While the inspiration for the Imperial Royal Armour came from a combination of historically elite unit armours, the helmet design was taken almost exclusively from that of the Sun Guards of the Thyrsus system. It has been widely rumored that an early era emperor was partial to the Sun Guards due to their ferocious mercenary reputation and association with the Sith, and as such commandeered their helmet design for use in his own personal guard.

The helmet is a functional, yet elegant, capstone for the set. It is a single piece that fits over the head to rest easily upon the shoulders and lock securely into place. The helmet's appearance of inflexibility and restrictive visibility is deceiving; set into the front of the helmet is a wide-angled viewport that provides nearly unobstructed vision and peripherals, including vision filters and magnifiers. The rigid appearance is intended to intimidate, showing only a minimal black faceplate and an unreadable, unemotional visage. Some modified versions of the helmet add a vertical cut below the normal horizontal viewport to provide even greater vision. The helmet also includes an internal comlink for coordination and communication. The helmet is traditionally scarlet-coloured when used by the Imperial Royal Guard.