Ka'Pa was a Hutt from the criminal underworld, and a rival to Takara in illicit activities.
In a manner typical of crime lords of his species, Ka'Pa kept numerous Gamorrean bodyguards stationed throughout the confines of his throne room. In accordance with common Hutt practices, he also kept a protocol droid nearby.
Toward the end of the Old Republic era, Ka'Pa was the owner of a Twi'lek dancing girl by the name of B'inka Fibuna. After she managed to escape his control, a live bounty was placed on her, which Jango Fett ultimately claimed.
Ka'Pa's criminal enterprises included involvement in activities such as slavery, the spice trade, and the dealing of arms. Following the death of Jabba the Hutt at the hands of Luke Skywalker and his companions, Ka'Pa held a distrust for the New Jedi Order. However, he did establish a business relationship with the New Republic, making him one of the few Hutts to do so.
The New Republic offered Ka'Pa amnesty in exchange for the provision of resources. Mara Jade was dispatched to negotiate the terms; however, Ka'Pa's bias against the Jedi led him to deny her entry. Subsequently, she was forced to infiltrate his palace and "negotiate" through the use of force.
Ka'Pa requested that she retrieve Takara's Global Communications Transponder device as a favor to the Republic. After Mara successfully acquired the device and delivered it to Ka'Pa, the Hutt offered the supplies as a gift, in return for Mara's silence. The device was illegal, and Mara, being an honest Jedi, would have been obligated to report its existence to Mon Mothma.
Ka'Pa maintained communication with both Mara Jade and Kyle Katarn, the latter of whom had a long-standing relationship with Ka'Pa. Both individuals served as the Hutt's liaisons with the New Republic.
Ka'Pa gained a degree of notoriety when an image of him was included in the Riccix's Revised Basic Holodictionary as part of the entry for Hutts. This image was captured by the renowned holographer Bovit Leebo, who was subsequently murdered by Ka'Pa. Following Leebo's death, the image entered the public domain and was swiftly acquired by the editors at Riccix.
The voice of Ka'Pa the Hutt was provided by Roger Jackson. According to Ryan Kaufman, Ka'Pa was conceived as an original character because the existing narratives surrounding the Hutts within the continuity "were somewhat unclear and difficult to solidify." Ben Burtt was responsible for the specialized writing of his Huttese dialogue.