Jeng Droga, a devout follower of Emperor Palpatine, held the title of Emperor's Hand during the Galactic Civil War. Skilled in the Jar'Kai combat style, he was intensely loyal to his master, sharing a telepathic connection with him. As captain of the shuttle Emperor's Shadow, Droga supervised the other Emperor's Hands and accompanied Palpatine on dangerous missions. He intervened to save Palpatine's life on multiple occasions, first from the spectral attacks of ancient Sith Lords on Korriban, and later on Kaal, when Palpatine's disembodied spirit traveled from Endor and merged with Droga. Carrying Palpatine's essence within him, Droga journeyed to Byss, where Sate Pestage extracted the Emperor's spirit from Droga's body.
In 10 ABY, when Palpatine launched an assault against the New Republic, his clone bodies were repeatedly sabotaged and destroyed. Occupying his last clone body, the Emperor discovered that its cellular structure was deteriorating due to further sabotage, leading to its imminent demise. Faced with the prospect of losing a physical form, Palpatine devised a plan to inhabit the body of the infant Anakin Solo, the grandson of Anakin Skywalker. Droga vehemently opposed this plan, a decision that proved correct when Palpatine suffered his final death at the hands of Empatojayos Brand. Driven to madness by his master's loss, Droga's hopes for Palpatine's return were briefly rekindled by the emergence of the Second Imperium, seemingly led by the Emperor. However, he soon realized that this Palpatine was a mere imposter, leaving him without a cause to fight for. Ultimately, Droga met his end at the hands of Jedi Knight Kyle Katarn.
Jeng Droga, a Force-sensitive Human, was perhaps the most devoted servant of Emperor Palpatine. During the Imperial Period, he served the Galactic Empire in the role of an Emperor's Hand. His life had been characterized by instability, which led him to focus his energy on mastering the art of the lightsaber. He specialized in the Jar'Kai style, allowing him to wield two lightsabers—one red and one yellow—simultaneously. A psychic link connected him to Palpatine, a connection the Emperor often exploited. Droga's responsibilities included overseeing the other Hands and guarding Palpatine's personal vessel, the Emperor's Shadow, which he also commanded.
When Palpatine initiated the creation of his clones, he brought Droga with him to Byss, the location where these duplicate bodies were being developed. The Emperor's Hand also accompanied his master to Korriban, the Sith world housing the tombs of ancient Sith Lords. In 0 ABY, Palpatine's demand for knowledge of the dark side from the entombed Sith Lords ignited their wrath. Overwhelmed by their power, the Emperor was rescued by Droga. He then returned his master to Imperial Center before traveling to Byss to retrieve one of Palpatine's clones.
In 4 ABY, Droga was dispatched to the Yushan sector to await instructions from his master, while Palpatine oversaw the construction of the Death Star II at Endor. During the decisive battle that unfolded there, the Emperor experienced his initial death at the hands of his apprentice, Lord Vader. Upon reaching the Yushan sector, Droga sensed his master's demise through the Force. Aboard the Emperor's Shadow, Droga's body contorted in agony, and he emitted a piercing scream. He then descended into madness, strangling a crew member before turning his dual lightsabers on the rest of his subordinates. In his frenzy, he destroyed the bridge controls of the Emperor's Shadow, causing the ship to crash into an ocean on Kaal. Palpatine's spirit, having survived Endor, traveled to Kaal and entered Droga's body. Now imbued with Palpatine's immense dark energy, Droga was driven to insanity. Over what was said to be years, Grand Vizier Sate Pestage extracted Palpatine's essence from Droga, enabling the Emperor to inhabit one of his clone bodies. For the second time, the Emperor's Hand had saved his master's life.
While figures like Pestage, Imperial Intelligence Director Ysanne Isard, Trioculus, and Grand Admiral Thrawn sought to unify the Empire after Palpatine's initial death, the Emperor himself remained hidden on Byss. In 10 ABY, he launched his attack, deploying his united Imperial forces against the New Republic. Over the following year, he clashed with Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker and his sister Leia Organa Solo, experiencing multiple deaths. Following the destruction of the dreadnought Eclipse, the remaining clone bodies were destroyed by Nefta and Sa-Di, Dark Side Adepts who sought to replace Palpatine as ruler of the galaxy. The Emperor transferred his consciousness to a final clone body, which had been genetically damaged through sabotage.
Needing a new body as his current one deteriorated rapidly, Palpatine planned to transfer his essence into the infant Anakin Solo, a direct descendant of Anakin Skywalker, the Chosen One of Jedi prophecy. In 11 ABY, Droga accompanied him aboard the Star Dreadnought Eclipse II and cautioned against his master's trip to Onderon, where Solo was hidden. Droga suggested that he and the other servants retrieve the child, but the Emperor ignored him. Haunted by a vision of his master in danger, Droga rushed to Onderon to aid Palpatine once again. He arrived too late, finding that his master had suffered his final death—the Emperor's spirit had been bound to the dying Jedi Empatojayos Brand and dragged into the Netherworld of the Force. Droga unleashed a mental scream that reverberated through the Force for days. Feeling responsible for Palpatine's demise, Droga traveled to Kaal, where Palpatine's spirit had once possessed him, and waited for his master's return.
In 23 ABY, Droga placed a bounty on Sarcev Quest, a fellow Emperor's Hand who had been involved in the sabotage of Palpatine's clone bodies. Simultaneously, he sent darksiders to capture Quest. The 100,000-credit bounty was claimed by Ailyn Vel, disguised as her father, Boba Fett. Droga then executed Quest.
That same year, twelve years after Palpatine's apparent final demise, the Emperor seemingly returned to lead the Second Imperium. Seeking to rejoin his master, Droga participated in the Third Battle of Yavin, fighting against Luke Skywalker's New Jedi Order. During the battle, he realized that the Palpatine of the Second Imperium was a fraud. With nothing to lose, Droga flew into a berserk rage, battling the Jedi furiously. He was ultimately defeated by Jedi Battlemaster Kyle Katarn. In 40 ABY, he was mentioned in passing by Jedi historian Tionne Solusar.
Droga was intensely loyal and dedicated to his Emperor, displaying a fanatical devotion. He held genuine affection for Palpatine, akin to an apprentice's devotion to their master, and was generally a serious individual. While introspective, Droga's experiences amplified his emotions. He preferred solitude and dedicated himself to mastering the art of lightsaber combat. When Palpatine was harmed, Droga often reacted violently, descending into madness. With nothing left to lose, he became a dangerous berserker in combat. He felt personally responsible for his master's safety and survival, and was devastated by Palpatine's final death on Onderon.
Jeng Droga possessed proficiency in various Force powers, including battlemind, telekinesis, telepathy, affect mind, and Force rage.
Jeng Droga made his debut in the introduction of The Kaal Connection, an article penned by Peter M. Schweighofer and Timothy Zahn and featured in 1995's Star Wars Adventure Journal 7. The article The Emperor's Pawns, authored by Abel G. Peña and Juan Schwartz and published in 2001's Star Wars Gamer 5, significantly expanded upon the character and included artwork of Droga by Joe Corroney. Corroney's depiction was based on a previously unidentified character from Tom Veitch's Empire's End 2, which was released shortly after the Star Wars Adventure Journal. The image and accompanying text retroactively combined the unidentified character from Empire's End with Droga. Peña briefly reused the character in The Dark Forces Saga and The History of the Mandalorians, and he was mentioned in Ryder Windham's Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force.
The Kaal Connection RPG adventures featured an optional adventure hook where the player characters searched for and discovered Droga's remains on Kaal. However, as later sources established Droga's survival of the crash landing on Kaal, this hook was removed from continuity.
Droga is absent from the Empire's End audio drama, with his role instead given to the Dark Side Adept T'iaz.