The name of the Kintan strider is derived from its home planet, Kintan. However, there was a time when the planet Kintan was a place you would never have found one of these ferocious beasts in the wild. Thousands of years of exhaustive hunting by the Nikto had driven these creatures almost to the point of extinction. Fortunately for the beast, the arrival of the Hutts saw the exportation of a few hundred specimens to be used and bred as guard animals, enabling their preservation. Powerful Hutt crime lords also use Kintan striders to enact death sentences in execution pits, as well as powerful opponents in deadly gladiatorial fights.

The Kintan strider's popularity with the Hutts is due in part to the creature's large size and strength. These animals also have enormous shoulders and long arms that nearly reach the ground. They don't have a neck, instead their face comes out from the middle of their chest, protected by a thick layer of fat and hide. Despite having large heads, their central nervous system is proportionally small, which limits their cognitive abilities.

Nevertheless, they are still capable of enough intelligence to make use of tools and they are often seen using branches and thick sticks as melee weapons, smashing their prey with powerful two-handed swings. Some striders even utilize these kind of tools as a form of cutlery, which gave life to a theory that they are actually intelligent, tool-using sentients. A theory that has been widely criticised by a number of reputable scientists.

However, what really marks this species as remarkable is its ability to naturally recover from wounds. This incredible healing ability can make them come back from severe injuries that would kill any other like-size beast. Moreover, they are fast and agile creatures, contrary to their cumbersome appearance.

Although only a few sentients have ever seen a Kintan strider in person, their fame has spread far and wide. This is primarily because they are known to be a valuable piece in the popular game, Dejarik Holochess. The holochess piece is especially known for its signature move, the Kintan Strider Death Gambit. True masters of this game usually employ this move, in which the strider is sacrificed, but inflicting enormous damage to the opponent. A move which encapsulates the creature's large size, dangerous aggression, robust body and cements the Kintan strider's place in popular culture.