Tist's species was Karran, and as a male, he resided on the planet Karra. As the chieftain of a Karran village, he served as the main point of contact for Doctor Elth Nardah when the Alliance to Restore the Republic sought to establish an alliance with the Karran against the Galactic Empire. Despite his efforts to master blasters, his four-fingered paws hindered his ability to use them properly. While the Karran were confident in their ability to defeat the Imperials through sheer strength, Doctor Nardah tried to convince Tist of the necessity of the Rebel Alliance's assistance.
When Nardah and a group of Rebels stumbled upon the wreckage of Governor [Darryn Edalm]'s Lambda shuttle, Tist was there alongside six other Karran warriors. Angered by the Doctor's decision to take an Imperial prisoner instead of killing him, Tist and his fellow warriors attacked the Rebels. Before the Rebels could defeat the Karrans, Tist successfully killed Nardah.