12 Star Wars Graphic Novels You Must Read Before You Die
9. Kir Kanos, Imperial Royal Guard
The first six issues of Crimson Empire were a delightful surprise, taking us behind the scenes of one of the most mysterious parts of Emperor Palpatine's Empire: the Royal Guards.
As a loyal Guardsman named Kir Kanos tries to avenge another Guardsman's ambitious betrayal of the reborn Emperor, we learn all about Royal Guard training and the incredible lengths men endured in order to wear the red cloak.
Kir Kanos was an Imperial loyalist, uncompromising and efficient, and he makes for a refreshing antihero who ends up with enemies in both the Imperial Remnant and the New Republic. Although Crimson Empire II and III didn't live up to the promise of the first outing, it remains one of the absolute highlights of the Dark Horse Comics years of Star Wars.