Royal Earthbender Guards

The Royal Earthbender Guards of Ba Sing Se, commonly known as the King's Guards, are earthbending warriors within the Earth Kingdom affiliated with neither the Dai Li nor the army. They instead serve as personal protectors of the Earth King. As elite troops of Ba Sing Se, they are tasked with guarding the Royal Palace, serving as gatekeepers of the Outer and Inner Walls of Ba Sing Se, and acting as sub-commanders for the Ba Sing Se army troops. They also served numerous roles in important events, such as the Fire Nation's attempt to demolish Ba Sing Se's walls with a drill and royal celebrations.

Reign of the 46th Earth King


Even though the reign of the 46th Earth King plunged the kingdom in a civil war and an ensuing peasant uprising, the Royal Earthbender Guards remained loyal to the government.

When the peasants of Ba Sing Se rebelled and gained control over the whole city excluding the Royal Palace, the King's guards barricaded themselves in the palace, determined to protect him until the bitter end. However, unable to handle the revolt and fearing for his life, the Earth King summoned Avatar Kyoshi to the capital to aid him and bring the revolt to an end, but she refused. The tyrant was furious about the fact that Kyoshi, an Earth Kingdom citizen, dared to defy her king, and promptly ordered her arrest. The Royal Earthbender Guards obeyed without hesitation, but proved to be no match for the Avatar, as she easily brushed them aside with airbending.

Defending Ba Sing Se


Around 270 years later, in 0 AG, the Fire Nation instigated a war that would last a century. The Earth Kingdom was invaded and the Royal Earthbender Guards soon became the first line of defense for Ba Sing Se: protecting the capital to protect the Earth King.

Just like the Council of Five, the Royal Earthbenders remained completely loyal to the Earth King throughout the Conspiracy of Ba Sing Se.

In the spring of 100 AG, the Royal Earthbender Guards, under the command of General Sung, tried to fight off the Fire Nation drill that assaulted the Outer Walls of Ba Sing Se. However, Sung ordered the guards to throw boulders on the heavily armored drill which proved ineffective. It was the aid of Team Avatar that eventually secured the victory for the guards.



Later on, the Royal Earthbender Guards attempted to prevent Avatar Aang and his team from reaching the 52nd Earth King, Kuei, mistaking them as enemies of their ruler. They used specialized surface-to-surface rocks against the invaders, re-purposing the projectiles as surface-to-air rocks against the airborne bison of the Avatar. Upon Team Avatar's landing, the King's Guards deployed their whole force to halt the attack, but despite their numbers and equipment, they were quickly defeated by the elite force, who subsequently broke into the palace complex.

When the Avatar tried to convince the Earth King about a conspiracy that prevented Kuei to be informed about the war, the King's Guards escorted Earth King Kuei while he toured around the city with Team Avatar.

The Yu Dao crisis
After the Hundred Year War, the King's Guards continued their duty, and when the Harmony Restoration Movement failed and the crisis regarding Yu Dao escalated, they served as sub-commanders of the Earth King's army in the ensuing battle against the reformed Fire Nation Army. When the battle eventually ended with a ceasefire and a temporary agreement, they, along with Earth King Kuei and General How, returned to Ba Sing Se peacefully.

Avatar Kora's Visit to Ba Sing Se
When Korra's airship landed in the courtyard of the Earth Kingdom Royal Palace they were guided to the correct landing position by a member of this unit. They also served as escorts when Korra went to secure Hou-Ting's tax payments. However they seemed to be very incompetent, because as soon as the Gombo's gang showed up, they ran off in fear. They also seem to be replaced to a degree by the Dai Li. This is shown when the Earth Queen yells at her guards to take her servant away, and the Dai Li were there instead of the Royal Earthbender Guards.

Uniform
They sport a uniform different from that of a normal Earth Kingdom soldier, wearing heavier, dark green armor with a green plume on top of the helmet. Their clothing resembles Qing Dynasty brigandine armor. In 171 AG they were seen wearing similar, if not the same armor.

Trivia

 * Since the Earth King's guards were already active around 270 BG, they are the oldest special military unit in the known history of the Avatar World.
 * Fire Lord Ozai was known to use dummies clad in Royal Earthbender Guard uniforms during his firebending practice.