Kir Kanos

Details regarding Kir Kanos's life prior to his enlistment in the Galactic Empire remain unknown. Nevertheless, his past experiences proved invaluable during his rigorous trials to become a Royal Guard. Like all members of the Emperor's Royal Guard, Kanos began as a stormtrooper whose exceptional performance distinguished him from his fellow soldiers.

Recognized for his aptitude, Kanos was selected from his unit to undergo specialized training to become a Royal Guard. Along with forty-three other candidates, Kanos arrived on Yinchorr, the location of the Imperial Royal Guard Academy. On this desolate planet, Kanos and his fellow soldiers endured harsh conditions and constant combat in a dangerous arena known as the Squall. It was within the Squall that Kanos first encountered the ambitious soldier Carnor Jax. Jax and Kanos frequently sparred in the Squall, with Jax typically emerging as the victor. Both were trained early by Myn Kyneugh. As their training progressed, Kanos and Jax gained recognition as two of the most skilled recruits, destined for a place in the Guard.

However, Kanos soon discovered that he would face additional trials before his advancement. While he and Jax stood out, another soldier, Burr Danid, was more highly regarded as the best among the recruits. During a special visit by Palpatine to the academy, Danid was presented as the top student in Kanos's class. Kanos and Jax observed as Danid participated in a demonstration with the Emperor's favored disciple, Darth Vader. Vader and Danid dueled in the Squall as the other recruits watched, but the fight was unfair. Danid was easily overwhelmed by the Sith Lord's ferocity and skill. Vader showed no mercy, brutally killing the young man and throwing his wounded body into the Squall's depths. Kanos was visibly shocked by the merciless display but understood the lesson: only the best deserved the honor of defending the Emperor.

As the training continued, Kanos became one of the best in his class. The initial group of forty-three was eventually reduced to a select few. The remaining men were paired up to learn to rely on their "brothers" for support, assistance, and companionship. Kanos was paired with fellow recruit Lemmet Tauk, and they developed a strong dependence on each other during a year of training and living together. Kanos and Tauk were overjoyed when they were chosen as the final four recruits to survive the training. Alongside Carnor Jax and his partner Alum Frost, Kanos and Tauk stood before the Master Instructor of the Academy, Ved Kennede. He informed them that their training was nearly complete, with only one final test remaining.

In pairs, the prospective guardsmen were to be presented before Palpatine to complete their training. Jax and Frost went first, while Kanos and Tauk waited outside. Tauk was visibly anxious, but Kanos steeled his nerves, attempting to reassure his friend. When the doors opened, the two men stepped into the Emperor's chamber, coming face to face with the galaxy's leader. A splatter of blood marked the floor, and Carnor Jax peered out at him from behind Palpatine's throne. After being congratulated, the Emperor ordered the two men to fight for him.

Kanos and Tauk hesitated, but at Vader's command, they drew their weapons. Kanos quickly gained the upper hand, his training taking over. Overpowering Tauk's weaker defense, Kanos kicked him back and thrust his blade through Tauk's stomach. As Tauk's dying body fell, Kanos locked eyes with him, realizing he had killed his best friend. With Tauk's corpse at the Emperor's feet, Palpatine congratulated his newest guardsmen and departed.

Kanos rushed to Tauk's body, attempting to apologize for his betrayal. However, Vader, watching, told Kanos never to regret an order from the Emperor. Vader ignited his lightsaber, preparing to teach Kanos a lesson. Although Kanos managed to draw his blade, he was no match for Vader, who cut a large gash through Kanos's helmet, leaving a distinctive scar he would carry for life.

Formally inducted into the Royal Guard, Kanos served with distinction for several years, but events beyond his control would eventually reshape his life. Kanos was not among the guards assigned to the Death Star II and thus survived when the Emperor was initially killed during the Battle of Endor. Without an Emperor, Kanos continued alone for several years, leaving active duty but striving to uphold the Emperor's ideals. However, the Emperor soon returned in a clone body, and Kanos loyally returned to active duty, resuming his role as a respected Royal Guard.

This service was short-lived. Due to the actions of the Jedi Luke Skywalker, Palpatine was finally killed on Onderon, his spirit dissipating into Chaos, precluding any potential return. Many guards perished during the destruction of the Emperor's throne-world, Byss, and most of the remainder were killed aboard the Eclipse II. Kanos and approximately twenty survivors returned to Yinchorr and the Imperial Royal Guard Academy. Led by Master Kennede, they mourned for ten days.

On the tenth day, they were interrupted by a lone, severely injured guardsman who had traveled from Onderon. The guardsman had overheard a confession from the Emperor's physician on Onderon, implicating Carnor Jax in a plot to assassinate the Emperor. Jax had bribed the physician to tamper with Palpatine's clones, ensuring a swift death and forcing Palpatine to confront Skywalker on Onderon, finalizing his demise. Realizing that Jax was not present in the database and had not died in battle, the remaining guards vowed to kill the traitor. At that moment, a legion of stormtroopers interrupted the gathering.

A battle erupted within the facility as the stormtroopers opened fire on the Emperor's Royal Guard, who were heavily outnumbered. Although the guards killed many stormtroopers, they were unable to overcome the superior numbers and were soon reduced to two. Alongside Kile Hannad, Kanos was cornered, realizing that no one would be left to avenge Jax. The two men quickly played a game of chance to decide who would escape, with Kanos chosen. Kanos evacuated as Hannad covered his retreat. After escaping, the building exploded violently, leaving Kanos as the only loyal Royal Guard. He quickly found a way offworld, determined to fulfill his oath.

Traveling in a disguised Skipray blastboat, Kanos remained constantly on the move, briefly staying on Zaddja before leaving a trap for pursuing troops and moving on. Jax had placed a large bounty on Kanos's head, forcing him to travel to remote worlds, eventually arriving on Phaeda. After bribing the dock master, Kanos went to a local cantina for a drink. There, he eavesdropped on several Imperial officers, eventually provoking a confrontation. Kanos killed the officers and then an entire squad of stormtroopers who came to their defense. Kanos quickly left the scene, eventually receiving help from New Republic sympathizer Tem Merkon. Merkon took Kanos to his hideout and allowed him to stay in his underground room.

Kanos was soon contacted by New Republic agents on Phaeda led by Mirith Sinn, who transported him to their base. Although he despised the New Republic, he recognized their shared enemy and agreed to join them temporarily. Sinn was intrigued by Kanos and tried to engage him in conversation, leading to a mutual attraction. However, the romance was cut short when Tem Merkon betrayed the base's location to the Empire, jeopardizing Kanos's life again. Forced into action, Kanos participated in the ensuing battle, routing the Empire's forces under Colonel Xexus Shev and helping the New Republic win. Though safe for the moment, Kanos knew the Empire was closing in and requested a ship from Sinn to leave the planet. Sinn provided a Scimitar assault bomber, and Kanos quickly departed.

Returning to Yinchorr, Kanos rigged the bomber as a trap and waited for Jax to arrive. As expected, the Imperials arrived, and Jax and his Blackhole stormtroopers advanced on Kanos's position. Kanos's skill prevailed, and he quickly dispatched the Blackhole troopers, setting the stage for a final duel with Jax. Within the Squall, where Jax had always been victorious, Kanos and Jax engaged in their final duel. Kanos's ferocity gave him the upper hand, but he showed mercy, allowing Jax to regain his footing after disarming him. This mercy was not returned, as Jax used the Force to smash a boulder into Kanos's head.

With his helmet damaged, Kanos removed it and returned to the fight with renewed ferocity. Jax nearly plunged Kanos into the Squall's depths, but Mirith Sinn and her bodyguard Sish Sadeet arrived in time to save him. Realizing Kanos cared for Sinn, Jax threatened her with a blaster, hoping to gain an advantage. However, Kanos did not hesitate, batting aside the weapon and thrusting his blade into Jax's chest. The NR agents were appalled by the execution, hoping to keep Jax alive as a political prisoner. Sadeet tried to stop the execution, but Kanos swung around, impaling the Trandoshan on his sword, killing him.

Sinn cried out in terror at her friend's death, but Kanos was remorseless, reminding her that he was only with them because they shared an enemy and had no love for the New Republic. Kanos left Sinn to bury her friend, declaring that others would pay for their role in the Emperor's death, specifically the Imperial Interim Ruling Council.

With Jax's death, the Ruling Council offered an even larger bounty for Kanos's head. With such a large sum at stake, Kanos needed an alias and retreated to remote worlds, trying to avoid attention. Back in his Skipray blastboat, Kanos arrived on the planet of Baramorra. After scouting the area, Kanos learned that the planet was ruled by Boss Banjeer, the nephew of Admiral Llon Banjeer, a member of the Imperial Interim Ruling Council. Banjeer employed several bounty hunters and hoped to capture Kanos for his uncle.

Kanos realized that the best way to hide was to become a bounty hunter himself. He purchased a unique suit of armor and created the persona of Kenix Kil, an anagram of his name in the Royal Guard's secret battle language. Kanos contacted the son of his mentor, Tav Kennede, to help solidify his new identity. He asked Tav to buy equipment for destroying the Imperial Council and meet him on Baramorra in two days. In the meantime, Kanos decided to learn as much as possible from Boss Banjeer while posing as Kenix Kil.

Kanos reported to Boss Banjeer's camp and, after impressing him, told Banjeer that he knew Kir Kanos's location. Kanos led most of Banjeer's hunters on a wild goose chase far from the camp to "capture" the wanted man. After leading the men far away, Kanos revealed his true identity and killed the bounty hunters, crippling the hunting operation. Because Boss Banjeer was related to Admiral Banjeer, Kanos killed him, destroyed his base single-handedly, and then personally killed Boss Banjeer.

After Tav arrived, Kanos left the planet in an X-wing, leaving his Skipray to a young mechanic. Kanos decided to learn how to fly the fighter craft to understand Luke Skywalker's skills, as he saw him as the true enemy, believing he had killed Palpatine. After several stops, Kanos decided to use his new persona as Kenix Kil to disappear into the underworld. He had his identity erased to prevent anyone from learning his true name and took precautions to hide his face under his helmet. Hearing that a Hutt named Grappa needed bounty hunters, Kanos decided to accept the employment. Kanos flew his X-wing to Grappa's base on Genon and, after meeting with the Hutt, agreed to capture customs officer Tarrant Snil.

Snil was located on the planet G'wenee in the city of Lay Pa-Sidian, and Kanos left immediately to apprehend him. After arriving, he was immediately accosted by Snil's men. Several other hunters had failed to capture the customs officer, and he was confident that Kanos would face the same difficulty. However, Kanos's skill with his double-bladed vibroblade was too much for Snil's men, and he quickly killed them all. Kanos took Snil hostage and presented him to Grappa, delighting the Hutt. Grappa declared a party in Kanos's honor, but it was interrupted by a mysterious call over the HoloNet. As Grappa quickly departed, Kanos caught a glimpse of Nom Anor.

While working for Grappa, Kanos noticed that Mirith Sinn was also under the Hutt's employ. He sent Tav to watch her and ensure she had not discovered his secret. Tav's updates confirmed that Sinn had likely abandoned her vendetta, as she was not searching for her friend's killer. However, Kanos decided he had overstayed his welcome at Grappa's. Someone familiar with the guard's battle language had deciphered the anagram of Kenix Kil and traced it to Kanos. As soon as Grappa received the information, Kanos was gone.

In that same period, Grappa handed Mirith Sinn over to the Zanibar people. Despite Kanos's claim of feeling no regret for ending the Rebel commander's friend, he believed he should compensate her for the sorrow he caused. Kanos, seizing an A-wing from Grappa's installation, embarked on a journey to Xo, the Zanibar's planet of origin, with the objective to liberate Sinn. Kanos trailed the Zanibar transport carrying Sinn, eventually landing on the planet and concealing the starfighter within the thick vegetation bordering the main Zanibar settlement. Subsequently, Kanos infiltrated the city, subdued a Zanibar cleric, and assumed his role in one of their ancient rituals.

The Zanibar had a reputation for capturing living beings and subjecting them to brutal ceremonies, which involved dismembering and skinning the victims while they were bound to a sizable metal ring. Upon Kanos's arrival at the ritual site, the Zanibar were on the verge of mutilating Lieutenant Massimo, the individual who had betrayed Sinn to Grappa, only to be betrayed himself. While the Zanibar were occupied with Massimo, Kanos stealthily made his way into the heart of the ceremonial structure, ultimately locating Sinn and setting her free. However, the Zanibar quickly discovered the escape of their other captive, triggering an alarm. Kanos opened fire upon the Zanibar priests, killing one, and unintentionally freeing Massimo from the ceremonial ring in the process.

Sinn and Kanos fled from the Zanibar settlement, heading back to the starfighter, with the Zanibar in close pursuit. Given that the A-wing was designed for a single occupant, Kanos was compelled to stand on the aircraft's wing as Sinn piloted it through the atmosphere. Regrettably, the atmospheric flight hindered the starfighter's speed, enabling the Zanibar's own vessels to rapidly catch up, crippling the A-wing and forcing Sinn to crash-land it into a tree. Although both occupants survived without injury, they found themselves stranded in the perilous Xo wilderness, lacking any means of escape.

Kanos and Sinn journeyed together across the treacherous wilderness. The pair had to cooperate continuously to avoid being preyed upon by the aggressive local wildlife. They managed to survive the daylight hours by constantly watching each other's backs, eventually reaching an ancient temple situated in the center of the wilderness by nightfall. As they settled in for the night, the attraction that had begun between Kanos and Sinn on Phaeda began to re-emerge. Sinn attempted to persuade Kanos once more that the Empire was inherently evil, recounting the story of her peaceful husband's death at the hands of the Empire. Kanos slowly began to exhibit a shift in his perspective, finally engaging in independent thought for the first time in many years.

After spending the night together, Kanos and Sinn awoke to discover a Zanibar raiding party that had arrived to recapture the Humans for their ritual. Trapped and outnumbered, Kanos attempted to fend off the Zanibar, utilizing the ancient temple as cover. Fortunately for Kanos and Sinn, Tav Kennede arrived in Kanos's X-wing to provide assistance. However, as soon as Sinn had boarded the craft, Kanos was struck by a stray blaster bolt, preventing him from reaching the ship. Kanos instructed Kennede to abandon him and evacuate Sinn, and despite Sinn's objections, Kennede complied. Kanos was taken prisoner by the approaching Zanibar as Kennede departed with Sinn.

As fate would have it, even the barbaric Zanibar had heard of the substantial reward offered for the capture of an Imperial Guard, and they decided to hand him over in exchange for the bounty. The Zanibar transported Kanos back to Grappa, arranging for Grappa to oversee the process of delivering Kanos to the Imperials. Kanos remained confined to a cell while the Hutt negotiated with the Imperials. However, as Kanos prepared himself in captivity, a New Republic taskforce led by Mirith Sinn infiltrated Grappa's headquarters and rescued Kanos. The Royal Guard was transported back to New Republic territory with Sinn, arriving in time to witness the Battle of Ord Cantrell.

Kanos accompanied Sinn to a meeting with Baron Ragez D'Asta, where she revealed that his daughter, Feena D'Asta, had been replaced by a clone. While D'Asta was shocked by this revelation, Kanos responded immediately. He declared Feena's clone a traitor to the Empire for her involvement in the Imperial Interim Ruling Council and prepared to execute her. However, Sinn convinced Kanos to spare her life, as she had been coerced into participating in the plot by Black Sun. Although he agreed to spare the woman, Kanos remained determined to execute the other members of the council.

The newly self-proclaimed Emperor, Xandel Carivus had barricaded himself within his throne room on Ord Cantrell, and with the assistance of Sinn, Tav Kennede, and Baron D'Asta, Kanos infiltrated the throne room and engaged Xandel Carivus's Private Guard. They proved to be no match for Kanos's skill, and despite managing to wound Tav, Kanos swiftly eliminated them all. Carivus attempted to flee through a back exit, but Kanos intercepted him, slamming his face into a bulkhead before accusing him of betraying his Emperor. Despite Carivus's pleas for his life, Kanos refused to listen and coldly executed the next pretender to the throne.

Although Carivus was dead, the remaining members of the Imperial Ruling Council had been imprisoned in cells by Carivus. Sinn remarked that they would be easy targets should Kanos wish to have them killed as well. However, Kanos responded that there had been enough bloodshed for one day, implying that he would leave the judgment of the council to the New Republic. Kanos's change of heart had left him conflicted, and he prepared to leave New Republic space and Sinn behind. Despite Sinn's declaration of love and pleas for him to stay, Kanos realized that his loyalty still lay with the Emperor, and he departed the scene in his X-wing.

Kanos eventually chose to return to bounty hunting, resuming his alias as Kenix Kil. After capturing a small pointy-eared individual and collecting the bounty, Kanos was offered a bounty for a notorious cyborg pirate. The pirate was holed up in a fortress defended by numerous advanced droids. Upon arrival, the robotic sentries guided Kanos's X-wing into the fortress, forcing him to exit the cockpit. Kanos was confronted by the cyborg pirate, who revealed himself to be none other than Lieutenant Massimo. He had survived the encounter on Xo but had suffered severe injuries as a result of his fall from the ceremonial ring caused by Kir Kanos. Massimo had received prosthetic replacements for his right arm and right eye.

Seeking revenge for the disfigurement that Kanos had inflicted upon him, Massimo had established himself as a pirate, with the ultimate goal of destroying Kanos. Discovering the true identity of Kenix Kil, Massimo bribed the bounty commissioner into sending Kanos his way. As Massimo's bots descended upon Kanos, the Royal Guard swiftly caused the two assassins to destroy each other, leaving Massimo defenseless. As with many of his previous victims, Massimo begged Kanos to spare his life, but the response remained unchanged, and he left the traitorous lieutenant dead within his own fortress.

Subsequently, during the Orinda campaign, Kanos learned that the scientist Sigit Ranth, who had been responsible for creating sabotaged clones of Palpatine and involved in the conspiracy to assassinate the Emperor, had resurfaced in active duty for the Empire. Ranth was working with a scientific team on the planet Dathomir researching the Infinity Gate, and Kanos immediately traveled there to execute the traitor. However, Ranth departed before Kanos could locate him, and he became stranded on the planet. Given that flying craft were strictly regulated to prevent the escape of the Nightsisters, Kanos was forced to seek an alternative means of escape. Assuming the alias of "Burr Danid," named after his fallen comrade, Kanos posed as a shuttle pilot in order to secure passage off-world. When Rebel heroes arrived on Dathomir with a damaged ship on a mission to rescue witches of the Dreaming River Clan and apprehend the rogue Jedi Dal Konur, Kanos offered to assist them in repairing the ship and saving the Dreaming River Clan in exchange for passage off-world. The Rebels agreed, and after a chaotic rescue in which Kanos donned his armor several times to eliminate Imperial troops, Kanos was eventually able to escape and continue his pursuit of Ranth.

Kanos continued to operate covertly, ensuring that plans for a potential recreation of the Guard under Admiral Daala and the clone Major Tierce were unsuccessful. The information Kanos obtained from this sabotage ultimately enabled him to undermine the four Imperial Royal Guards who were leading the Second Imperium. An undocumented reunion with Mirith Sinn also occurred, and she had implied that she had fallen in love with him during their last encounter. Kanos also vowed to hunt down and kill Luke Skywalker for his role in the Emperor's death.

Kanos's growing obsession with the Skywalker family led to Mirith Sinn's resignation from her position as the head of security for Skywalker's sister, Leia Organa Solo. Around this time, in 13 ABY, Kanos continued his work as a bounty hunter under the "Kenix Kil" alias, accepting assignments on remote planets such as Meenka. During one such assignment, Kanos apprehended the serial killer Lem Krarr, who was wanted for the murder of fourteen younglings. Upon learning the reason for Krarr's arrest warrant, Kanos chose to kill the man and claim the six thousand credits offered for his death. Kanos was later ambushed in his own apartment by thugs working for the local constable, who intended to reclaim the bounty he had reluctantly paid to the bounty hunter. In the ensuing conflict, Kanos singlehandedly killed three of the constable's thugs. Kanos also unintentionally killed a man working for Boba Fett, who happened to be present during the ambush. Fett had been hired by an Imperial splinter group known as the Restored Empire to retrieve Kanos and bring him to their home base on the planetoid RZ7-6113-23.

Fett compensated the constable and his police force for their loss and persuaded Kanos to accompany him on the flight to the planetoid. Upon arriving at a storehouse filled with Clone Wars-era starships, Kanos was enthusiastically greeted by an officer named General Vota and his aide Bulger. Vota welcomed Kanos to what he considered to be "the true heart" of the Restored Empire. As a gesture of their hospitality and a symbol of their shared ideals, the renegade Imperials presented Kanos with the standard crimson attire of the Royal Guard. The leader of the so-called "hard-liners", Ennix Devian, allowed Kanos to familiarize himself with his cause through a formal banquet held in Kanos's honor. Kanos recognized Devian as a dishonorable thug and a hitman from Palpatine's era, and he was wary of working with him, especially after witnessing Devian murder one of his own men as a demonstration of his fighting prowess.

Devian further explained his plan to use the volatile substance zinethium to attack Coruscant in an attempt to destroy the heart of the New Republic; Kanos was repulsed by the prospect of murdering innocent civilians in the name of political power. Witnessing how blind devotion had warped the minds of Devian and his followers, Kanos experienced a change of heart regarding his blood oath against Luke Skywalker. Kanos resolved to warn Skywalker of Devian's plot; to this end, he pickpocketed Devian's blaster while Devian placed him under house arrest. Using the blaster as a makeshift explosive, Kanos destroyed his bedroom door and subdued two stormtroopers who rushed in. Wielding dual blasters stolen from the two stormtroopers, Kanos fought his way to the main hangar, holding Bulger hostage while stealing an old attack shuttle. However, he was unaware that Devian had embedded the zinethium inside the shuttle, anticipating that Kanos would travel to the galactic capital.

Kanos made a dramatic entrance on Coruscant, arriving on a landing pad of the Imperial Palace escorted by a squadron of A-wings. Despite being ordered to stand down by Republic security, Kanos requested to speak with Mirith Sinn, now Chief of Security of the Imperial Palace. He was promptly arrested by the guards and imprisoned. While incarcerated, Kanos was able to meet with Sinn, who agreed to introduce him to the Chief of State, Leia Organa Solo and her brother, Luke Skywalker, after Kanos convinced her that he had abandoned his blood oath against the Skywalker clan. The former Royal Guard revealed Devian's plot against the New Republic. Despite their doubts, the Skywalkers decided to trust him, with Skywalker sensing no deceit in Kanos's heart. Still unaware of the zinethium embedded within the shuttle, Kanos shed his Royal Guard armor and agreed to assist the New Republic. Shortly thereafter, technicians inspecting the ship reported traces of radiation emanating from the shuttle. Realizing that the shuttle was set to detonate, Skywalker assumed that Kanos had laid a trap for them. Luke entered the shuttle, flying it into orbit. The Jedi managed to evacuate in an escape pod as the zinethium exploded.

Predictably, the blame for the zinethium attack fell upon Kanos, who was accompanying Mirith Sinn to a diplomatic meeting with Feena D'Asta for a potential ceasefire between the Republic and Remnant. While preliminary discussions for a truce were underway, a group of Imperial hardliners interrupted the meeting, engaging Kanos and Sinn in a firefight. Kanos effortlessly fought off most of the stormtroopers. However, D'Asta was caught in the crossfire. Kanos chose to deliver the news of Feena's death to her father, Ragez. He explained the extent of Devian's plot to Ragez. The baron understood and offered an alliance with Kanos to launch an attack on Devian's fleet, which was preparing to attack Orinda.

Kanos was reintroduced to Feena D'Asta's clone, who had grown close to her faux-father over the years. The baron's plan was to position his fleet behind the moons of Orinda in anticipation of the imminent hardliner strike, and to convince Devian that Feena had survived the assassination "attempt" by bringing him face-to-face with her clone. With the plan in motion, Kanos traveled with Feena's clone, her "father", and Mirith Sinn to Orinda, narrowly saving Gilad Pellaeon from capture by Devian's forces inside his base. After the reveal of the Feena clone to Devian and the mobilization of the dormant D'Astan fleet hidden within the Orindan system, a massive firefight erupted, resulting in the deaths of General Vota and most of Devian's stormtroopers.

Kanos pursued Devian to his shuttle, where he declared his intention to destroy the hardliner cause once and for all. After revealing that he had been personally trained in combat by Darth Vader, Devian attacked Kanos. Although Kanos managed to sever the warlord's weapon during the ensuing duel, Devian eventually gained the upper hand, bisecting Kanos's weapon and piercing him in the chest with his vibro-blade. Critically wounded, Kanos summoned his remaining strength to overpower Devian and impale him vertically through the left shoulder, bringing an end to the hardliner plot.

Despite being critically wounded by Devian's attack, Kanos survived long enough for Mirith Sinn to transport him to one of Baron D'Asta's hidden safehouses in the D'Astan system. Believing Kanos to be dying, Sinn bid him farewell and returned to the galactic capital, speaking before the Chief of State, Leia Organa, to posthumously pardon Kanos of his charges against the New Republic. Unbeknownst to her, Kanos had been nursed back to health by D'Asta and his daughter and was living with them for several months. Officially presumed dead by the public (at least temporarily, as D'Asta pointed out, as a man of Kanos's stature was unlikely to remain anonymous for long), Kanos had gained the time needed to recover and forge a new life for himself. When the time came for Kanos to depart, he left his crimson royal guard robes as a token of his gratitude before leaving the planet in a gifted X-wing, expressing his only regret as his inability to speak with Sinn. As he departed, D'Asta was confident that Kanos would find a new life for himself, leaving the Empire behind for good.

Kir Kanos possessed a demeanor that was both cold and ruthless. He was notorious for his merciless killings, often exhibiting minimal to no remorse. These traits were cultivated through a harsh upbringing marked by brutal lessons and constant exposure to death from the outset of his Imperial career. Moreover, he was an exceptionally devoted and dedicated warrior, bordering on fanaticism, and he mourned for nearly ten days following the death of the Emperor, whom he greatly admired. Kanos felt an extraordinary connection with Palpatine, stemming from a brief encounter during a visit to the Academy that coincided with Kanos's training, during which the Emperor briefly met his gaze. Consequently, Kanos revered the Emperor as a father figure and was driven by a desire for vengeance following his death.

Although Kanos often appeared uncaring and devoid of emotion, he was also known to display fleeting moments of tenderness, and his self-imposed emotional barriers would occasionally falter, revealing his underlying humanity. After killing Lemmet Tauk, Kanos genuinely felt remorse. However, his attempt to show compassion to his fallen brother was met with severe punishment by Vader, resulting in his distinctive scar. While traversing the jungle of Xo with Mirith Sinn, Kanos began to experience his first traitorous thoughts, and his faith in the Empire wavered as Sinn presented him with what she believed to be irrefutable evidence of their evil and cruel nature. Sinn had a profound impact on Kanos, and he appeared to contemplate abandoning his quest to avenge the Emperor in order to be with her. However, his devotion to the Emperor proved too strong, and he ultimately parted ways with her.

The character of Kir Kanos made his debut in the 1997 Dark Horse Comics miniseries, Star Wars: Crimson Empire. Kanos was loosely inspired by a character that Randy Stradley had conceived for an unwritten story in Marvel Star Wars. Similar to Kanos, this earlier character was an Imperial Guard seeking to avenge Palpatine's death; and as was planned for Kanos in the proposed Crimson Empire III, he would have eventually battled Luke Skywalker.

According to Stradley, the creation of Crimson Empire was based on the idea that all Royal Guards were clones, with the unmasked Jax intended to demonstrate that he and Kanos shared the same prime clone origin. However, the establishment of Jax's father and the development of other Royal Guardsmen appear to have invalidated this concept.

In the audio drama version of Crimson Empire, Kanos was voiced by Patrick Coyle.

In 2021, as part of the celebration of Lucasfilm's 50th Anniversary, Hasbro created an action figure based on Kir Kanos. However, the figure was mistakenly mislabeled as "Carnor Jax".