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Owen Lars

Charactercanon

Also known as uncle

Owen Lars

Owen Lars is best known as the stern uncle who raised Luke Skywalker in hiding on a remote moisture farm. The son of Cliegg Lars, he became Anakin Skywalker's stepbrother when his father freed and married Shmi Skywalker. In 22 BBY he watched that family fall apart: Shmi was taken and killed by Tusken Raiders, Anakin came back in a rage to recover her body, and a grieving Cliegg died soon afterward. Owen then took over the homestead and married Beru Whitesun. In 19 BBY, after some reluctance, he agreed to adopt Anakin's infant son. He believed the Jedi had destroyed his stepbrother, so he spent years keeping Obi-Wan Kenobi away from Luke, hiding the boy's heritage and keeping him busy with farm work. He stood up to the Inquisitor Reva when she came for Luke, and he survived a beating by the bounty hunter Black Krrsantan. His caution could not keep the galaxy out forever. In 1 BBY he bought the droids C-3PO and R2-D2, and stormtroopers hunting the stolen Death Star plans tracked R2-D2 to the farm and killed Owen and Beru. Their deaths sent Luke off with Kenobi toward the Rebellion and the Battle of Yavin.

Facts

Died
1 BBY
Gender
Male
Pronouns
He/him
Height
1.7 meters
Hair
Brown, later gray
Eyes
Blue
Skin
Light

Connections

Species
Human
Homeworld
Tatooine
Affiliations
White Suns
Parents
Shmi Skywalker Lars, Cliegg Lars, Aika Lars
Siblings
Anakin Skywalker

Appearances

181 Star Wars works, first in Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope (1977).

See all 181 appearances in release order ›

Notable works

Key events in Owen Lars's story

View Owen Lars on the Timeline ›

Date unknown - Birth

Owen is born to the moisture farmer Cliegg Lars and his wife Aika, who met on a Core World. After Aika dies, father and son move to the Lars homestead near Anchorhead on Tatooine.

Date unknown - Meeting Beru Whitesun

On a trip to Anchorhead, Owen meets Beru Whitesun, a third-generation moisture farmer, and the two start dating.

Date unknown - A New Stepmother

With the family's help, Cliegg wins Shmi Skywalker from Watto, frees her and marries her. Owen grows to love his stepmother, and he resents the son who left her to join the Jedi.

22 BBY - Shmi's Abduction

Tusken Raiders take Shmi. Cliegg leads a rescue party that goes badly, loses a leg, and comes back with only three other survivors.

22 BBY - Anakin Returns

Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala arrive at the homestead. Anakin borrows Owen's swoop to track the Tuskens, brings back Shmi's body, and the family buries her. Owen comes away seeing his stepbrother as violent and full of anger.

22 BBY - Inheriting the Farm and Marriage

Cliegg dies soon after, heartbroken, and leaves Owen the farm. Owen marries Beru and the couple work the homestead together. They struggle with infertility.

19 BBY - Adopting Luke

Obi-Wan Kenobi gives Owen and Beru Anakin's infant son, Luke. Owen is reluctant, but Beru convinces him, and he forbids Kenobi to visit or train the boy.

~12 BBY - Blaster Lessons

Owen finds seven-year-old Luke outside alone waiting for a meteor shower. He decides the boy needs to learn farm safety and teaches him to use a blaster rifle.

9 BBY - Confronting the Inquisitors

Owen confronts Kenobi in Anchorhead, and then the Third Sister holds him at lightsaber-point in the town square while hunting a Jedi. He gives nothing away.

9 BBY - Defending the Homestead

Warned that the Third Sister is hunting Luke, Owen and Beru fight her at the farm. She eventually spares Luke and brings him back. Afterward Owen makes peace with Kenobi and offers to let him meet the boy someday.

Date unknown - The Great Drought

During a severe drought, Kenobi secretly shields the farm from Jabba's water-tax collectors and rescues Luke after the boy sneaks out to steal water.

Date unknown - Krrsantan's Captive

A year after the drought, Owen angrily tells Kenobi to stop interfering. The Wookiee bounty hunter Krrsantan then kidnaps and tortures Owen. Kenobi and Luke, flying the repaired skyhopper, save him.

~7 BBY - Proud Uncle

Owen tells Beru that twelve-year-old Luke is like a son to him and says he will not let him join the Imperial Academy. After Kenobi rescues Luke from a krayt dragon, Owen thanks him but warns him never to come back.

1 BBY - Buying the Droids

Owen buys C-3PO and R2-D2 from Jawas. He tells Luke that Obi-Wan died around the same time as his father and makes him wait another year to enroll at the Academy.

1 BBY - Death

Stormtroopers searching for the stolen Death Star plans track R2-D2 to the homestead. They interrogate and kill Owen and Beru and burn the farm. The loss pushes Luke to leave Tatooine with Kenobi.

Often seen with

Data from Wookieepedia (revision 15614331, 2026-09-26), licensed CC BY-SA 3.0.

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