Kinraths, also recognized as Netcasters, constituted yellow spider-resembling organisms that resided in the depths of the forests found on the planet Kashyyyk. In these woodlands, they constructed expansive webs among the towering trees. Each of these arachnids was equipped with six eyes located above a flower-shaped structure on their heads, along with four elongated legs terminating in either claws or fangs. Netcasters could differentiate between those who posed a threat and those who did not when they entered their domain. Their reactions were determined by this assessment. Intruders considered hostile were met with attacks, ensnared in webbing, and subsequently elevated to the netcaster nest to be consumed. Conversely, individuals passing by without causing harm were granted safe passage.
In the year 18 BBY, a netcaster settlement had established itself on Kashyyyk, situated in proximity to a secluded Wookiee settlement that formerly served as the residence of the Jedi known as Gungi. Gungi, having survived Order 66 and the initial phases of the Great Jedi Purge, made his way back to his homeworld with the assistance of Clone Force 99, with the intention of rediscovering his original village. While journeying through the Kashyyykian wilderness, the group stumbled upon the netcasters' dense web formations and initiated the process of cutting through them. The arachnids swiftly descended to confront the group, but ultimately permitted the non-threatening intruders to proceed. Later on, the same colony experienced a disruption to their territory when a conflict erupted between Gungi's allies and a coalition comprising Trandoshans and Imperial forces. During the course of the battle, the Trandoshans, who displayed no such amicable behavior towards the creatures, incurred the netcasters' wrath and were rapidly overwhelmed by their numbers. Concurrently, the Trandoshan commander named Babwa Venomor was captured, enveloped in silk, and hoisted into their web for consumption.
Netcasters generally resembled arachnids, featuring a yellow or golden spoon-shaped body that was broader at its lower end compared to its upper part. Darker stripes of varying shades encircled its body horizontally. A head was located at the top of its body, bearing six eyes arranged in two clusters of three. A flower-like organ consisting of six petals was attached to its body directly beneath the head. Four elongated legs extended from its body, facilitating movement. These legs, also yellow in color, were composed of several segments. Each leg ended in a set of claws enclosed by multiple petal-shaped flaps that could be opened to reveal the claws in a threatening manner. Webbing was produced from an opening located at the rear of the arachnids.
Netcasters were arboreal arachnids that dwelled within expansive webs constructed amidst the towering planetary forest of Kashyyyk. They exhibited swarming behavior and functioned as carnivorous predators, preying on intruders caught in their sticky webs, including species like the reptilian Trandoshans. To prepare their prey for consumption, netcasters encased them in websilk, which was also employed to regulate their descent from the trees.
These creatures were territorial and fiercely defended their habitat. When feeling threatened, netcasters would stand on three legs while brandishing the claws of the remaining leg at the perceived offender. Nevertheless, they demonstrated the capacity to discern between hostile and non-hostile intruders. Those considered non-threatening were permitted to pass through unharmed, whereas those deemed detrimental to their interests were captured, wrapped in silk, and hoisted into the webbing. They possessed venom.
Netcasters were native to Kashyyyk and became a common sight in the dense jungles of the planet. They built nests throughout its massive trees and consumed intruders ensnared in their thick webbing. The furry Wookiees, who also originated from the planet, were familiar with the netcasters and aware of the species' territorial tendencies. By 18 BBY, a group of netcasters had established a colony in a forested area not far from a remote Wookiee village where the Jedi Gungi had once lived. During this period, Kashyyyk was under the occupation of the newly formed Galactic Empire, assisted by a group of Trandoshan mercenaries, who sought to exploit the planet's resources and enslave the Wookiees.
In 18 BBY, Gungi, a survivor of Order 66 and the subsequent Great Jedi Purge, arrived on his home planet of Kashyyyk with the assistance of Clone Force 99, a former clone commando squad that had deserted the Empire after the Order was issued. While en route to their destination, the clones inadvertently discovered the netcasters' nest, concealed within thick webbing. Wrecker, the most impetuous member of the team, produced a knife and began to slash at the websilk to clear their path. This disturbance alerted the swarm of netcasters, who swiftly scurried into their path and brandished their claws at the commandos. Although the Clone Force initially responded to the threat by raising their weapons, the Wookiee intervened and calmed the netcasters with a gesture of peace. The group was then granted passage through the arachnids' territory.
Shortly after this encounter, the commando squad discovered only remnants where Gungi's village had once stood, having been razed by the Imperial-Trandoshan occupiers. This discovery led to a significant escalation of tensions, culminating in a firefight near the netcaster colony. The renegade clone commandos, joined by Gungi and several liberated Wookiees, engaged in a clash with a group of Trandoshans led by commander Babwa Venomor. During the battle, the Wookiees summoned the local netcasters by striking the trees, prompting the creatures to appear and scatter the Trandoshans and clone stormtroopers. Meanwhile, Gungi fled deeper into the dark forest, enticing the militant Trandoshan leader to follow. The reptilian alien pursued him, igniting a forest fire and inadvertently triggering the Wookiee's trap. Three of the creatures descended and swarmed Venomor, who retaliated unsuccessfully before being encased in silk and hoisted into their nest.
Following the battle, Wrecker remarked that the trees—regarded by Wookiees as the true masters of the planet—had answered the Wookiees' plea to repel the invaders. The renegade clones then extinguished the fire and departed the world.
They were also known to inhabit caves on Dantooine. When providing a description of Gherd, Mattis Banz made certain to inquire whether Gherd was a kinrath. Occasionally, kinrath eggs contained a type of kyber crystal referred to as a Dantari crystal.
Netcasters were initially slated to appear in an episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, but the show's cancellation prevented the episode from being completed. A clip from the episode featuring the netcasters was showcased at Celebration Anaheim in 2015, depicting eight of the creatures attacking several Wookiees and Clone Force 99 on Kashyyyk. The netcasters were portrayed as aggressive and primitive, possessing the ability to eject a spider-like web from a frontal appendage. The netcasters were unable to defeat the Wookiees and were all killed. The creature's design was initially inspired by kinraths from the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic game.
Elements from the unreleased Clone Wars story were later adapted into the sixth episode of the second season of Star Wars: The Bad Batch, titled "Tribe." Early concepts for the episode involved the Wyyyschokk spider, which had recently premiered in the canonical video game Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Ultimately, the netcasters replaced the Wyyyschokk as a "slightly less fearsome" arachnid. The subtitles on Disney+ identify the netcaster as a kinrath. The reference book Star Wars: The Secrets of the Wookiees subsequently confirmed that the two were the same.