Garel, a planet under the Galactic Empire's control, resided within the Garel system of the Outer Rim Territories' Lothal sector. Supply Master Yogar Lyste, an Imperial officer, claimed Garel as his homeworld. Travel via hyperspace from Lothal to Garel took only a few minutes. The rebel group, Phoenix Cell, briefly used Garel as a hidden base some years prior to the Battle of Yavin. However, they were compelled to relocate when the Empire discovered their presence and launched a fleet to attack them. In later years, figures like Ushos O. Statura struggled to liberate Garel from the Galactic Empire's dominance.
Situated in the Lothal sector of the Outer Rim Territories, Garel was a world characterized by arid temperate deserts and rocky terrain. Recognizable features included towering, wind-sculpted sedimentary rock formations, a purple-hued twilight sky, and cities constructed within large craters, such as Garel City. During the Imperial Era, Garel functioned as a significant shipping center in the Lothal sector, but it also harbored several criminal enterprises, including the Black Sun and the Broken Horn Syndicate. Due to its close proximity to Lothal, the two planets experienced substantial trade and travel.
During the Empire's rule, Janyor from Bith created a statue to mark the fifteen year anniversary of the Clone Wars' conclusion. This statue, deemed critically scandalous towards the Empire, was later dismantled after some years. A small group organized a spontaneous protest, which was suppressed by local authorities. Alton Kastle, an Imperial propaganda broadcaster, stated that the official justification for the statue's removal was the Coalition for Progress division of COMPNOR's belief that it posed a public hazard. This Imperial action led many citizens to sympathize with or join dissident movements.
After Ezra Bridger became part of the Ghost's crew, he and his new rebel "family" accepted a task from Cikatro Vizago, a Devaronian crime boss, to pilfer a shipment of Imperial T-7 ion disruptor rifles from a Garel City Spaceport warehouse. While retrieving the rifles, they were chased by Imperial forces under the command of Imperial Minister Maketh Tua, who intended to mass-produce them on Lothal. En route to Garel, the rebels also picked up C-3PO and R2-D2, two droids sent by Bail Organa, an Alderaanian Senator, to prevent the Empire from acquiring the rifles. After escaping Garel, they destroyed the rifles during a skirmish with Imperial forces on Lothal.
Following an Imperial crackdown due to the Lothal insurgency, Merei Spanjaf, a slicer, her family, the Leonis family, Auntie Nags, a nanny droid, and Holshef, a poet, fled to Garel with assistance from Old Jho, an Ithorian bartender, and the Ghost's crew. Later, they were joined by Zare Leonis and his sister Dhara, who had been rescued from the Arkanis Imperial Academy. Gandr Spanjaf, Merei's father, created fake identities for both families.
After the destruction of Phoenix Home, Phoenix Cell's flagship, the rebels established a base on Garel, hiding within the planet's extensive spaceports. By this point, the Ghost's crew had joined Phoenix Squadron, which was part of a larger rebel network. During a mission to gather fuel cells for Rinn, a planet facing an energy crisis, Commander Jun Sato tasked the Ghost's crew with searching Garel City's streets for fuel cells. However, Ezra and the astromech droid Chopper acquired five power generators during an unsanctioned mission to rescue Vizago.
Subsequently, Hera Syndulla, the new Phoenix Leader, sent two Phoenix cell members to collect starfighter parts from the Garel City marketplace. She also dispatched Sabine Wren, along with Ezra and Chopper, to Garel City Spaceport to retrieve a mysterious courier and transport him to Havoc Outpost. The mysterious courier was revealed to be EG-86, a GNK-series power droid carrying crucial information for the rebel network. Before the Ghost's crew could collect EG-86, they were confronted by Ketsu Onyo, a Black Sun bounty hunter and former associate of Sabine. Following a clash with Imperial stormtroopers, Sabine and Chopper escaped into space but were pursued by Ketsu. After an Arquitens-class command cruiser arrived, Sabine allied with her former adversary to deliver EG-86 to Havoc Outpost.
After Ezra and Commander Sato were captured by an Imperial Interdictor in the Del Zennis system, Garazeb Orrelios ambushed two stormtroopers. The rebels removed their armor, which was utilized during a successful operation to rescue their rebel comrades from the Imperial Interdictor. Later, Ahsoka Tano, a former Jedi Padawan, visited her rebel allies Kanan Jarrus and Ezra on Garel to seek their assistance in investigating the Inquisitors' secondary objective, which they later discovered involved abducting Force-sensitive children. While on Takobo, Ezra inadvertently revealed to one of the Seventh Sister's ID9 seeker droids that the Phoenix rebels were hiding on Garel.
Using this information, Imperial forces stationed on Lothal launched an assault on Garel to eliminate the Phoenix rebels. Imperial stormtroopers in Garel City also participated in the attack. After battling Imperial ground forces, the Ghost's crew and several rebel ships managed to take off but were immediately targeted by the Imperial fleet, which included several Star Destroyers and TIE fighters. At least one of Phoenix Cell's ships was shot down and crashed in Garel City's streets. Several Imperial laser blasts also struck civilian targets within Garel City.
During the assault, Admiral Kassius Konstantine's Star Destroyer, the Relentless, ensnared Commander Sato's CR90 corvette with a tractor beam projector. However, Hera used the Ghost to disable the tractor beam, allowing Sato and the rest of the Phoenix fleet to jump to hyperspace. Meanwhile, Ezra, along with Kanan and Chopper, departed for Lothal on the Ghost's auxiliary shuttle, the Phantom, to locate his parents, Ephraim and Mira Bridger.
At some time before the Cyrkon Extraction, the smugglers Han Solo and Chewbacca collaborated with Akko and his gang in a scam on Garel.
Garel maintained an Imperial presence through an Imperial Complex. A munitions factory was established there between 3 ABY and 4 ABY.
Ushos O. Statura was born on Garel and, as a teenager, fought to liberate the planet from Imperial oppression.
Garel's initial appearance was as a hologram in "HoloNet News Special Report: Controversial Statue Finally Destroyed", the fourth video in the Holonetnews.com series related to Star Wars Rebels, released on September 5, 2014.