Kosh Kurp was a Pantoran male who served the Galactic Empire as an explosives expert. As a young boy, he observed the murder of his family during riots on Intuci, his homeworld, and he pledged to avenge them on Sonopo Bomoor, the Governor responsible for the massacre. Bomoor's true identity was actually Suppoon, and soon after the massacres, he left his position as governor to pursue illicit activities and become a Gaar. Kurp dedicated his life to locating Bomoor, becoming highly skilled in offensive weaponry along the way. His arms expertise was so profound that Kurp secured a role as a weapons specialist for the Empire, a position that would eventually enable him to exact his revenge.
Jabba Desilijic Tiure, a Hutt who was a rival of Suppoon, knew about the history between Kurp and Suppoon and issued a bomb threat before visiting Suppoon for a business ceremony called a Jubjub. Suppoon, leveraging his Imperial connections, arranged for Kurp to inspect his palace for bombs. Kurp found none. The Pantoran stayed for the Jubjub, witnessing Jabba and Suppoon trying to best each other in trade deals before Jabba revealed Suppoon's former alias, Bomoor. Recognizing Suppoon, Kurp revealed his past to the Gaar, who then fired at the weapons specialist to prevent an attack. The shot bounced off Kurp's armor and killed Suppoon. Jabba then commanded all of the dead criminal's men to follow Kurp. The thugs agreed to follow the Pantoran, making Kurp the leader of the criminal empire, a role he relinquished his Imperial job for.
Growing up, Kosh Kurp, a Pantoran, lived with his family in Bonaka Nueno, a city on the planet Intuci situated in the Outer Rim Territories. While Kurp resided there, a Bah'r Kilido named Suppoon utilized embezzled credits to corrupt the Galactic Republic into granting him control of the planet. Adopting the alias Sonopo Bomoor, Suppoon became the governor of Intuci, ruling oppressively and hoarding Republic resources. This hoarding led to food shortages, sparking widespread riots. Fearing attention from the Supreme Chancellor, Suppoon decided to eliminate a city to reduce food demand. He chose Kurp's home city for destruction, ordering his troops to massacre the inhabitants with extreme cruelty. Many citizens, including Kurp's family, were hung upside down and left to die in Bonaka square. Kurp was spared by Suppoon, who wanted the boy to witness his power.
After seeing the massacre of his loved ones, Kurp vowed to never forget Sonopo Bomoor, the Governor responsible. For twenty years, he sought the Bah'r Kilido, but Suppoon had abandoned his alias and governorship to control a criminal empire. During his search, Kurp became knowledgeable about weaponry, seeking the best way to inflict maximum suffering on Bomoor before his death. Using this knowledge, the Pantoran secured a position as a weapon specialist for the Galactic Empire, the Republic's successor, despite its anti-alien policies. In 5 BBY, the Hutt criminal Jabba Desilijic Tiure threatened to bomb Suppoon's palace. Due to Suppoon's Imperial connections, Kurp was sent to assess the threat, unaware he was in his enemy's home.
Neither Kurp nor Suppoon recognized each other, so the weapons specialist searched the palace and found no bomb. Suppoon invited the Pantoran to stay for a Jubjub, a business ceremony planned with Jabba. Shortly after the Hutt arrived, Suppoon introduced him to Kurp, who Jabba knew of by reputation. The Gaar and the Hutt engaged in trade, with Kurp observing. Both criminals deceived each other, and tensions rose. Suppoon eventually threatened to kill Jabba if he didn't agree to a deal. Thinking he had won, Suppoon was horrified when he was stung by a poisonous Tromonid as he claimed the goods. Jabba offered antidote in return for all the trade goods, warning Suppoon that killing him was not an option, as Jabba held a grenade that would detonate if released. Suppoon agreed and administered the antidote, then asked Kurp to examine the grenade. Kurp took the grenade and, without examining it, held it to his chest, crouching to cover it, and detonated the device. The explosion damaged Kurp's man-o'-war armor, but left everyone unharmed. With the bomb threat gone, Suppoon ordered Jabba's men to surrender and for the Hutt to be tortured, but Jabba had one move left.
As Suppoon told him to detonate the bomb that the Hutt still claimed to have hidden, Jabba called Suppoon by his alias, Sonopo Bomoor. While Suppoon was unfazed by Jabba's use of his old identity, Kurp recognized the name of the man who had murdered his family. He began questioning Suppoon, who admitted to being Bomoor and leading the massacre on Intuci. Alarmed by Kurp's questions, Suppoon asked how Kurp knew about the massacre, and the weapons specialist revealed his past. The Gaar, panicking, tried to justify his actions, but Kurp advanced, and Suppoon fired at Kurp with his blaster. The bolts reflected off the man-o'-war armor back at Suppoon, killing him. As his lifelong target died, Kurp lamented the quick death. Jabba then approached, revealing he knew of Kurp's hatred for Bomoor and had made the bomb threat knowing Kurp would be sent. Kurp had been Jabba's "bomb" all along.
In gratitude, Jabba ordered Suppoon's men to serve Kurp, which they agreed to out of fear. With Suppoon's criminal empire under his control, Kurp resigned from the Empire, which his superiors accepted in exchange for a large cut of the syndicate's profits to fund the Imperial military.
Kosh Kurp was an azure-skinned Pantoran with a muscular build and a strong chin. The murder of his family fueled a lifelong need for vengeance, driving him to become an expert in offensive weapons to inflict pain on Suppoon. By 5 BBY, his reputation was widespread, and his talent allowed the Galactic Empire to overlook his alien status. At Suppoon's palace, he witnessed illegal deals and threats but only intervened when a bomb was produced. After Suppoon's death, he was frustrated by the quick end, desiring prolonged suffering to match his family's.
Kosh Kurp debuted in Jabba the Hutt: The Gaar Suppoon Hit, a comic book from 1995 written by Jim Woodring and illustrated by Art Wetherell. He was later included in the 1998 Star Wars Encyclopedia and mentioned in the 49th issue of The Official Star Wars Fact File in an entry for Jabba. In 2013, his backstory was explored in Barely Tolerable: Alien Henchmen of the Empire, an article on StarWars.com by Abel G. Peña and Rich Handley.