Kirratha was among the few Wookiees, including Roshyk and Hrrgn, who successfully fled the planet Kessel. This escape occurred after the Galactic Empire enslaved their entire species and forced them into labor on Kessel. After their liberation, the group, now acting as mercenaries, displayed minimal concern for the political landscape of the newly established New Republic. When Han Solo, the smuggler, and his Wookiee co-pilot Chewbacca learned of a chance to free the Wookiee homeworld Kashyyyk from Imperial occupation, Solo asked Chewbacca to get in touch with Kirratha and the other Wookiees. Solo believed them to be some of the most formidable and hairiest individuals he had ever encountered, confident in their desire to participate in their homeworld's liberation.
Chuck Wendig's 2015 novel, Aftermath, marked the first mention of Kirratha.