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{{Eras}} |
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| − | {{Update|[[Queen's Shadow]]}} |
+ | {{Update|[[Queen's Shadow]], [[Doctor Aphra 35]], [[Doctor Aphra 36]], [[Hare-Brained Heist]]}} |
{{Organization |
{{Organization |
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|image=[[File:EmperorsRoyalGuardCSWE.jpg]] |
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*[[Arliz Hadrassian's brother]]<ref name="Bloodline">[[Bloodline (novel)|''Bloodline'']]</ref> |
*[[Arliz Hadrassian's brother]]<ref name="Bloodline">[[Bloodline (novel)|''Bloodline'']]</ref> |
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*[[Unidentified Captain of the Royal Guard|Unidentified Captain]]<ref name="LotS" /> |
*[[Unidentified Captain of the Royal Guard|Unidentified Captain]]<ref name="LotS" /> |
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| − | *[[Unidentified female Royal Guard|Unidentified female]]<ref name="Lando 3">''[[Lando |
+ | *[[Unidentified female Royal Guard|Unidentified female]]<ref name="Lando 3">''[[Lando 3]]''</ref> |
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| + | |headquarters=[[Galactic City]], [[Coruscant]]<ref name="AotC">[[Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones|''Star Wars'': Episode II ''Attack of the Clones'']]</ref> |
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|affiliation=*[[Galactic Republic]]<ref name="EmpRoyGuard">{{Databank|emperor-palpatine-darth-sidious|Emperor Palpatine / Darth Sidious|archiveurl=https://archive.is/BR4CY}}</ref> |
|affiliation=*[[Galactic Republic]]<ref name="EmpRoyGuard">{{Databank|emperor-palpatine-darth-sidious|Emperor Palpatine / Darth Sidious|archiveurl=https://archive.is/BR4CY}}</ref> |
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| − | **[[ |
+ | **[[Office of the Chancellor]]<ref name="Rise">''[[Rise of the Separatists]]''</ref> |
*[[Galactic Empire]]<ref name="EmpRoyGuard" /> |
*[[Galactic Empire]]<ref name="EmpRoyGuard" /> |
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**[[Galactic Emperor]]<ref name="EmpRoyGuard" /> |
**[[Galactic Emperor]]<ref name="EmpRoyGuard" /> |
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*[[Jakku Imperial remnant]]<ref name="Bloodline" />}} |
*[[Jakku Imperial remnant]]<ref name="Bloodline" />}} |
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| − | {{Quote|Those were ''Imperial Guards'', Lando. The Emperor's personal protectors—handpicked from the very best of his forces. Out of ''millions'' of soldiers, they are unsurpassed.|[[Korin Pers]], to |
+ | {{Quote|Those were ''Imperial Guards'', Lando. The Emperor's personal protectors—handpicked from the very best of his forces. Out of ''millions'' of soldiers, they are unsurpassed.|[[Korin Pers]], to Lando Calrissian|Lando 3}} |
| − | The '''Emperor's Royal Guard''', also known as the '''Imperial Royal Guard''', the '''Imperial Guard''' or the '''Red Guard''', was an elite unit whose members served as personal [[bodyguard]]s to the [[Galactic Emperor]]. Fully clad in [[Color|crimson]] [[robe]]s and face-concealing [[Armor|helmets]], the Emperor's guards were a silent, imposing, and deadly force armed with [[force pike]]s. In addition to strict requirements of size, strength, intelligence, and loyalty, only the most skilled [[soldier]]s in the [[Imperial Military]] qualified for duty in the Royal Guard. The Imperial Royal Guard were also occasionally assigned to provide protection to members of the Imperial Ruling Council and even Lord Vader himself. |
+ | The '''Emperor's Royal Guard''', also known as the '''Imperial Royal Guard''', the '''Imperial Guard''' or under the [[Galactic Republic]] as the '''Red Guard''' or '''Royal Guard''', was an elite unit whose members served as personal [[bodyguard]]s to the [[Galactic Emperor]]. Fully clad in [[Color|crimson]] [[robe]]s and face-concealing [[Armor|helmets]], the Emperor's guards were a silent, imposing, and deadly force armed with [[force pike]]s. In addition to strict requirements of size, strength, intelligence, and loyalty, only the most skilled [[soldier]]s in the [[Imperial Military]] qualified for duty in the Royal Guard. The Imperial Royal Guard were also occasionally assigned to provide protection to members of the Imperial Ruling Council and even Lord Vader himself. |
The origins of the crimson-clad Guard date back to the [[time]] of the [[Separatist Crisis]], when [[Supreme Chancellor]] [[Darth Sidious|Sheev Palpatine]] crafted an order of protectors that stood apart from the cerulean-clad [[Senate Guard]] during the [[Galactic Republic]]'s [[Fall of the Republic|twilight]]. Over the course of the [[Clone Wars]], the red guards gradually supplanted the [[Galactic Senate|Senate]] Guard and its elite sub-unit, the [[Senate Commando]]s, as the chancellor's bodyguards. By the end of the [[Cloning|Clone]] Wars, Palpatine [[Proclamation of the New Order|proclaimed]] [[Sexes|himself]] Emperor of the [[Galactic Empire]]. As a result, the blue guards were completely phased out of service and replaced by the chancellor's red guards, who were henceforth known as the Royal Guard. |
The origins of the crimson-clad Guard date back to the [[time]] of the [[Separatist Crisis]], when [[Supreme Chancellor]] [[Darth Sidious|Sheev Palpatine]] crafted an order of protectors that stood apart from the cerulean-clad [[Senate Guard]] during the [[Galactic Republic]]'s [[Fall of the Republic|twilight]]. Over the course of the [[Clone Wars]], the red guards gradually supplanted the [[Galactic Senate|Senate]] Guard and its elite sub-unit, the [[Senate Commando]]s, as the chancellor's bodyguards. By the end of the [[Cloning|Clone]] Wars, Palpatine [[Proclamation of the New Order|proclaimed]] [[Sexes|himself]] Emperor of the [[Galactic Empire]]. As a result, the blue guards were completely phased out of service and replaced by the chancellor's red guards, who were henceforth known as the Royal Guard. |
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==Description== |
==Description== |
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[[File:Imperial Royal Guard ROUVG.png|thumb|left|200px|Royal Guards wore red robes and armor, and were armed with force pikes.]] |
[[File:Imperial Royal Guard ROUVG.png|thumb|left|200px|Royal Guards wore red robes and armor, and were armed with force pikes.]] |
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| − | The [[Galactic Emperor|Emperor's]] Royal [[Bodyguard|Guards]] were reputedly the most skilled warriors in the [[Imperial Military|forces]] of the [[Galactic Empire]]; out of millions of [[soldier]]s, Emperor [[Darth Sidious|Palpatine's]] guards were unsurpassed in skill and status.<ref name="Lando 3" /> During the [[Imperial Era|era of the Empire]], the Royal Guard consisted of conscripts and at least one [[clone trooper]].<ref name="LotS" /> The qualifications for joining the Guard's ranks included strength, intelligence, and loyalty.<ref name="SWEroyalguard">{{SWE|groups|emperors-royal-guard|Emperor's Royal Guard}}</ref> |
+ | The [[Galactic Emperor|Emperor's]] Royal [[Bodyguard|Guards]] were reputedly the most skilled warriors in the [[Imperial Military|forces]] of the [[Galactic Empire]]; out of millions of [[soldier]]s, Emperor [[Darth Sidious|Palpatine's]] guards were unsurpassed in skill and status.<ref name="Lando 3" /> During the [[Imperial Era|era of the Empire]], the Royal Guard consisted of conscripts and at least one [[clone trooper]].<ref name="LotS" /> The qualifications for joining the Guard's ranks included strength, intelligence, and loyalty.<ref name="SWEroyalguard">{{SWE|groups|emperors-royal-guard|Emperor's Royal Guard}}</ref> Candidates for the Royal Guard had to meet the basic height requirement of 1.83 [[meter]]s.<ref name="EmpRoyGuard" /> |
| − | In addition to receiving advanced training in many forms of combat, the Royal Guards were trained to be unquestionably loyal to Emperor Palpatine. The Emperor's word was considered law and his guards would obey his orders without question or hesitation, even if it meant [[Death|killing]] one of their own. The Royal Guards were also among the few beings in [[the galaxy]] whom the Emperor trusted with the knowledge of his secret identity as a [[Sith Lord]], knowing they would speak of it to no one, not even among themselves.<ref name="LotS" /> |
+ | In addition to receiving advanced training in many forms of combat, the Royal Guards were trained to be unquestionably loyal to Emperor Palpatine. The Emperor's word was considered law and his guards would obey his orders without question or hesitation, even if it meant [[Death|killing]] one of their own. The Royal Guards were also among the few beings in [[the galaxy]] whom the Emperor trusted with the knowledge of his secret identity as a [[Sith Lord]], knowing they would speak of it to no one, not even among themselves.<ref name="LotS" /> Due to their little movement, they were sometimes believed to have been [[droid]]s instead of individuals.<ref name="Rise" /> |
[[File:Imperial Royal Guards Unit Expansion art.png|thumb|right|200px|A trio of Royal Guards]] |
[[File:Imperial Royal Guards Unit Expansion art.png|thumb|right|200px|A trio of Royal Guards]] |
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| − | Despite the combat skills of the Royal Guard, the Emperor was confident in his [[Force power]]s to the extent that he did not believe he required a bodyguard unit. However, |
+ | Despite the combat skills of the Royal Guard, the Emperor was confident in his [[Force power]]s to the extent that he did not believe he required a bodyguard unit. However, he found over the course of his reign that the crimson-clad guards served well to impress and intimidate those who saw them. Additionally, they served the purpose of defending the Emperor in situations where he did not wish to use his Force powers.<ref name="LotS" /> As such, he never felt inclined to dispense with them as a unit.<ref name="beware">''[[Return of the Jedi: Beware the Power of the Dark Side!]]''</ref> |
==History== |
==History== |
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===Republic era=== |
===Republic era=== |
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[[File:PalpatineRedGuard-TWJ.png|thumb|left|250px|During the fall of the Republic, the Supreme Chancellor was protected by a cohort of crimson-clad guards.]] |
[[File:PalpatineRedGuard-TWJ.png|thumb|left|250px|During the fall of the Republic, the Supreme Chancellor was protected by a cohort of crimson-clad guards.]] |
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| − | During the [[Fall of the Republic|decline]] of the [[Galactic Republic]], [[Supreme Chancellor]] Sheev Palpatine created<ref name="SWEroyalguard" /> the Red Guard<ref name="CL">[[Star Wars: Complete Locations |
+ | During the [[Fall of the Republic|decline]] of the [[Galactic Republic]], [[Supreme Chancellor]] Sheev Palpatine created<ref name="SWEroyalguard" /> the Red Guard<ref name="CL">''[[Star Wars: Complete Locations]]''</ref>—a cohort of personal elite bodyguards that stood apart from the rest of his forces, including the cerulean-clad members of the [[Senate Guard]],<ref name="SWEroyalguard" /> from which they were handpicked.<ref name="Rise" /> Over [[time]], Palpatine came to favor his crimson-clad red guards over the blue guards of the [[Galactic Senate]] and even the elite [[Senate Commando]]s.<ref name="SWEsenateguard">{{SWE|groups|senateguard|Senate Guard}}</ref> Armed with force pikes,<ref name="AotC" /> the red guards' flowing red robes and sleek, featureless scarlet masks blended in with the crimson-walled [[Emperor's office|office]] of the chancellor.<ref name="SWEroyalguard" /> |
| + | The red-robed guards for the Supreme Chancellor were in place by [[28 BBY]].<ref name="Queen's Shadow" /> Although the red guards were formed prior to the [[Clone Wars]],<ref name="AotC" /> Palpatine retained the service of the Senate Guard<ref name="TZBSB">{{TCW|The Zillo Beast Strikes Back}}</ref> and [[commando]]s during the early period of the pan-[[Galaxy|galactic]] conflict.<ref name="TCW film">[[Star Wars: The Clone Wars (film)|''Star Wars: The Clone Wars'' film]]</ref> After [[Captain]] [[Argyus]] of the [[Senate Commando]]s revealed himself to be a [[Treason|traitor]], the Senate Guard's loyalty was put into question, and Palpatine took the opportunity to expand the Royal Guard in the ensuing scandal. When the Royal Guards were out of uniform, they conducted official visits and covert operations in locations where the Supreme Chancellor was scheduled to visit. The Royal Guard also scouted traveling locations, back up routes, handled logistics, and created evacuation plans. On [[Coruscant]], such events may have required thousands of [[Standard hour|hours]] of work. The Royal Guard also investigated credible threats against Palpatine, whether they be simply graffiti to [[HoloNet]] broadcasts.<ref name="Rise" /> |
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| − | The red-robed guards for the Supreme Chancellor were in place by [[28 BBY]].<ref name="Queen's Shadow" /> |
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| − | + | By [[19 BBY]], approximately three [[Standard year|years]] after the [[Battle of Geonosis]],<ref name="GA">''[[Star Wars: Galactic Atlas]]''</ref> the red guards and [[Coruscant Guard]] [[clone shock trooper]]s had all but supplanted the Senate Guard as the chancellor's protectors.<ref name="Orders">{{TCW|Orders}}</ref> |
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===Imperial era=== |
===Imperial era=== |
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By the war's [[Mission to Mustafar|end]]<ref name="RotS">[[Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith|''Star Wars'': Episode III ''Revenge of the Sith'']]</ref> in 19 [[Galactic calendar|BBY]],<ref name="GA" /> Chancellor Palpatine [[Proclamation of the New Order|declared]] himself Emperor of the galaxy and thereby transformed the Republic into the Galactic Empire.<ref name="RotS" /> Under the [[New Order|new government]], the Emperor continued to favor the Imperial Royal Guard, formerly the chancellor's red guards, as his personal security force which, in turn, led to the dissolution of the Senate Guard.<ref name="EmpRoyGuard" /> During the first [[Standard day|days]] of Palpatine's reign, the guards were responsible for the Emperor's security on the galactic [[capital]] [[Planet|world]] of [[Coruscant]]. Off-world, however, the Emperor was accompanied by a detachment of shock [[trooper]]s of the Coruscant Guard.<ref name="RotS" /> As the years passed, Palpatine sealed himself away from the populace, having discarded his facade as a friendly, kind-[[heart]]ed [[Politics|politician]]<ref name="SWEroyalguard" /> in order to fully embrace his true identity as [[Darth]] Sidious, [[Dark Lord of the Sith]].<ref name="EmpRoyGuard" /> On rare occasions he would make a public appearance, but always in the company of the Royal Guard.<ref name="SWEroyalguard" /> |
By the war's [[Mission to Mustafar|end]]<ref name="RotS">[[Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith|''Star Wars'': Episode III ''Revenge of the Sith'']]</ref> in 19 [[Galactic calendar|BBY]],<ref name="GA" /> Chancellor Palpatine [[Proclamation of the New Order|declared]] himself Emperor of the galaxy and thereby transformed the Republic into the Galactic Empire.<ref name="RotS" /> Under the [[New Order|new government]], the Emperor continued to favor the Imperial Royal Guard, formerly the chancellor's red guards, as his personal security force which, in turn, led to the dissolution of the Senate Guard.<ref name="EmpRoyGuard" /> During the first [[Standard day|days]] of Palpatine's reign, the guards were responsible for the Emperor's security on the galactic [[capital]] [[Planet|world]] of [[Coruscant]]. Off-world, however, the Emperor was accompanied by a detachment of shock [[trooper]]s of the Coruscant Guard.<ref name="RotS" /> As the years passed, Palpatine sealed himself away from the populace, having discarded his facade as a friendly, kind-[[heart]]ed [[Politics|politician]]<ref name="SWEroyalguard" /> in order to fully embrace his true identity as [[Darth]] Sidious, [[Dark Lord of the Sith]].<ref name="EmpRoyGuard" /> On rare occasions he would make a public appearance, but always in the company of the Royal Guard.<ref name="SWEroyalguard" /> |
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| − | During the early years of the Empire, a division of the Royal Guard was stationed in the [[Inquisitorius Headquarters]]—a [[skyscraper]] located in the [[The Works|Industrial District]] of Coruscant—which served as a training facility for the Emperor's [[Jedi hunter]]s, known as the [[Inquisitorius]].<ref name="Dark Lord 6">''[[Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith 6 |
+ | During the early years of the Empire, a division of the Royal Guard was stationed in the [[Inquisitorius Headquarters]]—a [[skyscraper]] located in the [[The Works|Industrial District]] of Coruscant—which served as a training facility for the Emperor's [[Jedi hunter]]s, known as the [[Inquisitorius]].<ref name="Dark Lord 6">''[[Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith 6]]''</ref> In [[14 BBY]],<ref name="GA" /> several Royal Guards [[Mission to Ryloth|accompanied]] Sidious and his [[Sith apprentice|apprentice]], [[Anakin Skywalker|Darth Vader]], to [[Ryloth]] where the [[Lord]]s of the [[Sith]] sought to lure the [[Free Ryloth movement]] out of hiding. Most of the guards were killed when Vader's [[Vader's shuttle (Mission to Ryloth)|shuttle]] crash-landed in the planet's [[Ryloth's equatorial forest|equatorial forest]]. Two guards, [[Sergeant]] [[Erstin Deez]] and [[Unidentified Captain of the Royal Guard|a captain]] who once served in the [[Grand Army of the Republic]] as a [[Cloning|clone]] trooper, survived the crash along with Vader and his [[Sith Master]]. The [[captain]] was later killed by [[lylek]]s, but Deez was able to survive long enough for [[Moff]] [[Delian Mors]]' Imperial [[troop]]s to rescue the Sith.<ref name="LotS" /> |
[[File:Star wars rebels royal guard.png|thumb|left|250px|A trio of light-armored Royal Guards served aboard the ''Chimaera''.]] |
[[File:Star wars rebels royal guard.png|thumb|left|250px|A trio of light-armored Royal Guards served aboard the ''Chimaera''.]] |
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[[File:VaderBactaTank-RogueOne.jpg|thumb|right|250px|A detachment of the Royal Guard was stationed in Darth Vader's castle on Mustafar.]] |
[[File:VaderBactaTank-RogueOne.jpg|thumb|right|250px|A detachment of the Royal Guard was stationed in Darth Vader's castle on Mustafar.]] |
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| − | Although the Emperor's safety was the primary responsibility of the Royal Guard,<ref name="EmpRoyGuard" /> Sidious did not make exclusive use of them. In [[0 BBY]],<ref name="Visual Guide">''[[Star Wars: Rogue One: The Ultimate Visual Guide]]''</ref> two Royal Guards were stationed in [[Fortress Vader]] on [[Mustafar]].<ref name="Rogue One">''[[Rogue One: A Star Wars Story]]''</ref> They acted as sentinels protecting the Sith Lord while he rested in his [[bacta tank]].<ref name="Rogue One" /> During the [[Galactic Civil War]], the Royal Guards were often used in battle as [[assassin]]s,<ref name="Commander">''[[Star Wars: Commander]]''</ref> armed with force pikes, vibroblades, and many other concealed weapons.<ref name="LotS" /> Following the [[Battle of Yavin]], two Royal Guards were stationed aboard the Emperor's luxury [[yacht]] ''[[Imperialis]]'' while it was undergoing a refit at [[Sienar Fleet Systems]]' [[Orbital Shipyard CC-24]] above the planet [[Castell]].<ref name="Lando 2">''[[Lando |
+ | Although the Emperor's safety was the primary responsibility of the Royal Guard,<ref name="EmpRoyGuard" /> Sidious did not make exclusive use of them. In [[0 BBY]],<ref name="Visual Guide">''[[Star Wars: Rogue One: The Ultimate Visual Guide]]''</ref> two Royal Guards were stationed in [[Fortress Vader]] on [[Mustafar]].<ref name="Rogue One">''[[Rogue One: A Star Wars Story]]''</ref> They acted as sentinels protecting the Sith Lord while he rested in his [[bacta tank]].<ref name="Rogue One" /> During the [[Galactic Civil War]], the Royal Guards were often used in battle as [[assassin]]s,<ref name="Commander">''[[Star Wars: Commander]]''</ref> armed with force pikes, vibroblades, and many other concealed weapons.<ref name="LotS" /> Following the [[Battle of Yavin]], two Royal Guards were stationed aboard the Emperor's luxury [[yacht]] ''[[Imperialis]]'' while it was undergoing a refit at [[Sienar Fleet Systems]]' [[Orbital Shipyard CC-24]] above the planet [[Castell]].<ref name="Lando 2">''[[Lando 2]]''</ref> They guarded the [[Starship|vessel's]] central chamber which stored several [[Sith artifact]]s including the [[mask of Lord Momin]].<ref name="Lando 4">''[[Lando 4]]''</ref> After [[Lando Calrissian]] and his companions [[Theft of the Imperialis|stole]] the ''Imperialis'', one of the guards stabbed [[Lobot]] with a vibroblade.<ref name="Lando 2" /> The guards were then killed by the [[alien]] clone warriors [[Aleksin]] and [[Pavol]]. [[Korin Pers]] discovered that the guards had been corrupted by the [[dark side of the Force]].<ref name="Lando 3" /> |
[[File:Arrival-ROTJHD.png|thumb|left|250px|The Royal Guard escorted the Emperor to the Death Star II, where their sovereign would ultimately die.]] |
[[File:Arrival-ROTJHD.png|thumb|left|250px|The Royal Guard escorted the Emperor to the Death Star II, where their sovereign would ultimately die.]] |
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In [[4 ABY]],<ref name="GA" /> several Royal Guards accompanied the Emperor to the [[Death Star II|second Death Star]] orbiting the [[Endor|forest moon]] of [[Endor (planet)|Endor]]. Prior to the arrival of the [[Alliance to Restore the Republic|Rebel Alliance]] [[Alliance Fleet|Fleet]], the Emperor dismissed the guards from his [[Emperor's Throne Room|throne room]], leaving Sidious alone with Vader and the latter's son, the aspiring Jedi [[Luke Skywalker]]. As a result, the guards were not there to protect the Emperor when Vader turned against his Master in a last-ditch effort to save his son's life. With the Emperor's death and the victory of the Alliance, the [[Battle of Endor]] was a turning point that marked the beginning of the end for the Empire.<ref name="RotJ" /> |
In [[4 ABY]],<ref name="GA" /> several Royal Guards accompanied the Emperor to the [[Death Star II|second Death Star]] orbiting the [[Endor|forest moon]] of [[Endor (planet)|Endor]]. Prior to the arrival of the [[Alliance to Restore the Republic|Rebel Alliance]] [[Alliance Fleet|Fleet]], the Emperor dismissed the guards from his [[Emperor's Throne Room|throne room]], leaving Sidious alone with Vader and the latter's son, the aspiring Jedi [[Luke Skywalker]]. As a result, the guards were not there to protect the Emperor when Vader turned against his Master in a last-ditch effort to save his son's life. With the Emperor's death and the victory of the Alliance, the [[Battle of Endor]] was a turning point that marked the beginning of the end for the Empire.<ref name="RotJ" /> |
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| + | Royal Guards were stationed at the [[Palpatine Archive]] in the [[Coruscant system]] and engaged in a fight with Calrissian and [[Jaxxon]].<ref name="Hare-Brained Heist">{{IDWAdventuresCite|Annual 2019|[[Hare-Brained Heist]]}}</ref> |
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===New Republic era=== |
===New Republic era=== |
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Shortly after the attack on Chandrila, a [[Jakku Imperial remnant|faction]] of Imperial soldiers rallied to the [[Desert|barren]] world of [[Jakku]] under Rax's leadership as [[Counselor to the Empire]].<ref name="Empire's End">''[[Aftermath: Empire's End]]''</ref> One of the soldiers in Rax's [[army]] was [[Arliz Hadrassian's brother|a Royal Guard]], who ultimately perished during the [[Battle of Jakku]]. The guard who fell at Jakku was survived by his sister, [[Arliz Hadrassian]], an [[agent]] of the [[Imperial Security Bureau]]. Hadrassian went on to become the leader of the [[Amaxine warriors]]<ref name="Bloodline" /> by [[28 ABY]],<ref name="GA" /> roughly two [[Standard decade|decades]] after<ref name="Bloodline" /> the Empire [[Galactic Concordance|capitulated]] to the Republic.<ref name="Empire's End" /> By then, she had sold her late brother's Royal Guard helmet to [[Senator]] [[Ransolm Casterfo]], a [[Centrists|Centrist]] politician with pro-Imperial views.<ref name="Bloodline" /> |
Shortly after the attack on Chandrila, a [[Jakku Imperial remnant|faction]] of Imperial soldiers rallied to the [[Desert|barren]] world of [[Jakku]] under Rax's leadership as [[Counselor to the Empire]].<ref name="Empire's End">''[[Aftermath: Empire's End]]''</ref> One of the soldiers in Rax's [[army]] was [[Arliz Hadrassian's brother|a Royal Guard]], who ultimately perished during the [[Battle of Jakku]]. The guard who fell at Jakku was survived by his sister, [[Arliz Hadrassian]], an [[agent]] of the [[Imperial Security Bureau]]. Hadrassian went on to become the leader of the [[Amaxine warriors]]<ref name="Bloodline" /> by [[28 ABY]],<ref name="GA" /> roughly two [[Standard decade|decades]] after<ref name="Bloodline" /> the Empire [[Galactic Concordance|capitulated]] to the Republic.<ref name="Empire's End" /> By then, she had sold her late brother's Royal Guard helmet to [[Senator]] [[Ransolm Casterfo]], a [[Centrists|Centrist]] politician with pro-Imperial views.<ref name="Bloodline" /> |
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| − | + | ==Legacy== |
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[[File:Elite Praetorian Guard mural Fathead.png|thumb|left|225px|Inspired by the Emperor's Royal Guard, the Elite Praetorian Guard served as personal bodyguards of Supreme Leader Snoke.]] |
[[File:Elite Praetorian Guard mural Fathead.png|thumb|left|225px|Inspired by the Emperor's Royal Guard, the Elite Praetorian Guard served as personal bodyguards of Supreme Leader Snoke.]] |
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The legacy of the Emperor's Royal Guard inspired the formation of the [[Elite Praetorian Guard]]. Like the royal protectors who guarded Sidious during his reign over the Empire, the Praetorians functioned as the elite personal bodyguards of [[Supreme Leader]] [[Snoke]], ruler of the [[First Order]]. Consisting of eight sentinels trained to protect the Supreme Leader from any threat, the Praetorians were equipped with various [[melee weapon]]s and ornate crimson armor deliberately echoing the equipment used by the Royal Guard.<ref name="Datapraetorian">{{Databank|elite-praetorian-guard|Elite Praetorian Guard|archivedate=20170905172631}}</ref> They [[Attack on the Resistance fleet|attacked]] [[Rey]] and [[Kylo Ren]] after the latter assassinated Snoke, resulting in a battle in which all eight guards were killed by the [[Master of the Knights of Ren|Master]] of the [[Knights of Ren]] and his one-time Jedi ally.<ref name="Episode VIII">[[Star Wars: Episode VIII The Last Jedi|''Star Wars'': Episode VIII ''The Last Jedi'']]</ref> |
The legacy of the Emperor's Royal Guard inspired the formation of the [[Elite Praetorian Guard]]. Like the royal protectors who guarded Sidious during his reign over the Empire, the Praetorians functioned as the elite personal bodyguards of [[Supreme Leader]] [[Snoke]], ruler of the [[First Order]]. Consisting of eight sentinels trained to protect the Supreme Leader from any threat, the Praetorians were equipped with various [[melee weapon]]s and ornate crimson armor deliberately echoing the equipment used by the Royal Guard.<ref name="Datapraetorian">{{Databank|elite-praetorian-guard|Elite Praetorian Guard|archivedate=20170905172631}}</ref> They [[Attack on the Resistance fleet|attacked]] [[Rey]] and [[Kylo Ren]] after the latter assassinated Snoke, resulting in a battle in which all eight guards were killed by the [[Master of the Knights of Ren|Master]] of the [[Knights of Ren]] and his one-time Jedi ally.<ref name="Episode VIII">[[Star Wars: Episode VIII The Last Jedi|''Star Wars'': Episode VIII ''The Last Jedi'']]</ref> |
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| − | == |
+ | ==Equipment== |
| + | [[File:ElectrostaffGuard-SWL.png|thumb|right|250px|A Royal Guard wielding an electrostaff]] |
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| − | Royal Guards were completely covered in flowing [[blood]]-[[Color|red]] [[robe]]s and featureless scarlet [[Armor|masks]] that concealed their faces.<ref name="RotJ">[[Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi|''Star Wars'': Episode VI ''Return of the Jedi'']]</ref> There existed a variant of the uniform that lacked the robes and ceremonial helmet in favor of light armor, utilized by guards aboard the [[Imperial-I class Star Destroyer|Imperial Star Destroyer]] ''Chimaera |
+ | Royal Guards were completely covered in flowing [[blood]]-[[Color|red]] [[robe]]s and featureless scarlet [[Armor|masks]] that concealed their faces.<ref name="RotJ">[[Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi|''Star Wars'': Episode VI ''Return of the Jedi'']]</ref> There existed a variant of the uniform that lacked the robes and ceremonial helmet in favor of light armor, utilized by guards aboard the [[Imperial-I class Star Destroyer|Imperial Star Destroyer]] ''Chimaera''.<ref name="Family&Farewell" /> They wielded [[electrostaff]]s<ref name="Legion">{{Legion|Imperial Royal Guards Unit Expansion|cardname=Electrostaff Guard}}</ref> and [[force pike]]s, a [[staff]]-like weapon<ref name="DB Force pike">{{Databank|force-pike|Force Pike|archivedate=20161229120056}}</ref> with a vibro-edged head.<ref name="Tarkin">[[Tarkin (novel)|''Tarkin'']]</ref> Additionally, their robes hid a [[heavy blaster pistol]], a [[vibroblade]], and various other weaponry.<ref name="LotS" /> When on the battlefield, Royal Guards would abandon their traditional weapons in favor of an arsenal better suited for combat, including the [[T-21 light repeating blaster]], [[Smart Rocket]], and the [[Homing shot]].<ref name="Battlefront">''[[Star Wars Battlefront]]''</ref> |
==Behind the scenes== |
==Behind the scenes== |
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*{{TCW|Orders}} |
*{{TCW|Orders}} |
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*[[Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith|''Star Wars'': Episode III ''Revenge of the Sith'']] |
*[[Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith|''Star Wars'': Episode III ''Revenge of the Sith'']] |
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| − | *''[[Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith 1 |
+ | *''[[Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith 1]]'' |
| − | *''[[Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith 2 |
+ | *''[[Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith 2]]'' {{Imo}} |
| − | *''[[Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith 5 |
+ | *''[[Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith 5]]'' |
| − | *''[[Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith 6 |
+ | *''[[Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith 6]]'' |
| − | *''[[Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith 7 |
+ | *''[[Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith 7]]'' |
| − | *''[[Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith 12 |
+ | *''[[Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith 12]]'' |
*''[[Lords of the Sith]]'' |
*''[[Lords of the Sith]]'' |
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*[[Tarkin (novel)|''Tarkin'']] |
*[[Tarkin (novel)|''Tarkin'']] |
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| − | *''[[Age of Rebellion - Darth Vader 1]]'' |
+ | *''[[Age of Rebellion - Darth Vader 1]]'' |
| − | *''[[Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith 20 |
+ | *''[[Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith 20]]'' |
| − | *''[[Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith 25 |
+ | *''[[Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith 25]]'' |
| − | *''[[Lando |
+ | *''[[Lando - Double or Nothing 3]]'' {{Mo}} |
*[[Lost Stars (webcomic)|''Lost Stars'' webcomic]] |
*[[Lost Stars (webcomic)|''Lost Stars'' webcomic]] |
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*[[Thrawn (novel)|''Thrawn'']] |
*[[Thrawn (novel)|''Thrawn'']] |
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| − | *''[[Thrawn |
+ | *''[[Thrawn 1]]'' |
| − | *''[[Thrawn |
+ | *''[[Thrawn 6]]'' |
*{{Rebels|Empire Day (episode)|Empire Day}} {{C|[[HoloNet News]] image}} |
*{{Rebels|Empire Day (episode)|Empire Day}} {{C|[[HoloNet News]] image}} |
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*''[[Servants of the Empire: Imperial Justice]]'' {{Mo}} |
*''[[Servants of the Empire: Imperial Justice]]'' {{Mo}} |
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*''[[The Adventures of Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight]]'' |
*''[[The Adventures of Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight]]'' |
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*''[[Star Wars Battlefront]]'' |
*''[[Star Wars Battlefront]]'' |
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| − | *{{Shortstory|story=Contingency Plan|book=From a Certain Point of View |
+ | *{{Shortstory|story=Contingency Plan|book=From a Certain Point of View}} {{Imo}} |
| − | * |
+ | *[[Darth Vader (2015) 1|''Darth Vader 1'']] {{Flash}} |
*''[[Star Wars Annual 1]]'' |
*''[[Star Wars Annual 1]]'' |
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| − | *''[[Darth Vader 16 |
+ | *''[[Darth Vader 16]]'' |
| − | *''[[Darth Vader 20 |
+ | *''[[Darth Vader 20]]'' |
| − | *''[[Darth Vader 22 |
+ | *''[[Darth Vader 22]]'' |
| − | *''[[Darth Vader 24 |
+ | *''[[Darth Vader 24]]'' |
| − | *''[[Star Wars 37 |
+ | *''[[Star Wars 37]]'' |
| − | *''[[Doctor Aphra 13 |
+ | *''[[Doctor Aphra 13]]'' |
| − | *''[[Doctor Aphra 31 |
+ | *''[[Doctor Aphra 31]]'' |
| − | *''[[Doctor Aphra 33 |
+ | *''[[Doctor Aphra 33]]'' |
| ⚫ | |||
| + | *''[[Doctor Aphra 36]]'' |
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*''[[Star Wars: Commander]]'' |
*''[[Star Wars: Commander]]'' |
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| − | *''[[Lando |
+ | *''[[Lando 1]]'' |
| − | *''[[Lando |
+ | *''[[Lando 2]]'' |
| + | *{{Shortstory|story=Lando's Big Score|book=Galactic Adventures Storybook Collection}} |
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| ⚫ | |||
| − | *''[[Lando |
+ | *''[[Lando 3]]'' |
| + | *''[[Lando 4]]'' |
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*{{Galaxy of Adventures|Yoda – The Jedi Master}} {{Flash}} |
*{{Galaxy of Adventures|Yoda – The Jedi Master}} {{Flash}} |
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*[[Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi|''Star Wars'': Episode VI ''Return of the Jedi'']] {{1st}} |
*[[Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi|''Star Wars'': Episode VI ''Return of the Jedi'']] {{1st}} |
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*''[[Return of the Jedi: Beware the Power of the Dark Side!]]'' |
*''[[Return of the Jedi: Beware the Power of the Dark Side!]]'' |
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*[[Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (paperback novel)|''Star Wars: Return of the Jedi'' junior novelization]] |
*[[Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (paperback novel)|''Star Wars: Return of the Jedi'' junior novelization]] |
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| + | *{{IDWAdventuresCite|Annual 2019|[[Hare-Brained Heist]]}} |
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*''[[Aftermath]]'' |
*''[[Aftermath]]'' |
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*''[[Aftermath: Life Debt]]'' |
*''[[Aftermath: Life Debt]]'' |
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*''[[The Legends of Luke Skywalker]]'' {{Mo}} |
*''[[The Legends of Luke Skywalker]]'' {{Mo}} |
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*[[Bloodline (novel)|''Bloodline'']] {{Mo}} |
*[[Bloodline (novel)|''Bloodline'']] {{Mo}} |
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| − | *''[[Poe Dameron 8 |
+ | *''[[Poe Dameron 8]]'' {{C|Helmet only}} |
*''[[Galaxy's Edge 1]]'' {{C|Helmet only}}}} |
*''[[Galaxy's Edge 1]]'' {{C|Helmet only}}}} |
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==Sources== |
==Sources== |
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| + | {{Scroll box| |
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*{{SW|url=tv-shows/clone-wars/the-lawless-episode-guide|text="The Lawless" Episode Guide - ''The Clone Wars''}} |
*{{SW|url=tv-shows/clone-wars/the-lawless-episode-guide|text="The Lawless" Episode Guide - ''The Clone Wars''}} |
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*{{SWE|groups|emperors-royal-guard|Emperor's Royal Guard|archivedate=20140517005828}} |
*{{SWE|groups|emperors-royal-guard|Emperor's Royal Guard|archivedate=20140517005828}} |
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*{{LEGOCite|Classic|75093|Death Star Final Duel}} |
*{{LEGOCite|Classic|75093|Death Star Final Duel}} |
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*''[[Star Wars Character Encyclopedia: Updated and Expanded]]'' |
*''[[Star Wars Character Encyclopedia: Updated and Expanded]]'' |
||
| − | *[[Star Wars: Complete Locations |
+ | *''[[Star Wars: Complete Locations]]'' {{1stID|Red Guard}} |
*''[[Star Wars: Rogue One: The Ultimate Visual Guide]]'' |
*''[[Star Wars: Rogue One: The Ultimate Visual Guide]]'' |
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*''[[Rogue One: A Star Wars Story The Official Collector's Edition]]'' |
*''[[Rogue One: A Star Wars Story The Official Collector's Edition]]'' |
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*''[[Star Wars: The Dark Side]]'' |
*''[[Star Wars: The Dark Side]]'' |
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*''[[Star Wars Character Encyclopedia: New Edition]]'' |
*''[[Star Wars Character Encyclopedia: New Edition]]'' |
||
| + | *''[[Rise of the Separatists]]'' |
||
| + | *{{ForceCollection|Emperor's Royal Guard|star=4}} |
||
| + | *''[[Ultimate Star Wars, New Edition]]'' |
||
*{{Databank|force-pike|Force Pike|archivedate=20161229120056}} |
*{{Databank|force-pike|Force Pike|archivedate=20161229120056}} |
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*{{Databank|imperial-royal-guard|Imperial Royal Guard}} |
*{{Databank|imperial-royal-guard|Imperial Royal Guard}} |
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| − | *{{Databank|senate-guard|Senate Guard}} |
+ | *{{Databank|senate-guard|Senate Guard}}}} |
==Notes and references== |
==Notes and references== |
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|es=Guardia Real del Emperador |
|es=Guardia Real del Emperador |
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|fr=Garde royal de l'Empereur |
|fr=Garde royal de l'Empereur |
||
| − | |ru= |
+ | |ru=Императорская гвардия/Канон |
}} |
}} |
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Revision as of 18:56, 8 November 2019
 |  |
Warning: The following parameters in the infobox are unrecognized: members
- "Those were Imperial Guards, Lando. The Emperor's personal protectors—handpicked from the very best of his forces. Out of millions of soldiers, they are unsurpassed."
- ―Korin Pers, to Lando Calrissian
The Emperor's Royal Guard, also known as the Imperial Royal Guard, the Imperial Guard or under the Galactic Republic as the Red Guard or Royal Guard, was an elite unit whose members served as personal bodyguards to the Galactic Emperor. Fully clad in crimson robes and face-concealing helmets, the Emperor's guards were a silent, imposing, and deadly force armed with force pikes. In addition to strict requirements of size, strength, intelligence, and loyalty, only the most skilled soldiers in the Imperial Military qualified for duty in the Royal Guard. The Imperial Royal Guard were also occasionally assigned to provide protection to members of the Imperial Ruling Council and even Lord Vader himself.
The origins of the crimson-clad Guard date back to the time of the Separatist Crisis, when Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine crafted an order of protectors that stood apart from the cerulean-clad Senate Guard during the Galactic Republic's twilight. Over the course of the Clone Wars, the red guards gradually supplanted the Senate Guard and its elite sub-unit, the Senate Commandos, as the chancellor's bodyguards. By the end of the Clone Wars, Palpatine proclaimed himself Emperor of the Galactic Empire. As a result, the blue guards were completely phased out of service and replaced by the chancellor's red guards, who were henceforth known as the Royal Guard.
Emperor Palpatine sealed himself away from the populace throughout his reign. On the rare occasions of his public appearances, he was always accompanied by members of the Royal Guard. In the decades that followed Palpatine's death and the subsequent fall of the Empire, a new order of protectors was crafted by Supreme Leader Snoke of the First Order. Modeled on the Emperor's Royal Guard, the Elite Praetorian Guard consisted of eight warriors who wore ornate crimson armor, wielded an array of melee weapons, and specialized in martial arts.
Description
Royal Guards wore red robes and armor, and were armed with force pikes.
The Emperor's Royal Guards were reputedly the most skilled warriors in the forces of the Galactic Empire; out of millions of soldiers, Emperor Palpatine's guards were unsurpassed in skill and status.[4] During the era of the Empire, the Royal Guard consisted of conscripts and at least one clone trooper.[2] The qualifications for joining the Guard's ranks included strength, intelligence, and loyalty.[8] Candidates for the Royal Guard had to meet the basic height requirement of 1.83 meters.[1]
In addition to receiving advanced training in many forms of combat, the Royal Guards were trained to be unquestionably loyal to Emperor Palpatine. The Emperor's word was considered law and his guards would obey his orders without question or hesitation, even if it meant killing one of their own. The Royal Guards were also among the few beings in the galaxy whom the Emperor trusted with the knowledge of his secret identity as a Sith Lord, knowing they would speak of it to no one, not even among themselves.[2] Due to their little movement, they were sometimes believed to have been droids instead of individuals.[7]
A trio of Royal Guards
Despite the combat skills of the Royal Guard, the Emperor was confident in his Force powers to the extent that he did not believe he required a bodyguard unit. However, he found over the course of his reign that the crimson-clad guards served well to impress and intimidate those who saw them. Additionally, they served the purpose of defending the Emperor in situations where he did not wish to use his Force powers.[2] As such, he never felt inclined to dispense with them as a unit.[9]
History
Republic era
During the fall of the Republic, the Supreme Chancellor was protected by a cohort of crimson-clad guards.
During the decline of the Galactic Republic, Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine created[8] the Red Guard[10]—a cohort of personal elite bodyguards that stood apart from the rest of his forces, including the cerulean-clad members of the Senate Guard,[8] from which they were handpicked.[7] Over time, Palpatine came to favor his crimson-clad red guards over the blue guards of the Galactic Senate and even the elite Senate Commandos.[11] Armed with force pikes,[5] the red guards' flowing red robes and sleek, featureless scarlet masks blended in with the crimson-walled office of the chancellor.[8]
The red-robed guards for the Supreme Chancellor were in place by 28 BBY.[6] Although the red guards were formed prior to the Clone Wars,[5] Palpatine retained the service of the Senate Guard[12] and commandos during the early period of the pan-galactic conflict.[13] After Captain Argyus of the Senate Commandos revealed himself to be a traitor, the Senate Guard's loyalty was put into question, and Palpatine took the opportunity to expand the Royal Guard in the ensuing scandal. When the Royal Guards were out of uniform, they conducted official visits and covert operations in locations where the Supreme Chancellor was scheduled to visit. The Royal Guard also scouted traveling locations, back up routes, handled logistics, and created evacuation plans. On Coruscant, such events may have required thousands of hours of work. The Royal Guard also investigated credible threats against Palpatine, whether they be simply graffiti to HoloNet broadcasts.[7]
By 19 BBY, approximately three years after the Battle of Geonosis,[14] the red guards and Coruscant Guard clone shock troopers had all but supplanted the Senate Guard as the chancellor's protectors.[15]
Imperial era
On rare occasions the Emperor could be seen in public, but always in the presence of his Royal Guards.
By the war's end[16] in 19 BBY,[14] Chancellor Palpatine declared himself Emperor of the galaxy and thereby transformed the Republic into the Galactic Empire.[16] Under the new government, the Emperor continued to favor the Imperial Royal Guard, formerly the chancellor's red guards, as his personal security force which, in turn, led to the dissolution of the Senate Guard.[1] During the first days of Palpatine's reign, the guards were responsible for the Emperor's security on the galactic capital world of Coruscant. Off-world, however, the Emperor was accompanied by a detachment of shock troopers of the Coruscant Guard.[16] As the years passed, Palpatine sealed himself away from the populace, having discarded his facade as a friendly, kind-hearted politician[8] in order to fully embrace his true identity as Darth Sidious, Dark Lord of the Sith.[1] On rare occasions he would make a public appearance, but always in the company of the Royal Guard.[8]
During the early years of the Empire, a division of the Royal Guard was stationed in the Inquisitorius Headquarters—a skyscraper located in the Industrial District of Coruscant—which served as a training facility for the Emperor's Jedi hunters, known as the Inquisitorius.[17] In 14 BBY,[14] several Royal Guards accompanied Sidious and his apprentice, Darth Vader, to Ryloth where the Lords of the Sith sought to lure the Free Ryloth movement out of hiding. Most of the guards were killed when Vader's shuttle crash-landed in the planet's equatorial forest. Two guards, Sergeant Erstin Deez and a captain who once served in the Grand Army of the Republic as a clone trooper, survived the crash along with Vader and his Sith Master. The captain was later killed by lyleks, but Deez was able to survive long enough for Moff Delian Mors' Imperial troops to rescue the Sith.[2]
A trio of light-armored Royal Guards served aboard the Chimaera.
A trio of Royal Guards were stationed aboard the Chimaera, flagship of the Seventh Fleet led by Grand Admiral Thrawn, during the liberation of Lothal. The Emperor commanded the guards to execute Padawan Ezra Bridger, having failed to use the young Jedi in his plan to control the world between worlds. Using modified pikes with magnetic clamps to subdue their Force-sensitive target, the guards held Bridger still while a squad of stormtroopers attempted to shoot him. However, Bridger used the Force to hurl several boulders and rocks from a stolen piece of the Lothal Jedi Temple at his attackers, crushing the troopers and the guards to death.[18]
A detachment of the Royal Guard was stationed in Darth Vader's castle on Mustafar.
Although the Emperor's safety was the primary responsibility of the Royal Guard,[1] Sidious did not make exclusive use of them. In 0 BBY,[19] two Royal Guards were stationed in Fortress Vader on Mustafar.[20] They acted as sentinels protecting the Sith Lord while he rested in his bacta tank.[20] During the Galactic Civil War, the Royal Guards were often used in battle as assassins,[21] armed with force pikes, vibroblades, and many other concealed weapons.[2] Following the Battle of Yavin, two Royal Guards were stationed aboard the Emperor's luxury yacht Imperialis while it was undergoing a refit at Sienar Fleet Systems' Orbital Shipyard CC-24 above the planet Castell.[22] They guarded the vessel's central chamber which stored several Sith artifacts including the mask of Lord Momin.[23] After Lando Calrissian and his companions stole the Imperialis, one of the guards stabbed Lobot with a vibroblade.[22] The guards were then killed by the alien clone warriors Aleksin and Pavol. Korin Pers discovered that the guards had been corrupted by the dark side of the Force.[4]
The Royal Guard escorted the Emperor to the Death Star II, where their sovereign would ultimately die.
In 4 ABY,[14] several Royal Guards accompanied the Emperor to the second Death Star orbiting the forest moon of Endor. Prior to the arrival of the Rebel Alliance Fleet, the Emperor dismissed the guards from his throne room, leaving Sidious alone with Vader and the latter's son, the aspiring Jedi Luke Skywalker. As a result, the guards were not there to protect the Emperor when Vader turned against his Master in a last-ditch effort to save his son's life. With the Emperor's death and the victory of the Alliance, the Battle of Endor was a turning point that marked the beginning of the end for the Empire.[24]
Royal Guards were stationed at the Palpatine Archive in the Coruscant system and engaged in a fight with Calrissian and Jaxxon.[25]
New Republic era
A Royal Guard fought and died on Jakku, the site of the last battle of the Galactic Civil War.
The Royal Guard continued to serve the Empire despite the loss of their Emperor, serving as bodyguards for several high-ranking Imperial officers such as General Jylia Shale and Grand Admiral Rae Sloane. Two guards acted as Shale's security detail at the emergency summit on Akiva;[26] another two guards escorted Sloane to the New Republic capital of Chandrila[27] in 5 ABY,[28] where the Grand Admiral sought to negotiate an end to hostilities between the Empire and Republic. To Sloane's surprise, the Empire's overtures of peace were a ruse for launching a surprise attack on Chandrila, orchestrated by Fleet Admiral Gallius Rax. During the attack, Sloane's Royal Guards attacked and killed several New Republic Senate Guards who escorted the Imperial entourage to the peace summit.[27]
Shortly after the attack on Chandrila, a faction of Imperial soldiers rallied to the barren world of Jakku under Rax's leadership as Counselor to the Empire.[29] One of the soldiers in Rax's army was a Royal Guard, who ultimately perished during the Battle of Jakku. The guard who fell at Jakku was survived by his sister, Arliz Hadrassian, an agent of the Imperial Security Bureau. Hadrassian went on to become the leader of the Amaxine warriors[3] by 28 ABY,[14] roughly two decades after[3] the Empire capitulated to the Republic.[29] By then, she had sold her late brother's Royal Guard helmet to Senator Ransolm Casterfo, a Centrist politician with pro-Imperial views.[3]
Legacy
Inspired by the Emperor's Royal Guard, the Elite Praetorian Guard served as personal bodyguards of Supreme Leader Snoke.
The legacy of the Emperor's Royal Guard inspired the formation of the Elite Praetorian Guard. Like the royal protectors who guarded Sidious during his reign over the Empire, the Praetorians functioned as the elite personal bodyguards of Supreme Leader Snoke, ruler of the First Order. Consisting of eight sentinels trained to protect the Supreme Leader from any threat, the Praetorians were equipped with various melee weapons and ornate crimson armor deliberately echoing the equipment used by the Royal Guard.[30] They attacked Rey and Kylo Ren after the latter assassinated Snoke, resulting in a battle in which all eight guards were killed by the Master of the Knights of Ren and his one-time Jedi ally.[31]
Equipment
A Royal Guard wielding an electrostaff
Royal Guards were completely covered in flowing blood-red robes and featureless scarlet masks that concealed their faces.[24] There existed a variant of the uniform that lacked the robes and ceremonial helmet in favor of light armor, utilized by guards aboard the Imperial Star Destroyer Chimaera.[18] They wielded electrostaffs[32] and force pikes, a staff-like weapon[33] with a vibro-edged head.[34] Additionally, their robes hid a heavy blaster pistol, a vibroblade, and various other weaponry.[2] When on the battlefield, Royal Guards would abandon their traditional weapons in favor of an arsenal better suited for combat, including the T-21 light repeating blaster, Smart Rocket, and the Homing shot.[35]
Behind the scenes
The Emperor's Guards first appeared in the 1983 movie Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi. Their design came from sketches by Nilo Rodis-Jamero. The conceptual drawings varied from centurion-like warriors to priest-like monks, but a common thread tying those designs together was the deep red hue.[36]
In the 2016 video game LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens, during the prologue's adaptation of Return of the Jedi, the Royal Guards are not dismissed by the Emperor and they defend him when Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader turn against him. However, there are ultimately no match for the two Force users and the Emperor gets killed.[37]
Appearances
Non-canon appearances
LEGO Star Wars: Droid Tales — "Crisis on Coruscant" (In flashback(s))- LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens
- Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes
