Praetorian Guard

The Elite Praetorian Guards were eight warriors appearing in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Armed in crimson red armor, these fearsome members of the First Order were the royal bodyguards of Supreme Leader Snoke and were fiercely loyal to him.

Personality
Little is known of the Praetorians' personalities, other than that they were fiercely loyal to Snoke, as they tried to avenge him after he was killed by Kylo Ren. All eight Praetorian guards were also in a constant state of pain from the armor they wore.

Physical Appearance
All Praetorian guards were garbed in the same armor, which was crimson red. They also wore robes and helmets made of plastoid. Each guard had nine plates of armor covering their arms, and their helmets were individualized and uniquely shaped so that they and their superiors could tell them apart.

Abilities

 * Melee Combat- All the Praetorian guards were able to fight in melee combat. Their armor made them completely immune to blasters due to its make, and their bracers could resist and block lightsabers. However, inspire of this, a direct stab or slash from a lightsaber could pierce their armor. Their blows were precise and sweeping, making them particularly deadly, even to Jedi. Their skill was such that they nearly managed to overwhelm the Force-sensitives Rey and Kylo Ren before being killed.

Equipment

 * Melee Weapons- All Eight Praetorian guards carried various high-tech melee weapons including single-bladed swords, vibro-axes, doubled-bladed polearms that could split into dagger-like weapons, and electro-chain whips. This allowed them to adjust for any situation. These weapons were also strong enough to be used against lightsabers, making them even deadlier.
 * Armor- The armor of the Praetorian guards allowed them to remain unharmed by blaster-fire and allowed them to resist the blades of lightsabers. Their bracers in particular were most durable against lightsaber blades, and allowed them to hold their own for a time against the combined might of Kylo Ren and Rey. Their Armor also left them in a state of constant pain due to the abilities of their armor.

The Last Jedi
The Praetorian guards appear when Kylo Ren is summoned by Supreme Leader Snoke to the throne room, where the First Order's Supreme Leader belittles his apprentice. When Kylo Ren rises to face Snoke, the guards raise their weapons, ready to strike in the event that Kylo should attempt to kill their master. However, Snoke orders them to stand down, and they willingly do so at his command.

The Praetorians are present when Rey is brought before Snoke by Kylo Ren, and witness Kylo's murder of the Supreme Leader. Seeking to avenge Snoke, all eight Praetorians attack Rey and Kylo Ren, nearly overwhelming them. However, their combined might proves no match for the Force-sensitive warriors, and all of them are eventually killed.

Trivia

 * The Praetorian guards in The Last Jedi were named after the real-life Praetorian Guard, whose members served as the personal bodyguards to the ancient Roman emperors.
 * The visual dictionary for The Last Jedi revealed that the armor of Snoke's guards leaves them in constant pain.
 * Snoke's guards were meant to look and act more dangerously and pose an actual threat in combat as opposed to the royal guards that Palpatine had, who looked and acted more ceremonial.
 * It is unknown how many Praetorian guards exist other than the eight seen in The Last Jedi.