Nar Shaddaa, famously known as the "Smuggler's Moon," was the infamous moon orbiting the planet Nal Hutta, the original homeworld of the Hutt species. It served as a central hub for a sprawling criminal network, controlled primarily by bounty hunters and Hutt crime lords. Functioning as a complete ecumenopolis, Nar Shaddaa's entire surface was consumed by a vast, interconnected urban landscape. The Palliduvan bounty hunter Aurra Sing and the Jablogian enslaver Azmorigan both originated from this location.
As the largest moon of the planet Nal Hutta, Nar Shaddaa resided within the Hutt Space sector of the Outer Rim Territories. Being an ecumenopolis, its surface was completely enveloped by an expansive urban environment. The city lights were so intense that they could be observed from space. Hutta Town served as the capital of Nar Shaddaa, characterized by towering structures interspersed with makeshift shanty towns, referred to as skyslums, filling the spaces between the high-rises. Grakkus the Hutt held dominion over the city. Other notable areas included Wormstew Town and the Corellian Sector. Key locations on Nar Shaddaa encompassed the Palace of Grakkus the Hutt, which featured a gladiatorial combat arena, a seedy bar managed by an unscrupulous Zabrak bartender, and the Wormstew Town hospital.
By the time the Galactic Civil War was underway, Nar Shaddaa had developed a reputation as a sanctuary for pirates and other lawbreakers. Often considered a darker counterpart to the ecumenopolis Coruscant, Nar Shaddaa was infamous for its pollution and status as arguably one of the most hazardous locations in the galaxy. Its inhabitants openly engaged in nearly every form of illicit activity, with minimal intervention from law enforcement or galactic government officials. The Rebel Alliance deemed the moon so perilous that even deploying a clandestine team there was considered a suicide mission.
The Hutt Clan exerted control over Nar Shaddaa, but maintained a hands-off approach to governance, primarily focusing on extracting a percentage from every transaction on the moon. Most residents understood that maintaining favorable relations with the Hutts was crucial for survival on Nar Shaddaa, although it did not guarantee safety. The moon's territories were unofficially divided among various Hutt crime lords and other criminal organizations. The Hutts of Nal Hutta primarily conducted their off-world business on Nar Shaddaa, limiting the number of visitors to their home planet.
Gangs composed of droids were also prevalent on the streets of Nar Shaddaa, often harassing other droids like C-3PO to steal scrap metal. Entertainment options on Nar Shaddaa included bars and an arena operated by Grakkus the Hutt, where Wookiees, "lizard men," pirates, and other captives were forced to battle various wild creatures.
At some point in the past, Jedi Master Crucitorn participated in the Battle of Nar Shaddaa. Despite suffering severe injuries from his adversaries, the Flame-Wielders, during the battle, Crucitorn continued to fight. The Jedi Order immortalized Crucitorn's actions on Nar Shaddaa, and Dooku recounted the Master's deeds to his Padawan, Qui-Gon Jinn.
During the High Republic Era, Nihil Tempest Runner Lourna Dee had a connection to a poisoner on Nar Shaddaa, who created a special nerve toxin specifically for her.
In 33 BBY, Darth Maul, the Sith apprentice, visited a bar located on Nar Shaddaa. While there, he sought to gather intelligence regarding Xev Xrexus's Cartel's auction of the Padawan Eldra Kaitis. However, Maul became embroiled in a brawl when the bar's patrons mistook him for a Jedi. He received assistance from a group of bounty hunters led by Cad Bane.
Obi-Wan Kenobi, a Jedi Master, transported the infant Luke Skywalker aboard the Soulless One, the starfighter formerly belonging to General Grievous, and traveled to Nar Shaddaa. There, he sold the ship to secure passage to the planet Tatooine.
Following the Great Jedi Purge, the Hutt crime lord Grakkus began accumulating a collection of Jedi artifacts, including holocrons, lightsabers, statues, and a Jedi starfighter, at his palace within Hutta Town. Grakkus also generated revenue by forcing captured Wookiees, lizard men, and pirates to engage in gladiatorial combat against various wild beasts, including the roggwart Kongo. The slaves received training from the mysterious Gamemaster, an undercover Imperial operative named Sergeant Kreel, who monitored Grakkus' Jedi collection.
During the Galactic Civil War in 0 ABY, Luke Skywalker and R2-D2 journeyed to Nar Shaddaa, seeking a means to gain entry to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. He visited a rundown bar managed by a Zabrak bartender, who attempted to steal his lightsaber and assassinate him. However, Skywalker's lightsaber was instead stolen by an alien thief, who worked for the crime lord Grakkus.
Skywalker pursued the thief, but was eventually captured by Grakkus, who compelled him to participate in gladiatorial combat. R2-D2 alerted the Rebel Alliance, who dispatched Chewbacca and C-3PO to rescue him. Grakkus planned to force Skywalker to fight to the death in his arena, assigning Gamemaster the task of training him. Meanwhile, Chewbacca and C-3PO retraced Skywalker's steps, intimidating and interrogating the Zabrak bartender and his patrons. The bartender revealed that Skywalker was being held prisoner by Grakkus.
Before Chewbacca and C-3PO could rescue Skywalker, they were ambushed by Dengar, who intended to collect Jabba's bounty on Solo and Chewbacca. Simultaneously, Skywalker was forced to fight against Kongo the Dissolver. In an attempt to bring Skywalker into Imperial custody, Gamemaster secretly contacted a squadron of TIE fighter pilots. Han Solo and Princess Leia Organa rescued Chewbacca and C-3PO with the assistance of Solo's partner in crime Sana Starros.
Concurrently, Kreel and his TIE fighter pilots subdued Kongo and arrested Grakkus. Before they could take Grakkus and Skywalker into custody, Grakkus activated an electromagnetic pulse bomb and attacked the Imperials. The EMP bomb also deactivated Kongo's shock collar, causing the roggwart to go on a rampage. Armed with lightsabers, Solo, Leia, and Chewbacca rescued Skywalker. Together with Starros, they escaped Nar Shaddaa aboard the Falcon and Volt Cobra. Imperial reinforcements, consisting of stormtroopers, arrived and arrested Grakkus. Darth Vader then interrogated Kreel about everything he knew regarding the "boy."
In 5 ABY, the bounty hunter Jas Emari and New Republic soldier Jom Barell traveled to Nar Shaddaa as part of their mission to locate Han Solo. While on the moon, they were ambushed by Underboss Rynscar, who sought to capture Emari to settle debts she owed to Boss Gyuti, the leader of Black Sun. Jas successfully convinced Gyuti to release them in exchange for paying twice the amount of her debts. Rynscar also provided them with information that Solo was located on the Wild Space world of Irudiru.
Decades following the Battle of Jakku, surviving Imperial forces reorganized into the First Order. Nar Shaddaa was available as a destination for shore leave for First Order officers.
Nar Shaddaa received its first canonically mention in the eighth chapter of the video game Star Wars: Commander. While the spelling was correct there, a subsequently released campaign titled Echoes of the Force misspelled the moon's name as Nar'Shada.