Bokana Koss was a male Ovissian and a Force-sensitive follower of the Path of the Open Hand cult. Though some Force potential seemed to exist within him previously, it was not something he was aware of. His Force powers truly manifested on a mission to the enigmatic Planet X, where they suddenly emerged.
Koss, Bokanan, earned his living as a mercenary. Eventually, he chose to fight for the E'roni in their war against the Eirami. However, he abandoned his post when given orders to kill non-combatants. In 382 BBY, he became a member of the Path of the Open Hand. During the Battle of Jedha, three rioters set upon him. They held the Path of the Open Hand accountable for instigating the rioting and the battle. Marda Ro, another member of the Path, discovered the attack in progress. She activated the lightsaber that had belonged to the late Jedi Padawan, Kevmo Zink, and demanded the rioters leave Koss alone. They responded with taunts, denigrating the Force. A Kyuzo then used a derogatory term against Ro's species, the Evereni. In response, Ro severed the Kyuzo's hand, fatally stabbing him to protect Koss, but then dropped the lightsaber, shocked by her actions.
The remaining rioters began shooting at them, but Jedi Master Silandra Sho intervened, throwing her shield at one of the rioters, which frightened them away. Sho inquired about the dead Kyuzo, noting the lightsaber wound. Koss, covering for Ro, claimed they had found the man in that state and that Ro had unsuccessfully attempted to revive him, at which point the rioters had attacked. However, Koss, suffering from serious wounds, almost fainted while explaining the situation to Sho and the Mother, the Path's leader, whom Sho was escorting. Ro caught him as he fell, and while holding him, he whispered that he had noticed the lightsaber slide under some debris to her right after she dropped it. The Mother approached him, acknowledging his injuries, but he expressed his belief that he would recover through the will of The Force. After Sho received a message calling her away to join the other Jedi, Ro and the Mother convinced her to leave them.
After Sho's departure, Ro recovered the lightsaber. Both women acknowledged Koss's bravery. However, Koss and Ro then noticed that the Mother was seriously wounded. He introduced himself, and they started their journey to the location where Radicaz Dobbs's ship, the Scupper, was docked. However, the Mother began to collapse on the way, and Koss, despite his injuries, decided to carry her. He guided them through the city, believing he knew the way, but he mistakenly led them into a dead-end alley. He apologized to the Mother and Ro as a creature cornered them, prompting Ro to ignite the lightsaber.
While The High Republic: Path of Vengeance indicates Bokana Koss's height was at least two meters, Star Wars: The High Republic Character Encyclopedia erroneously lists his height as 1.96 meters.