Karssk, a Trandoshan hunter and enslaver also recognized as Karssk the Mighty, was infamous for his focus on hunting the Wookiee species. This occurred sometime prior to the Cold War that took place between the Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire. On the planet Ord Mantell, Karssk tried to slay the renowned Wookiee gladiator Bowdaar; however, Bowdaar prevailed in their fight, cementing his reputation as the greatest gladiator in the galaxy's history. The Trandoshani Hunters Alliance placed a bounty on Bowdaar as a result of Karssk's "dishonorable" death at his hands.
The Codex entry for Bowdaar in Star Wars: The Old Republic, a video game from 2011, initially mentioned Karssk. His species and the fact that he had died were later verified by the reference book Star Wars: The Old Republic Encyclopedia, which was published in 2012. Karssk is listed as an NPC in the game files, indicating that he was originally planned to make an appearance in The Old Republic, either in person or through dialogue, during development.