Red Guard The Red Guard , nicknamed Redrobes , was an elite organization of bodyguards trained to protect Supreme Chancellor Palpatine , the head of state of the Galactic Republic . Its first members were drawn from the ranks of the Senate Guard . Guardsmen noted for loyalty and efficiency were transferred into the Red Guard ; Senate Commandos — regarded as the best and the bravest soldiers of the Senate Guard — were also assimilated into the Chancellor ' s private security unit . The Red Guard served as Chancellor Palpatine ' s protectors prior to and throughout the Clone Wars , a galaxy - wide civil war between the Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems . After the Republic ' s transition into the Galactic Empire was completed by the end of the war in 19 BBY , the Red Guard was reorganized into the Imperial Royal Guard by the newly - appointed Emperor Palpatine . History . The formation of the Red Guard was initiated shortly after the election of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine in 32 BBY . For centuries , the Senate Guard , in addition to providing security to the elected officials of the Galactic Senate , served as the elite bodyguards to the Galactic Republic head of state . Allegations of corruption undermined the Senate Guard ' s reputation , leading to calls for the creation of a separate unit for the Chancellor ' s protection . The Senate Guard ' s traditional role as the Supreme Chancellor ' s security service detail was ultimately supplanted after several assassins infiltrated its ranks in an apparent conspiracy to murder Palpatine . Though the plot was thwarted by the intervention of Jedi Master Ronhar Kim , Senator Viento saw the incident as a prime example as to why the Chancellor needed a unit that was independent from the Senate Guard and more closely monitored by the executive branch . The end result was establishment of the Red Guard , a group composed of soldiers chosen from the old Guard ' s best and most loyal members . Even some of the elite Senate Commandos were transferred into the ranks of the new unit . Afterward , Chancellor Palpatine ' s further public appearances normally saw him flanked by a pair of Red Guards , especially during the Separatist Crisis . The sight of the Republic ' s leader and his private guards was interpreted as a sign of the heightened security within the Republic that was on the verge of a galactic civil war . For example , when Palpatine presided over the trial of Ahsoka Tano , members of the Red Guard were on the dais with him standing watch . Despite the advocacy for the Red Guard ' s creation and the Chancellor ' s initial show of preference for maintaining the Senate Guard as his protectors , the Red Guard was regarded as a controversial topic . Some members of the Senate , including Senator Bail Prestor Organa of Alderaan , believed that the Red Guards were unconstitutional since their conception was unilaterally approved by the executive branch , absent of a formal act or approval from the legislature . However , in large part because such accusations ran the risk of violating the new security laws established by Palpatine , any objections were very rarely voiced . The Red Guard continued to exist in its capacity as the private security force of Chancellor Palpatine and acted as his emissaries throughout the Clone Wars , the conflict that resulted from the Separatist Rebellion against the Galactic Republic . Senate Commandos — including regular guardsmen — were still occasionally retained as the Chancellor ' s bodyguards during the war . By the near end of the Clone Wars , the Red Guard ' s reputation was mixed between respect for the skills of its members , and mystery regarding the specific details of its organization . Although its members were acknowledged as highly - trained soldiers by Grand Master Yoda of the Jedi Order , their full strength and numbers remained confidential to outsiders . With the dark side of the Force surrounding the Chancellor , and the secretive nature of the Red Guard , the Jedi High Council came to suspect that the Dark Lord of the Sith had infiltrated the ranks of Palpatine ' s bodyguards . During the Battle of Coruscant in 19 BBY , the Red Guard protected Chancellor Palpatine alongside their blue Senate Guard counterparts , clone troopers , and even the Jedi . They also aided in the defense of Coruscant ' s Senate District in Galactic City under the command of Jedi General Mace Windu . As the fighting wore on , some of the Guard ' s members even expressed anxiety over Palpatine ' s refusal to retreat to a safer location . Following the Republic victory on Coruscant , Chancellor Palpatine revealed himself to the Jedi as Darth Sidious , the enigmatic Sith Lord who eluded the Council ' s attempts to discover him throughout the Clone Wars . He used his various emergency powers and the programmed loyalty of the Clone Army to abolish the Republic , thus allowing him to become emperor of the first Galactic Empire . Under the New Order , the old Senate Guard was ultimately phased out . Emperor Palpatine reorganized his red - robed bodyguards into the Imperial Royal Guard . Equipment . Although the Red Guard originated from the ranks of the Senate Guard , they differed from their blue counterparts both aesthetically and in the design of their armor and equipment . Red Guards wore face - concealing helmets with a darkened visor , visually reminiscent to those worn by the Sith - affiliated Thyrsus Sun Guard , in contrast to the Senate Guards ' face - revealing helmets . Furthermore , they used a meter - long force pike as a primary weapon while concealing their crimson armor beneath a voluminous red robe . Their force pikes were also considered lethal , in stark contrast to the stun rifles utilized by their blue counterparts . Behind the scenes . The Red Guard did not make its first appearance in the until the episode " The Lawless . "