Hoth, a frigid and isolated planet, existed as the sixth planet within the Hoth system, a star system situated in the Anoat sector of the Outer Rim Territories, a region found in the galaxy. It was the original homeworld of the wampa species, a race of primitive beings.
Most notably, it became the site of Echo Base during the Galactic Civil War, serving as the temporary central hub for the Alliance to Restore the Republic. This lasted until the Galactic Empire discovered their location, which then led to the significant Battle of Hoth. In the months that followed this conflict, scavengers built temporary camps on the planet, aiming to salvage parts from the destroyed AT-ATs.
Following the Battle of Endor in the subsequent months, rumors circulated suggesting that the New Republic planned to transform Hoth into a prison for remaining Imperial loyalists. However, these rumors were largely dismissed, as Chancellor Mon Mothma prioritized justice over punitive measures. Simultaneously, conflict returned to Hoth, marking it as the location for another battle during the period known as the Iron Blockade.
When viewed from space, Hoth presented itself as a pale blue sphere, a result of its extensive covering of snow and ice. The planet was positioned beyond five other planets from its sun, and it was encircled by an asteroid belt that caused frequent meteor impacts on its surface. Glaciers and expansive frozen plains dominated the majority of its terrain. Oceans covered approximately one-third of the planet's surface. Despite being consistently cold, the temperature could plummet to -60°C during the night. Although devoid of intelligent inhabitants, Hoth served as the habitat for fifteen subspecies of tauntauns. These creatures were often utilized by the Rebel forces for transportation. Han Solo famously used the body of a tauntaun to shelter Luke Skywalker and himself from a severe snowstorm. The planet was also the home of towering predators known as wampas. During his time on Hoth, Skywalker was captured by a wampa and suspended upside down in its cave, awaiting consumption. Drawing upon the power of the Force, Skywalker managed to retrieve his lightsaber, severing the wampa's arm and freeing himself. Additionally, the planet featured a number of "crystalline geysers."
During the era of the Galactic Civil War between the Galactic Empire and the Alliance to Restore the Republic, Hoth was experiencing an ice age. Numerous smuggling rings attempted to establish bases on Hoth, but the planet's harsh environmental conditions consistently thwarted their efforts. Some time after the Battle of Yavin, Saponza's Gang, a rebel cell, managed to set up a base on Hoth. Corporal Purpruff was the first to survey Hoth as a possible location for a rebel base. Jan Dodonna, a general in the Alliance to Restore the Republic, included Hoth in his initial evaluations of potential Alliance bases. Hoth's obscurity, being absent from most star charts despite its proximity to the Corellian Trade Spine, made it an ideal location for a rebel base. The planet's icy surface, its location on a less-traveled hyperlane, and the protective asteroid field surrounding it all contributed to its suitability. The asteroid field hindered travel through the Hoth system, and any asteroid impacts would generate thermal signatures that masked signs of intelligent life.
In 1 ABY, the rebels, possessing greater resources than the failed smuggling rings, selected Hoth as the site for their base of operations. Over the following two years, they constructed Echo Base on the planet. With the Alliance's resources, rebel engineers expanded existing ice caverns to create the base. Around 2 ABY, after Dodonna's death in the Battle of Mako-Ta, Mon Mothma presented his list of potential bases to Leia Organa following the mission to Shu-Torun, tasking her team with scouting the locations. Han Solo expressed surprise at the obscurity of these locations, but Luke Skywalker informed him that one of them would become the Rebellion's new home.
Hoth became the battleground for a battle between the Galactic Empire and the Rebel Alliance, who had established their temporary headquarters, Echo Base, on the icy world. However, thanks to one of the many probe droids deployed across the galaxy, the Imperials discovered the Alliance base within a month of its establishment. Despite the evacuation of Echo Base at the last moment, the Battle of Hoth resulted in a decisive defeat for the Alliance, as the Imperial Blizzard Force overwhelmed their defenses.
In the months after the Battle of Hoth, scavengers created temporary camps on the planet to salvage the AT-ATs that were destroyed by the Rebel Alliance during the Imperial assault. Following the Battle of Endor, Hoth was again the site of a battle, during the Iron Blockade of the Anoat sector.
In 5 ABY, Troithe Acting Governor Fara Yadeez heard rumors that the New Republic was planning to convert Hoth into a prison for those still loyal to the Empire. Major Soran Keize dismissed the rumors, believing that Republic Chancellor Mon Mothma was too focused on justice to consider such a plan, and that repurposing Hoth, where the Rebellion had suffered a major defeat, was too symbolic.
Between 28 ABY and 34 ABY, the First Order maintained a presence on Hoth.
Hoth made its debut in the 1980 film Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back, which was the second film released in the Star Wars original trilogy. The actual filming location for Hoth was Finse in Norway.