King Ramsis Dendup refused to commit Onderon to the Clone Wars, thinking that neutrality would spare the planet from the violent conflict. Sanjay Rash knew better. To ensure Onderon's prosperity and strength in the shifting galaxy would require a strong alliance -- and that meant striking an accord with the Separatists. Through methods cloaked in intrigue, Rash assumed the crown of Onderon, deposing Dendup and branding him a powerless old crone. Rash then allowed the Separatists to establish a firm foothold, cementing his rule of the planet.

In its earliest ages of civilization, Onderon was a world marked with savage jungles that were filled with dangerous creatures. To survive, the primitive human inhabitants of the planet protected themselves behind the walls of fortified settlements. Over time, these grew to become enormous walled cities, like the planet's capital, Iziz. In the modern era, during the time of the Clone Wars, the planet's monarch King Sanjay Rash allied Onderon to the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Many Onderonians, however, refused to recognize the legitimacy of Sanjay's rule -- they preferred the neutral stance championed by former monarch Ramsis Dendup, whom Rash ousted.

A battered veteran of the Clone Wars as well as the ongoing rebellion against the Empire, Saw Gerrera leads a band of rebel extremists. Saw has lost much in his decades of combat, but occasional flashes of the charismatic and caring man he once was shine through his calloused exterior. Gerrera is bunkered on the ancient world of Jedha, coordinating a prolonged insurgency against the Imperial occupation. Saw’s ailing health has not withered his resolve to fight.

The leader of the royal guard and native military forces of Onderon, General Tandin was a proud patriot devoted to protecting the crown and the sanctity of the Onderonian people. When the planet sided with the Separatists during the Clone Wars, Tandin supported the new king, Sanjay Rash, despite his misgivings of offworld interlopers interfering in Onderonian affairs. The people of Onderon, though, began to reject Rash's rule, and an insurgency began targeting the battle droid forces stationed on the planet. Tandin had difficulty waging war against his own people, and cared little for the military support and tactical advice offered by the emotionless droids sent by the Confederacy to reinforce his defenses.