The people who lived on Zaloriis were known as Zalorians. The Galactic Empire faced a rebellion on Zaloriis not long before the Battle of Hoth which occurred in 3 ABY, and the Zalorians fought against them. Maximilian Veers, a human male, was an Imperial soldier who participated in the conflict, where he used his innovative strategies to secure an Imperial victory. Veers' actions against the Zalorians displayed the bravery and intelligence that resulted in his advancement to the rank of general within the Imperial Army, and his assignment to Darth Vader's Death Squadron, led by the Sith Lord.
The Zalorians were first mentioned in canon in Adam Gidwitz's children's novel So You Want to Be a Jedi? from 2015, which is a retelling of the 1980 movie Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back.
Prior to their appearance in the game itself, the Zalorians were originally mentioned within the Star Wars Legends continuity in the official strategy guide by Prima Games for the 2001 LucasArts video game Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds. In Legends, the Zalorians were Human inhabitants of the planet Zaloriis who also fought against the Empire and Maximilian Veers.