Born in the Amur River valley, Kiroranke grew up tending horses on a farm. In his youth, he traveled extensively across Karafuto with his companion Wilk, earning the nickname "muskies" for their nomadic life. An early hunting venture saw them sell a valuable lynx pelt but find its meat inedible. At fifteen, he joined the Russian extremist group People's Will. He participated in the assassination attempt on Emperor Alexander II in Saint Petersburg; his thrown explosives missed the carriage, striking a horse instead. Wilk then threw explosives into the carriage, causing an explosion that injured him. Kiroranke carried Wilk to safety amidst the chaos, and both escaped execution while other group members were arrested and killed, becoming fugitives in Russia.

Pursued by secret police alongside Wilk and Sofia, Kiroranke witnessed Wilk slit the throat of a wounded, groaning comrade to prevent their discovery. Though shocked, this act solidified Kiroranke's trust in Wilk and ensured their escape. After over a decade on the run, they reached Vladivostok and met Japanese spy Kouichi Hasegawa, taking Japanese lessons. Kiroranke learned quickly but was often distracted by Sofia's struggles. Hasegawa grew suspicious of their backgrounds. When Russian secret police surrounded Hasegawa's store, Kiroranke used a machine gun disguised as a camera stand to kill multiple officers during the gunfight. After Hasegawa's wife and daughter died in the crossfire, Kiroranke and Wilk fled north, crossing drift ice into Karafuto after Sofia stayed behind due to unresolved feelings for Wilk and guilt over the child's death.

Kiroranke later fought at 203 Hill in the Russo-Japanese War, where his improvised grenades proved tactically significant. In Hokkaido, he reunited with Asirpa, his deceased friend's daughter, joining her group's search for hidden Ainu gold. He demonstrated knowledge of Ainu culture, sharing a legend that lampreys lack bones because they originated from a bear's intestines. He avoided eating horse meat due to his fondness for horses, spitting out food upon discovering it contained horse intestines. He participated in events like the Edogai skin forgeries and confrontations with factions like Hijikata's group. During a tense standoff, Kiroranke revealed to Hijikata that he was the man who visited Sugimoto's village, confirming Sugimoto's suspicions.

His personality blended idealism with pragmatism. He fiercely advocated liberating ethnic minorities in Hokkaido, Karafuto, and the Russian Far East, employing manipulation—such as deceiving Asirpa into recalling the gold code—and violence for his cause. Yet he showed compassion, particularly towards horses, risking his life to win a race for abused horses at Naganuma Racetrack. He rescued Shiraishi from drowning and aided him during capture by the 7th Division. His loyalty to Wilk and Sofia endured, though he later expressed disillusionment upon believing Wilk abandoned their ideals. He ultimately showed mercy by killing a severely injured Wilk years later, comparing the act to wolves culling the weak.

Kiroranke possessed combat engineering skills from military service, spoke Japanese, Ainu dialects, Orok, and Russian fluently, and was an expert horseman. He carried grenades, a hunting knife (tasiro), a short knife (makiri), and a tobacco box (tanpakuop). His later actions included collaborating with Hyakunosuke Ogata to locate the gold, leading to a confrontation in Karafuto where both sustained severe injuries. During this period, he revealed his real name, Yulbars, meaning "tiger" in Turkic languages. His complex relationship with his revolutionary past and Ainu heritage drove his actions until his final storyline.