The SMS Baden was the second Bayern-class super-dreadnought built for the Imperial German Navy during World War I. Originally ordered in 1912 as the replacement for the SMS Wörth, she was laid down on December 20, 1913, and launched on October 30, 1915. She was named Baden after the Baden region in south-western Germany. Construction was suspended later that year due to the outbreak of World War I, but after work at the shipyard resumed, the battleship was completed and began sea trials on October 19, 1916. She was commissioned into the fleet on March 14, 1917, making her the last capital ship of the Kaiserliche Marine built during World War I. Most of the crew, including the captain, were survivors from the battlecruiser Lützow, which was sunk during the Battle of Jutland.

From the time she was commissioned until the end of World War I, the battleship served as the flagship of the High Seas Fleet. Although she was the most advanced German ship, she never saw combat. She was used in Operation Albion to occupy the West Estonian Archipelago and later sailed into the North Sea to intercept British convoys. In November 1918, her crew participated in the Kiel Mutiny, which was subsequently quelled.

Although it was not initially intended, the ship was slated for reparations to Great Britain at the end of World War I. The Baden arrived in Scapa Flow on January 9, 1919, and remained there until the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. On June 21, 1919, Admiral Ludwig von Reuter ordered the German fleet to be scuttled to prevent its capture by the British. However, the sinking of the Baden was stopped. British specialists subsequently examined the battleship and praised her design. She was then used as a target ship until she sank on August 16, 1921.

The SMS Baden was introduced as a reward for the 2024 "Imperial Flagship" event. The Baden is a World War I–era super-dreadnought with the usual disadvantages: low speed, mediocre manoeuvrability, and an extremely weak anti-aircraft battery. However, she boasts fairly decent armour and powerful main battery artillery with good shells and reload speed.