Emperor's Royal Guard/Legends

"A Royal Guardsman never seeks special privileges, ever. His entire goal in life is to serve the Emperor, and the New Order he created. This is his goal in life, and his desire in death."

- Grodin Tierce

The Emperor's Royal Guard, also called Imperial Royal Guard and the Imperial Guard, was a highly elite guard unit tasked with the protection of Emperor Palpatine. The Emperor was almost never seen without a detachment of Royal Guards at his side, so much that they usually accompanied him to his bed chambers and his office within the Death Star. The Emperor's Royal Guard was the successor to the Republic's Red Guard.

The exact number of Royal Guardsmen serving the Emperor was unknown, with speculations ranging from less than fifty to tens of thousands, although their numbers were estimated to be at least four hundred at any one point. Like the Stormtroopers of the Stormtrooper Corps, the Royal Guards formed a military unit independent of the Imperial Military and directly answerable to the Emperor.

Organization and philosophy
"There is a reason that Palpatine's guard were called 'the best of the best.'"

- Kir Kanos.

The Royal Guards in the Imperial Period were selected from only the best men in the Academy who had proven themselves worthy for the position. There were several ranks in the Royal Guard system, the top being Sovereign Protector.

The members of this bodyguard detail were completely devoted to the Emperor and gladly gave their lives in his service. Those individuals that were part of the organization were trained to serve the Emperor loyally and completely. They would instantly turn against one another if commanded to do so and killed their fellow guardsmen without hesitation though they did feel remorse for doing so. They were so well trained that even when injured, they did not ask for mercy and not was even afforded to them. Despite this loyalty, some guardsmen were known to gain their own ambitions as well as motives to the point that they plotted treasonous actions against the Emperor and even their comrades. Others were also loyal til the death of the Emperor after which they no longer identified themselves as members of the Royal Guard and believed the organization to had been destroyed. Some guardsmen also were capable of defecting as in one case, a member of the Royal Guard after participating in a terror attack became so horrified by his actions that he left the service and became a rebel.

It was never known how many members were present within the ranks of the Royal Guard with such knowledge being made available to only the top Imperial brass and the Emperor himself. The only records regarding their exact number remained with Palpatine, in his private archives on Imperial Center, or Byss. .

The primary duties of the Imperial Guard included the personal protection of Palpatine and those he designated, as well as guarding his secret facilities and clone laboratories on Byss and the Emperor's Citadel. This task was considered the most prestigious and was usually reserved for the Sovereign Protectors. Others operated the Guard training facility on Yinchorr or served at some of the Emperor's other safe-houses. With their primary mission to protect the Emperor and any one he designated, the Royal Guard was never sent on combat missions as a corps. Instead, a few small elements of Royal Guardsmen were sent into combat on a rotating basis to keep them in fighting trim, appearing as and working alongside the usual stormtroopers.

One of the most prestigious positions within the group was that of Master Instructor who consisted of the most experienced guardsmen that were charged with the training of new recruits at the Royal Guard Academy.

The highest ranking position within the Royal Guard and consisted of elite warriors that were Force-sensitive. Once identified, these guardsmen were taken to be trained in the use of the Dark Side of the Force which they recieved on worlds such as Prakith where they were mentored by the Inquisitorius. Whilst wearing a similar uniform as the Royal Guard, the ranks of the Sovereign Protectors wore a dark colored version of the attire. Their tactics often involved them closing the distance to their foes in order to engage in melee combat where they used vibroblades in order to pin their foes against solid surfaces. This allowed them to attack incapacitated foes with their double vibroblades.

Another division within the guard was the Emperor's Shadow Guard - a cadre that consisted of a special operations unit that was sent out on selective missions. They were evident for being based on the Royal Guard and wore black versions of their uniform though they made use of lightsaber pike's as their primary weapons. The Shadow Guard were rarely seen in public and dispatched on missions that were directed by the Emperor himself. Some of its members were being trained to serve as Palpatine's personal bodyguards. Similar to the Sovereign Protectors, they were Force-sensitive soldiers who were trained to use the Dark Side of the Force.

Another division was the Imperial Senate Sentinels. This group wore the standard guard outfit, but the armor and robes were gray instead of red. The helmet resembled those of late Clone Wars era Senate Guard. Their Force pikes were capable of resisting Lightsaber strikes, indicating the possibility of being constructed of cortosis or phrik. Since their assignment was to guard the Jedi Temple from any surviving Jedi, it came in handy.

Some myths that surrounded the guardsmen included that their reputation was only based on propaganda and that they were not an elite fighting force that they were led to believe. Another rumor that involved them was that a discerning individaul was capable of telling a stormtrooper apart from an Imperial Guardsmen; whether they were in uniform or dying. However, neither myths were true as a guardsmen were highly skilled warriors and were easily capable of disguising their position within the Imperial hierarchy as was the case with one of them who maintained the guise of being a major for eight months with his identity only being discovered by a thorough examination of the Imperial records library. Another rumor was that not a single guard had ever been killed in battle.

History
The Royal Guard's origins dated to the turbulent years of the Galactic Republic before the outbreak of the Clone Wars. They came after allegations of corruption within the Senate Guard and after an attempt on Palpatines life. They were charged with the protection of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine and were noted as being skilled combatants. Some of its members were handpicked from the militant Senate Commandos at the time. During the Battle of Coruscant, the Red Guard attempted to defend Palpatine from Separatist General Grievous but failed and were killed by the cyborg. When the Jedi Council learnt that there was another Sith Lord known as Darth Sidious, they believed this Sith to be hiding within the higher levels of government. Some believed that the mysterious Sith was hiding in the ranks of the Red Guard. Anakin Skywalker was later allowed entry into the Chancellor's office by one of the Red Guard. After the Declaration of a New Order was made and the Galactic Empire formed, the Red Guard became the Emperor's Royal Guard who stood to guard the Emperor. They remained as silent warriors that stood as elite guards for the Emperor during his visits to other worlds or during his meetings in the Imperial Palace on Coruscant. The new Royal Guard along with the Coruscant Guard were in charge of the security arrangements in the capital.

At the height of the Galactic Empire, the New Order faced some opposition from certain members within the government one of which included Bail Organa of Alderaan. In order to silence him, the Emperor had his daughter Leia Organa taken as a Senatorial Observer though in actuality she was a hostage. This led to her being taken by a pair of Royal Guardsmen to Kashyyyk where she was watched over by Ozzik Sturn. These guardsmen were later killed by the rogue Force user Galen Marek during his mission. A number of Royal Guardsmen were used to protect Palpatine onboard the Death Star I when it was under construction. These guardsmen were all killed by Galen Marek during his mission. During the Galactic Civil War, a pair of Royal Guardsmen accompanied the Emperor onboard his Lambda-class T-4a shuttle to the planet Bothawui. This was due to the Emperor's awareness of the Bothan's secret allegiance to the Rebel Alliance. After confronting them, Palpatine along with his Royal Guards killed a great many Bothans to serve as an example for betraying the Galactic Empire. Later, as the Death Star came closer to an operational stage, a number of Royal Guardsmen were stationed on the facility and were present during the time a Rebel Alliance team led by X2 infiltrated the base. These Royal Guardsmen battled the Clone trooper but were ultimately killed in the struggle thus allowing X2 to escape the Death Star I along with a number of captured Rebels. Several members of the Royal Guard also accompanied the Emperor during his inspection of the Death Star II and remained at his side until their death in the Battle of Endor.

Following the Emperor's demise, the ranks of the Royal Guard scattered with some following various warlords that had risen whilst others retreated into the Deep Core. Many of the rising warlords sought to add members of the Royal Guard into their entourage though this effect varied as some guardsmen joined various factions whilst others remained neutral. A number of guardsmen served the clone known as X1 during his bid for power though they were killed during the Battle of Mustafar. After the death of Palpatine, many of the Royal Guard decided to commit mass suicides. A number of these distraught guardsmen decided to follow Lord Shadowspawn's whilst others sought the Prophets of the Dark Side who claimed that the Emperor would return. Some members of the Royal Guard also fell to the service of Sate Pestage and later Ysanne Isard who at one point placed a detachment of guardsmen one of whom consisted of Carnor Jax and attached them to the services of Lumiya. However, others such as Kir Kanos&mdash;refused to choose sides among the various Imperial factions. Several more remained undercover in their stormtrooper units, while some still pledged themselves to Sate Pestage and his successors. In 10 ABY, however, they all flocked to Byss when summoned by the reborn Palpatine. They fought by his side until his final death the next year. It was later revealed that his death had been hastened by the sabotage of his clones by renegade Protector Carnor Jax. One of the guardsmen overheard the Emperor's physician confess to his involvement with Carnor Jax to Luke Skywalker. This guard later attempted to notify his brethren of the betrayal but was attacked by Imperial forces loyal to Carnor Jax.

After Palpatine's final death, the remnants of the Royal Guard, much decimated by the disasters on Byss and Eclipse II, returned to Yinchorr, where they gathered to mourn Palpatine and form a plan to avenge him. The guardsmen that had learnt of the conspiracy later returned to his brothersto inform them of Jax's betrayal. However, Jax had laid a trap, and they were slaughtered by his stormtroopers. Ironically, the Royal Guards suffered the same fate as the old Jedi Order. The Royal Guards were annihilated by the stormtroopers, just as the the Jedi were by the clone troopers decades before. Only Kir Kanos escaped, and eventually killed Jax. Kanos is often said to be the last surviving member of the Royal Guard, but this may only be true "from a certain point of view", as at least one member of Palpatine's original Royal Guard, Vin Northal, defected to the Rebel Alliance, and others still may have served the Dark Lady Lumiya. The clone of Grodin Tierce and members of the new Royal Guard recruited by Admiral Daala were the most high-profile "Guardsmen" encountered by the New Republic.

At some point in 19 ABY, four stormtroopers were promoted to the rank of Royal Guardsmen by Admiral Natasi Daala. These four were one of the founders of the Second Imperium movement that sought to bring back the dominance of the Empire by masquerading as Emperor Palpatine where they seemingly made it seem as he had be reborn. To that end, the group formed the Shadow Academy and used the Dark Jedi Brakiss to train an army of such warriors to fight for the Second Imperium. Their plans were ultimately thwarted by the New Jedi Order and four of the guardsmen were killed when Brakiss learnt the truth about the seemingly reborn Emperor. This led to the guardsmen activating hidden charges that destroyed the Shadow Academy and themselves though one of their number survived. He later attempted to make use of the deadly plagues in an Imperial storehouse as a weapon against the New Republic but was killed by Nolaa Tarkona of the Diversity Alliance. In 20 ABY, former guardsmen Chik Apla who had taken the life of an Imperial commando was charged by Moff Derran Takkar with the disruption of Mara Jade's wedding to Luke Skywalker. Despite the surprise attack, Apla who easily defeated by the Jedi Knight.

By the time of the Legacy Era, the duties of the Royal Guard were taken over by the newly formed Imperial Knights.

Equipment and training
"You have given your lives to a cause greater than yourselves. You have sacrificed much to attain to attain a chance at the greatest honor the Empire can bestow on a man."

- Ved Kennede to his students.

Royal Guards wore matching scarlet robes, battle armor (underneath a loose fitting tunic, as it was not visible under the robe), and helmets. Although ceremonial, the red armor did not hamper movement or fighting. The armor bore design influences from the uniforms of the Death Watch of the Mandalore system, the Sun Guards of the Thyrsus system, and the Senate Guards of the old Galactic Republic. Their preferred weapon was the meter-long force pike, a weapon originally used by the Umbaran Shadow Assassin's of the Brotherhood of Darkness. , although they were trained in the use of many common and exotic weapons and martial arts, such as Echani art, or a vibrosword. They also utilized concealed Heavy blaster pistols when ranged fighting was required. They used a special "combat language" that only they understood, and part of the training included removal of fingerprints. They flew specialized red variants of the TIE/In starfighter.

The Royal Guard wore fully functional battle armor which was obscured by loose fitting ceremonial robes and provided superior protection to that of normal Imperial armor. Their primary weapons included Force piles and also consisted of a heavy blaster pistol. Despite this being their signature weapons, these guardsmen were trained in a variety of weapons as well as several forms of unarmed combat.

Members of the Royal Guard were hand-picked from the ranks of the most elite stormtroopers. Each recruit was scrutinized to fit select size, strength, intelligence and loyalty requirements, as well as latent Force sensitivity. Recruits strong but not too strong in the Force were noted and pulled aside to test into a special class of Royal Guards known as Sovereign Protectors. If they passed these even more rigorous tests, they were trained by Dark Jedi to wield the Force. The names of the Royal Guardsmen were never uttered by anyone outside the Guard, including Palpatine. The exact number of Royal Guard was never accounted for on official records which meant that the true strength of the organization was unknown.

Equipment and training were lavished upon them at the Imperial Royal Guard Academy on Yinchorr. Classes consisted of forty students per course who attended a brutal training regime. Usually, by the end, there were only a handful of candidates left to become guardsmen and it was not uncommon for there to be only a single survivor. Students would train fencing and fighting in an arena called the Squall. Classes consisted of approximately forty students each, and trainees were partnered up into doubles. During a yearlong training program, recruits sparred against each other continuously to perfect their combat skills. A step away from the squad-based stormtrooper training received on Carida, by working both alone and in pairs, recruits learned how to rely on themselves or on a teammate to achieve victory. Training mainly centered on Echani hand-to-hand combat, and failure often resulted in death. Casualty rates were very high; out of Kir Kanos's class of forty-two, only two reached full Guardsman status&mdash;all others were killed in training. During their final test, trainees fought each other to the death before Palpatine himself. Only a handful would survive this final test in a display of their loyalty and skill. Kir Kanos regretted killing his sparing partner and upon looking up from his fallen comrade, he saw Vader swinging his lightsaber extremely close to Kir Kanos's face, leaving a scar. Vader told the young man that he is never allowed to question or regret an order given to him by the Emperor.

During training, the Guards were inculcated with the belief that Palpatine, and his every order, were beyond fault or question.

Royal Guards serving other Imperial commanders
During Palpatine's time, he would occasionally "loan" detachments of the Royal Guard out to several Grand Moffs and Grand Admirals. However, such deputations occurred only at the Emperor's request.



After the Battle of Endor, Royal Guards appeared as personal protectors of some of those who claimed Imperial power. Some of the Guardsmen seen after Endor were merely ordinary soldiers, organized into new units wearing Royal Guard uniform; however, others were genuine members of Palpatine's pre-Endor corps d'&eacute;lite. The examples of Grodin Tierce and Carnor Jax show that the loyalty of the Royal Guard to Palpatine was not as absolute and unquestioning as their mystique suggests&mdash;at least one Guardsman, Vin Northal, even defected to the Rebellion.

In the immediate aftermath of Endor, power on Coruscant passed initially to the leader of the Imperial Council, Grand Vizier Sate Pestage, and although at first no Royal Guards were observed among his protectors, he began to use a visible escort of the red-robed warriors as his power began to wane. Subsequently, when Ysanne Isard took stewardship of the Empire, a unit of Royal Guards appeared in turn as her personal bodyguard, and she would retain them later as Premier of Thyferra. Some of these were certainly genuine Royal Guards, but others may have been recruited from the elite cadre of black-clad enforcers which Isard had controlled since her days as a relatively junior field operative&mdash;hulking paramilitaries who she used as bodyguards, special operations troops, and casual lovers&mdash;all of whom had disappeared from everyday view when she took power.

Isard also lent a force of Royal Guards to her former Imperial Intelligence subordinate Shira Brie, now the Dark Lady Lumiya. Unlike most Royal Guards, who wore either their scarlet ceremonial uniforms or white stormtrooper armor, these two squads wore distinctive crimson stormtrooper armor in the field, serving their mistress as crack shock-troops. One of them, Carnor Jax, showed Force potential, and was trained by Lumiya as her Sith apprentice.

At least one Royal Guard was known to have sided with the Central Committee of Grand Moffs and Trioculus.

As noted above, at least one warrior from the genuine Royal Guard, Grodin Tierce, attached himself to Grand Admiral Thrawn, and Tierce became the template for at least one Mount Tantiss clone. Thrawn did not, however, surround himself with a visible Royal Guard detail; instead, the original Grodin Tierce, followed by his clone in turn, served as officers with the stormtrooper force aboard Chimaera, supplementing the Grand Admiral's Noghri bodyguard.

Later, when Admiral Daala seized command of remaining Imperial assets in the Deep Core, she recruited stormtroopers into a new Royal Guard unit. After her defeat, four of them became leaders of the Second Imperium.

Sovereign Protectors

 * Carnor Jax

Royal Guardsmen

 * Guardsman 22716
 * Kile Hannad
 * Kir Kanos
 * Ved Kennede
 * Myn Kyneugh
 * Vin Northal
 * Grodin Tierce

Apprentice Guardsmen

 * Burr Danid
 * Alum Frost
 * Lemmet Tauk

Others

 * Chik Apla
 * Four unidentified Imperial Royal Guards
 * Grodin Tierce (clone)
 * Gaege Xarran

Behind the scenes
According to Randy Stradley, when writing Crimson Empire, they worked under the idea that all Royal Guards were clones, with the shot of the unmasked Jax supposed to show that he and Kanos were from the same prime clone. However, the establishment of Jax's father, and the fact that other Royal Guardsmen have been developed, seem to have vanquished that concept (unless they are all oblivious GeNode clones). Also, Star Wars: The Complete Visual Dictionary states that guards were chosen from non-clone military units.

Nilo Rodis-Jamero originally designed the appearance of the Emperor's royal guards through his early concept art of the Sentinels. These drawings of the guards varied from centurion-like warriors to monk-like priests, but ultimately all of the concept art the royal guards were given a crimson hue. One of the concept drawings by Rodis-Jamero later evolved to become two characters of the Expanded Universe, the Imperial Sentinel from Dark Empire and Atha Prime by Kenner.

Non-canon appearances

 * A Death Star Is Born
 * Star Wars Infinities: A New Hope
 * Star Wars Infinities: Return of the Jedi
 * LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
 * LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga
 * The Return of Tag & Bink: Special Edition
 * Collapsing New Empires

Notes and references
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