This is card #28 from the 1996 Topps Star Wars Finest set, featuring the Emperor’s Royal Guard from the “Imperials & Affiliates” subset. Printed on Topps’ premium Holochrome stock, this card has a stunning metallic finish that makes the artwork leap off the surface — front art by Mark Harrison, back art by Mike Butkus.

∙ Character: Emperor’s Royal Guard

∙ Card #: 28

∙ Subset: Imperials & Affiliates

∙ Set: 1996 Topps Star Wars Finest

∙ Finish: Holochrome

∙ Condition: Near Mint or better

Silent, crimson, and utterly imposing, the Emperor’s Royal Guard are among the most iconic images in all of Star Wars. Hand-picked from the most elite Imperial stormtroopers, they were trained as the personal protectors of Emperor Palpatine himself — present at his side in the Senate, on the Death Star, and everywhere power was being exercised at the highest level.

Their blood-red armor drew design inspiration from the Death Watch of Mandalore and the Sun Guards of the Thryssus system, and their primary weapon was a deadly force pike capable of delivering a paralyzing charge. They never speak. They never flinch. They simply stand — and that stillness is its own kind of threat.

This 1996 Finest card is a beautiful piece of classic Star Wars collecting, from an era when the Holochrome format was genuinely cutting edge. A great addition for fans of the Imperial aesthetic or vintage Star Wars cardboard.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​