Watto is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise, featured in the films The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones.

[1] Chiang repurposed the head from one of his early Neimoidian designs, featuring a hooked trunk and crooked teeth,[3] and added hummingbird wings, meeting Lucas's approval.

His expressions were based on video footage of voice actor Andy Secombe, photographs of Coleman imitating the character, and modeler Steve Alpin saying Watto's lines to a mirror.

When challenged to a bet for Anakin's freedom by Qui-Gon Jinn along with what he needs to repair his damaged ship, Watto agrees due to him refusing to take Republic change.

Watto makes a final appearance in the sequel Episode II – Attack of the Clones, which takes place 10 years after The Phantom Menace.

They reunite on somewhat amicable terms and Watto tells Anakin that he sold Shmi some years ago to a moisture farmer named Cliegg Lars, who freed and married her.

In the non-canonical Star Wars comic book Star Wars: Visionaries, Watto is shown to have been killed by Darth Maul (whose appearance here predates the canonical revelation of his survival of the events of The Phantom Menace) during Maul's process of tracking down his nemesis Obi-Wan Kenobi, to gain vengeance for his defeat during the Battle of Naboo.

His son Blatto makes an appearance in the non-canonical television special Phineas and Ferb: Star Wars.

"[6] It has been suggested that the character is offensive because of his perceived similarities to a stereotypical Jew, having a large hooked nose, beady eyes, unkempt facial hair, speaking in a gravelly voice, and being portrayed as greedy and covetous.

[7] Bruce Gottlieb of Slate magazine criticized him as well, comparing his character to the antisemitic notion that the Jewish race is "behind the slave trade".

"[6] Jane Prettyman of American Review noted that after leaving the theater, she heard two young boys describe him as "that weird little Jew guy with wings".

Prettyman described his depiction as "not at all subtle", and said that "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.