Often referred to as the Emperor's Imperial Royal Guards, Imperial Guards or Imperial Royal Guards, this special group of highly trained soldiers were tasked specifically for the protection of Emperor Palpatine.  Unlike some other military groups, they devoted their entire lives to serving the Emperor and the New Order that he created with the Dark Side of the Force.  Rarely was Palpatine ever seen without a guardsman at his side and he was even rumored to have them standing watch in his sleeping quarters and in his office while aboard the Death Star.

The Emperor's guards were considered the best of the best throughout the galaxy and were given special hands on training that no other soldier had been subjected to.  Keeping themselves loyal and secluded from the other parts of the Galactic Empire, the Royal Guards developed their special military team independently and separated themselves from the Imperial Military so that they only answered to Emperor Palpatine himself.  Likewise, their outfits were very different than other members of the Imperial armies.  The Imperial Royal Guardsmen were known to have long draping red robes of several layers and they wore the distinct Imperial Guard Helmet for protection.