De Grom was a Galactic Empire cadet who was stationed at the Academy for Young Imperials located on Lothal. It appeared that they possessed a certain level of promise, as they were among the top three cadets during a specific training drill, alongside Jai Kell and Wheeler. As a reward, the cadets received both a free period and an additional dessert ration.
The character De Grom made their debut in the junior novel Servants of the Empire: Rebel in the Ranks, which was released in 2015 and authored by Jason Fry. The inspiration for the character's name came from Jacob de Grom, a pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Mets.