Kir Kanos Kir Kanos was a member of the elite Emperor ' s Royal Guard during the Galactic Civil War . Kanos , like all the other guards , held an unwavering loyalty to the ideals of Emperor Palpatine . Managing to evade the destruction of the superweapon Death Star II and the planet Byss , where much of the guard was stationed , Kanos was the final loyal member of the unit after their ultimate massacre at Yinchorr , under the orders of fellow guardsman and aspiring Emperor , Carnor Jax . Kanos swore a " blood oath " against the traitor and those who had a hand in Palpatine ' s ultimate demise . Kanos ' s actions led him to become the most wanted man in the galaxy ; a massive bounty was put on his head by the Imperial Remnant . His efficient skills in combat allowed him to stay alive . Kanos made allies in the New Republic on Phaeda , becoming romantically involved with Republic lieutenant Mirith Sinn . With assistance from his temporary allies in the Republic , Kanos slew the would - be Emperor Jax on Yinchorr in the name of Palpatine . This was at the cost of his alliance with Sinn , who swore her own blood oath against Kanos for the murder of her close friend , Sish Sadeet . Kanos then swore to eliminate everyone that had helped accelerate Palpatine ' s ultimate death , namely the Imperial Ruling Council , who were engulfed in an internal power struggle following the death of their leader , Jax . In order to infiltrate the organization , Kanos partnered with Tav Kennede , whose late father was the head of the Royal Guard Academy , and went undercover as bounty hunter " Kenix Kil " with the intention of being hired by the Council to hunt his alter ego , who had a sizable bounty placed on his dead , effectively gaining their trust . However , before Kanos could infiltrate their ranks , an impostor eliminated the Council members one by one , and Kanos unwittingly became entangled in a conspiracy by the criminal organization Black Sun to infiltrate the ranks of the Ruling Council by replacing their members with accelerated clones functioning as political puppets . Kanos opted to temporarily call off his plot in order to save Mirith Sinn , who was captured by Black Sun associate Grappa the Hutt and handed to the Zanibar people . These events culminated in Kanos ' s assassination of Xandel Carivus , head of the Ruling Council and self - declared Galactic Emperor . Kanos continued operating as a bounty hunter , taking up assignments in various backwater sectors and hoping to one day take on Luke Skywalker , the primary figure in Palpatine ' s death . Eventually , Kanos was sought by the Restored Empire , an Imperial splinter group under the command of Ennix Devian , Palpatine ' s former personal assassin . Devian wished for Kanos to join his cause in bringing back the glory of the Empire as it was under the days of Emperor Palpatine . To this end , the bounty hunter Boba Fett was hired to bring Kanos to the planetoid RZ7 - 6113 - 23 , the " hard - liner " home base . Kanos saw Devian as a foil to his own sense of honor and devotion ; Devian ' s brutal actions and tactics convinced Kanos to drop his own blood oath against Luke Skywalker and Palpatine ' s enemies in the pursuit of the greater good . Kanos escaped the planetoid via a captured shuttle and met with Mirith Sinn on Coruscant . However , Kanos was unaware that he was being used by Devian to plant a small but volatile supply of the material zinethium , embedded inside the shuttle , in the galactic capital , with the intent of bringing about the destruction of both the New Republic and the Imperial Remnant . Being framed for the attempted mass murder of millions , Kanos found himself allying with Baron Ragez D ' Asta for a final assault on the fleet of the Restored Empire above the Imperial capital Orinda , slaying Devian in combat . Following the battle , Kanos faked his death to retire from the public eye , hoping for a quiet future . Biography . Early life and training . Nothing is known of Kir Kanos ' s life before he joined the Galactic Empire , but whatever his experience had been , it served him well during his trials to become a Royal Guard . As with all of the Emperor ' s Royal Guard , Kanos was a stormtrooper whose exemplary performance caused him to be a standout among his squad . Recognized for his skill , Kanos was removed from his squad to receive special training that would make him a Royal Guard . Alongside forty - three other recruits , Kanos arrived on Yinchorr , the home of the Imperial Royal Guard Academy . On this wasteland of a world , Kanos and his fellow soldiers were exposed to the roughest conditions and forced to fight constantly , in a dangerous arena known as the Squall . It was in the Squall that Kanos first came to know the ambitious soldier known as Carnor Jax . Jax and Kanos were often sparring partners within the Squall , with Jax almost always the victor . Both of them were trained early on by Myn Kyneugh . As their training progressed , Kanos and Jax came to be known as two of the most skilled recruits , surely destined for a place in the Guard . However , Kanos was soon to discover several more trials before his advancement . Although he and Jax were obvious standouts , another soldier , Burr Danid , was more highly praised as the best among the recruits . When Palpatine visited the academy in a special visit , Danid was presented as the foremost student among Kanos ' s class . Kanos and Jax watched as Danid was used in a demonstration with the Emperor ' s favorite disciple , Darth Vader . Vader and Danid dueled within the Squall as the other recruits watched , but it was not a fair fight . Danid was easily outmatched by the Sith Lord ' s ferocity and skill , and he was easily overpowered . Vader showed no mercy as he brutally slew the young man , throwing his wounded body into the depths of the Squall . Kanos was visibly shocked by the merciless demonstration , but understood the lesson being taught . Only the best could be given the honor to defend the Emperor . As the training continued , Kanos became among the best in his class . The original class of forty - three was eventually reduced down to only a few . The remaining men were put into pairs so that they would learn to rely on their " brothers " for support , aid , and companionship . Kanos was paired with fellow recruit Lemmet Tauk , and they grew to depend on each other during a year long stint in which they trained and lived together . Kanos and Tauk were overjoyed when they were selected as the final four recruits to survive the training . Alongside Carnor Jax and his partner Alum Frost , Kanos and Tauk came before the Master Instructor of the Academy , Ved Kennede . He informed them that their training was almost complete but for one final test . In pairs , the potential guardsmen were to be brought before Palpatine to complete their training . Jax and Frost went first , while Kanos and Tauk waited outside . Although Tauk was visibly nervous for the test , Kanos steeled his nerves , trying to calm his good friend . When the doors opened , the two men strode forward into the Emperor ' s chamber , coming face to face with the leader of the galaxy . A spatter of blood decorated the floor , and he could see Carnor Jax peering out at him from behind Palpatine ' s throne . After being congratulated for their accomplishments , the Emperor ordered that the two men fight for him . Kanos and Tauk hesitated , but at the demand of Vader , the two men crossed blades . As their training took over , Kanos quickly took the upper hand . Battering aside Tauk ' s weaker defense , Kanos kicked the man back and drove his blade through Tauk ' s stomach . As Tauk ' s slowly dying body fell backwards , Kanos locked eyes with the man one last time , realizing that he had just killed his best friend . With Tauk ' s corpse lying at the feet of the Emperor , Palpatine congratulated his newest guardsmen and departed the facility . Kanos quickly ran to the body of Tauk , trying to apologize for his ultimate betrayal . However , Vader was watching and informed Kanos that he should never regret a command from the Emperor . Vader ignited his lightsaber , preparing to teach Kanos a lesson . Although Kanos was able to get his hands on his blade , he was no match for Vader , who cut a large swath through Kanos helmet , giving him a distinguishing scar that he would carry for the rest of his life . The life of the guard . Now formally inducted into the Royal Guard , Kanos served with distinction for several years , but matters outside his control would eventually change his life forever . Kanos was not one of the guard to be assigned to the Death Star II , and so escaped death when the Emperor was killed for the first time during the Battle of Endor . Without an Emperor , Kanos carried on alone for several years , leaving active duty , but still trying to live up to the Emperor ' s ideals . However , the Emperor was soon to return in a clone body , and Kanos loyally returned to active duty , once again taking up the helm as a respected Royal Guard . Unfortunately , this service was to be short lived . Due to the efforts of the Jedi Luke Skywalker , Palpatine was finally killed on Onderon while his spirit dissipated into Chaos , leaving no chance for a potential return . Many of the guard perished during the ultimate destruction of the Emperor ' s throne - world of Byss , and most of the rest were killed serving aboard the " Eclipse II " . Kanos and approximately twenty others who had lived returned to Yinchorr and the Imperial Royal Guard Academy . Led by Master Kennede , the group lay in mourning for ten full days . However , on the tenth day , they were interrupted by a lone guardsman , badly injured and strained from his long journey from Onderon . The guardsmen had overheard a confession from the Emperor ' s physician on Onderon , implicating Carnor Jax in a conspiracy to kill the Emperor . Jax had bribed the physician to tamper with Palpatine ' s clones , ensuring a quick death and forcing Palpatine to confront Skywalker on Onderon , finalizing his death . Realizing that Jax was not present in the database and had not died in battle , the remaining guard swore death to the traitor . However , just at that moment , the gathering was interrupted by a legion of stormtroopers . Opening fire on the Emperor ' s Royal Guard , a battle broke out within the facility , with the guard badly outnumbered . Although the guard succeeded in killing a great number of stormtroopers , they were unable to overcome the superior numbers being thrown against them , and were soon withered down to only two . Alongside Kile Hannad , Kanos was backed against a corner , and the two men soon realized that there would be no one left to exact revenge on Jax . The two men quickly played a game of chance to decide who would be allowed to escape , with Kanos being the one chosen . Kanos evacuated the facility as Hannad covered his retreat . After escaping , the building exploded in a violent fashion , leaving Kanos the only loyal remaining Royal Guard . He quickly found a way offworld and was determined to fulfill the oath he had taken . Revenge against Carnor Jax . Riding in a disguised Skipray blastboat , Kanos remained constantly on the move , briefly staying on Zaddja before leaving a trap for pursuing troops and moving on . Jax had placed an incredibly large bounty on Kanos ' s head , and he was forced to make his way towards backwater worlds , eventually arriving on Phaeda . After bribing the dock master , Kanos went to take a drink in the local cantina . While there , he tried eavesdropping on several Imperial officers , eventually instigating a confrontation . Kanos killed the men , and then executed an entire squad of stormtroopers that came to their defense . Kanos quickly departed the scene , eventually being helped by New Republic sympathizer Tem Merkon . Merkon brought Kanos back to his hideout and allowed him to stay in his underground room . Kanos was soon contacted by New Republic agents on Phaeda led by Mirith Sinn , who transported him back to their base . Although he despised the New Republic , he understood that they shared a common enemy and agreed to join them for a time . Sinn was intrigued with Kanos , and tried to engage him in conversation , resulting in a mutual attraction that fostered between the two . However , the romance was cut short , as the location of the base had been betrayed to the Empire by Tem Merkon , and Kanos ' s livelihood was once again put in jeopardy . Forced to take to the field , Kanos took part in the ensuing battle , routing the Empire ' s forces under Colonel Xexus Shev and helping win the day for the fledgling New Republic . Although Kanos was safe for the moment , he knew the Empire was closing in on him , and he requested a ship from Sinn to leave the planet . Sinn provided him with a Scimitar assault bomber , and Kanos quickly departed . Arriving back on Yinchorr , Kanos rigged the bomber as a trap and waited for Jax to arrive to face him . Just as he had expected , the Imperials finally arrived in the system , and Jax and his complement of Blackhole stormtroopers quickly advanced on Kanos ' s position . Kanos ' s skill was with him , and he quickly dispatched the Blackhole troopers , setting the stage for a final duel between the two men . Within the Squall , the arena where Jax had always been the victor , Kanos and Jax engaged in their final duel . Kanos ' s ferocity quickly gave him the upper hand , but he was merciful to his opponent , letting him regain his footing after initially disarming him . This mercy was not returned , however , as Jax took the opportunity to use the Force to smash a boulder into the back of Kanos ' s head . With his helmet damaged , Kanos removed the headpiece , returning to the fight with renewed ferocity . Jax almost succeeded in plummeting Kanos into the depths of the Squall , but the timely arrival of Mirith Sinn and her bodyguard Sish Sadeet saved Kanos from a quick death . Realizing that Kanos cared for Sinn , Jax threatened the New Republic agent with a blaster shot , hoping to swing the balance in his favor . Unfortunately for Jax , Kanos did not hesitate , battering aside the weapon and thrusting his blade deep into the would - be Emperor ' s chest . The NR agents were appalled at the sudden execution , hoping to keep Jax alive as a political prisoner . Sadeet tried to stop the execution , but as Kanos swung around , the Trandoshan was impaled on Kanos ' s sword , killing him . Sinn cried out in terror for the death of her friend , but Kanos was remorseless , reminding her that he was only with them because they shared a common enemy and he had no love for the New Republic . Kanos left Sinn to bury her dead friend , declaring that there were others who would pay for their part in the death of the Emperor , the Imperial Interim Ruling Council . Kenix Kil , bounty hunter . With the death of Jax , the Ruling Council was spurred to offer an even greater bounty for Kanos ' s head than before . With such a huge amount on his head , Kanos needed an alias , and he began to relegate himself to backwater worlds once again , trying to keep the focus off himself . Back in his Skipray blastboat , Kanos eventually arrived on the planet of Baramorra . After scouting the area , Kanos found that the planet was ruled by Boss Banjeer , the nephew of Admiral Llon Banjeer , a member of the Imperial Interim Ruling Council . Banjeer had several bounty hunters under his employ and hoped to capture Kanos for his uncle . Kanos realized that the best way to hide was to take up the guise of a bounty hunter himself , and he quickly purchased a unique suit of armor and fashioned himself as Kenix Kil , an anagram of his name in the secret battle language of the Royal Guard . Kanos then contacted the son of his mentor , Tav Kennede , to help him solidify his new persona . He asked Tav to buy him equipment for use in the destruction of the Imperial Council and to meet him on Baramorra in two days . In the meantime , Kanos decided to learn as much as he could from Boss Banjeer while posing as Kenix Kil . Kanos reported to Boss Banjeer ' s camp , and after impressing him significantly , he told Banjeer that he knew the location of Kir Kanos . Kanos then led the majority of Banjeer ' s hunters on a wild goose chase far away from the camp to " capture " the wanted man . After bringing the men far away , Kanos revealed his true persona and killed the bounty hunters , effectively crippling the hunting operation in the sector . Because Boss Banjeer was a member of Admiral Banjeer ' s family , Kanos saw fit to kill the man , destroyed his base single - handedly , and then personally killed Boss Banjeer . After Tav arrived , Kanos left the planet in an X - wing , leaving his Skipray to a young mechanic on the world . Kanos had decided to learn how to fly the fighter craft so that he could understand the skills possessed by Luke Skywalker , as he saw him as the true enemy , having believed he killed Palpatine . After making several stops , Kanos decided to use his new persona as Kenix Kil to disappear into the underworld . He had his identity erased to keep anyone from learning of his true identity and took careful precautions that no one would see his face under his helmet . Hearing that a Hutt named Grappa was in need of bounty hunters , Kanos decided to take him up on employment . Kanos flew his X - wing to Grappa ' s base on Genon , and after meeting with the Hutt , he took up a commission to capture customs officer Tarrant Snil . Snil was located on the planet G ' wenee in the city of Lay Pa - Sidian , and Kanos left immediately to apprehend his quarry . After arriving , he was immediately accosted by men loyal to Snil . Several other hunters had failed to capture the customs officer , and he was confident that Kanos would have the same difficulty . However , Kanos ' s skill with his double - bladed vibroblade was too much for Snil ' s men , and he quickly killed the entire band . Kanos took Snil hostage and presented him to Grappa , much to the Hutt ' s delight . Grappa declared a party in Kanos favor , but it was soon interrupted by a mysterious call over the HoloNet . As Grappa quickly departed the celebration , Kanos got a quick glimpse at the mysterious visage of Nom Anor . While working for Grappa , Kanos noticed that Mirith Sinn was also under the Hutt ' s employ . He sent Tav to keep watch on the woman to make sure that she had not discovered his secret . Updates from Tav eventually confirmed that Sinn had probably called off her vendetta against him , as she was certainly not spending her time searching for the killer of her friend . However , Kanos decided that he had overstayed his welcome at Grappa ' s . Someone familiar with the battle language of the guard had deciphered the anagram of Kenix Kil and traced it to Kanos . As soon as Grappa had received word of the new information , Kanos was long gone . Payback . At the same time , Mirith Sinn had been turned over to members of the Zanibar race by Grappa . Although Kanos had said that he held no remorse for killing the Rebel commander ' s friend , he felt that he deserved to repay her for causing her such grief . Commandeering an A - wing from Grappa ' s base , Kanos set out for Xo , the Zanibar homeworld , to rescue Sinn . Kanos followed the Zanibar transport ship carrying Sinn , and landed on the planet , stashing the ship in the dense underbrush outlying the main Zanibar city . Kanos then infiltrated the city and incapacitated a Zanibar priest , taking his place in one of their archaic ceremonies . The Zanibar were known to capture organics and submit them to barbaric rituals , which seemed to consist of cutting up the person and flaying them while they were tied to a large metal hoop . As Kanos arrived at the ceremony , the Zanibar were about to cut up Lieutenant Massimo , the man who had betrayed Sinn to Grappa , but had been betrayed in turn . While the Zanibar were busy with Massimo , Kanos made his way deep into the ceremony building , finally finding Sinn and freeing her . However , the Zanibar quickly realized that their other sacrifice had been released , and they raised the alarm . Kanos opened fire on the Zanibar priests , killing one of them , and inadvertently freeing Massimo from the ceremonial hoop in the process . Sinn and Kanos ran from the Zanibar village and back to the ship , with the Zanibar in hot pursuit . Since the A - wing was only a one - seater ship , Kanos was forced to stand on the wing of the craft while Sinn flew the craft through the atmosphere . Unfortunately the atmospheric flight slowed down the craft , and the Zanibar ' s own craft quickly caught up with the A - wing , crippling it and forcing Sinn to crash - land the ship into a tree . Although the two remained unharmed , they were trapped in the dangerous Xo wilderness with no means of escape . Survival and reform . Kanos and Sinn trekked across the dangerous wilderness together . The pair had to constantly work together to keep from being eaten by the hostile wildlife . They were able to survive the day by constantly watching each other ' s backs , eventually reaching an ancient temple in the center of the wilderness by nightfall . Settling down to spend the night , the attraction that Kanos and Sinn had begun back on Phaeda began to blossom again . Sinn tried to convince Kanos once again that the Empire was evil , telling the story of how her peaceful husband was killed by the Empire . Kanos began to slowly show a change of heart , finally thinking for himself for the first time in many years . After spending the night together , Kanos and Sinn awoke to see a Zanibar raiding party that had come to recapture the Humans for their ceremony . Trapped and outnumbered , Kanos tried to hold off the Zanibar , using the ancient temple as cover . Luckily for Kanos and Sinn , Tav Kennede arrived in Kanos ' s X - wing to save the day . Unfortunately , as soon as Sinn had climbed aboard , Kanos was wounded by a stray blaster shot and was unable to get to the ship . Kanos ordered Kennede to leave him and get Sinn away , and despite Sinn ' s protests , Kennede followed orders . Kanos was taken captive by the closing Zanibar as Kennede took Sinn off - world . Luckily for Kanos , even the barbaric Zanibar had heard of the massive bounty on the Imperial Guard ' s head , and decided to turn him in for the reward . The Zanibar brought Kanos back to Grappa and arranged for Grappa to deal with turning over Kanos to the Imperials . Kanos remained in a cell as the Hutt negotiated with the Imperials . However , as Kanos prepared himself in incarceration , a New Republic taskforce led by Mirith Sinn infiltrated Grappa ' s headquarters and rescued Kanos . The Royal Guard was brought back with the Sinn to New Republic space in time to witness the Battle of Ord Cantrell . Assassinating the " Emperor " . Kanos followed Sinn to a meeting with Baron Ragez D ' Asta , where she revealed to him that his daughter , Feena D ' Asta , had been replaced with a clone . Although D ' Asta was shocked with the revelation , Kanos reacted immediately . He declared Feena ' s clone a traitor to the Empire for being involved on the Imperial Interim Ruling Council and prepared to execute her . However , Sinn convinced Kanos to spare her life , as she had been forced to participate in the plot by Black Sun . Although he decided to spare the woman , Kanos still resolved to execute the rest of the council . The newly proclaimed Emperor , Xandel Carivus had holed up inside his throne room on Ord Cantrell , and with the help of Sinn , Tav Kennede , and Baron D ' Asta , Kanos infiltrated the throne room and engaged Xandel Carivus ' s Private Guard . They were no match for Kanos ' s skill , and although they were able to wound Tav , Kanos quickly dispatched all of them . Carivus tried to make an escape out the back door , but Kanos cut him off , smashing his face into a bulkhead before accusing him of betrayal to his Emperor . Although Carivus tried to plead for his life , Kanos would hear nothing of it , and he coldly executed the next would - be Emperor . Although Carivus was dead , the rest of the Imperial Ruling Council members had been locked in cells by Carivus . Sinn commented on the fact that they would be easy pickings if Kanos wished to have them killed as well . However , Kanos remarked that there had been enough killing for one day , implying that he would leave the judging of the council up to the New Republic . Kanos ' s change of heart had left him confused , and he prepared to leave New Republic space and Sinn behind . Although Sinn declared her love for him and pleaded with him to stay , Kanos realized that his devotion was still to the Emperor , and he left the scene in his X - wing . Further exploits . Kanos eventually decided to go back to bounty hunting , resuming his alias as Kenix Kil . After capturing a small pointy - eared individual and turning him in for the bounty , Kanos was offered the bounty for a notorious cyborg pirate . The pirate was holed up in a fortress guarded by several advanced droids . After arriving , the robot sentries herded Kanos ' s X - wing into the fortress , forcing him out of the cockpit . Kanos was confronted by the cyborg pirate , who revealed himself to be none other than Lieutenant Massimo . He had escaped the encounter on Xo but had sustained major injuries following his fall from the ceremonial ring caused by Kir Kanos . Massimo had been forced to get prosthetic replacements for his right arm and right eye . To get revenge for the hideous state that Kanos had placed him in , Massimo had set himself up as a pirate , with the ultimate goal of destroying Kanos . Discovering the true identity of Kenix Kil , Massimo bribed the bounty commissioner into sending Kanos his way . As Massimo ' s bots descended on Kanos , however ; the Royal Guard quickly caused the two assassins to destroy each other , leaving Massimo defenseless . As with many of his other victims , Massimo pleaded for Kanos to spare his life , but the response was the same as it had ever been , and he left the traitorous lieutenant dead within his own fortress . After this , during the Orinda campaign , Kanos heard that the scientist Sigit Ranth , who had been responsible for creating sabotaged clones of Palpatine and involved in the conspiracy to kill the Emperor , had surfaced in active duty for the Empire . Ranth was involved with a scientific team on the planet Dathomir researching the Infinity Gate , and Kanos quickly departed there to execute the traitor . However , Ranth departed before Kanos could locate the man , and he became stranded on the planet . Since flying craft were strictly regulated to prevent the escape of the Nightsisters , Kanos had to search for an alternate means of escape . Using the alias of " Burr Danid " after his fallen comrade , Kanos posed as a shuttle pilot in order to secure passage off - world . When Rebel heroes on a mission to rescue witches of the Dreaming River Clan and to apprehend the rogue Jedi Dal Konur arrived on Dathomir with a damaged ship , Kanos offered to help them get the ship repaired and help save the Dreaming River Clan if they would allow him to leave with them off - world . The Rebels agreed , and after a hectic rescue in which Kanos donned his armor several times to cut down Imperial troops , Kanos was eventually able to escape and continue the hunt for Ranth . Kanos still operated behind the scenes , making sure that plans for a possible recreation of the Guard under Admiral Daala and the clone Major Tierce met with failure . The information Kanos received from this sabotage eventually led him to undermine the four Imperial Royal Guards that were heading the Second Imperium . An eventual reunion with Mirith Sinn was also undocumented , but she had implied that she had fallen in love with him in their last encounter . Kanos also vowed to hunt down and kill Luke Skywalker for his role in the death of the Emperor . Reform amidst the hardliner crisis . Kanos ' s growing obsession with the Skywalker family led to Mirith Sinn ' s resignation from her post as the head of security for Skywalker ' s sister , Leia Organa Solo . Around this time , in 13 ABY , Kanos continued to operate as a bounty hunter under the " Kenix Kil " alias , taking up assignments backwater planets , such as Meenka . During one such assignment , Kanos apprehended the serial killer Lem Krarr , who was wanted for the murder of fourteen younglings . Upon learning the reason for Krarr ' s arrest warrant , Kanos opted to kill the man and take the six thousand credits posted for his death . Kanos was later ambushed in his own apartment by thugs working for the local constable , who was intent on retrieving the bounty he reluctantly handed to the bounty hunter . In the ensuing violence , Kanos singlehandedly killed three of the constable ' s thugs . Kanos also inadvertently killed a man working for Boba Fett , who happened upon the ambush by chance . Fett had been hired by an Imperial splinter group who called themselves the Restored Empire to retrieve Kanos and bring him to their home base on the planetoid RZ7 - 6113 - 23 . Fett compensated the constable and his police force for their loss and swayed Kanos to join him on the flight to the planetoid . Upon arrival in a storehouse stocked with Clone Wars - era starships , Kanos was eagerly greeted by an officer named General Vota and his aide Bulger . Vota welcomed Kanos to what he considered to be " the true heart " of the Restored Empire . As a token of their hospitality and a symbol of their similar ideals , the renegade Imperials presented Kanos with the standard crimson garbs of the Royal Guard . The leader of the so called " hard - liners " , Ennix Devian , allowed Kanos to be acquainted with his cause through a formal banquet dedicated to Kanos ' s honor . Kanos recognized Devian as a dishonorable thug and a hitman of Palpatine ' s time , and was wary of working with him , especially after witnessing Devian murder one of his own men as a demonstration of his own fighting skills . Devian further explained his plot to use the volatile substance zinethium to attack Coruscant in an effort to destroy the heart of the New Republic ; Kanos was disgusted at the prospect of murdering innocents in the name of political power . Seeing how blind devotion warped the minds of Devian and his men , Kanos experienced a change of heart in regards to his blood oath against Luke Skywalker . Kanos decided to warn Skywalker of Devian ' s plot ; to this end , he pick - pocketed Devian ' s blaster as Devian placed him under house arrest . Using the blaster as a makeshift explosive , Kanos destroyed his bedroom door and subdued two stormtroopers who rushed in . Wielding dual blasters stolen from the two stormtroopers , Kanos blasted his way to the main hangar , holding Bulger hostage while stealing an old attack shuttle . However , he was unaware that Devian had embedded the zinethium inside the shuttle , predicting Kanos would travel to the galactic capital . Kanos made a theatrical arrival on Coruscant , being escorted onto a landing pad of the Imperial Palace escorted by a squadron of A - wings . Despite being ordered to stand down by Republic security , Kanos requested to speak to Mirith Sinn , now Chief of Security of the Imperial Palace . He was shortly arrested by the guards and imprisoned . While in prison , Kanos was able to meet with Sinn , who agreed introduce him to the Chief of State , Leia Organa Solo and her brother , Luke Skywalker after Kanos convinced her he had , in fact , dropped his blood oath against the Skywalker clan . The former Royal Guard revealed to them Devian ' s plot against the New Republic . Despite their doubts , the Skywalkers decided to trust him , with Skywalker sensing no treachery in Kanos ' s heart . Still oblivious to the zinethium embedded inside the shuttle , Kanos shed his Royal Guard armor and agreed to assist the New Republic . Shortly after , technicians who inspected the ship reported traces of radiation emitting from the shuttle . Realizing the shuttle was set to detonate , Skywalker assumed Kanos had laid a trap for them . Luke entered the shuttle , flying the ship into orbit . The Jedi managed to evacuate in an escape pod as the zinethium exploded . Naturally , the blame for the zinethium attack fell upon Kanos , who was accompanying Mirith Sinn to a diplomatic meeting with Feena D ' Asta for a possible ceasefire between the Republic and Remnant . While the preliminary discussions for a truce took place , a group of Imperial hardliners interrupted the meeting , engaging Kanos and Sinn in a firefight . Kanos fought off most of the stormtroopers with ease . However , D ' Asta was caught in the crossfire . Kanos opted to break the news of Feena ' s death to her father , Ragez . He explained to Ragez the extent of Devian ' s plot . The baron understood , and offered an alliance with Kanos to launch an attack on Devian ' s fleet , which was prepared to launch an attack on Orinda . Kanos was reintroduced to Feena D ' Asta ' s clone , who became friendly with her faux - father over the years . The baron ' s plan was to position his fleet behind the moons of Orinda in wait for the imminent hardliner strike , and to convince Devian that Feena survived the assassination " attempt " by bringing him face - to - face with her clone . With the plan set in motion , Kanos traveled with Feena ' s clone , her " father " , and Mirith Sinn to Orinda , narrowly saving Gilad Pellaeon from capture by Devian ' s forces inside his base . After the reveal of the Feena clone to Devian and the mobilization of the dormant D ' Astan fleet hidden in the Orindan system , a massive firefight erupted , killing General Vota and most of Devian ' s stormtroopers . Kanos pursued Devian to his shuttle , where he announced his intent to destroy the hardliner cause once and for all . After announcing that he was trained personally in combat by Darth Vader , Devian attacked Kanos . Although Kanos managed to sever the warlord ' s weapon in the ensuing duel , Devian eventually gained the upper hand , bisecting Kanos ' s weapon and piercing him in the chest with his vibro - blade . Critically injured , Kanos used whatever strength he had left to overpower Devian and skewer him vertically through the left shoulder , putting an end to the hardliner plot . Post - " mortem " . Although Kanos was critically injured by Devian ' s attack , he survived long enough for Mirith Sinn to transport him to one of Baron D ' Asta ' s hidden safehouses in the D ' Astan system . Believing Kanos to be dying , Sinn said her goodbyes and returned to the galactic capital , speaking before the Chief of State , Leia Organa , to posthumously pardon Kanos of his charges against the New Republic . She was unaware that Kanos had , in fact , been nursed back to health by D ' Asta and his daughter and was living with them for several months . Officially dead to the public ( at least temporarily , as D ' Asta pointed out , as a man of Kanos ' s stature was unlikely to remain anonymous for long ) , Kanos had bought the time needed to recuperate and forge a new life for himself . When the time came for Kanos to go his own way , he left his crimson royal guard robes as a token of his appreciation before departing the planet in a gifted X - wing , saying his only regret was his inability to speak with Sinn . As he left , D ' Asta was sure that Kanos would find a new life for himself , leaving the Empire behind for good . Personality and traits . Kir Kanos was a cold and brutal individual . He was known to kill without mercy , and felt little guilt about this — if any at all . Kanos had developed these characteristics through a brutal upbringing filled with harsh lessons and images of death from the very start of his career in the Empire . He was also an extremely loyal and dedicated warrior to the point of fanaticism , and mourned for almost ten days following the death of his highly respected Emperor . Kanos felt a unique sense of connection with Palpatine , and his one visit to the Academy at the same time as Kanos ' s training resulted in the Emperor of the galaxy briefly meeting eyes with Kanos . Due to this , Kanos looked up to the Emperor as a father and was driven by revenge following his death . Although Kanos seemed uncaring and emotionless to many , he was also known to show brief moments of tenderness , and his self - constructed armor was occasionally broken through to reveal Human emotion . After he had killed Lemmet Tauk , Kanos was genuinely filled with remorse . However , the compassion he tried to show to his fallen brother was met with the harshest punishment by Vader , resulting in his distinguishing scar . While voyaging across the jungle of Xo with Mirith Sinn , Kanos began to have his first traitorous thoughts , and his faith in the Empire was wavered when Sinn confronted him with what she believed to be undeniable proof of their evil and cruel ways . Sinn had a legitimate effect on Kanos , and he seemed to entertain leaving his quest to avenge the Emperor to be with Sinn . However , his devotion to the Emperor was too great , and he eventually parted with her . Behind the scenes . The character of Kir Kanos first appeared in the 1997 Dark Horse Comics miniseries " Crimson Empire " . Kanos was roughly based on a character that Randy Stradley planned for an unwritten story of Marvel Star Wars . Like Kanos , the earlier character was an Imperial Guard who was out to avenge Palpatine ' s death ; and like was planned for Kanos in the proposed " " , he would have eventually fought Luke Skywalker . According to 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 . In the audio drama version of " Crimson Empire " , Kanos was voiced by Patrick Coyle .