The mysterious yet deadly Royal Guard are among the best warriors in the Galaxy. Potential Guardsmen are hand picked from a dozen of the Empire's top squads and were deemed the best of the best. Troopers selected as potential Guardsmen were screened for their intelligence, strength, dexterity and in particular their loyalty. Training for the Royal Guard took one year of gruelling, painful work. Trainees battled each other in countless matches, perfecting their skills. By working alone and in pairs, they learned how to rely on themselves and on a team mate to achieve victory. Failure in training often meant death. By seeing the strengths in their training partner, they had learned to build those strengths in themselves. And by seeing their partner's weaknesses, they had learned to overcome their own. The trainees battled it out over an arena known as "The Squall". Of more than forty students in a given training year, only a handful survived for their final test before the Emperor himself. And the test proved the ultimate loyalty to their Emperor, by battling against one's training partner to the death.

    Master Ved Kennede was the head of the Imperial Guard training facility on Yinchorr. A former Guardsman himself, he was considered by the Emperor to be one of his best, most loyal warriors and was bestowed the honour of becoming Master Instructor of his Royal Guard. Royal Guardsmen were only known to each other and to the Emperor himself. And also they only answered to the Emperor. No one outside or inside the Galactic Empire knew their secrets. The Royal Guard's unknown nature allowed their mere presence to be a weapon. Their main weapons were two metre force pikes which looked deceptively harmless, but in the hands of a Royal Guard they were almost as lethal as the heavy blaster pistols concealed beneath their robes. Their loyalty to the Emperor is unquestioned. They are fanatically loyal to the Emperor and his ideals. A Royal Guardsman never seeks special privileges. Their goal in life and their desire in death is to serve the Emperor and his New Order.

    Royal Guardsmen were used by the Emperor mainly for personal tasks, often serving as fighters or bodyguards. They stopped assassins, performed covert assaults and assassinations for the Emperor. Some were assigned to special missions by the Emperor. While others were rotated into Stormtrooper units to keep them in fighting trim. The Royal Guard were typically scattered throughout the Empire doing the work for their Emperor. They guarded the palaces and monasteries used by the Emperor as well as the Emperor's clone vats on Byss. Only the Emperor knew of their various missions. The Emperor was rarely seen without his Guardsmen close at hand. Where ever the Emperor went at least two of them were within earshot of their master at all times. Always on guard, they were ready to die for the glory of the Emperor. They wear flowing crimson robes, helmets and full body armour.

    Their armour partially based on the Mandalore System's Death Watch and the Sun Guards of the Thyrsus System, both units famous for their ferocity in battle. Armour was designed to be both ceremonial and fully functional in battle. It is rumoured that not one single Royal Guard was ever killed in battle. Few know exactly how many of these Guards existed since they never fought together as a unit. Occasionally, Guardsmen would be found stationed with other high-ranking officials within the Empire, such a Grand Moff or one of the twelve Grand Admirals, but only at the request of the Emperor himself.