Talzin, a female of the Dathomirian species, existed in the closing decades of the Old Republic, preceding the rise of the Galactic Empire. On her homeworld of Dathomir, she was the mother of her sons Savage Opress, Feral, and the future Maul, whom she gave birth to in 54 BBY. She belonged to the Nightsisters, a coven of witches who employed their dark magicks and connection to the Spirit world to govern the planet and subjugate their male counterparts, the Nightbrothers.

Following the death of Zalem, Talzin became the leader of the Nightsisters. She was an exceptionally gifted witch, recognized as a spiritual guide for her people. Talzin successfully unified the clans, establishing a large, singular coven known as "the Nightsisters." In 50 BBY, twenty-eight years before the Clone Wars between the Galactic Republic and [Confederacy of Independent Systems](/article/confederacy_of_independent_systems], Talzin was coerced by the Siniteen pirate Hal'Sted into gifting him a Nightsister infant in exchange for the survival and safety of her tribe. Reluctantly, Talzin complied, taking the infant Asajj Ventress from her mother and surrendering her to Hal'Sted. The young Ventress was transported to Rattatak, where she lost all ties to her people on Dathomir and was repeatedly orphaned, eventually joining Talzin's enemies in the Sith.

Talzin's skill in magicks was so remarkable that it attracted the attention of Darth Sidious, the Dark Lord of the Sith who was then plotting his ascent to galactic supremacy. Around 40 BBY, Sidious traveled to Dathomir specifically to confer with Talzin and share his knowledge of the dark side of the Force with her Dathomiri magick techniques. Their relationship led Sidious to declare his intention to make Talzin his Sith apprentice and right hand, but this never came to fruition. Instead, the Dark Lord sensed the potential of the young Maul and abducted him from Talzin, taking the child away from his family and heritage on Dathomir.

Enraged, Talzin vowed to one day avenge herself upon the Sith and reclaim her lost son. In the meantime, she continued to lead her coven and protect her people from external threats.

Ten years before the Clone Wars, Talzin's son—now known by the Sith name Darth Maul—was defeated and presumed killed by the Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi during the Battle of Naboo. Although Maul was bisected by a lightsaber, his profound connection to the dark side of the Force allowed him to survive. Crippled and left for dead, the Sith was stranded on Lotho Minor, a garbage planet in the Outer Rim Territories. Despite being driven to insanity by his injuries and isolation, he managed to attach the remaining upper half of his body to a complex set of six cybernetic legs made from refuse and held together by the Force. Meanwhile, Talzin remained on Dathomir, nurturing her hatred for Darth Sidious due to his callous abandonment of Maul. Although she was aware of his survival, Talzin did not know where her child had disappeared to, and his whereabouts remained a mystery to her. At one point during his exile, Maul managed to lure a scavenger ship to Lotho Minor. While attempting to seize control of the ship, Maul expressed his desire to return to Talzin at Mount Gethzerion. However, the ship's crew managed to repel him, and he remained trapped on the planet.

It was also around the time leading up to the Clone Wars that Talzin became acquainted with Dooku, a charismatic Jedi Master who would eventually become the leader of the Confederacy and Darth Sidious' new Sith apprentice. Dooku and Talzin became familiar when the Jedi assisted the Nightsisters in a time of need, though they parted ways afterward, and she added the Serenno noble to her list of targets for revenge—especially due to his association with Sidious. By this time, Talzin had been elevated to the position of Clan Mother and was recognized as both the spiritual and political leader of the Nightsisters and Nightbrothers. Talzin's rise to power as Mother temporarily ushered in a fleeting period known as the Golden Age of the Nightsisters, until the Nightsister clans separated once again.

When the Clone Wars erupted across the galaxy following the First Battle of Geonosis, Talzin largely kept her clan out of the conflict. While she did gain notoriety for selling the services of the Nightsisters' warriors and assassins to wealthy clients, Talzin maintained strict loyalty to her clan and refused to align with either of the warring factions. Several years into the conflict, the long-lost Nightsister Asajj Ventress returned to Dathomir, wounded and in need. After being orphaned on Rattatak, the young Dathomirian pledged herself to Count Dooku as an aspiring Sith apprentice and Confederate commander, and although she carried out her Master's will dutifully for many missions, Darth Sidious became wary of her growing strength and ordered Dooku to kill Ventress. The command was carried out at the Battle of Sullust, where Dooku ordered Ventress' own Confederate forces to fire on her. She survived but was furious by her Master's betrayal and so traveled back to Dathomir to reconnect with her people and find revenge.

Ventress' return was initially met with hostility from the other Nightsisters, who were wary of outsiders and unaware of the new arrival's true parentage. Talzin intervened, recognizing the lost sister as Ventress and having her brought into their village for care. Talzin led her coven in a ritual to heal and rejuvenate the young woman, using magicks to show Ventress visions of her life and Dooku's betrayal. This experience instilled in Ventress a desire for vengeance against the Sith similar to Talzin's own, and they agreed to collaborate against the Count in retribution for his disloyalty. This initiated the long-awaited plot for revenge against Sidious, starting with a mission to assassinate his apprentice and closest confidant. Talzin encouraged Ventress to strike at Dooku at his home on Serenno and selected the clan's two strongest warriors to accompany her on the journey—Naa'leth and Karis. To maintain anonymity during the attack, Talzin conjured a spirit ichor mist that allowed her assassins to operate in the physical realm while appearing nearly invisible. She armed the three women with a poisoned dart and Jedi lightsabers, ensuring that Dooku would not suspect the Nightsisters if he survived.

Her foresight proved crucial when the assassination attempt failed, and Ventress, Karis, and Naa'leth returned defeated. Ventress believed her chance for revenge was lost, but Talzin revealed that her plot was only just beginning. Having narrowly survived the attempt on his life, Dooku was now vulnerable and eager to find a new apprentice to replace Ventress. Mother Talzin seized the opportunity, contacting the Count with an offer to replace his lost Nightsister with a highly skilled Nightbrother to train as a pupil. He agreed to meet with Talzin to discuss the specifics of the deal and traveled to Dathomir to parley with the Clan Mother. During their meeting, Dooku, unaware of Talzin's hatred for the Sith, requested that the Nightsisters ally with him and pledge themselves to the Confederacy. Talzin refused, sticking to her original offer of a single Nightbrother—specifically one of Maul's kinsmen. The Count, aware of Maul's prowess, accepted the deal, leaving the Clan Mother to make arrangements. Her plan was to send Ventress to select a skilled Nightbrother from the men's village on the far side of Dathomir and transform that warrior into a beast slaved to her will. Ventress returned from the Selection with the Zabrak Savage Opress in tow—a Nightbrother who, unbeknownst to all but Talzin, was another one of her sons.

Opress was brought before Talzin, who marveled at his potential before forcing him into an enchanted sleep. She and her coven of spellcasters came together to perform an enhancement ritual, using dark magicks to transform the Zabrak's body and mind. The process was an overwhelming success, causing Opress to grow in both size and ferocity. His free will was largely destroyed by the magicks, making him a puppet who was ultimately loyal to Talzin alone. The true test of that loyalty came when the Nightsisters forced Opress to kill his beloved brother, Feral; Savage complied, murdering Feral in cold blood and proving his obedience to Talzin and Ventress. Satisfied with the results, Talzin gifted Opress with an enchanted pike summoned from the spirit world before taking him to Serenno to deliver him to his new Master, Dooku.

Dooku was supremely impressed with Opress and quickly began training him in the dark side of the Force. Although he fulfilled the Count's will with great skill, the Nightbrother remained loyal to Talzin and her clan. On Dooku's orders, Opress assaulted a Jedi Temple on Devaron and slew the Jedi defenders stationed there. His brutal attack was caught on surveillance by the Republic, alerting the Jedi Order and their Grand Army to the existence of this new Sith apprentice. Recognizing the attacker as a member of the Nightbrother clan, Jedi Generals Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker traveled to Dathomir to uncover his identity. Their investigations led them to the Nightsister village, where they were received by Mother Talzin in her chambers. She initially denied any knowledge of him, claiming that the Nightsisters lived as outcasts and maintained no contact with Dathomir's men. Kenobi, knowing that Dathomir was a matriarchal society, saw through the ruse and demanded that Talzin aid them. The Clan Mother finally acquiesced, using a crystal ball that she had created to reveal that Opress was heading towards the planet Toydaria.

While the Jedi rushed to intercept the Nightbrother, Talzin met with Ventress and told her that the time had come to strike against Dooku. Although Ventress did not believe that Opress would be ready to fulfill his duty, Talzin insisted that they could no longer keep their pawn's existence a secret and could wait no longer in their attack on the Count. Ventress gave in to the Mother's wishes and followed the Jedi to Toydaria. There, she met up with Opress and challenged Dooku; the Dathomiri duo very nearly killed the Count, but the Sith Lord was able to subdue Opress to Ventress' great chagrin. Being berated by both his Master and his Nightsister mistress, Opress broke down and attacked both of them. The battle devolved into a three-way brawl until Dooku fled the scene, nearly killing Ventress in the process and leaving Opress to face his Jedi pursuers on his own.

With this second attempted assassination a failure and their plan revealed, Ventress and Opress were forced to flee Separatist forces to escape Dooku's wrath. While Ventress went into hiding elsewhere in the galaxy, Opress returned to Dathomir to seek guidance from his mother, Talzin. The grievously injured warrior collapsed in Talzin's chambers and confided in the Nightsister that he was not strong enough to survive being hunted by Ventress, Dooku, and the Jedi. The Clan Mother helped Opress to his feet and revealed that there was indeed a way he could learn such strength. Her other son, Maul, still lived hidden in exile somewhere in the Outer Rim. She gave Opress a magick-imbued talisman and tasked him with finding his brother and learning the path to power from him. Although neither of them knew his exact location, the talisman would guide the Nightbrother to his quarry while the Mother monitored his progress from afar.

Sometime after the botched assassination, Ventress returned to Dathomir to once again seek refuge with Mother Talzin. Although Ventress believed she was now powerless because Opress had forsaken the Nightsisters, Talzin welcomed her back with open arms, insisting that she needed to abandon the Sith ways in totality and rejoin her sisters as a member of the coven. The promise of a reprieve from both war and Dooku motivated Ventress to accept the Mother's offer. The coven gathered in the village to participate in Ventress' baptism into the Nightsister clan, a ceremony led by Talzin and her spellcasters. The initiate was bathed in magick ichor while the Clan Mother proclaimed the baptism rites and ultimately declared Asajj Ventress to be a reborn sister of the night. Talzin called for a feast in celebration and joined her clan as they gathered outside the great edifice of the village to recognize the induction of their newest member. The revelry was cut short when the village was attacked by droid bombers—the first wave of an extermination assault on Dathomir launched at Dooku's command by his cyborg Confederate General, Grievous. Recognizing that the war finally reached her world, Talzin rallied her sisters for the defense of their home and lives.

Although Ventress was upset that her presence brought Dooku's wrath upon her people, Talzin encouraged her to push past her regret and use her knowledge of Grievous and the Separatist battle droids to lead their people to victory. The Clan Mother joined her sisters on the front line of battle, using magicks to conjure a protective bubble around herself while unleashing a flurry of destructive lightning on the approaching droid forces. Recognizing that the witches were vastly outnumbered, Ventress informed Talzin that they would need an army to have any chance at defeating Grievous, motivating Talzin to seek out Old Daka, an elder witch who would be able to assemble the required reinforcements. She joined Daka in the hidden cave deep within the fortress, where she asked the elder to summon the Army of the Dead—the reanimated corpses of deceased Nightsisters who would fight under Ventress' command.

Daka's spellcraft helped Ventress to turn the tide of battle against the Confederacy, but Talzin sought additional assurances of victory. Thus, she had two of her attendants retrieve from her chambers a silver orb that contained a lock of Count Dooku's hair that she had acquired during one of their previous dealings. The witch used the lock in a ritual of totem magick that created a miniature figure of the Count that could be subjected to tortures that the true Dooku would feel far away at his home on Serenno. Talzin began her voodoo attack simply by holding the doll over a boiling cauldron, causing blisters and painful burns to appear on Dooku's face. However, she quickly escalated by dropping the entire figurine into the boiling fluid, inducing extreme pain for the Count. As he writhed on the floor of his palace, Talzin used her magicks to reach out and appear to him as a specter breaking out of his torso. She insisted that he call off his troops or face a painful death, but the Sith Lord remained defiant in the face of the Nightsister's magick.

Count Dooku, although nearly killed by Talzin's torturous methods, managed to contact Grievous. He instructed the general to abandon the search for Ventress and instead locate and assassinate the Clan Mother. Grievous, having already forced Ventress to retreat, bypassed the remaining defenders. He then followed the trail of green Nightsister magick into their sacred space, destroying the enchanted barrier that concealed their hidden cave and slaughtering the witches inside, including Talzin's guards and Old Daka. Before Grievous could eliminate Talzin herself, she dissolved her physical form into green smoke and fled to the Spirit world for refuge. With Daka's enchantment over the Army of the Dead nullified and Dooku out of immediate danger, the Confederacy achieved a resounding victory. Grievous' battle droids exterminated the remaining Nightsisters, leaving only a wounded Ventress, who escaped into the Dathomirian wilderness, alongside Yenna, Jerserra, Merrin, three young Nightsister girls, Morgan Elsbeth, and Mother Talzin as survivors. Projecting a ghostly specter from the Spirit world, Talzin discovered Ventress, once again lost and alone. Despite Ventress' pleas for her to stay, Talzin urged her to move forward and forge her own path. While the conflict devastated the Nightsister coven and diminished Talzin's power base on Dathomir, the Mother remained in the ruins of her village, determined to achieve her most crucial goal: the retrieval and rebirth of her son.

Following the massacre, Talzin maintained communication with Savage Opress as he searched the Outer Rim for clues about his brother's location. Eventually, the Nightbrother arrived on Stobar, where his talisman reacted to dust found within a private hangar. He relayed his findings to Talzin, who monitored his progress from Dathomir. Realizing that Opress was close to finding his brother, Talzin began preparing to restore Maul's health without the traditional support of her coven's spellcasters. Meanwhile, Opress followed the Force and his talisman to Lotho Minor, where he discovered Maul broken and abandoned in the caverns beneath the planet. Maul had fragmented memories of his past and no recognition of Opress, but the promise of revenge against Obi-Wan Kenobi, the one figure he remembered, convinced him to return to Dathomir with his brother.

Upon Savage and Maul's return to Dathomir, Talzin led them to her village. There, she removed Maul's spider-like cybernetics and used magick, combined with a portion of her own life force, to restore Maul's sanity and memories. She also provided him with new cybernetic legs. With her task complete, she vanished once more, leaving Savage and Maul to begin building an army to challenge Talzin's nemesis, Darth Sidious.

Talzin's success in restoring her son's mind and body came at a great cost. By sacrificing a portion of her own energy, she became trapped in the spirit world. Unable to wield her full power without a physical body, she relied on her sons and their burgeoning criminal organization, the Shadow Collective, to enact her revenge against Sidious. Maul's obsession with Kenobi repeatedly disrupted the plot against Sidious, but he and Opress eventually recruited an army of underworld figures, supported by the disciplined Death Watch exiles from Mandalore. Talzin's son planned to exploit Mandalore's political instability to establish his criminal empire, which he would use to wage war against Sidious, Dooku, and the Jedi. However, a faction within Death Watch betrayed Maul, and Darth Sidious detected the plot before its completion. While a civil war erupted between Death Watch rebels and Shadow Collective loyalists, Sidious confronted Maul and Savage Opress. Despite their efforts, the Dark Lord proved too powerful, killing Opress and capturing Maul. Talzin's surviving son was imprisoned in the Spire prison on Stygeon Prime, where Sidious and Dooku repeatedly tortured him for his attempted defiance.

At some point, Mother Talzin secured the loyalty of High Seneschal Peteen and the Frangawl Cult on Bardotta, who began to worship her as the "Great Mother." Under her guidance, they abducted Dagoyan Masters, draining their Force energy into a containment sphere. Talzin later met with the cult, who had captured Queen Julia, on Zardossa Stix, revealing her plan to use a ritual to drain the Queen's life force and absorb her powerful connection to the Living Force. This would make Talzin more powerful than both the Jedi and Sith, while also rejuvenating her fading physical form. However, Jedi Master Mace Windu and Junior Representative Jar Jar Binks pursued them, arriving at the temple. Talzin unleashed Force lightning and engaged the Jedi Master with a blade conjured from magick. However, Binks freed Julia, disrupting the ceremony. The Gungan also inadvertently destroyed the containment sphere, causing a massive explosion. With her plan ruined, Talzin shrieked in agony as her physical body disintegrated into mist.

Following his revival by Talzin and the formation of the Shadow Collective as she desired, Maul was captured by Darth Sidious and imprisoned. He later escaped with the assistance of his Mandalorian allies. However, this was part of Sidious's plan, who suspected that Talzin had survived the battle of Dathomir due to Maul's resurrection. Fleeing after a disastrous defeat at the hands of General Grievous, Maul sought Talzin's aid, and her image materialized from his chest in the form of green mist. Maul explained the situation, and Talzin deduced that Sidious had orchestrated Maul's escape to lure her out. She instructed him to meet with the Black Sun's forces on Ord Mantell while she dispatched Brother Viscus and the Nightbrothers to deal with Dooku. Maul and his army were victorious in the battle, and he informed Talzin of Dooku and Grievous' capture.

At a secret asteroid outpost, Maul attempted to persuade Count Dooku to join his cause. Talzin once again emerged from Maul's chest, urging Dooku to forgive their past disagreements, as he was merely following Sidious' will. She revealed Sidious's intention to replace Dooku with a new apprentice, just as she had been cast aside. She then explained her history with the Sith Lord and revealed that Maul was her son, shocking Dooku. She offered Dooku the chance to join them, destroy Sidious, and jointly rule the galaxy. However, an attack by Obi-Wan Kenobi and other Jedi interrupted Maul and Dooku. Dooku feigned joining Maul, but Talzin's son recognized this as a ruse and instructed the Nightbrothers to prepare Dooku as a sacrifice for the Mother's resurrection.

Maul brought Dooku to Dathomir, where he was greeted by Brother Viscus, who had survived his encounter with Dooku. The Nightbrothers had prepared for Talzin's revival and escorted Dooku to a chamber in a temple near the Nightbrother village for the sacrifice. Maul prayed to a monolith, imploring Talzin to reveal herself. Talzin's essence materialized from the stone and possessed Dooku, beginning to drain his life energy. Darth Sidious and General Grievous arrived soon after, having tracked Dooku's signal. While Maul fought Grievous, Talzin, in Dooku's body, confronted her rival Darth Sidious. After a brief lightsaber duel, the Sith Lord bombarded Dooku with Force lightning, forcing a fully rejuvenated Talzin to emerge from Dooku's body to challenge Sidious again. The two rivals exchanged taunts and engaged in a fierce battle of Force lightning. Despite Maul's pleas for Talzin to take his strength, the tide turned when Dooku recovered and joined his Master's attack. Talzin erected a magical barrier around herself as her son urged her to continue fighting. Realizing that escape was impossible, Talzin used her power to send Maul to his ship, ignoring his desperate protests. As the witch collapsed to her knees from exhaustion, Grievous bypassed her defenses and impaled her with his lightsabers, ending her life for the second and final time. Her magick rushed out of her body, ending her renewed quest for ultimate power. Maul cried out in despair as Talzin turned to stone and her magicks vanished.

Although Maul escaped Dathomir alive, Sidious deemed him no longer a threat to the Sith's control of the galaxy. Thanks to Talzin's sacrifice, Maul survived the Clone Wars. Between 19 BBY and 5 BBY, Maul searched various planets for advantages, leading him to a Sith castle on Damanos. There, he encountered visions of Savage Opress and General Grievous. Inside the castle, "Grievous" claimed to have been expecting him, mocking Maul and reminding him of their last encounter when he killed his mother. Maul eventually hid on Malachor, continuing to plot revenge against the Sith and their Empire. Years later, Maul attempted to recruit the young Ezra Bridger as an apprentice, recounting how Sidious had torn him from his mother's arms. After escaping Malachor, Maul lived on Dathomir for a time, residing in Talzin's former chambers while studying Nightsister magick. Maul was later killed by his nemesis Kenobi on Tatooine.

Ventress and Merrin, both survivors of the Nightsister massacre, were abandoned by Talzin after the battle. They were left to survive on their own, believing their leader had died at Grievous' hands. Ventress became a bounty hunter and was later involved in a Jedi plot to assassinate Dooku. While training Quinlan Vos on Dathomir, Ventress spoke of the Nightsister massacre, hoping to instill her hatred for the Sith in him. Shortly after Talzin's death, Ventress appeared to be killed during a battle on Christophsis, sacrificing herself to save Vos from the dark side. Meanwhile, Merrin survived in the Dathomirian wilderness, taking control of the surviving Nightbrothers after Talzin's death and mastering Nightsister magick. For a time, Merrin also sought revenge for the clan's massacre, but five years after the Clone Wars ended, she left the planet to join Great Jedi Purge survivor Cal Kestis and his crew, aiding their mission to rebuild the Jedi Order. She once asked the fallen Mother and her sisters to lend her their strength through a magical talisman, to cloak their ship with a spell.

Mother Talzin, a towering Dathomirian female, stood at 2.23 meters (7 feet, 4 inches) and possessed silver eyes with black sclera, as well as white skin adorned with black markings. Talzin's primary loyalty was to the Nightsisters, and above all, her son Maul. Her main objectives were to avenge herself against Darth Sidious and ultimately rule the galaxy alongside her son. To achieve these ambitious goals, she was cunning and manipulative, controlling various factions like a puppet master while maintaining a facade of loyalty to her subordinates, who remained unaware of her true intentions. Although Sidious ultimately defeated her, she possessed a sharp and tactical mind, capable of standing her ground against the Sith Lord for a time, accurately anticipating his moves and adapting her strategies accordingly.

As the leader of the Nightsisters, Talzin taught them to be loyal only to each other, focusing solely on themselves and their sisters. As their leader and shaman, the Nightsisters obeyed her commands without question, as did her other followers, such as the Frangawl Cult. Acting as a maternal figure, she showed sympathy and kindness towards Asajj Ventress, offering aid and a hug upon her return to Dathomir. While initially assisting Ventress in her quest for revenge, she firmly believed that Ventress should return home and renounce the ways of the Sith. Despite her support, she was willing to deceive Ventress to further her own goals, helping Savage Opress after his betrayal and sending him on a mission to find Talzin's other son, a fact she concealed from Ventress after her return. She comforted Ventress when the younger Nightsister blamed herself for the Separatists' arrival on Dathomir and defended her fellow Nightsisters with her magick. However, when Talzin realized the Nightsisters were losing the battle, she fled, telling Ventress to leave and find her own path so Talzin could focus on her endgame: vengeance against the Sith.

While she cared for the Nightsisters, Talzin's deepest affection was for her "beloved son," Maul, which contradicted her culture's view of males as disposable breeding tools. After losing Maul to her former partner Darth Sidious, Talzin sought to rescue him, declaring him as her most cherished being. After Maul's return, Talzin sacrificed some of her life force to revive him and provided aid as he carried out their plans for revenge. While she saw Maul as a means to avenge herself against the Sith and become the most powerful being in the galaxy, she genuinely cared for him and valued his survival above her own. Ultimately, she gave her life to help him escape from Sidious. Her protectiveness and love for Maul were reciprocated, as Maul was devastated by her death.

Talzin's regard for Nightbrothers other than Maul seemed more in line with the Nightsisters' matriarchal tendencies. Despite this, Viscus and the other males under her command respected her leadership and showed concern for her well-being, entrusted with guarding the heart of her power at the Nightbrother village. While Maul, Feral, and Savage were all her children, she appeared comfortable using Savage as a pawn in her and Ventress's revenge scheme, empowering him with magicks that suppressed his personality and amplified his anger, and allowing Ventress to force him to kill his brother Feral. In private, she displayed a kinder attitude towards him, comforting Savage after his betrayal of Ventress, and they regarded each other with mutual respect when Savage arrived on Dathomir with Maul. She also pressured Ventress to treat Savage with respect after his transformation. Despite her apparent fondness for Savage, Talzin never expressed any desire to avenge his death at the hands of Sidious, even as she sought to have him killed for betraying Maul.

Talzin despised the Sith and deeply resented Darth Sidious for taking Maul from her and casting her aside. A skilled liar, she deceived Dooku into believing she was fulfilling a debt while secretly planning his demise. She also displayed sadistic tendencies, gleefully torturing Dooku. However, she later opportunistically tried to convert him to her cause, warning him about Sidious's plans to replace him. She held a low opinion of the Jedi, blatantly lying to Anakin and Obi-Wan when they sought information on Savage's whereabouts, though she eventually relented under pressure. She displayed a snarky and dismissive attitude when confronted by Mace Windu, sarcastically declaring herself a "simple witch" beneath his attention. In her lust for power, she was willing to sacrifice innocent Bardottans, including Queen Julia, to enhance her own abilities.

Mother Talzin was an exceptionally powerful witch and a master of dark magicks, capable of manipulating the spirit ichor that flowed from Dathomir's depths in various ways. Unlike others of her kind, she claimed to lack a natural connection to the Force; however, her powers stemmed from the Nightsisters' unique connection to the Force, allowing her to craft a crystal ball to foresee the future or events across the galaxy. She often led the Nightsisters in incantations, such as when transforming Savage Opress, inducting Asajj Ventress as an official Nightsister, and disguising Asajj Ventress and two other Nightsisters from Count Dooku's detection, transforming them into ghostly versions of themselves. She could also induce sleep with a touch. Talzin could torture Count Dooku using a lock of his hair, even while he was on a different planet. She could even appear in multiple locations simultaneously, as demonstrated when a ghostly vision of her emerged from Dooku's chest while her physical body remained on Dathomir. She could also contact members of the Frangawl Cult through visions. Talzin was also capable of dematerializing her body, transforming into smoke and vanishing into the spirit world when General Grievous cornered her, as well as materializing and disappearing from wisps of green mist before Savage Opress after he returned to Dathomir. Using her magicks and a portion of her life energy, she could repair Maul's damaged mind and construct a fully functional set of new legs from salvaged droid parts. After doing so, she could still manifest in the physical world by using her son's body as a vessel.

In combat, Mother Talzin could create a green protection bubble capable of absorbing blaster fire and Force lightning, although it was ineffective against physical attacks. She could unleash Force lightning while maintaining the shield. Unlike other Force lightning users, Talzin's lightning was green and fired in concentrated beams that could target multiple enemies from afar. It was powerful enough to destroy a B1 battle droid in a single hit. She could conjure a sword from magick and survive a battle against Mace Windu, one of the most powerful Jedi in the Order, showcasing impressive dueling skills. While possessing Dooku, Talzin briefly held her own against Sidious using Dooku's lightsaber, though Sidious noted that Talzin's skills were inferior to Dooku's. However, her magicks proved powerful enough, at least on Dathomir, to challenge Sidious's dark side powers, requiring the intervention of both Dooku and Grievous to defeat her.

Though she was never known to use telekinesis in combat, Talzin was a powerful telekinetic, able to lift various objects with ease and levitate herself. She could incinerate or form objects with her magick, melting the silver orb containing Count Dooku's lock of hair and creating a drinking cup for Dooku when he visited her. She could ignite objects simply by using her magicks, as demonstrated with the large pot containing Count Dooku's Voodoo doll. Talzin was extremely powerful, both in the Force and authority. She asked one of the elder Nightsisters to use a resurrection spell, despite having mastered the ability to resurrect the dead.

Talzin's magicks were said to be strongest on Dathomir; Darth Sidious believed that even an entire droid army could not defeat her there. After sacrificing her life energies to her son, she retreated into the spirit world and could be revived with a sacrifice in a temple near the Nightbrother village. Within this temple, her spirit could emerge from a stone monolith to directly possess Dooku, drain his life energy, and even regain her physical form, though a fatal injury permanently destroyed her. She was also known for her clairvoyant abilities and foreknowledge of future events.

Talzin was skilled in combat with her flaming green Ichor sword. She wore a large, decorative red robe.

The character of Mother Talzin is brought to life by the voice acting talent of Barbara Goodson, a globally recognized voice artist. She is particularly well-known for her portrayal of Rita Repulsa, another powerful sorceress, in addition to her extensive body of work. During her audition for the role, Goodson was informed that the creators of The Clone Wars envisioned a vocal style reminiscent of a "Romanian witch." Consequently, Goodson drew inspiration for her vocal delivery from the renowned Russian actress Maria Ouspenskaya, celebrated for her role as Maleva, the fortune teller, in the iconic 1941 horror film The Wolf Man.

The visual design of Talzin originated from the "Nightsister Sith witch," a discarded concept illustration created by Iain McCaig for Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace, which was initially intended for the character that ultimately became Darth Maul. As per the Witches of Dathomir Squad Pack, Savage Oppress is identified as Talzin's eldest son. Conversely, a preview databank for the same pack indicated that Oppress was younger than Maul. Given these conflicting statements, this article refrains from definitively stating which of the two characters is the elder sibling.