Mos Espa, a spaceport settlement, was situated on Tatooine, a world defined by its desert landscapes. This settlement was comprised of a variety of commercial spaces, working areas, and entertainment venues, notably the Mos Espa Grand Arena. During the time of the Invasion of Naboo, Mos Espa served as a place of forced servitude for numerous slaves, including Anakin Skywalker and his mother, Shmi.
This expansive city, Mos Espa, stood as one of the limited number of port cities on the planet Tatooine, found within the Outer Rim. Mos Espa was replete with residences, workspaces, and diverse commercial enterprises, alongside assorted entertainment locations, some of which were remarkably large. The crime lord Jabba Desilijic Tiure operated a casino within Mos Espa. The Mos Espa Grand Arena, the venue for the Boonta Eve Classic podrace, possessed a seating capacity nearly equivalent to the entire population of the city. Due to the Hutts' control over Mos Espa, and their exploitation of slavery, the city was a frequent site for slave trading. Watto, a Toydarian slave trader, ran a parts store on the city's periphery. The city's heart was located within a crater.
A decade before the Clone Wars erupted between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems, Queen Amidala of Naboo, accompanied by Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, the Gungan Jar Jar Binks, and the astromech droid R2-D2, made a visit to Mos Espa. Their ship was in desperate need of hyperdrive repairs. The group made a stop at Watto's parts shop on the outskirts of Mos Espa, where they encountered the young slave Anakin Skywalker. Unable to procure the necessary parts, they attempted to leave, but a sandstorm forced Skywalker to bring them to his home. There, they were introduced to Anakin's mother, Shmi Skywalker. Following a covert blood analysis, Jinn discovered that Anakin's midi-chlorian count surpassed that of any other Jedi, leading him to believe Anakin was the Chosen One, destined to vanquish the Sith and restore equilibrium to the Force.
Capitalizing on Anakin's connection to the Force, Jinn sought to liberate him from Watto through a wager on a podrace. Their agreement stipulated that if Anakin emerged victorious, Watto would relinquish the required hyperdrive components and grant Anakin his freedom. Conversely, should Anakin lose, Jinn would forfeit the entire ship to Watto. Anakin triumphed in the race, securing his liberation and acquiring the necessary parts to repair the hyperdrive. He then departed, leaving his mother behind to commence his training as a member of the Jedi Order.
Shortly before the Clone Wars began, Skywalker journeyed back to Mos Espa in search of his mother, who had been haunting his dreams and disrupting his sleep. Watto revealed to Skywalker that he had sold Shmi, and that her new owner, Cliegg Lars, had freed and married her. After Watto indicated the location of the Lars moisture farm on his map, Skywalker set out to find his mother.
At one point, Laizhu Bedenn, a businesswoman, ran a modest diner in Mos Espa, known for its quality food at affordable prices. She served as a role model and confidante for many. However, despite her success in meeting Jabba the Hutt's tribute demands, a sudden, exorbitant increase in the required payment, fueled by Jabba's avarice, proved insurmountable. Unable to meet the inflated demands, Bedenn was forced by an enraged Jabba to work in the kitchens of his palace, where she found an admirer in a young waitress named Valnir Nai. Shortly before Jabba's demise, both managed to escape the palace aboard a stolen speeder.
Around 9 ABY, the Ithorian Mok Shaiz held the position of mayor of Mos Espa and its surrounding plateaus. He dispatched his majordomo to collect tribute from the new Daimyo Boba Fett, who had assumed control of Jabba's criminal empire with the aim of establishing his own. Upon the former bounty hunter's refusal to pay, the Majordomo informed the crime lord that he could anticipate a subsequent delegation from the mayor in the near future.
Mos Espa's initial canon appearance was in the 1999 film Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace. It subsequently featured in the 2002 film Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones. The Star Wars Insider article titled "World Building" addressed the apparent discrepancy in the scale and activity of Mos Espa in The Book of Boba Fett compared to its depiction in the prequel films. It clarified that locations such as Watto's junkshop and Slave Quarters Row were situated on the fringes of the greater city. The article further proposed that the Mos Espa Grand Arena and Watto's shop were part of the city's expansive upper area.