Royal Guards are soldiers who protect Emperor Palpatine

Palpatine

Palpatine is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the Star Wars saga, portrayed by Ian McDiarmid in the feature films.Palpatine first appeared as the unnamed Emperor of the Galactic Empire in the 1980 film Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back...

 in the fictional Star Wars

Star Wars

Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...

universe. They appear in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi

Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi

Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi is a 1983 American epic space opera film directed by Richard Marquand and written by George Lucas and Lawrence Kasdan. It is the third film released in the Star Wars saga, and the sixth in terms of the series' internal chronology...

(1983) and in the third prequel film, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith is a 2005 American epic space opera film written and directed by George Lucas. It is the sixth and final film released in the Star Wars saga and the third in terms of the series' internal chronology....

(2005). Royal Guards have been merchandised into action figures and miniatures, and their backstory expanded upon in such works as Dark Horse Comics

Dark Horse Comics

Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...

' Crimson Empire series.

Concept and development

Although Lucasfilm

Lucasfilm

Lucasfilm Limited is an American film production company founded by George Lucas in 1971, based in San Francisco, California. Lucas is the company's current chairman and CEO, and Micheline Chau is the president and COO....

 concept artist Nilo Rodis-Jamero created several designs for the Royal Guards, their crimson color remained consistent. Rodis-Jamero's designs ranged from "centurion-like warriors to priest-like monks".

Jay Shuster based the Senate Guards' appearance in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace is a 1999 American epic space opera film written and directed by George Lucas. It is the fourth film to be released in the Star Wars saga, as the first of a three-part prequel to the original Star Wars trilogy, as well as the first film in the saga in terms...

on the Royal Guards. Shuster humanized the Senate Guards by exposing their faces, and he gave them a plume

Plume

Plume may refer to:In science:* Plume , the form of effluent in water or emissions in air* Eruption column, or volcanic plume, a column of hot volcanic ash and gas emitted into the atmosphere during an explosive volcanic eruption...

 for a classical appearance. Although originally intended to be predecessors to the Royal Guards, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones

Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones

Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones is a 2002 American epic space opera film directed by George Lucas and written by Lucas and Jonathan Hales. It is the fifth film to be released in the Star Wars saga and the second in terms of the series' internal chronology...

shows the two types of guards to be contemporaneous. No longer needing to suggest the Senate Guards' progression into Royal Guards, costume prop

Theatrical property

A theatrical property, commonly referred to as a prop, is an object used on stage by actors to further the plot or story line of a theatrical production. Smaller props are referred to as "hand props". Larger props may also be set decoration, such as a chair or table. The difference between a set...

 supervisor Ivo Coveney removed the Senate Guards' plume and added a visor to their helmet for Revenge of the Sith.

Depiction

When Palpatine became chancellor of the Galactic Republic, he phased out the Senate Guards in preference for his own Royal Guards. Royal Guards accompany Emperor Palpatine at all times. Guardsman Kir Kanos is the anti-hero

Anti-hero

In fiction, an antihero is generally considered to be a protagonist whose character is at least in some regards conspicuously contrary to that of the archetypal hero, and is in some instances its antithesis in which the character is generally useless at being a hero or heroine when they're...

 in Dark Horse's Crimson Empire comics.

Royal Guards are chosen from among the Empire's stormtrooper

Imperial stormtrooper

The Imperial Stormtroopers are fictional soldiers from George Lucas' Star Wars universe. Stormtroopers are the soldiers of the imperial army under the leadership of the evil Sith Lord and Emperor Palpatine and his commanders, most notably Darth Vader and Grand Moff Tarkin.They are shown in...

s, and Guards regularly cycle back into the stormtrooper corps to maintain their battle readiness. Candidates for Royal Guard training are evaluated for their size, strength, intelligence, and loyalty; those chosen for training are assessed for their combat reflexes and stamina, and they receive training in a wide range of armed and unarmed combat. Guards' crimson robes conceal armor more advanced than stormtrooper armor.

In other Star Wars media

The Royal Guards are enemies and playable characters in the video games Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy and Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga

Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga

Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga is a video game based on the Star Wars-themed toy line by the Lego Group. It is a combination of the game Lego Star Wars: The Video Game and its sequel Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy...

. They are also playable in Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars

Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars

LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars is a 2011 Lego game for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS, PC and Nintendo 3DS consoles based on The Clone Wars animated series, developed by Traveller's Tales and published by LucasArts and TT Games, released in March 2011 and is...

.