Sebulba's Podracer

A crafty, vicious Dug, Sebulba became one of the Outer Rim's most successful Podracers. Whether roaming the streets of Mos Espa or piloting his massive orange Podracer, Sebulba was aggressive and arrogant. He was not above cheating to win a race, and would even resort to illegal weapons in an attempt to defeat his opponents. Sebulba was Mos Espa's reigning Podrace champion until he entered the Boonta Eve Classic, where he was defeated by young Anakin Skywalker, much to the Dug's frustration.

Discovered as a slave on Tatooine by Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker had the potential to become one of the most powerful Jedi ever. Some even believed he was the prophesied Chosen One who would bring balance to the Force. Always pushing the limits of his Jedi training, seeking to excel and live up to his reputation, Skywalker's passion often brought him into conflict with his mentor, Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. A hero of the Clone Wars, Anakin was caring and compassionate, but suffered from a deep fear of loss that would prove to be his downfall.

The Boonta Eve Classic was the largest annual Podrace held on Tatooine, hosted by the Hutts to commemorate the Boonta Eve holiday. Held just outside Mos Espa, the Boonta race course started in the Mos Espa Grand Arena. The formal race ceremony started with a parade of flag-bearers. Once the bearers cleared the grid, the Podracers' massive engines would roar to life, seemingly anxious at the chance to soar at speeds exceeding 700 kilometers-per-hour. Eighteen Podracers competed to win the trophy that day. Anakin Skywalker survived to cross the finish line first, earning not only accolades, but his freedom from slavery.

On the outskirts of Mos Espa was an immense venue for watching the popular Boonta Eve Classic Podrace. Over one hundred thousands beings filled the Mos Espa Grand Arena to capacity during the annual event. For a modest fee, spectators could rent hand-held viewscreens which displayed images recorded by fast-flying Podrace holocams tracking the race. The wealthier of Mos Espa's residents and guests could afford private viewing boxes separated from the rest of the rabble.

Watto was a Toydarian junk dealer in Mos Espa who bought Shmi Skywalker and her son Anakin from Gardulla the Hutt. An inveterate gambler, he sponsored Anakin in several Podraces, but often bet against his own slave, who was talented but inexperienced. Watto lost Anakin to Qui-Gon Jinn in a wager on the Boonta Eve race. Years later, he sold Shmi to the moisture farmer Cliegg Lars.

Tatooine is harsh desert world orbiting twin suns in the galaxy’s Outer Rim. In the days of the Empire and the Republic, many settlers scratched out a living on moisture farms, while spaceport cities such as Mos Eisley and Mos Espa served as home base for smugglers, criminals, and other rogues. Anakin Skywalker and Luke Skywalker both once called Tatooine home, although across the stars it was more widely known as a hive of scum and villainy ruled by the crime boss Jabba the Hutt.