How does Qui Gon Jinn free Anakin from slavery?

Qui-Gon Jinn frees Anakin Skywalker by betting that Anakin will win the Boonta Eve Classic pod race.

On Tatooine, Anakin is enslaved by the junk dealer Watto, who also owns the parts Qui-Gon needs to repair the Queen’s starship. Qui-Gon wagers the replacement part—and Anakin’s freedom—on the boy’s victory. Watto accepts because he expects the inexperienced human racer to lose.

Anakin successfully pilots his homemade podracer through the dangerous course and defeats the favored racer Sebulba. Under the wager’s terms, Watto must surrender Anakin, although he refuses to release Anakin’s mother, Shmi. Qui-Gon therefore wins Anakin’s freedom rather than ending slavery throughout the galaxy.

A common mix-up is saying that Qui-Gon simply buys Anakin or kills his owner. He does neither: the freedom comes from a gambling agreement with Watto. The race also matters because Qui-Gon recognizes Anakin’s extraordinary reflexes and Force potential, leading him to seek permission for Anakin to become a Jedi. The events occur in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, 32 years before the original film.