PT Royal Guards: Useless

We see the red-robed Royal Guards in AOTC and ROTS, but they seem extremely ineffective. The one time they actually have to defend their Emperor from a threat they get thrown aside like a sack of potatoes. I guess that we have to cut them some slack, considering that they were up against Yoda, who almost beat Palpatine. But these guards seem completely useless. Did they ever actually defend their master from any threats?

 

In the pre-ROTS EU, they got built up into more-elite-than-elite combatants who could even use the dark side of the Force. Before ROTS, there were even threads along the lines of "omfg teh red guards are in ep3 i hope we see red guards killin Jedi 1handed RED GUARDS 4EVA!!!!" Their failure against Yoda was probably a little joke at our expense.

 

Well we do know that after ROTJ they kept on fighting the new republic in the Crimson Empire trilogy

 

They're supposed to be elite fighters, just not against Force-wielding opponents.

 

They were not useless IMO. They provided great comic relief.

 

The royal guards stand no chance against a powerful master like Yoda. They are probably pretty effective against normal opponents.

 

Why would the Emperor employ ineffectual guards? I think the incompetence against Yoda was merely a deliberate attempt to make the Frog seem untouchable. For some it worked for others (me) it doesn't.

 

If we're going to talk about it, we have to show it.

 

Would you have preferred Yoda deflect Palpatine's lightning at the guards, (as he does in the novelization) and knock them out as opposed to the dismissive Force push?

 

I would not argue that the Crimson Guard is useless. They merely were caught off guard.

 

it just shows how bad-ass yoda is. if you remember he also throws sidious all the way into his chair.

 

The Imperial Guard situation is kind of like the Clones. In the films the Clones are better than average fighters, but in TCW Series and EU their are incredible Clones who revival Jedi and Sith! Same goes for the Imperial Guards. In the films they basically just deter with looks, in Crimson Empire, they are a real threat.

 

I remember seeing them for the first time in the OT and falling in love. And then getting hyped that maybe, just maybe during the PT we'd see these bad mofo's unleash!.... But, yeah... No... Just like ornamental decorations. Even the dumb battle droids had more action.

 

Vialco, Yoda deflecting Force Lightning to take out the Imperial guards would have been quite a spectacle. However, I think for film purposes it would have distracted from the main conflict between Emperor and Jedi Grand Master.

 

Oh, I agree. I think the way that Yoda disposes of the guards is meant to signify just how powerful he really is, and that he's there to end the Sith once and for all.

 

I bet they can handle themselves quite well against a regular Jedi. But not Master Yoda.

 

Before Revenge of the Sith, I imagined the Royal Guards doing what we saw Dooku's guards do on his ship with their lightsaber-blocking staffs at the beginning. I really looked forward to seeing them in action, and then hoped to see them in The Clone Wars where they were suspiciously absent.

 

They aren't completely useless.... you gotta admit, they look pretty cool. Not to mention they are pretty fun characters to use in Lego Stars: The Complete Saga

 

Their weapons seem to be more like rifles than staffs, given how they turn and point them at Yoda, presumably to shoot him. A bit unwieldy for rifles though, especially for the Emperor's personal guards. I would think that they'd be better off with state-of-the-art blasters that would be highly lethal and accurate. Though I admit that the guards look pretty cool holding those long rifles. Makes them look like the King's Guards from medieval times.

 

A reason to have Royal Guards is that if Palpatine was ever attacked either they would deal with the threat or at least buy Palps enough time to react. They are first line of defence and early warning system combined.

 

I remember the third or fourth theatrical viewing of Episode One when I realized the blue chancellor's guards were just like differently colored Emperor's Royal Guards with different uniform touches. That's the neatest thing about Star Wars, although now that kind of evolution in design is more expected. Anyway, I still don't know why the red guards weren't seen in The Clone Wars show but were seen with Palpatine in Attack of the Clones. If I weren't so shy, I would have asked a question about them at Celebration IV.

 

I could just keep watching that.

 

I always disliked the (now defunct) EU stories about them, which followed the typical pattern of taking anything seen on screen and turning it into elite fighting forces which have nothing to do with anything seen on screen.

In the real world, where such positions are held by members of the military, it is selective but ceremonial. It isn't like the elite Navy Seals are the ones standing outside the White House or Buckingham Palace. I always considered the same for the Emperor's Royal Guard.

 

Queue Wackity Sax...

 

Oops, I meant Celebration V.