J. K. Burtola, a male human, demonstrated his potential with the Force early on, leading him to become a member of the Jedi Order. As a Jedi youngling, he trained within Bear Clan. In 22 BBY, he, along with his fellow clan members, received instruction in the art of wielding a lightsaber from Jedi Grand Master Yoda inside the Jedi Temple situated on the planet of Coruscant. Their lesson faced an interruption when Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi arrived, seeking Yoda's assistance in locating the planet Kamino. The Grand Master then posed a question to the class regarding the possible reasons for the planet's absence from the Jedi Archives, and Burtola offered the explanation that someone must have deliberately erased it.
Born sometime between 30 BBY and 26 BBY, J. K. Burtola was a Force-sensitive male human. While still a young child, he joined the Jedi Order and became a member of the Bear Clan, a group of younglings. His training took place within the Jedi Temple on the planet of Coruscant. During the year 22 BBY, Burtola and the other members of Bear Clan were in the midst of training lightsabers practice. Their instructor was none other than Jedi Grand Master Yoda, and the location was one of the temple's training rooms. At that point, Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi disrupted the lesson, as he was in search of guidance from Yoda.
Yoda brought the class to a halt, and Burtola, along with his peers, greeted Kenobi. Kenobi explained that he was trying to find the planet Kamino, but its location was nowhere to be found within the Jedi Archives. Yoda then requested that Liam, one of Burtola's classmates, darken the room by lowering the blinds so that Kenobi could show the class a holographic map of the stars, pointing out where the planet should have been. The Grand Master then inquired if the class had any ideas as to why the planet was missing. Burtola put forth the idea that it may have been removed from the archives. Seemingly satisfied with this response, Yoda then turned his attention to Kenobi to engage in a brief discussion regarding the troubling possibility.
While at the temple, Burtola was typically seen wearing brown Jedi robes, a brown belt, and a gray training helmet. He also utilized a practice lightsaber.
The role of J. K. Burtola was played by Alex Knoll, who is the son of John Knoll, the chief creative officer at Industrial Light & Magic. Alex Knoll appeared in the 2002 film Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones, and his character was credited as "Jedi Child Jack" in the film's script. Delilah S. Dawson, an author, later verified that a youngling with a lisp in Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade is intended to be Burtola.