The Praetorian Guards’ Star Wars appearances to date have been action-heavy and backstory-lite – so who are they? And how are they connected to another band of enigmatic masked warriors, the Knights of Ren?
Star Wars’ Praetorian Guards, Explained
The name “Praetorian Guards” actually applies to two different but related elite bodyguard outfits in Star Wars lore. Of these groups, the Imperial Praetorian Guards came first, according to Star Wars‘ in-universe timeline. These guys wore red armor over similarly colored robes and wielded energy-infused melee weapons. Their job? Protecting the Imperial remnant Shadow Council active during The Mandalorian‘s time period. The Imperial Praetorian Guards also undertook missions on the Shadow Council’s behalf, as illustrated by three of their number entering the fray during The Mandalorian Season 3.
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Exactly how long the Imperial Praetorian Guards lasted remains unclear. However, they were eventually superseded by the Elite Praetorian Guard. These are the crimson-clad scrappers who serve the First Order’s boss, Supreme Leader Snoke, in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Like their predecessors, they were incredibly skilled martial artists and packed lightsaber-resistant melee gear. They still weren’t a match for actual Force-sensitive fighters, though, and all eight Elite Praetorian Guards ultimately died in battle against Rey and Kylo Ren.
Are the Praetorian Guards Connected to the Knights of Ren?
If all the Elite Praetorian Guards are dead, who are the armored-up antagonists who flank Kylo Ren in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker? They’re the Knights of Ren, and – despite their fondness for high-tech clubs, machetes, and the like – they aren’t really connected to either iteration of the Praetorian Guards. Sure, they sometimes act as bodyguards. However, they have their own creed and possess Force powers. Heck, they aren’t even loyal to Kylo Ren in the end – siding with the resurrected Darth Sidious instead.
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That said, the Praetorian Guards are tied to another of the Star Wars franchise’s prominent bodyguard units: the Emperor’s Royal Guards. The Last Jedi writer-director Rian Johnson acknowledged this overlap in a 2017 Entertainment Weekly interview. “The Emperor’s guards were very formal, and you always got the sense that they could fight, but they didn’t,” Johnson explained. “They looked like they were more ceremonial, and you never really saw them in action. The Praetorians, my brief… was that those guys have to be more like samurai. They have to be built to move, and you have to believe that they could step forward and engage if they have to.”
All of the Praetorian Guards’ screen appearances are currently streaming on Disney+, as part of the platform’s Star Wars collection.
