Star Wars confirms Watto isn’t dead after all in new comic, and fans are celebrating his miraculous survival

You can’t keep a good Toydarian down. It's been confirmed that Watto, a junker on Tattooine and Anakin and Schi's owner in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, isn’t dead after a comics preview seemed to confirm his demise.

Back in January, a preview of Legacy of Vader #2 had the Sith Lord returning to Tattooine to take out Watto. The events are noted by Kylo Ren, who travels to the planet to learn more about his maternal grandfather.

There was much commiseration over the flying, amphibian-like huckster. Turns it was all for naught, because in the full issue, out now, it’s revealed these were just ruminations from Kylo and not genuine findings.

Phew, Watto lives another day. The internet has responded in jubilance, ecstatic to see another weirdo from George Lucas and a galaxy far, far away escape Vader’s reach.

"I am aware that Watto is apparently still alive, but I'm still processing his death and need some time. Thank you," says one X/Twitter user. "He tried but Watto was too powerful for him," another adds.

The memes have been strong.

There have been other allusions to Vader taking out his former owner in the expanded universe, but they've been vaguer, not naming Watto. This is the first time we got an explicit execution. The next time someone decides to include the junk dealer, they might need to really pull the trigger.

While everyone commiserates and jokes, it's worth remembering this guy's a human trafficker and slaver, and if and when he’s eventually killed, it's not a death to mourn. He's escaped Sith clutches, for now.

Andor season 2 is our next jaunt to a long, long time ago. You can check out our rundown of all the new Star Wars movies and TV shows for what else the franchise has to offer.