Are Celestia's guards necessary?

[kyeran441 32]

Apparently, she gets dominated every time they face a villain, haha!

 

I guess it just fits the image of regality, or I guess principality in this case. Canterlot needs more random background characters to simulate bustle, and their basically stormtroopers in that sense.

[Yellow Diamond 7,561]

Just imagine what would have happened if there wasn't a royal guard... the Changelings would have just devoured Canterlot in seconds and then proceeded to other big cities of Equestria. The entire country would have been torn down - and even if the royal guard were there, the vast numbers the Changelings have still might have been too much. In hindsight, it would probably come down to Celestia and Luna's already superior magical powers + the elements of harmony to counter those numbers. Though... if Shining Armor is still as powerful as the wedding portrayed him to be (erecting a city-wide force field that was nearly impenetrable until a huge swarm of Changelings came along and started smashing it to the ground), then perhaps that's all that Chrysalis needs to wipe out the royal family for good.

 

Then again, the Royal Guard were rather useless in the battle. The Changeling army still overwhelmed Canterlot within minutes, threatening the civilian population with near impunity. I suspect the Royal Guard are in small numbers, limiting their ability to counter large forces. Given that Equestria is rarely attacked by any significant force, it stands to reason they don't invest a great deal of resources in a large standing army.

[Akemi Homura 7,680]

Then again, the Royal Guard were rather useless in the battle. The Changeling army still overwhelmed Canterlot within minutes, threatening the civilian population with near impunity. I suspect the Royal Guard are in small numbers, limiting their ability to counter large forces. Given that Equestria is rarely attacked by any significant force, it stands to reason they don't invest a great deal of resources in a large standing army.

 

With that in mind, I suspect we will be seeing more of the royal guard (in larger masses) in season three, especially if it follows the story-arc format I predicted not too long ago. After an enormous invasion like the Changelings performed, I think that the royal sisters are more aware of sneaky infiltrations and outright conquests to capture their land - if not, the least they can do is provide better training for the royal guard - maybe pool their resources together and co-operate with other kingdoms to improve perhaps their only defenses.

 

There's also the question of which part of the royal guard is stronger - Luna, or Celestia's? Luna's regiment definitely looks more intimidating (with their body features and all - even their armor looks a bit frightening) but of course, that probably just means it's more suitable for the night time.