Naraka, situated in the Outer Rim Territories, was a planet characterized by its rocky terrain and dense atmospheric haze. During the Imperial Era, the Galactic Empire held dominion over this world, operating a prison facility there. In the year 2 BBY, the rebel group known as the Spectres journeyed to Naraka with the purpose of rescuing the pirate Hondo Ohnaka from his confinement in the prison.
Naraka, a terrestrial planet with a type I [atmosphere](/article/atmosphere], was defined by its hazy environment and rocky surface. Its location was designated as grid square S-7 on the Standard Galactic Grid, placing it within the Outer Rim Territories and the regions known as the Slice, along the path of the Triellus Trade Route.
During the Imperial Era, the Galactic Empire established a prison facility on Naraka. Following an encounter with members of the rebel cell, the Spectres, at Nixus Hub 218 in 3 BBY, the pirate Hondo Ohnaka was captured by the Empire and subsequently imprisoned in Naraka prison, alongside his Ugnaught associate Terba. In 2 BBY, the Spectres, aboard their starship, the Ghost, made their way to Naraka to rescue Ohnaka from the Naraka prison, driven by the belief that Ohnaka possessed valuable intelligence. Several members of the Spectres, specifically Ezra Bridger, Garazeb Orrelios, Sabine Wren, and Chopper, infiltrated the prison, finding Ohnaka in his designated cell. Despite not knowing about Terba, the rebels freed both of them and started planning their escape.
However, their progress was soon halted by stormtroopers, leading to a fierce battle as they fought towards the solitary landing pad connected to the prison. Bridger contacted their leader, Hera Syndulla, requesting extraction via pickup. Upon reaching the landing platform, Terba met his death at the hands of an AT-DP walker, while the remaining members found themselves under heavy fire from the walker and numerous stormtroopers. Bridger, taking decisive action, used mind control on the walker's driver, compelling them to target their own comrades before stepping off the platform. Wren, Orrelios, and Ohnaka were shocked by the brutality of the act. Syndulla then arrived in the Ghost, allowing the team to successfully escape with the intelligence Ohnaka had regarding Imperial operations on the planet Yarma. In the aftermath, Imperial authorities, including Governor Arihnda Pryce, Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin, and later, Grand Admiral Thrawn, convened to discuss the incident and the rebels responsible for the prison break.
Naraka's initial appearance and identification occurred in Star Wars Rebels: Steps Into Shadow, which served as the opening episode for the third season of the Star Wars Rebels animated television series, debuting on September 24, 2016. Before the episode aired, the planet was first shown in an episode of The Star Wars Show, a behind-the-scenes series, which was released on the official Star Wars YouTube channel on July 13 of the same year.