Lieda Mothma came into existence as the daughter of Senator Mon Mothma and the sibling of Jobin. Mon desired to dedicate more of her time to Lieda, but she remained committed to the Rebellion against the Galactic Empire. Following the establishment of the New Republic, Lieda recuperated on the planet New Alderaan. Subsequently, she lived with her mother on Coruscant, where Mon passed away in 24 ABY.
Lieda Mothma, a female born to the Human Chandrilan Imperial Senator Mon Mothma, arrived during the Imperial Era and the early years of the Rebel Alliance, which Mon helped found. As a member of the Mothma family, Lieda had a brother named Jobin, also Human, and her grandparents included Tanis Mothma, governor of Hanna City on Chandrila, and her spouse, a Republic arbiter-general. Motherhood did not hinder Mon's dedication to the Rebellion, though she wished she could retire and focus solely on Lieda.
Around the time of the Battle of Hoth in 3 ABY, Jobin created a holographic message for his mother, asking her to send his love to Lieda and promising to write soon. Jobin was killed by Imperial forces during the battle, and his message reached his mother only in 4 ABY, as she prepared for a briefing concerning the Battle of Endor.
Following the death of Emperor Palpatine in that battle, Mon assumed the role of Chief Councilor of the New Republic. Subsequently, Lieda convalesced on New Alderaan, where she uniquely perceived the personal cost of Mon's service, while also recognizing her renewed determination. After the Almanian Uprising in 17 ABY, Lieda joined her mother at her primary residence on Coruscant, seeking a peaceful life until Mon's death in 24 ABY.
Within the Star Wars Legends continuity, Mon Mothma's daughter was initially mentioned in the Dark Empire Sourcebook, authored by Michael Allen Horne and published in 1993 by West End Games for the Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game. Her first name, Lieda, was confirmed in the 2002 reference book The New Essential Guide to Characters by Daniel Wallace.
In the "Ask the Master" segment of Star Wars Insider's 82nd issue, mailed to subscribers starting May 17, 2005, Pablo Hidalgo answered a question about Lieda Mothma and her father. Hidalgo described Lieda as a mysterious figure, noting that the name Lieda Mothma had not yet been used canonically. He suggested this allowed for the possibility that Lieda was born out of wedlock, since no source had confirmed Mon's marriage. The name Lieda Mothma was then formally established in her brother Jobin's entry within 2008's The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia.
A variation of the character, Leida Mothma (with a slightly different spelling), debuted in the new Star Wars canon in "The Axe Forgets," the fifth episode of the Disney+ series Andor's first season, which premiered on October 5, 2022. Bronte Carmichael portrayed her. The episode guide on StarWars.com acknowledged the character's origins in the Dark Empire Sourcebook and her prior absence from any narrative.