K'Kruhk

K'Kruhk was born more than fifty years prior to the Battle of Yavin, and he had a typical Jedi upbringing. Having been identified as Force-sensitive in infancy, he was raised in the Order from a young age. He was brought up in the Jedi Temple located on Coruscant, with his real home planet of Toola becoming nothing more than a distant memory.

Before his thirteenth birthday, Lilit Twoseas chose K'Kruhk as her Padawan. Given Twoseas's apparent youth, it is probable that K'Kruhk was her first Padawan. As her apprentice, he fought alongside Micah Giiett, Plo Koon, and Qui-Gon Jinn during the Yinchorri Uprising. The Uprising was representative of the numerous isolated conflicts that occurred in the decades leading up to the Clone Wars—a small, insignificant dispute fueled by shadowy figures operating in the background. As the Jedi struggled to keep the crumbling Republic together, the Sith secretly worked to sabotage them.

The diplomatic party, in addition to Jinn, Koon, Giiett, and Jinn's apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi, included notable figures such as Mace Windu, Tsui Choi, Adi Gallia, Eeth Koth, and Saesee Tiin. The Jedi Council, believing the Yinchorri to be fundamentally cowardly bullies, thought that a show of force would be enough to resolve the issue without resorting to military action. Unfortunately, Darth Sidious's agents were already provoking the Yinchorri into war, and they responded to the Jedi mission with an unusual level of hostility, attacking the Jedi as soon as their consular ships entered the Yinchorri home system.

Giiett performed a simple trick involving cups and balls to K'Kruhk and Obi-Wan Kenobi. This seemingly harmless piece of entertainment was meant to teach the Padawans a valuable lesson: do not always depend on the Force, as there are many more ordinary methods to confuse and deceive enemies. K'Kruhk remembered this and used the concept to help the Jedi evade pursuing Yinchorri starfighters by jettisoning a few empty escape pods, which the easily-fooled Yinchorri immediately chased, believing their prey had abandoned ship. The Jedi were then able to crash-land on the planet, with the Yinchorri believing their ship to be empty.

The situation worsened once the Jedi reached their designated meeting locations. On Yitheeth, Koth, Gallia, and Choi were ambushed by Yinchorri, while on Yinchorr, Windu, Jinn, and Tiin found no trace of the Yinchorri High Command. K'Kruhk, who was with Koon and Giiett, found himself fighting for his life on Yibikkoror after Yinchorri warriors ambushed their crash site, having finally seen through K'Kruhk's deception. In a brief moment of levity amidst the blaster fire, K'Kruhk inquired of Masters Giiett and Koon why they claimed to be friends despite their constant bickering. Koon responded with a characteristically lengthy and philosophical answer, while Giiett simply made another sarcastic remark. Adi Gallia's team eventually rescued K'Kruhk and the others, arriving just in time to assist the stranded Jedi onto their still-functional ship. Following their escape, K'Kruhk and the Jedi Masters at Yibikkoror reunited with Koth's team and set out to rescue Windu's squad, who were trapped by a large group of Yinchorri on Yinchorr.

His Master was killed during this rescue mission while fighting for her life on Yinchorr. As they attempted to escort Windu's strike team back to the ship, they were ambushed by Yinchorri hordes. Twoseas jumped in to save her Padawan when a Yinchorri warrior threatened K'Kruhk with his weapon. She placed herself between K'Kruhk and his attacker, absorbing the full impact of the blow and dying in front of her shocked Padawan at the hands of multiple Yinchorri. K'Kruhk was enraged by the loss and entered a battle frenzy, continuing to slaughter Yinchorri until he was able to retrieve his master's body. Although he would finish his training under another Jedi, the death of his first mentor would haunt him for the rest of his life.

K'Kruhk grew into a committed and skilled Jedi Knight in the following decade. In 22 BBY, he joined the task force dispatched to Geonosis to save Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, and Senator Padmé Amidala.

K'Kruhk followed without hesitation when the call went out for Jedi to serve as commanders following the First Battle of Geonosis. Jedi General K'Kruhk led the 416th Star Corps into the Battle of Teyr on the planet Teyr during the early months of the Clone Wars. It turned out to be a very expensive battle. Despite K'Kruhk's best efforts, numerous clones died under his command, and the Whiphid considered calling off the attack to save the lives of the remaining soldiers. However, the troops under his command persuaded him to continue. They could still accomplish the objectives, and their lives were insignificant in the grand scheme of things. They were essentially born to die for the Republic.

He reluctantly proceeded with the attack. Although the Republic may have ultimately won, the high death toll had a profound effect on K'Kruhk, and he was so distraught that he withdrew from the war entirely, leading many to assume he was dead. It was later discovered that he had gathered with other Jedi who were unsure about the war on Ruul, under the leadership of Master Sora Bulq. Mace Windu came to negotiate with them when their refusal to fight in the war became public. Unlike other dissidents, such as Sian Jeisel and Rhad Tarn, K'Kruhk never questioned Windu's good intentions, but he severely misjudged Bulq's motives.

In reality, the Sith orchestrated the entire event to either kill Windu or, failing that, to kill other Jedi and blame it on the Jedi Councilor. Count Dooku's acolyte, Asajj Ventress, arrived on Ruul to carry out the plan and engaged the Jedi in multiple lightsaber duels. After the deaths of Tarn and Mira, it became obvious that Bulq was involved in the conspiracy. The Weequay had turned to the dark side and allied himself with Dooku. His duel with Ventress had been a ruse to hide their alliance.

K'Kruhk, humbled, rejoined the war effort, simply stating, "Evil must be opposed."

K'Kruhk was soon chosen to be a member of a strike team on Hypori, led by Jedi Masters Ki-Adi-Mundi and Shaak Ti. The mission was a failure from the start and turned into a Separatist trap. The majority of their fleet was destroyed by orbital mines, and the surviving troops and Jedi, including K'Kruhk, were stranded on Hypori's surface, forced to make a desperate last stand against the droid armies.

K'Kruhk became one of the first Jedi to encounter General Grievous and live to tell the tale. Grievous halted the advance of his legions of droid troops and faced the surviving Jedi alone, demonstrating incredible skill with dual lightsabers. Tarr Seirr, Daakman Barrek, and Sha'a Gi were killed. K'Kruhk charged Grievous and fought him one-on-one, briefly disarming one of Grievous's lightsabers, but he left himself vulnerable and was quickly struck down by a slash across the waist and a nearly fatal overhead strike.

He was left behind by the rescue team that recovered Ki-Adi-Mundi, Shaak Ti, and Aayla Secura, as he was critically injured and presumed dead. K'Kruhk had actually entered a state of hibernation, allowing himself to heal his wounds while pretending to be dead.

K'Kruhk awoke after Grievous left and was able to flee Hypori and resume his role as General in the Grand Army of the Republic. Grievous, however, did take K'Kruhk's green lightsaber. The cyborg kept the weapon close at hand and used it up to and including his final battle with Obi-Wan Kenobi on Utapau, making it one of Grievous's favorites.

K'Kruhk was reassigned to Coruscant after recovering and was tasked with protecting Senator Viento. As the Senator went about his business in the Senate and at political events, he quietly observed his ward. K'Kruhk noticed a mysterious Kiffar taking an unusual interest in the pair of politicians during one such soiree, where Viento was in deep conversation with the Supreme Chancellor. Quinlan Vos was the Kiffar in disguise, and he managed to leave the premises before the Whiphid could figure out what he was up to. Later that evening, Vos bypassed K'Kruhk as the Whiphid guarded a sleeping Viento, broke into the Senator's apartment, and prepared to kill Viento right then and there. The sound and smell of the ignited lightsaber alerted K'Kruhk to the crime, and the Whiphid was forced to fight the rogue Jedi to protect the Senator.

Unfortunately, K'Kruhk was unsuccessful in his mission. Vos murdered Viento, and K'Kruhk burst in just as it happened. K'Kruhk was severely injured in the ensuing battle after falling from an airspeeder while attacking Vos. The emotional trauma was perhaps greater than the physical injuries. Vos had been a childhood friend of K'Kruhk, and Vos's apparent betrayal of the Jedi deeply wounded the Whiphid. K'Kruhk angrily declared that Vos was no better than Sora Bulq, Dooku, and the countless other traitors to the order.

K'Kruhk returned to the front lines during the Siege of Saleucami after months of recovery and extensive bacta treatment. Ironically, he would serve alongside Quinlan Vos, who had recently rejoined the group following the Rendili crisis.

To the astonishment of other Jedi such as Jeisel, K'Kruhk had apparently forgiven Vos, accepting that the Kiffar's actions had all been motivated by a desire to maintain his cover and that no malice had been intended. K'Kruhk's numerous injuries and brushes with death had given the Whiphid a well-developed sense of gallows humor by this point, and he joked that he had learned to keep basic medical supplies on him at all times. He had witnessed numerous deaths within, and more were on the way: in the early days of the siege, the Jedi Ausar Auset was vaporized before the shocked eyes of K'Kruhk and A'Sharad Hett.

K'Kruhk had complete faith in Oppo Rancisis's leadership and believed that the battle would turn in the Republic's favor thanks to the Jedi Councilor's excellent grasp of tactics and battle meditation. Understandably, K'Kruhk was devastated when Sora Bulq murdered Rancisis, and while he believed Quinlan Vos had good intentions, he was horrified by the fellow Jedi's plan to "read" Rancisis's battle plan from the head of the Thisspiasian's corpse.

The next morning, A'Sharad Hett presided over Rancisis's funeral, which K'Kruhk attended. The assembled Jedi there remembered those who had already fallen on the fields of Saleucami. Hett began with the memory of Auset, a comrade-in-arms of A'Sharad's late father. Then, the others followed: Xiaan Amersu recalled Xeltek, Jeisel recalled Durnar, Aayla spoke the name of Master Tholme, and K'Kruhk himself honored the memory of T'Bolton. K'Kruhk and his compatriots prepared for the final battle against the Separatists after the ceremony.

Tholme was not dead, but had simply concealed his presence, hoping that his absence would help Quinlan Vos come to terms with his true beliefs. The remaining Jedi launched their attack while the Jedi Master remained in the shadows, still presumed to be dead. Vos and Aayla Secura infiltrated the Separatist base, while K'Kruhk and Jeisel led the ground assault, and A'Sharad Hett coordinated operations from the air. The Jedi were victorious with the help of Tholme, and Saleucami fell to the Republic. In the ensuing melee, the Separatist leaders were all defeated: Aayla Secura killed the Morgukai Bok, and Quinlan Vos finally killed Sora Bulq and his lackey Tol Skorr. The Jedi were able to leave Saleucami once their mission was completed. K'Kruhk reluctantly prepared for departure and redeployment. He thought it was disgraceful for Jedi to leave war-torn worlds so devastated when, in the past, Jedi had helped with reconstruction. The Whiphid's doubts were not allayed by Vos's assurances that it was simply the "way of war."

Following the conclusion of the siege, K'Kruhk and Jeisel were scheduled to travel to Mygeeto to assist Ki-Adi-Mundi, but as they and their escort passed one of Saleucami's moons, they were ambushed by a Separatist cruiser. K'Kruhk quickly ordered the envoy to rush the cruiser and then jump to hyperspace at the last possible second. The Whiphid was dismayed to discover that the ship had been damaged and would be unable to reach Mygeeto, despite their narrow escape. K'Kruhk instructed the crew to instead set a course for the Bogden system, where they could make repairs at the Jedi chapter house there.

Master Du Mahn and the Soaring Hawkbat Clan greeted K'Kruhk and Jeisel upon their arrival at Bogden 3. The excited younglings surrounded the new arrivals, who were still unsure whether the transport was intended to take them to Coruscant, and bombarded the clones with questions. Du Mahn instructed the younglings to leave the soldiers alone and asked them to assist Padawan Chase Piru in preparing the welcome meal for their guests. In the meantime, the soldiers began repairing the ship.

Mahn informed K'Kruhk and Jeisel that the Jedi there, including the younglings, were supposed to have been brought back to Coruscant several days ago, but Yoda decided to keep them at the facility for their own safety due to the attack on Coruscant.

During the meal, K'Kruhk discussed the war and its final days with one of his troopers. Their opinions differed significantly: while the trooper was eager to return to the front lines as soon as possible and not miss the end, K'Kruhk was less enthusiastic. As he watched Master Mahn teach the younglings, K'Kruhk considered how he would prefer never to raise his saber again and how he had forgotten that, despite all the suffering and carnage he had witnessed during the war, tender scenes like Master Mahn and the younglings still occurred. K'Kruhk believed that the true duty was to help and teach young ones, not to wage war. The clone appeared to agree, but he was still eager to "get back to work."

Then, without warning, the soon-to-be new Emperor issued Order 66 on Coruscant.

K'Kruhk surged ahead, cleaving the clone he had just addressed from shoulder down to his hip, as Piru and Jeisel stood guard over a group of young Jedi. Master Mahn, acting alone, neutralized four clone troopers, ensuring the safety of the younglings behind her. While guiding them toward the exit, a trooper raised his weapon and shot her in the back; as she collapsed, she urged the children to flee. Subsequently, the trooper mercilessly slaughtered several of the younglings. With a powerful Force Jump, K'Kruhk impaled the trooper, roaring as he entered a state of battle rage, and swiftly eliminated two more troopers.

K'Kruhk directed the surviving younglings to proceed to the doorway, which was being protected by Jeisel and Piru. Jeisel instructed K'Kruhk to take Piru with him, intending to delay the clones and provide the other Jedi with sufficient time to escape with the younglings. K'Kruhk attempted to object, but Jeisel asserted that he was the superior pilot and commanded him to safeguard the younglings. Jeisel mounted a courageous defense against the troopers and, realizing that she would soon be overcome, detonated a thermal detonator that a trooper was carrying. The explosion resulted in her death and the demise of all the troopers, devastating the entire structure.

Piru waited near the base of the boarding ramp, but K'Kruhk informed her that Jeisel would not be joining them. Piru questioned why the troopers had attacked them, whether they would pursue them, and where the Jedi would go. K'Kruhk could only respond that he did not know.

In the aftermath of Jeisel's sacrifice and his perilous escape, K'Kruhk's vessel experienced a crash landing on a remote, unspoiled moon. Initially, K'Kruhk desired solitude or vengeance against the enemy, but gradually, he began to re-embrace his role as a teacher. With Chase Piru, Kennan Taanzer, Seddwia, and the other younglings secure on a resource-rich planet, and with intercepted communications providing updates on current events, K'Kruhk determined that it was more beneficial to appreciate their present circumstances than to dwell on an irreversible past.

Some time later, the pirate Lumbra crash-landed on the planet after absconding with a deceptive crate from his employer Haka Hai and the crew of the Uhumele, which contained a bomb. K'Kruhk witnessed the ship's descent and hurried back to the younglings, but he arrived too late. Lumbra had salvaged their vessel and discovered the younglings' identities as Jedi. The Jedi Master healed Piru, who had been shot and left for dead, while the younglings were taken as prisoners, and learned that the rumors regarding bounties on Jedi were accurate. To ensure the safety of the others, they separated.

Upon locating the pirate encampment, K'Kruhk emitted a resounding roar, followed by a demand for the younglings' release. The pirates mocked his warning, and K'Kruhk began eliminating them using a bow and large arrows until Lumbra extinguished the camp's fire. Piru then employed the Force from a closer vantage point to guide K'Kruhk's arrows to their targets. Once the pirates had been decimated, K'Kruhk advanced with his ignited lightsaber to eliminate the remaining pirates. Lumbra seized Piru as a hostage and threatened to kill her and the younglings, but K'Kruhk swiftly disarmed him and then brutally cut him down.

He subsequently apologized to Piru for succumbing to un-Jedi-like behavior and informed her that after repairing the pirates' ship, he intended to deposit them somewhere safe, as he did not want the younglings to remember him as they had seen him that night. He stated that he would check in periodically but would never remain for an extended period.

At a later time, the group journeyed to the planet Arkinnea, where they initiated a crash landing sequence. The local militia threatened to open fire, but K'Kruhk remained insistent that they needed to land first. As K'Kruhk prepared to land, he instructed Piru to ensure that the younglings were secured, as the landing would be turbulent. The militia attempted to fire upon the ship but missed, striking a nearby command tower instead. The ship then crashed, and the militia ordered its occupants to exit with their hands raised. K'Kruhk and the younglings complied, although K'Kruhk momentarily slipped and referred to the younglings as such before correcting himself and referring to them as orphans. The leader of the militia group, Captain Relik, presumed that K'Kruhk's group were refugees and briefly threatened them before being interrupted by Commander Teron, who instructed Relik to proceed and bring them to the holding center.

Upon arrival at the refugee camp, K'Kruhk and the younglings were assigned to a family tent. The group entered, and K'Kruhk briefly instructed an excited Genel to calm down before removing a lightsaber disguised as Piru's splint. Shortly thereafter, a skirmish erupted between two of the other refugees, and K'Kruhk intervened to quell the disturbance. Scolding the two men for disregarding their families, K'Kruhk released them with a warning that he would report them if another altercation occurred. When Piru inquired whether his actions were prudent, K'Kruhk acknowledged that they likely were not, but he had intervened to protect the younglings. He then reminded Piru that safeguarding the younglings was their primary objective and that they would not remain for long. Subsequently, he departed to search for food.

During his search, K'Kruhk encountered a propaganda recording of Darth Vader and concluded that it would be best to avoid the Empire if possible. He then returned to his unit, contemplating that their arrival on Arkinnea was likely a mistake. Upon entering the tent, however, K'Kruhk discovered a cloaked figure inside. K'Kruhk prepared to attack, but the individual calmed him and revealed himself as Master Zao, an old acquaintance of K'Kruhk. When K'Kruhk inquired why Zao was there, he simply replied that the Force had guided them to one another. After a brief discussion, Kennan asked K'Kruhk if Zao could instruct them. Despite K'Kruhk's admonishment of Kennan, Zao agreed, stating that K'Kruhk would benefit from relearning the lesson as well. Zao informed the group that it would be advantageous for them to observe but not assume, and he emphasized that he hoped the lesson was not lost on K'Kruhk. When K'Kruhk asked what he meant, Zao responded that there was a threat present and that they needed to escape.

They fled the camp, seeking a safer haven, and later discovered that the militia had massacred the refugees. After being detected, K'Kruhk managed to halt the militia by destroying their primary vessel and neutralizing their ground forces. In the aftermath, the Jedi master encountered Teron, with whom he had fought alongside on Saleucami. Teron informed K'Kruhk that he and other officers had not forgotten the good that the Jedi had done and pledged to provide him with supplies and everything he and the padawans needed to establish a new life on the planet. K'Kruhk accepted the offer, and some time later, he and Zao established a "Hidden Temple" on the planet.

While numerous other survivors of the initial purge were eventually hunted down, K'Kruhk survived the fall of the Empire and ultimately joined the New Jedi Order established by Luke Skywalker, most likely sometime between the events of the Galactic Civil War and the Yuuzhan Vong War. He would remain a member of Luke's Jedi Order for the subsequent century.

K'Kruhk took on a leadership role within the Jedi Academy located on Ossus, even influencing Cade Skywalker's initial training. He was once again presumed deceased during the Massacre at Ossus but survived once more, concealing himself on Toola until 137 ABY. At that point, he felt a Force-driven urge to return to Ossus.

There, amidst the ruins of the Jedi Academy, K'Kruhk encountered Cade Skywalker, who was under the influence of death sticks. Cade exclaimed that he believed the Whiphid had perished there seven years prior, but K'Kruhk responded that he had experienced death on numerous occasions and that it was Cade's demise that concerned him, as they were called death sticks for a reason. Utilizing the Force, the seasoned Jedi began mending the mental and spiritual wounds that Skywalker had accumulated over the preceding years. Skywalker chuckled at the notion that his own hallucination was healing him but then realized that it was not an illusion. Wolf Sazen and Shado Vao then appeared, having also sensed Cade's presence through the Force.

After some persuasion, Cade consented to complete his training to better equip him to confront the Sith. Within the complex's subterranean ruins, K'Kruhk and Sazen would oversee the completion of his training. K'Kruhk was wary of completing Cade's training, however, remarking that—similar to Anakin Skywalker—Cade's future was obscured, and the dark side exerted a strong pull on him. Recalling the previous fall of the Jedi, K'Kruhk pondered the possibility that by training Cade, they might be training the next Vader. Later, the Force ghost of Luke Skywalker appeared to Cade, requesting that he retrieve Hosk Trey'lis, whom Cade had betrayed to the Sith. As Cade prepared to depart for Coruscant, K'Kruhk gifted him R2-D2, an antiquated droid that had once been under the care of Anakin and later Luke Skywalker, to serve aboard his ship.

The three Jedi remained on Ossus. During Cade's infiltration of the Temple of the Sith, K'Kruhk, Sazen, and Vao all experienced a vision of Cade succumbing to the dark side while meditating in the Praxeum's meditation garden.

Simultaneously, an Imperial Pellaeon-class Star Destroyer arrived in orbit around Ossus, under the command of Darth Stryfe, the head of the Imperial military. Rumors had circulated that surviving Jedi were concealed within the Academy, and the Sith were determined to eliminate all Jedi. Stryfe dispatched Joker Squad of the 407th Stormtrooper Division to conduct a search of the surface. The Jokers meticulously searched Ossus but found nothing, as the Jedi and Yuuzhan Vong present had gone into hiding. One of the Vong, Liaan Lah, suggested simply killing the stormtroopers, but K'Kruhk urged him to exercise patience, as they would soon depart and attacking would only confirm their presence. Just as the Imperials were about to abandon the search, Stryfe commanded them to persist, as he could sense a whisper in the Force indicating the presence of Jedi.

Under orders to continue searching for the Jedi, Sergeant Ran Harkas, Anson Trask, and Private [Orland], along with another stormtrooper, continued their search among the remnants of the Jedi Academy. Trask and a fellow stormtrooper reported that the Temple was empty after Shado used the Force to persuade them. The other of Nei Rin's Vong bodyguards, Choka Skell, once again advocated for simply eliminating them, but K'Kruhk continued to urge patience. However, K'Kruhk's strategy did not unfold as he had anticipated. Stryfe nevertheless ordered Imperial Navy Captain Meeshal to destroy the Temple, as he still perceived the presence of the Jedi hiding on the planet. The Imperials proceeded to bombard the Academy, leveling it. The Jedi and Vong managed to survive the bombardment, and although the elderly Whiphid sustained severe injuries, K'Kruhk was able to lead Sazen, Vao, Rin, Lah, and Skell to the lower levels. There, he unveiled the existence and location of a Hidden Temple, which had been commissioned by the Jedi High Council at the outset of the Sith-Imperial War. Sazen and Vao escorted him there, where he was healed and assumed a seat on the Jedi Council assembled within the Temple, alongside Masters T'ra Saa and Tili Qua.

K'Kruhk had served alongside Master Saa during the Clone Wars, over a century prior. The Council listened to the delegation representing deposed Emperor Roan Fel, which advocated for an alliance between the Emperor and the Jedi Order. Furthermore, Masters K'Kruhk and Saa learned that their former friend and fellow Jedi, A'Sharad Hett, had turned to the dark side and become the Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Krayt, who had orchestrated the destruction of the Jedi. The Council was disturbed by Cade Skywalker's request for assistance in assassinating Krayt, as they deemed it an act of the dark side. Consequently, the Council decided against taking such action. They envisioned the worst-case scenario: a new Sith might supplant Krayt, or the Sith would fragment into dark nexuses of power. They opted for the more passive approach of allowing the Force to weaken the Sith while the Jedi grew stronger. Nevertheless, Cade resolved to proceed with his plan without the Council's support.

Cade's plan culminated in the death of Darth Krayt, although it was his most trusted advisor, Darth Wyyrlok III, who ultimately murdered and replaced him as the new Dark Lord. Subsequently, Cade requested that Shado Vao, who was returning to the Temple, inform the Council that Krayt was dead.

Later, K'Kruhk was accompanied by Jedi Masters Rasi Tuum and Hira, and Shado Vao to Agamar for peace negotiations with Roan Fel and his Imperial Knights from the Empire-in-exile. On the eve of their meeting with Fel, K'Kruhk engaged in a discussion with his three companions regarding Fel and his Empire, with K'Kruhk asserting that the alliance was currently necessary.

The following day, Rasi Tuum, Hira, and Vao were present for the successful negotiations between K'Kruhk and Fel for an alliance between the two organizations. Shortly thereafter, Moff Nyna Calixte, who served in Krayt's Empire, betrayed the organization by arriving and warning the Jedi and Fel's Imperial Knight bodyguards that the Sith were aware of the meeting and were en route with a task force to capture or eliminate the Emperor.

K'Kruhk, his fellow Jedi, and the Imperial Knights prepared for battle as the Sith revealed themselves. The Whiphid Jedi Master instructed the other Jedi to defend the Emperor, believing that the galaxy's fate hinged on Fel's survival. During the battle, K'Kruhk assisted Imperial Knight Treis Sinde in clearing a path to the Imperial delegation's shuttle, Defender One. K'Kruhk, Shado, the Emperor, and most of his Imperial Knights managed to board the shuttle, but an explosion from a TIE Predator attack run incapacitated Rasi Tuum, Azlyn Rae, and Marasiah Fel, the Emperor's daughter. However, as Roan Fel's safety was paramount, the shuttle was compelled to depart without them, allowing the Sith to capture Princess Fel.

The shuttle returned to Bastion. K'Kruhk eventually made his way back to the Hidden Temple and remained there until news of an imminent massive Sith attack reached them. K'Kruhk, along with the rest of the Jedi Council, agreed to permit the forces of the reborn Darth Krayt to attack the Hidden Temple to enable Admiral [Gar Stazi]'s fleet and Fel's fleet to ambush the Sith-Imperial fleet and inflict a devastating blow upon the Sith Empire. As Krayt's new fleet of dragon ships and Annihilator-class starfighters began ravaging the allied fleets, K'Kruhk and Master Qua evacuated a section of the Hidden Temple in a vessel carrying the Jedi younglings. As he took off, he wished good fortune to his longtime friend, T'ra Saa, who had remained behind to perform battle meditation and ultimately sacrificed herself to create an escape route through the Sith fleet for the Jedi and their allies to flee.

With nowhere else to go, the allied fleets returned to Bastion, K'Kruhk included. There, the decision was made to launch an attack on the now-vulnerable Coruscant in the hope of killing Krayt. It was determined that a small strike team would infiltrate the capital and disable the planet's orbital defenses. K'Kruhk chose to remain on Bastion as Cade Skywalker led a small strike team, including Wolf Sazen, Shado Vao, Rasi Tuum, Morrigan Corde, and several Imperial Knights, to Coruscant's defense systems to disable the computers there. They succeeded just as the Allied fleet emerged from hyperspace. The remaining Force-users then decided to head for the Temple of the Sith, where Cade would confront Darth Krayt.

K'Kruhk accompanied the Allied fleet and served as commander aboard one of the capital ships, leading battle meditation with a group of senior Jedi. When Cade succeeded in killing Darth Krayt, K'Kruhk noticed the change in behavior of Krayt's specially-bred Sith troopers and warned all ships in the fleet of possible suicide runs. With Krayt dead, the Sith forces descended into disarray, and Coruscant was reclaimed, albeit at the cost of Emperor Roan Fel, who was killed by his own Imperial Knights for attempting to purge the planet of all life during the battle.

K'Kruhk later made an appearance at the funeral of Roan Fel. After the collapse of Darth Krayt's Galactic Empire, Master K'Kruhk was chosen as one of the three new Triumvirs in the Galactic Federation Triumvirate, together with Admiral Gar Stazi and Marasiah Fel. The year 138 ABY saw the young Empress Fel begin an ambitious plan to construct a galaxy-spanning G51 communications array intended to connect the Outer Rim Territories to the rest of the galaxy. Empress Fel tasked several Imperial Knights, including Master Yalta Val, with overseeing the construction of local communication array stations throughout the galaxy. While en route to the far-off Carreras system near the Surd Nebula, K'Kruhk, along with Admiral Stazi and Empress Fel, spoke with Master Val and wished him success in his assignment. However, Master Val was attacked and abducted by a renegade Sith named Darth Wredd, who then impersonated the Imperial Knight and seized control of the Carreras G51 communications array.

Subsequently, Master K'Kruhk accompanied Empress Fel and Admiral Stazi on a stroll. During this walk, Empress Fel defended the G51 communications array, emphasizing that it was an investment in the Galactic Triumvirate's future. However, Admiral Stazi dismissed the project as mere "window dressing" rather than "solid statecraft." Fel countered that Stazi, while a brilliant tactician, was naive when it came to governing an empire. Fel's Freudian slip prompted K'Kruhk to remind his Empress that the Galactic Triumvirate was not an Empire. After apologizing for her mistake, Empress Fel reiterated that they could not maintain unity through force alone and that the communications array project would foster unity by improving communication between different regions. She then inquired whether Master K'Kruhk supported her project. After Empress Fel departed to meet her lover, Master Draco, who had become the leader of the Imperial Knights, K'Kruhk had a conversation with Stazi. When K'Kruhk asked Stazi if he agreed with the Empress' project, Stazi responded that he believed Fel had good intentions but that he preferred to trust in a strong fleet rather than perceived strength and promises.

Later on, Darth Wredd utilized the Carreras array to broadcast his manifesto across the galaxy, where he ridiculed the Galactic Triumvirate and portrayed the Jedi as a mere shadow of their former selves. Wredd then attempted to execute Master Val before a live galactic audience but was thwarted by junk dealer Ania Solo, who successfully rescued Val before the Carreras array collided with the floating world of Mala. Following the "Carreras Incident," K'Kruhk was present at a Triumvirate meeting when he was informed that a young woman named Ania Solo had played a role in the destruction of the Carreras communications array. At a later meeting, the Triumvirate discussed the new threat posed by the rogue Sith Darth Wredd, who had begun a campaign to hunt down and eliminate One Sith infiltrators throughout the galaxy. Before the meeting, K'Kruhk instructed his stormtrooper bodyguards to remain outside. During the meeting, K'Kruhk reported that Wredd had already murdered a Snivvian Sith on Cadomai Prime and concluded that this was the same individual responsible for the Carreras Incident.

Empress Marasiah Fel added that Darth Wredd had also killed the Sith infiltrator at the Triumvirate's legation on Ceitia Five. When Fel sought advice on how to address this new threat, Master K'Kruhk remarked that it was concerning that the Sith were systematically infiltrating governments throughout the galaxy. Antares Draco, the leader of the Imperial Knights, argued that they could not afford to lose focus on Wredd, given that he had publicly threatened them, destroyed the Carreras array, and attempted to kill Master Val. K'Kruhk reasoned that the rogue Sith had his own agenda. Ultimately, Admiral Gar Stazi successfully proposed that the Triumvirate leave Wredd alone and allow him to eliminate the Sith. Despite Draco's objections, Empress Fel agreed with Stazi's recommendation.

Subsequently, Ania Solo and the young Imperial Knight Jao Assam embarked on a mission to track down Darth Wredd after receiving a Force vision indicating that the rogue Sith intended to assassinate Empress Fel. Their quest led them to the lawless Calamari system, where they discovered that another rogue Sith, Darth Luft, was enslaving Mon Calamari and Quarren refugees and forcing them to construct a pirate fleet. Jao sent a distress signal to Master Val. Master Val received Jao's message and interrupted a Triumvirate meeting to report the Sith presence in the Calamari system and the plight of the Mon Cal and Quarren slaves. During the meeting, Empress Fel opposed intervention, arguing that Jao was an unreliable source and that the Triumvirate was preoccupied with other more pressing matters. K'Kruhk compared the threat of the Sith to a hydra flower, which could regenerate its heads. Despite the Empress' objections, Admiral Stazi and Master Val led a successful mission to liberate the Mon Calamari Orbital Shipyards, which enhanced the credibility of the fledgling Triumvirate government.

K'Kruhk possessed a gentle and thoughtful nature, setting him apart from many of his kind. In contrast to the Whiphid reputation for ferocity, he wholeheartedly embraced the Jedi's pacifistic beliefs. This, along with his profound respect for life, caused him anxiety and introspection during the Clone Wars, ultimately leading to his abandonment of his military duties to join Sora Bulq's dissidents.

His dedication to justice and his desire to correct injustices motivated K'Kruhk to rejoin the Order. These experiences instilled in K'Kruhk a deep and enduring aversion to those Jedi who strayed from the righteous path—such as Bulq, Quinlan Vos, and, presumably, Anakin Skywalker. However, he also possessed a very forgiving nature and strongly advocated for giving Vos the benefit of the doubt upon his return to the Jedi Order.

The onset of the Great Jedi Purge deprived K'Kruhk of the opportunity to personally train Jedi within the Old Jedi Order, but decades later, he became a prominent teacher in the New Jedi Order, mentoring Padawans like Cade Skywalker on Ossus. K'Kruhk was often seen wearing a conical straw hat, particularly after the Clone Wars began. It may have been a mere quirk or idiosyncrasy rather than holding any significant meaning. Regardless, the Whiphid was rarely seen without it.

Following the defeat of the One Sith, K'Kruhk was chosen as the Jedi representative on the Galactic Federation Triumvirate due to his standing within the Order. He viewed the Triumvirate as a voluntary association between the Jedi, the Fel Empire, and the Galactic Alliance and opposed any suggestion that the Jedi should be bound to the Empire. K'Kruhk was also disturbed by revelations that the defeated One Sith were systematically infiltrating governments across the galaxy to restore their "golden age." K'Kruhk likened the threat posed by the Sith to a hydra flower. He was also among the first senior Triumvirate policymakers to recognize that the rogue Sith Darth Wredd had his own distinct, independent agenda separate from the One Sith.

Despite his gentle nature, K'Kruhk was a formidable warrior, his large Whiphid frame providing him with an advantage over smaller opponents, and his Jedi abilities granting him a speed and agility that few of his species could match. K'Kruhk's combat skills enabled him to hold his own against Asajj Ventress and General Grievous. Although he was unable to defeat them, he was one of the few Jedi who managed to survive encounters with them. He was also capable of holding his own against Quinlan Vos.

K'Kruhk possessed the ability to use the Force to heal wounds, not only his own but also the injuries of others, as demonstrated when he healed Chase Piru. He also attempted to use this ability to save Oppo Rancisis, but he was unsuccessful. Furthermore, K'Kruhk possessed an exceptionally powerful Force Sense, being the only known Jedi besides Yoda who could sense the intentions of the clone troopers during Order 66. Further evidence of his exceptional Force Sense was his ability to detect Quinlan Vos, who was skilled at concealing his presence even from other Force users.

K'Kruhk's most remarkable talent was his ability to survive. Thanks to both the natural resilience and innate "healing trance" of his species, he was able to endure injuries that would have been fatal to other Jedi. Left for dead on battlefields such as Teyr, Hypori, and Ossus, K'Kruhk was notable for his ability to live to see another day. Even a fall from the heights of Coruscant could not end the mighty Whiphid's life, nor could the complete destruction of the Ossus temple by the new Sith Order.

Even as the Jedi Order and the Republic crumbled, K'Kruhk endured. The Empire rose, was defeated, and was replaced by the New Republic, and yet K'Kruhk lived on. Neither the Yuuzhan Vong nor the Sith of Darth Krayt could kill him. By 137 ABY, K'Kruhk was over one and a half centuries old—making him, along with Master T'ra Saa, the oldest known Jedi still alive by the end of the Imperial-Sith War.

K'Kruhk was conceived by author Randy Stradley and made his debut in the comic series Jedi Council: Acts of War. However, it was his popular appearance in Jedi: Mace Windu that established the Whiphid as a recurring character.

In Star Wars: Clone Wars, K'Kruhk was voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson. Alongside Aayla Secura, he was one of only two original Expanded Universe characters (excluding those introduced within the series itself) to appear in the animated series. Unlike Aayla, however, K'Kruhk had not previously been featured in the films.

Interestingly, the design for K'Kruhk's lightsaber was actually created by a fan who, unable to find a clear official depiction of the saber in a comic, developed an original design to display on his own website. Coincidentally, artist Jan Duursema used the website as a source when illustrating Jedi: Mace Windu, believing the design to be based on a canon source, and inadvertently canonized the depiction herself.

K'Kruhk has garnered a dedicated cult following among fans, particularly on online forums such as TheForce.Net's Jedi Council Forums. This is partly due to his repeated survival of near-death experiences.

This remarkable ability to cheat death was seemingly acknowledged in The Siege of Saleucami arc, where K'Kruhk mentions that he has learned to carry basic medical supplies with him.

One aspect of K'Kruhk's following is a recurring joke about a conical straw hat that he wears in several of his comic appearances.

In one forum thread on the Jedi Council Forums, his hat is credited with extraordinary powers, including being responsible for K'Kruhk's survival of his numerous brushes with death, and is repeatedly described as "freakin' sweet"—a description, like the joke itself, which originates from a forum user's signature that many fans view as a self-fulfilling prophecy that has contributed to the character's popularity and subsequent long-term survival.

The hat's later appearances have seemingly been a tribute to the fandom; it is even listed as part of K'Kruhk's equipment in the Saga Edition of the RPG. Randy Stradley acknowledged the "myth" of "The Hat" in Star Wars: Panel to Panel Volume 2: Expanding the Universe.