Journeyman Protector

The Mandalorian Royal Guards, also referred to as the Mandalorian Protectors or simply the Protectors, represented a time-honored assembly of elite Mandalorian fighters. Entrusted with safeguarding the Mandalorian sovereign, known by the title of the Mand'alor, they enlisted the most skilled warriors from the various Mandalorian clans.

Renowned as some of the most proficient pilots within the Mandalore sector, they piloted Fang fighters and donned a variety of equipment, encompassing ceremonial and traditional combat armor, alongside comprehensive piloting attire that included blue jumpsuits, air packs, and helmets.

The Concord Dawn Protectors functioned as a militia of law enforcement officers who were both well-known and feared throughout the Mandalorian sector. The Journeyman Protectors persisted in their utilization of Fang-class starfighters, piloted by the most capable pilots in the sector, which resulted in the Fang-class becoming a familiar presence within the Concord Dawn system and across Mandalorian territories. Although the majority of these impressive starfighters were sold to the Concord Dawn Protectorate, a select few that eluded the Protectors' control were obtained and resold by the Black Sun crime syndicate.

Clone Marshal Commander CC-1138 of the Galactic Republic—later known as Bacara—stood out as one of the rare clone troopers who received training from a former Journeyman, which some attributed to his reputation as a solitary figure. Despite Mandalore largely disavowing its warlike heritage by the time of the Clone Wars, the Mandalorian Protectors remained as one of the few enduring traditions, responsible for protecting New Mandalorian leader, Duchess Satine Kryze. These guards wore unique armor and were armed with non-lethal electrostaffs and riot shields.

In the year 21 BBY, the Protectors aided Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi in gathering all individuals present at or near the Death Watch bombing of the Memorial Shrine in Sundari's Peace Park. Subsequently, they escorted the Duchess, Master Kenobi, and the bomber's body to Mandalore's moon of Concordia. The Mandalorian Protectors continued to safeguard the Duchess and her entourage aboard the Coronet, where they defended her and multiple senators from assassin probes. When Senator Tal Merrik of Kalevala exposed himself as a traitor, the royal guards engaged and eliminated boarding B2-series super battle droids alongside Grand Army of the Republic clone troopers.

Duchess Satine later mobilized the Protectors to spearhead a private investigation into a poisoning outbreak in Sundari. Satine's investigation uncovered a larger black market conspiracy, and the Protectors assisted her and Republic Senator Padmé Amidala in locating the black market's base. While some Protectors ensured Satine's safety during the ensuing skirmish, others collaborated with Amidala to subdue and apprehend the perpetrators. As the conspiracy continued to unravel, it eventually revealed that Prime Minister Almec had orchestrated the black market on Mandalore. Almec, wielding control over his own police force, dispatched them to abduct Duchess Satine from her residence. Several Protectors were brutally murdered, and their bodies were discovered by Jedi Padawan Ahsoka Tano and Satine's nephew, Korkie Kryze, who subsequently rescued the Duchess and arrested Almec.

The Journeymans worked in conjunction with the Republic throughout the Clone Wars. They were enlisted to train clone troopers, with their leader, Fenn Rau, providing instruction to clone pilots. At the Third Battle of Mygeeto, the Protectors under Rau fought alongside the Grand Army of the Republic as Skull Squadron in the rescue of Jedi General Depa Billaba and her Padawan, Caleb Dume.

Toward the end of the Clone Wars, Death Watch returned to Mandalore with a sizeable criminal army to overthrow Satine's rule. Satine addressed the crowds gathered outside her palace, with the Protectors positioned behind her. Death Watch leader Pre Vizsla arrived to confront Satine, and the Protectors raised their weapons to defend the Duchess, although she directed them to lower their defenses to engage in dialogue with Vizsla. The Death Watch and their criminal forces overwhelmed the New Mandalorian forces, and Vizsla later entered the throne room to once again confront Satine. The Protectors prepared for combat, but Satine instructed them to stand down, unwilling to provoke violence from herself or her forces. The Duchess surrendered to Death Watch, and she, the New Mandalorian Mandalorian Government Council, and her Protectors were arrested and incarcerated in prison. Some of Satine's allies later attempted to liberate her, but after two unsuccessful attempts, she was murdered by the new ruler, Maul, who had defeated Vizsla in combat and seized his position.

Following the Imperial occupation of the Protectors' homeland Mandalore, the Protectors departed Mandalore to establish a base on the third moon of the Concord Dawn system. Under the leadership of Fenn Rau, they entered into an agreement with the Empire. Nevertheless, the Protectors harbored deep-seated animosity towards Death Watch and the clans that had sided with it, such as Clan Wren, branding them as traitors for their role in the downfall of Mandalore.

In 3 BBY, the Spectres, Hera Syndulla and Sabine Wren, along with two Phoenix Cell pilots were dispatched to Concord Dawn to negotiate the utilization of their hyperspace routes. The negotiators were attacked by the Protectors in orbit, commanded by Rau. Spectre leader Kanan Jarrus was sent to destroy their Fang fighters to halt further conflict. In reality, Kanan aimed to complete Hera's mission of negotiating terms. Sabine, defying Kanan's wishes, stowed away aboard the Phantom to eliminate Rau for severely injuring Hera during a dogfight. Following the capture of their leader and the destruction of their Fang fighters, Rau was compelled to grant the rebels access to their hyperspace routes.

In 2 BBY, the Imperial Viceroy of Mandalore, Gar Saxon, discovered that the Protectors were permitting rebel ships to traverse the Concord Dawn system to circumvent Imperial sector patrols. In a bid to draw Fenn Rau out, Saxon and his Imperial super commandos assaulted the Protectors' encampment on the third moon of Concord Dawn, annihilating them. When Rau returned to Concord Dawn with Sabine, Ezra Bridger, and Chopper, they discovered the devastation inflicted upon the Protectors. After evading Saxon, Rau resolved to join the rebellion.

Following the eruption of the Mandalorian Civil War after the skirmish on Krownest, and the deaths of Viceroy Gar Saxon and his brother Governor Tiber Saxon during a mission to Mandalore, various Mandalorian clans pledged allegiance to Satine's sister Bo-Katan Kryze as their leader, with Rau also declaring the Protectors' support for her. Concurrently, the unified rebel cells of the Alliance to Restore the Republic sustained their operations against the Empire in the Galactic Civil War. Recognizing its inability to maintain control over Mandalore, the Empire ultimately retaliated with the Great Purge of Mandalore, a genocidal assault on Mandalore that decimated the majority of the Mandalorian population in the waning days of the Galactic Civil War. Despite this, the Galactic Civil War culminated in the fall of the Empire and the rise of the New Republic. The Mandalorian Aran Tal, who participated in the Hunters of the Outer Rim competition, donned a suit of armor inspired by the Mandalorian Royal Guard. His fellow hunter Imara Vex disapproved of the armor, opining that "guardian" was not the appropriate term to complete the sentence "Aran's a royal something."

Satine's guards were modeled after a Sith concept created by Iain McCaig for Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace. Satine herself was also based on a McCaig concept for Queen Padmé Amidala.

The Protectors' sigil is derived from concept art by Joe Johnston for Boba Fett. Lucasfilm Story Group member Matt Martin verified on the Rebels Recon segment for the Star Wars Rebels episode "Twin Suns" that the Protectors were the same guard that served Satine during Star Wars: The Clone Wars.