Skako, situated in the Core Worlds region of the galaxy, was a planet and the original homeworld of the Skakoan species, a sentient people. The world's atmosphere was composed of high-pressure methane, making it a hazardous or unpleasant environment for those not native to it. The technology-driven Skakoans utilized the methane and the abundant metal resources of Skako to transform the planet into a single massive city, an ecumenopolis, completely covered in industrial development. For countless millennia, Skako remained isolated from the Galactic Republic due to the Skakoans' preference for isolation and their distrust of outsiders. However, Wat Tambor, a Foreman of the Techno Union who was also a Skakoan, eventually became the unofficial representative for Skako and its people within the Galactic Senate.
During the period of the Clone Wars, Skako offered indirect support to the Confederacy of Independent Systems because of Tambor's loyalty to that faction. As a result, after the war concluded, the Galactic Empire imposed restrictions on emigration from Skako, causing significant hardship for its inhabitants, although many Skakoans were content to remain isolated on their homeworld.
The planet Skako, positioned in grid square L-9 of the Standard Galactic Grid, was located along the Hydian Way hyperspace route between Brentaal and Fedalle. Its atmosphere was characterized by high-pressure methane, which was, at best, uncomfortable and, at worst, lethal for offworlders; even those who could breathe methane found the pressure unpleasant. The Skakoan species, who were native to Skako and technologically advanced, exploited the planet's rich metallic resources to develop it into an ecumenopolis. The upper reaches of the planet's dense atmosphere contained an alkaline haze, a result of solar radiation.
The initial mention of Skako within the new Star Wars canon occurred in a special feature included with Star Wars: The Clone Wars The Complete Season One, a collection available on Blu-ray and DVD that encompassed the entirety of the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars' first season, which was released on November 3, 2009. The first visual depiction of the planet was in Star Wars: The Force Awakens Beginner Game, a role-playing game published by Fantasy Flight Games in 2015. The world's origins lie in the Star Wars Legends continuity, where it was conceived for Cloak of Deception, a novel authored by James Luceno in 2001.
The world Skako Minor, which shares a similar name, was introduced into canon through the "Bad Batch" Clone Force 99 story arc in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars television show, which was initially presented as unfinished production reels in 2015. During the episodes taking place on Skako Minor, characters frequently referred to the world simply as "Skako," and Anakin Skywalker also called Skako Minor "Skako" in the 2019 book Choose Your Destiny: An Obi-Wan & Anakin Adventure. However, the 2018 role-playing sourcebook Fully Operational clarified that Skako and Skako Minor are distinct planets. Additionally, a trivia caption in the episode guide for "A Distant Echo" incorrectly identifies Skako Minor as the "home" of the Skakoan people, instead of Skako.