History Main / CadreOfForeignBodyguards

* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_German_Bodyguard The Imperial German Bodyguard]], a cadre of Germans (from outside the borders of the UsefulNotes/TheRomanEmpire) whose job it was to guard the Julio-Claudian emperors. The most important thing they defended them from was the PraetorianGuard[[note]]who were known for [[BodyguardBetrayal executing emperors]] who they judged incompetent[[/note]]. Yes, the early emperors of Rome had a group of bodyguards, [[WhoWatchesTheWatchmen whose job it was to protect them from their own bodyguards]].

* The UsefulNotes/ByzantineEmpire followed the Roman tradition, hiring personal guards during its long history from such diverse foreign ethnicities as Armenians, Kievan Rus, Scandinavians, Anglo-Saxons, Normans, Sicilians and Turks. The most famous of these cadres was [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byzantine_army#Foreign_and_mercenary_soldiers The Varangian Guard]], which was founded by the Rus and later became a favoured career option for Scandinavian nobles and exiled Anglo-Saxons post-conquest.

* The UrExample would be [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_German_Bodyguard The Imperial German Bodyguard]], a cadre of Germans (from outside the borders of the UsefulNotes/TheRomanEmpire) whose job it was to guard the Julio-Claudian emperors. The most important thing they defended them from was the PraetorianGuard[[note]]who were known for [[BodyguardBetrayal executing emperors]] who they judged incompetent[[/note]]. Yes, the early emperors of Rome had a group of bodyguards, [[WhoWatchesTheWatchmen whose job it was to protect them from their own bodyguards]].

* The UrExample would be [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_German_Bodyguard The Imperial German Bodyguard]], a cadre of Germans (from outside the borders of the UsefulNotes/TheRomanEmpire) whose job it was to guard the Julio-Claudian emperors. The most important thing they defended them from was the PraetorianGuard. Yes, the early emperors of Rome had a group of bodyguards, [[WhoWatchesTheWatchmen whose job it was to protect them from their own bodyguards]].

** It's possible [[EliteFour the Shitennou]] were/are this to Endymion and his reincarnation Mamoru in the manga and ''Crystal'' [[note]]Averted in the live-action and musicals since they're played by Japanese actors and have Japanese civilian names; averted in the 90s anime since they're [[TheyJustDidntCare not even connected to him there]], much less guard him . . . and are implied to be Japanese since nobody comments on them looking non-Japanese, not even [[AmbiguouslyBrown Kunzite]]. Also Jadeite and Nephrite have Japanese aliases and Zoisite's obsessed with cherry blossoms.[[/note]]. In these versions they're assigned areas to look for the Legendary Silver Crystal (Europe for Zoisite, North America for Nephrite, East Asia for Jadeite, and the Middle East for Kunzite) and it'd be easier for them to be natives of their respective regions so as not to draw attention to themselves, especially since there's not a whole lot of Japanese people outside of Japan and they tend to be concentrated in certain areas in countries where there ''is'' a sizable population (i.e. the West Coast of the US). Jadeite could still be Japanese, but his ability to blend in in other East Asian countries would then have to rely on [[IdenticalLookingAsians all Asians looking alike]] and it'd be weird that he saved Japan for last, instead of looking there first. Making it harder is the fact that {{Mukokuseki}} is fully in effect for them; they don't really look like they come from anywhere and their origins are never explicitly stated. The closest we get is a mention in the Materials Collection that [[CreatorsPet Kunzite]] has the air of a Middle Eastern king or something similar, seemingly confirming that he's supposed to be Middle Eastern, which then doesn't make it too far-fetched for the others. Since Endymion is prince of the Earth and Mamoru future king, it'd be nice to avert TokyoIsTheCenterOfTheUniverse for once. Regardless of canonicity, it's definitely {{fanon}} for some parts of the fandom and there are fics where they're explicitly stated to be non-Japanese; assignment of ethnicity mostly follows the regions given above (which means Jadeite averts it when he's the token Japanese member of the group), except for [[DoubleStandard Kunzite]]. For some odd reason, it's very hard to find a fic where he's Middle Eastern even though he has the closest thing to a canon ethnicity out of the four.

->''"I can think of no better men to serve as my bodyguard than those who rescued me from the Ye-tai and guarded me so well during all the long months at Gwailor"''

Part of the StandardRoyalCourt. Whether their charge is [[MyMasterRightOrWrong good or evil]], they'll stick to their [[IGaveMyWord oath of service]]. They are probably from a ProudWarriorRace, and might be TheRemnant. Could overlap with BodyguardBabes, if the babes are foreign. Usually does ''not'' accompany a BodyguardCrush. A subtrope to PraetorianGuard.

* In ''Manga/{{Jormungand}}'', in both the anime and manga versions, almost all of the arms dealers have bodyguards, though only notably Koko and Casper Hekmatyar have truly diverse cadres of bodyguards.
* Amaterasu's personal guard, The Mirage Knights in ''Manga/TheFiveStarStories'' are an ethnically diverse group, though it doesn't really count as most of them come from the planet Delta Belune, the only true OneWorldOrder in the series (for most of it, anyway).

* ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'': Rand al'Thor -- TheChosenOne of almost every prophecy on the planet -- gains the Maidens of the Spear, an entire society of the Aiel {{Proud Warrior Race|Guy}}, as his honor guard after journeying to the Aiel Waste. All Aiel are infamous in the Western countries for being incredibly deadly warriors, but the Maidens are particularly invested in Rand for being [[spoiler:the son of a Maiden]] who publicly declared that they "carry [his] honour".

* The Penguin in ''WesternAnimation/TheBatman'' has just returned from a trip to eastern Asia where he acquired two ninja-like bodyguards he loves to flaunt.

* In ''Literature/PaladinOfShadows'', the Keldara are descendants of Scots and Vikings brought into the Byzantine Empire to serve in the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varangian_Guard Varangian Guard]], and serve as this to the Keldar (a position always held by a foreigner) in the present.

* In the ''Literature/BelisariusSeries'' Princess Shakuntala has a unit of Kushans that were originally her ''captors'' before she convinced them in a CrowningMomentOfAwesome that she was a much more honorable not to mention much prettier employer. It was assumed that anyone who was badass enough to keep Shakuntala captive should also be able to keep her alive.

* Amaterasu's personal guard, The Mirage Knights in ''TheFiveStarStories'' are an ethnically diverse group, though it doesn't really count as most of them come from the planet Delta Belune, the only true OneWorldOrder in the series (for most of it, anyway).

* UsefulNotes/TheByzantineEmpire followed the Roman tradition, hiring personal guards during its long history from such diverse foreign ethnicities as Armenians, Kievan Rus, Scandinavians, Anglo-Saxons, Normans, Sicilians and Turks. The most famous of these cadres was [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byzantine_army#Foreign_and_mercenary_soldiers The Varangian Guard]], which was founded by the Rus and later became a favoured career option for Scandinavian nobles and exiled Anglo-Saxons post-conquest.

->''I can think of no better men to serve as my bodyguard than those who rescued me from the Ye-tai and guarded me so well during all the long months at Gwailor''

* The Western TropeCodifier today is likely the Swiss Guards that protect the Pope. The silly pants may make them seem a little like {{Bunny Ears Lawyer}}s, but they were a terror on the battlefield in the late 1400s to early 1500s, and they retain their tradition faithfully. And while they ''look'' silly, anyone trying to do harm to His Holiness will come to realize, to their detriment, that they are ''highly'' trained military professionals--they have all completed basic training with the [[UsefulNotes/SwissWithArmyKnives Swiss Army]], are chosen according to exacting standards of physical fitness, and are given further training once they arrive in the Guards. And although they are most often seen with their ceremonial weapons (swords and halberds) for guard duty, this is in reality their version of the 18th-century uniforms worn by the BritishRoyalGuards; when actually guarding the Pope, they carry the standard-issue weapons of the Swiss Army: the [[CoolGuns/{{Handguns}} SIG Sauer P220 handgun]], the [[CoolGuns/AssaultRifles SIG SG 550 assault rifle]], and the [[CoolGuns/SubmachineGuns MP5]] submachine gun.

* During the SpanishCivilWar, the Nationalists' ''regulares'', colonial troops drawn from the native populations of Spain's North African colonies, so distinguished themselves in battle that after the war Franco formed a personal guard known as the ''Guardia Mora'' (Moorish Guard), who dressed in exotic native uniforms and rode white Arabian horses.

* During the [[RedOctober Russian Civil War]], the Red top brass was guarded by the Latvian Riflemen. Also, they got Chinese mercenaries -- usually converted from workers who ended up "marooned" when the empire gone down. These were also used in the guards role. which later was codified as the special unit: "The First International Legion of Red Army".