A clumsy, well-meaning Gungan outcast on Naboo, Jar Jar Binks struggled to prove his worth throughout his life. Putting his awkward past behind him, Jar Jar left the swamps of Naboo to enter the even murkier waters of Coruscant politics, becoming a representative for his people in the galactic capital. There, his best intentions and eagerness to serve were exploited by scheming Senators and others in positions of power.

A grim Jedi Master with an amethyst-bladed lightsaber, Mace Windu was the champion of the Jedi Order, with little tolerance for the failings of the Senate, the arguments of politicians, or the opinions of rebellious Jedi. As the Clone Wars intensified, Mace sensed the dark side of the Force at work, and knew the Jedi's enemies were plotting to destroy the Order and end its stewardship of the galaxy.

At the height of its rule, the Galactic Republic was governed by a body of Senators representing the many worlds of the galaxy. Within the cavernous Senate rotunda, hundreds of politicians would fill the viewing platforms that lined the curved walls. The Senate’s power gradually eroded after it voted emergency powers to Supreme Chancellor Palpatine during the Clone Wars, and the body was sharply divided between supporters of the war and those seeking peace. After Palpatine declared himself Emperor, power was increasingly wielded by regional governors. Shortly before the Battle of Yavin, Palpatine disbanded the Senate.

A noble order of protectors unified by their ability to tap into the power of the Force, the Jedi Order were the guardians of peace and justice in the Galactic Republic. The age of the Jedi would end, however, due to a nefarious plot by the Sith Lord Darth Sidious.

Mother Talzin, the spiritual guide of Dathomir's Nightsisters during the Clone Wars, held enormous power on her homeworld and wielded the strange magicks of the Nightsisters. She sold the services of the Nightsisters to the galaxy's wealthy and powerful, but wasn't above backstabbing any clients who treated her clan with disrespect. She sought revenge against Count Dooku and his master, Darth Sidious. Dooku had betrayed the Nightsister Asajj Ventress, but his crimes paled in comparison with Sidious’s. Long before the Clone Wars, Sidious had promised to make Talzin his right hand, only to renege on his promise and steal her son, Darth Maul, to train as his apprentice.

The Nightsisters are a coven of witches that lived on the mysterious world of Dathomir. The sisters ruled unchallenged, gifted with the power to wield dark magicks. The men of Dathomir, the Nightbrothers, lived apart from the witches, but were subservient to their whims. Despite their power, the Nightsisters avoided the conflict of the Republic and Sith, content to pursue their own matters. The Jedi gave them a wide berth, for they remain focused on matters on Dathomir. Count Dooku has had dealings with them in the past, and turned to them when he was in need of a new apprentice. Their betrayal of Dooku earned the Nightsisters a powerful enemy, and he ordered a massive attack by his droid forces in retribution.