Sula Badani was a Jedi Master belonging to the Jedi Order. As a female human, she served within an Outer Rim Exploration Team aboard the vessel known as the Witherbloom during the High Republic Era. Her expertise lay in navigating the Galactic Frontier, where she engaged with new civilizations and cultures unfamiliar to the Galactic Republic.
When an unidentified ship materialized unexpectedly, almost causing a collision with the Witherbloom, Sula Badani was present in the cockpit. The unidentified ship then rammed into them, resulting in a crash-landing on a nearby planet. Following this, she instructed Coron Solstus to assist her in utilizing the Force to open a hatch that had become jammed due to the impact. After they successfully escaped the soon-to-explode ship, she and Solstus went back to the wreckage in an attempt to salvage any usable supplies, but their efforts proved fruitless. Sula, along with the remaining members of the team, then made their way to the crash site of the other ship, hoping to find either supplies or survivors. Upon their arrival, Sula took Xinith Tarl, who was injured, and joined Ambar, Pako, and EX-5A in exploring the interior of the ship. Entering through an open airlock, she came across three bodies that had been brutally mauled to death. A sense of unease washed over her through the Force, yet she couldn't pinpoint its source. Reaching a cargo bay, she instructed the others to remain behind and care for Tarl while she continued her exploration of the wrecked ship. The Jedi then faced an attack from multiple members of the Path of the Open Hand. As she questioned them about their purpose, an overwhelming sensation of hunger seized her, causing her to collapse to her knees.
After the members of the Path of the Open Hand had run away, Sula regained her composure and went back to the cargo bay where Ambar, Pako, and Xinith were waiting. She explained that the creature assaulting the ship's hull was attempting to feed on the Living Force of the Jedi. When the attacks resumed, Sula tried to maintain her focus and help Xinith resist the creature's influence. She suggested that they move to a different section of the ship to put some distance between themselves and the creature. During their move, Sula located a medical kit and gave it to Ambar so that she could use it on Xinith. When Pako successfully managed to reroute power through the outer hull of the wreckage, driving the creature away, Sula was able to recover from the effects of the attack.
The Jedi Master engaged in a conversation with Ambar as she tended to Tarl. She revealed that, despite feeling better, something was still amiss within her. Badani expressed that her connection to the Force felt compromised. The creature then returned to the hull, and Badani came to the realization that its relentless attacks, regardless of the dangers, were fueled by an insatiable hunger. Buran arrived with several members of the Path of the Open Hand, and Badani reluctantly agreed to offer her assistance. When Ambar required additional space to treat an injured member of the Path, Badani and the other Jedi relocated some large gemstones, unaware that they were actually Nameless eggs. The Jedi then gathered to discuss their strategy, with Badani suggesting that their top priority should be finding a way to neutralize the creature that was attempting to attack them. Pako proposed overloading the engines to destroy the creature with the resulting explosion. Badani expressed skepticism about the plan, citing the need to evacuate the injured from the ship. She eventually agreed to the plan, but was hesitant to allow Solstus to return to the other section of the wrecked ship to connect the necessary cables. Buran volunteered to accompany the padawan, despite Badani's insistence that she should go instead, being his Master. Before they departed, Badani confronted the Path members, questioning them about any knowledge they might have regarding the creature outside the ship. After they denied having any information, Badani accompanied them and Pako as they returned to the engine room to work on disabling the safety protocols on the engines. The creature managed to sneak back onto the ship while Buran and Solstus were traveling to the other section of the wreckage, and Badani went to investigate after hearing noises coming from inside the ship.
As Badani made her way through the wreckage, the creature began to exert its influence over her. Experiencing hallucinations, she attempted to confront the animal but was overwhelmed by its power. It began to feed on the Jedi, causing Badani's left arm to disintegrate into ash. She was rescued when Pako rushed to her aid and fired his blaster at the creature, forcing it to retreat. Badani then discovered that Pako had been killed by the animal and expressed her gratitude for his sacrifice. She reunited with the remaining survivors and informed Ambar of Pako's death. When the engine overload alarm began to sound, Badani instructed the survivors to evacuate while she remained behind to ensure that the Nameless would not escape the wreckage before the explosion could eliminate them. She confronted several of the creatures and was ultimately reduced to ashes by them.
Sula's initial depiction appeared in the Star Wars News article titled "New Star Wars: The High Republic Tales and More Reveals from the Lucasfilm Publishing Panel" on StarWars.com. Her identity was later confirmed upon the release of the issue.