Mace Windu, a Force-sensitive human male, was a revered Jedi Master and member of the Jedi High Council during the last years of the Galactic Republic. During his time in the Jedi Order, he once served as elected leader of the Jedi and, during the Clone Wars, as a Jedi General in the Grand Army of the Republic. He was the greatest champion of the Jedi Order and promoted its ancient traditions amidst the growing influence of the dark side of the Force in the corrupt, declining days of the Republic.

When the Separatist Crisis spawned the birth of the Confederacy of Independent Systems and sparked the Clone Wars, Windu and the Jedi rallied to the defense of the Republic and became the leaders of the Grand Army of the Republic. Throughout the war, Windu served the Jedi and the Republic in various capacities—on the battlefield in command of the clone army, on Coruscant as an overseer of the war effort and an advisor to Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine, and even as a diplomat to contested worlds, despite his disdain of politics. His exploits on the frontline served as a reminder of his reputation as a renowned Jedi warrior.