Before Disney purchased Lucasfilm in 2012, the Star Wars Expanded Universe contained a massive library of great stories that explored a very different Star Wars galaxy after Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. Subsequently, almost everything from that era except Star Wars films and Star Wars: The Clone Wars cartoon was rendered non-canon.
One of the most fascinating stories that has been relegated to the Legends timeline is the Imperial Knights. These were Force users who were bound in service to the Imperial Remnant. However, the Imperial Knights were a far cry from the Sith. In fact, they were strict servants of the Light Side, similar to Jedi, but adhering to a very different philosophy.
The idea of a “good” Empire may seem incomprehensible, but by the time the Imperial Knights rose to prominence, the Imperial Remnant was a transformed regime. After warring with the New Republic for years, the Remnant was forced to work with them against extra-galactic invaders called the Yuuzhan Vong, who threatened all life and toppled the New Republic.
A Galactic Alliance was formed out of what remained of the New Republic and the Empire, and their joint efforts to defeat the Vong eventually succeeded. This led to an uneasy truce established between the two governments that lasted for over 100 years. This new, gentler Empire was the result of an Imperial Officer named Jagged Fel.
Jagged was a brilliant Imperial fighter pilot who served in the Yuuzhan Vong wars, fighting alongside the New Republic often. This led him to meet Jedi Knight, Jaina Solo, the daughter of Han and Leia. The two fell in love, eventually marrying. Together, they helped ensure the truce between Empire and Alliance. Jagged Fel was eventually named the new Emperor and with Jaina, founded the Fel Dynasty.
Jagged Fel enacted his “victory without war” policies, creating humanitarian organizations like the Imperial Mission to win over the hearts and minds of the galaxy. In one of Jagged’s last appearances, he asked Jaina if she would leave the Alliance and help create an order of Jedi in service to the Empire.
Disney’s purchase scrapped any further stories with Jagged and Jaina, but presumably, this is exactly what happens. The proof is in the Dark Horse series, Star Wars: Legacy. Published concurrently with the novels featuring Jagged and Jaina, Legacy jumped 130 years into the future and revealed what the Fel Empire becomes.
Now ruled by Jagged and Jaina’s grandson, Roan Fel, this Emperor is guarded by an elite sect of force wielders called the Imperial Knights. Roan and his daughter, Princess Marasiah are Knights as well, with Jaina’s descendants all inheriting the Skywalker family’s Force sensitivity. Ironically, this means the Empire eventually winds up being ruled by a direct descendant of Anakin Skywalker.
The Imperial Knights are treated like soldiers and are expected to show unwavering loyalty to the Empire. They all wear standardized uniforms and wield identical, white-bladed lightsabers. Their red armor plates are made of cortosis weave, a special substance that blocks and temporarily disrupts a lightsaber.
They are a smaller order than the Jedi, comprised of 60 members at most. Imperial Knights are trained only to use the Light Side of the force but are not expected to cut themselves off from all emotions like the Jedi. This means Imperial Knights get angry, fall in love and follow their passions so long as they obey their Emperor.
The Knights believe they serve the Light Side of the Force, as embodied by the Emperor. So while they must obey the Emperor, they are also sworn to keep the Emperor from falling to the Dark Side. Should the Emperor ever prove to be beyond redemption, the Imperial Knights' code requires them to strike down their Emperor.
The Jedi and Imperial Knights consider each other as “cousin” orders and remain a respectful distance from each other when possible. The Imperial Knights see the Jedi as undisciplined, arrogant and overly cautious. The Jedi in turn, find the Imperial Knights to be well-meaning but misguided, and too willing to resort to violence.
The Imperial Knights’ resolve was tested in their war against the One Sith. Emperor Roan Fel was deposed in a coup held by members of the Moff Council who allied with the Darth Krayt and his One Sith army. They forced the Empire back into war with the Galactic Alliance, ultimately crushing them and the Jedi Order. Roan was forced to go on the run, retreating to the edge of the galaxy. His Imperial Knights remained loyal to him and helped him secure a new truce with what remained of the Galactic Alliance fleet. Together with the few Jedi left, they all took on the forces of Darth Krayt for a final battle.
Although victorious, the Imperial Knights were tragically forced to uphold their code. Towards the end, despite victory being all but ensured, Emperor Roan tries to deploy a biological weapon which would wipe out all life on Coruscant— friend and foe alike. Antares Draco, the head of the Imperial Knights tried to dissuade his Emperor from doing such a thing. But Roan was convinced that this was the only way to defeat the Sith and any price was worth re-securing his throne. Given no other choice, Draco stabs Emperor Fel in the back with his lightsaber, killing him before the weapon can be activated.
In the aftermath, Roan’s fall to the Dark Side was kept under wraps, so as not to erode faith in the Empire. He was buried a hero, but the Imperial Knights knew they had failed their Emperor. Marasiah was subsequently crowned Empress and helped form the Galactic Federation Triumvirate, a kind of United Nations between the Empire, the Alliance and the Jedi.
She ultimately proved to be a wise leader, who saw the flaws in the Imperial Knight’s creed and chose to reform them. Marasiah decided that going forward, the Imperial Knights owed their first duty to uphold the Light Side of the Force over the wishes of their Empress. How this would have shaped the Imperial Knights going forward will remain unanswered, as Marasiah’s decree occurred in the last story told in the Legends continuity.