The Emperor's Children comprised a group of individuals who, without their knowledge, acted as extensions of the Sith Emperor's will and served as his instruments. They were connected to the reconstituted Sith Empire during the concluding phases of the Great Galactic War and the subsequent Cold War against the Republic. This group originated around 3678 BBY, and its members were selected as infants to stand before the Emperor, where they were imbued with a fragment of his own power, transforming them into his eyes and ears across the galaxy. As war reignited around 3641 BBY, these Children had secretly infiltrated the Republic, with members in the Jedi Order, Republic Military, Senate, and various other organizations, poised to fulfill their master's desires upon his command.
The Emperor's First Son, a secondary persona residing within the mind of Jedi Council member Syo Bakarn, protected these Children. He concealed his siblings from the scrutiny of the Jedi, ensuring their continued anonymity.
Hailing from diverse worlds across the galaxy, the Emperor's Children represented a wide range of species and backgrounds. As infants, they were abducted from their families by the Servants of the Emperor's Hand and brought before the Emperor on Korriban. Within the depths of the Sith Academy, under the watch of the Imperial Guard, these children underwent a series of rituals and procedures involving alchemical machinery before being presented to the Emperor himself.
The Emperor then instilled a portion of his power into these infants, forging a mental connection that could only be severed through an immense exertion using the light side of the Force.
The concept of the Children of the Emperor may have originated with the Emperor, but it was the designs and innovations of the Sith Lord Darth Nul that brought it to fruition, earning her the title of "Mother" to the Children. Nul's role was to identify potential candidates, break their will, indoctrinate them to serve the Emperor unconditionally, and finally, imprint them with the Emperor's power, granting him complete control over them while they remained unaware of their true state. Later, deeming her no longer useful, the Emperor eliminated Darth Nul and purged her records from the Sith Empire, establishing himself as the sole founder and "parent" of the Children.
Throughout the Great Galactic War and part of the Cold War, the existence of the Children of the Emperor remained largely a secret, even to some of the Children themselves. However, former Sith Lord Darth Sajar revealed their existence to the Jedi Order, and his information was corroborated when the Child Valis attempted to capture Kira Carsen. Carsen, a former Child who had escaped the Empire as a young girl due to her growing suspicions of the Emperor's presence within her, was the Padawan of a powerful young Jedi Knight who defeated Valis. Following the battle, the Knight persuaded Kira to share her knowledge of the group with the Council. Later, during the final confrontation with Darth Angral, Carsen was possessed by the Emperor, who sought to use her to kill her Master, but Carsen successfully severed the link between herself and the Emperor, reaffirming her allegiance to the light side of the Force.
After the Dark Council discovered the existence of the Children, a powerful Sith sought to investigate them further. However, the First Son discovered his efforts, and after undergoing surgeries and various treatments, the Sith was reborn as Stark, a servant of the Children.
One Child, Augin Blaesus, infiltrated the Rift Alliance, providing information to Lord Kyrus and instigating incidents to destabilize its relationship with the Republic. They eventually kidnapped King Sethun and Queen Nyscha of Sarkhai, but were thwarted by the Barsen'thor, the Warden of the Order. Before his death, Blaesus mentioned the First Son—the leader of the Children, who shielded the others from the Jedi's detection.
As war renewed between the Republic and the Empire, the Children interfered with the Barsen'thor's efforts to raise an army to defend the Republic, recruiting Esh-kha and Voss, but failed twice. Eventually, on Corellia, the Barsen'thor recovered a holorecording revealing the identity of the First Son as Syo Bakarn. Bakarn, a Jedi Master and long-standing member of the Council, was unaware of his role as the First Son. Upon exposure, the First Son seized control of Bakarn's body and directed the Children to capture the Guardian Holds. The Barsen'thor reclaimed Guardian Holds Four and Six before pursuing Bakarn. After confronting and dueling him, the Barsen'thor defeated the First Son, allowing Bakarn to regain control and remove the shielding on the Children, enabling the Jedi to finally sense the hidden darkness within them through the Force and eliminate them.
Following the Hero of Tython's victory over the Emperor's Voice, the Emperor's spirit returned to his original body and entered a deep slumber. During this slumber, the Emperor's damaged mind reached out to his Children, whispering to them, raging at the Hero, and issuing contradictory orders as his consciousness rapidly shifted from thought to thought. Some Children, like Tannac, were able to resist their master's incoherent commands, while others, such as Suri, were nearly driven insane by his rage and constantly changing thoughts.
The Emperor, in the guise of Valkorion, confided in the Outlander that he no longer needed the Children, the Hand, or the Voice, as he was now truly free from his "shackles" following the devastation on Ziost.
During the final confrontation with Tenebrae, the Children were among the spirits that witnessed his ultimate demise.
Jedi Master Denolm Orr, a former Child, deliberately traveled to Elom because he knew of Darth Nul's connection to the late Sith Emperor and her role in creating the Children. Before entering Nul's Temple, Orr recorded a holorecording revealing his past as a Child and his intention to purge the dark stain of the Children. The Eternal Alliance later recovered this holorecording.
Sana-Rae confirmed that with Tenebrae's final death, all influence the former Emperor had over the Children ceased to exist. Former Child Kira Carsen offered her assistance to the Alliance Commander in dealing with Darth Malgus and locating Sa'har Kateen.