Nar Shaddaa

• Appeared in:
  
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  V
  VI
  CW

• Climate:
  Temperate

• Terrain:
  Decaying urban zones

• 

From the Expanded Universe

A twisted mirroring of the planet-encasing cities of Coruscant, Nar Shaddaa is the Huttese name for the over-urbanized planetoid known commonly as the Smugglers' Moon.

The spaceport moon orbits the Hutt stronghold world of Nal Hutta, in the Y'Toub system. According to Hutt legend, their true homeworld of Varl was destroyed eons ago, and the heroic Hutts conquered Nal Hutta as their new homeworld. The native Evocii were displaced to the largest of Nal Hutta's moons, Nar Shaddaa, but the Hutts eventually annexed the moon as well.

Over the centuries, Nar Shaddaa grew as an important way station in interstellar trade. Ancient refueling spires and loading docks still reach out from the native soil into orbit, and in between, vast vertical cities have filled the spaces. The lower levels fell into disrepair and decay, and the lowliest of dregs were forced into the decrepit undercity. The descendants of the Evocii degenerated in the shadowed filth of Nar Shaddaa's foundations, mutating into unwholesome savages.

For a time, Nar Shaddaa enjoyed an air of luxury, but changing political climes turned it into a criminal haven. The moon is firmly affixed in the galaxy's criminal underbelly, and no amount of reform will ever bring it into the light again. Ship-jackers, slavers, spice dealers, pirates, hunters and other unsavory types congregate in the vile cities. For a price, anything can be bought and sold on Nar Shaddaa, and many young smugglers and fringe-types get their start on the Smugglers' Moon.

Behind the Scenes

Nar Shaddaa first appeared in the Dark Empire comic series by Tom Veitch and Cam Kennedy, and has since become a major planet in Expanded Universe fiction, becoming the setting of several stories and major events. The planet's precipitous urban environments were rendered in three dimensions for several missions in the popular LucasArts Dark Forces series of games.