A Star Wars planet by the name of Nar Shaddaa was name-dropped in The Acolyte episode 1, begging the question of where the anti-Coruscant fits into both canon and Legends. Since the franchise’s inception in 1977, hundreds of exciting Star Wars planets have been introduced. Across the 11 Skywalker Saga movies, the handful of TV shows, and the endless slate of books, comics, graphic novels, and video games, the Star Wars galaxy map is constantly added to thanks to new planets and their inhabitants.

When taking into account the chronological order of Star Wars, there are some planets in the galaxy that were more important to the ancient parts of the timeline, as opposed to the Skywalker Saga. Some of these locations have been introduced as planets that are rich in the Force, from the likes of Planet X in Star Wars’ High Republic era to The Mandalorian‘s Tython, first introduced in the Old Republic. One planet that has spanned both old Legends and new Star Wars canon is called Nar Shaddaa, a criminal haven that bears a striking resemblance to Coruscant.

Nar Shaddaa Is The “Smuggler’s Moon”

The planet is a criminal haven that rivals Coruscant

In the world of Star Wars, Nar Shaddaa is known as the “Smuggler’s Moon.” The reason for this stems from the inhabitants and clientele that often frequent Nar Shaddaa, with the planet being a common place of respite for the criminals of the galaxy. Like Coruscant, Nar Shaddaa is an ecumenopolis, meaning the entire planet’s surface is covered in an ever-expanding cityscape. Unlike the planet that houses the Jedi Temple, however, Nar Shaddaa is much more lawless.

The planet’s undercity is primarily inhabited by bounty hunters, smugglers, and other criminal-inclined people of the Star Wars galaxy. The planet being inhabited primarily by outlaws means that Nar Shaddaa is often considered one of the more dangerous locations in the galaxy. This somewhat extends to an Easter egg from The Acolyte episode 1, with Osha’s colleague Fillik describing his visit there as a “wild night” with the piloting crew.

Nar Shaddaa’s Legends Origin Explained

The era of the Old Republic provided Nar Shaddaa’s origins in Legends

While Nar Shaddaa has been firmly solidified in Star Wars canon by various projects, its origins were established in Legends. One such Legends story was Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II – The Sith Lords. In this game, the planet was one of the primary locations for players to explore and offered a lot of insight into the planet’s history. When combined with other Legends material, the origins of Nar Shaddaa become much clearer.

In 15,000 BBY, Nar Shaddaa fell under the control of the Hutts. After annexing the planet, the Hutts began replacing the original terrain with huge spaceports, buildings, and docking bays. After around 500 years, the planet became completely urbanized and solidified itself as a central hub for trading alongside Coruscant. However, the trade lanes were shifted 10,000 years later, causing Nar Shaddaa to become obsolete and subsequently abandoned by the Republic. The planet then fell into lawlessness, earning its name as the Smuggler’s Moon, and becoming a hub of illegal activity rather than legitimate trade.

Nar Shaddaa Is Officially Controlled By The Hutts In Star Wars Canon

The Hutts ruling Nar Shaddaa is consistent between Legends and Star Wars canon

In Legends, Nar Shaddaa was confirmed as a Hutt-controlled planet. This made sense, as it is one of the moons that orbit the Hutt homeworld of Nal Hutta. Interestingly, this fact was kept consistent when the planet was introduced in Star Wars canon. Several projects have reiterated that the Hutts control Nar Shaddaa, helping to explain its reputation as a haven for outlaws, bounty hunters, and other criminals. One comic book run, specifically Marvel’s Star Wars (2015) #9, confirmed that a Hutt named Grakkus was in control of the planet between the events of A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back.

As alluded to, a reference to Nar Shaddaa is found in The Acolyte episode 1. This reference is one of the few times the planet has been mentioned in a Star Wars TV show and lends legitimacy to the Hutt being in control of the planet. The reference to the Mek Nek’s wild night out on Nar Shaddaa helps to support the planet’s lawlessness.

Nar Shaddaa’s First Order Connections Explained

The villainous soldiers of the Star Wars sequels frequented Nar Shaddaa

Aside from Nar Shaddaa’s links to the Old Republic, High Republic, and Imperial eras of the Star Wars timeline, the planet also has connections to the sequel era. In the time of the sequels, the First Order ruled over the galaxy after the destruction of Star Wars’ New Republic in The Force Awakens. In the novelization of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, written by Jason Fry, the links between the First Order and Nar Shaddaa are outlined.

This book mentions that Nar Shaddaa is one of the locations used for First Order officers who are granted shore leave. This means that, when First Order officers are allowed paid time out of the navy, they tended to frequent Nar Shaddaa. The reason for this likely stemmed from the First Order’s villainous activities. Before the time of the New Republic’s destruction, Nar Shaddaa was likely one of the only places in the galaxy that the First Order could visit freely without risk of being arrested by Republic officers.

Given that this practice was established before the New Republic’s destruction, it stands to reason that it continued afterward. The Last Jedi is set when the First Order has dominance in the galaxy, meaning it is logical to assume First Order officers could take leave wherever they pleased. However, if certain connections and allowances were already created between the First Order and the Hutts for Nar Shaddaa, this arrangement would make sense to continue. Through this, Nar Shaddaa continued the outlawed status it held in both Star Wars Legends and early canon regarding the franchise timeline.