Unidentified Imperial guard

Biography

Within the armed forces of Emperor Palpatine's Galactic Empire, known as the Imperial Military, a male Human functioned both as a guards and an officer. In 1 ABY, the Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Vader, suspected Rebel Alliance activities on the world Kashyyyk—referred to by the Imperials as "Wookiee Planet C"—and consequently ordered the declaration of martial law. A blockade was established around the planet, and a curfew was enforced. The officer was on leave on the Wookiee homeworld when the blockade commenced, still dressed in his black uniform.

While not on duty, the Imperial chose to visit "Trading post Wookiee Planet C," a local establishment situated near Rwookrrorro, the capital city of Kashyyyk. Upon seeing him examining the goods, the shopkeeper, Saun Dann, became apprehensive and assumed the officer wanted to see his identification. Dann reached into his pocket to retrieve his ID, but the guard stopped him, stating that he was off-duty and only wanted to browse the shop. The salesman then attempted to sell him a micro-sized aquarium. The black-clad guard inspected the fish inside for a moment before putting the container on the counter, and then bluntly commented that he hated fish, which made Dann more nervous. The old man then retrieved what appeared to be a hair trimmer, which he gave to the Imperial in hopes that he would be interested in it.

The situation escalated when a beeping sound came from a wallscreen. As Dann spoke with the caller, a female Wookiee named Mallatobuck, the guard continued looking at the items for sale. The Imperial was unaware that Saun Dann was actually a member of the Rebel Alliance, and Mallatobuck was the wife of Chewbacca, a hero of the Rebellion that the Empire was trying to capture. The Imperial did not notice Dann glancing back to see if he was paying attention to him, nor did he realize that the video conversation was a secret message about Chewbacca and his friend, Han Solo.

When the conversation concluded, Saun Dann returned to the guard, who said he was not impressed with the last item he had been offered to buy. Feeling challenged, the shopkeeper picked up the manual for the groomer and started demonstrating it as he talked. The Imperial finally took the groomer from Dann's hands and put it in his belt. When the old man asked him if he wished to pay or trade for it, the guard answered that he would simply take it. Without any further ado, he walked away with the extorted merchandise, leaving a confused and mumbling Saun Dann alone in his shop.

Personality and traits

The Imperial guard was a Human of average size and build, with brown hair, a bushy mustache and brown eyes. He stared at Saun Dann with cold, intimidating looks and spoke with a deep, growling voice in a military fashion, using short sentences. He would take advantage of his status as an Imperial guard, ready to bully the shopkeeper to obtain what he wished. He was rather blasé about the exotic items Dann attempted to sell him, remaining calm and uninterested the entire time. When the shopkeeper left him on his own for a moment, the officer started browsing the merchandise with obvious nonchalance. The mustachioed guard also loathed fishes.

Equipment

While on duty, the guard wore a black double-breasted tunic and a swooping, black-tinted blast helmet made of plastoid composite alloy. On both outside panels of his tunic, there were pockets containing code cylinders, devices that allowed officers access to computer systems and secure areas. His belt was also equipped with an officer's disc, which contained additional coded information. The guard's issued uniform did not fit him exactly, as the sleeves were a bit too short.

Behind the scenes

This Imperial guard made an appearance in the 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special, where he was played by American actor Lev Mailer. Mailer shared in an interview with the fan site Starwarsholidayspecial.com that he and Art Carney—who played Saun Dann—decided to perform their scene as a classic "The Bully and The Idiot" act, with Carney taking on the role of the idiot to his bully. The Holiday Special was broadcast only once on television and received almost universal criticism. In an article featured in the 106th issue of the Star Wars Insider magazine, Star Wars author Alex Newborn pointed to the Imperial characters as contributing to the program's lack of coherence, describing them as "ineffectual Imperial antagonists". However, unlike some other actors who participated in the show, Mailer did not regret his involvement in the Holiday Special, saying it was "kind of a fun little show" and possessed "a certain charm."

Mailer's character was credited as "Imperial Guard #1" in the show's credits, but the Emperor's Royal Guards, also known as "Imperial Guards," first appeared in Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi, five years after the Holiday Special. Furthermore, the bully wears the distinctive helmet and black uniform of the Imperial Navy troopers who first appeared in Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope in 1977. However, the Navy troopers had a wide range of duties, serving notably as guards aboard Imperial battle stations such as the first Death Star. The presence of two code cylinders in the small pockets of his tunic also indicates that the black guard was an officer and not just an enlisted soldier, since such devices were issued only to officers. The mustachioed guard did not wear any rank indicator plaque. While officers with code cylinders and no plaque never appeared in the Star Wars trilogy, some were seen in the 1995 video game Star Wars: Rebel Assault II: The Hidden Empire.