The Maladians were a renowned cult originating from the Maladi system, comprised of exceptionally skilled humanoid assassins known for their unwavering commitment to fulfilling contracts. They also possessed the deadly capability to injure or eliminate even Jedi Knights. In 52 BBY, the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, accompanied by his assistant Sate Pestage, orchestrated the assassination of Senator Vidar Kim from the Chommell sector on the galactic capital world of Coruscant, utilizing a female Maladian assassin to kill him. Later that year, also on Coruscant, approximately three dozen Maladians were hired by Gran Senator Pax Teem and other Grans to eliminate the influential Muun Hego Damask, who was secretly the Sith Lord Darth Plagueis and Palpatine's Sith Master. However, the Maladians' attempt on the Muun's life was unsuccessful, as Plagueis managed to fend off the assassins until Palpatine and Pestage arrived to rescue him. The encounter nearly resulted in Plagueis' death, compelling him to wear a respirator for the remainder of his life.
By 52 BBY, the Maladian organization had been established, and its members had garnered significant recognition for their abilities as assassins. In that year, Palpatine, secretly the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, sought to become the Senator representing the planet Naboo and the broader Chommell sector. To achieve this, he employed his aide Sate Pestage to contract the Maladians to kill the incumbent Senator, Vidar Kim, on the galactic capital of Coruscant. Pestage collaborated with a Maladian commander for the assassination, and subsequently cautioned the female Maladian assassin chosen for the mission about Jedi Knight Ronhar Kim, the Senator's son. Instructed to execute the assassination publicly, the female Maladian initiated blaster fire from a blaster on the Air taxi carrying Kim and the Jedi while en route to Coruscant's Mezzileen Spaceport, in clear view of security holocameras. Kim was instantly killed by the blaster fire, while the Senator's son, unharmed, leaped from the vehicle onto the Maladian's speeder, forcefully seizing control and steering it to the ground. The Maladian then ingested neurotoxin, committing suicide to prevent the Jedi from extracting information through forcing. Following Kim's death, Palpatine, who had served as an Ambassador under Kim, was appointed Senator for the Chommell sector.
More than two months later that year, the Maladians undertook another assignment on Coruscant. A group of Maladians was contracted by Pax Teem, the Gran Senator representing Malastare, and other members of the Gran Protectorate to assassinate Hego Damask, a Muun affiliated with the InterGalactic Banking Clan allied organization Damask Holdings, who was secretly Darth Plagueis, Palpatine's Sith Master. At the Lodge of the Order of the Canted Circle in Coruscant's Fobosi District, the three dozen Maladians hired for this assignment drugged members of the Order of the Canted Circle scheduled to participate in the initiation of Muun Larsh Hill into the order. They then infiltrated the ceremony, disguised as the drugged members, in which Damask was participating. As the ceremony commenced, the Maladians initiated their attack. The Maladian disguised as the high official, after placing a pendant around Hill's neck as part of the ceremony, decapitated the Muun by pulling downward on the pendant, while other disguised Maladians threw multiple decapitator disks at Damask and the others attending the ceremony.
The volley wounded Damask in the neck, while many other Muuns attending were killed. Despite a counterattack from one of Damask's surviving Sun Guards, the Maladians continued to advance, cutting down those remaining standing with vibroblades before Damask unleashed the dark side of the Force. Multiple Maladians fell as they assaulted the Sith Lord, but were close to finishing the Muun off when Palpatine and Pestage arrived to save Damask. Pestage and Palpatine, who had learned of the attack from the Maladian commander Pestage had previously dealt with and Palpatine's sensing of the event, killed the remaining Maladians with a repeating blaster. Damask, despite his serious wounds, survived the encounter with the Maladians.
The Maladians, an organization structured into factions, were a cult of exceptionally trained humanoid assassins. They were renowned for their unwavering adherence to contracts and respected for their professionalism. Some Maladians, at least, wore armor in combat, possessed remarkable agility, and were proficient with blasters, decapitator discs, and vibroblades. Their combat prowess was such that they could wound or even kill Jedi Knights, and when confronted by the power of the Muun Sith Lord, they did not retreat but instead attacked, nearly overwhelming him.
Following the Maladian commander's humiliation over the handling of the Kim affair, the Maladian informed Pestage of a Maladian contract targeting someone allied with Damask Holdings, who turned out to be Damask himself. The Maladians were also prepared to commit suicide to prevent their information falling into the wrong hands, as demonstrated by the female Maladian after her capture by Ronhar Kim.
In flashbacks of the Dark Horse comic book Republic 64, released in 2004, a female member of a then-unidentified organization appeared. This organization was first identified as the Maladians in 2012's novel Darth Plagueis, by James Luceno. The Maladians also feature in The Essential Reader's Companion, also released in 2012.