborg recreation of Darth Maul tracked Obi-Wan Kenobi to Tatooine, seeking revenge for his defeat in the Battle of Naboo. The Star Wars canon consists of the six Star Wars feature films, along with all officially licensed, non-contradicting spin-off works to the six films. ... Darth Maul is a fictional character (of Sith affiliation) in the Star Wars universe. ... Obi-Wan Ben Kenobi (57 – 0 BBY) is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe. ... The Battle or Invasion of Naboo refers to a pre-Clone Wars conflict in the fictional Star Wars universe that occurred on the peaceful planet Naboo shortly after the Invasion of Theed (Naboos capital city) in which the organisation called the Trade Federation sent an army of battle droids...

Behind the scenes

Initial designs for Watto were of a more bird-like nature, including plumage and a beak. Another design had tentacles and a cigar. Watto's face originated in an early Neimoidian picture by design director Doug Chiang. The hooked trunk and crooked teeth were carried over to the Toydarian design. Spoiler warning: // The Kaleesh are a bipedal reptilian species from the planet Kalee. ... Doug Chiang is an American movie designer and artist. ...

Animation supervisor Rob Coleman realized that the alien's dental work would need some modification when the time came to create Watto on screen, as Watto's craggy teeth made lip-sync easier said than done. To solve the problem, Coleman broke off one of Watto's incisors, giving him a 'corner-of-the-mouth' vernacular.

The sound of his wings flapping is a looped recording of sound designer Ben Burtt opening and closing an umbrella. Ben Burtt (born July 12, 1948 in Syracuse, New York) is the archetypal sound designer (a term he invented) and sound editor for many famous and noteworthy films, as well as directing an Oscar-nominated documentary. ... An umbrella is a device used to keep rain off a person. ...

References

June 11 is the 162nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (163rd in leap years), with 203 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... June 11 is the 162nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (163rd in leap years), with 203 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... June 11 is the 162nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (163rd in leap years), with 203 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... June 11 is the 162nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (163rd in leap years), with 203 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Watto’s Character entry at the Star Wars Databank
• Watto on Wookieepedia: The Star Wars Wiki

Wookieepedia, the Star Wars Wiki is a wiki for information on the Star Wars saga, including information on all six films, as well as the Expanded Universe. ...