The Guardians of the Universe are fictional characters in the DC Comics superhero universe. They serve as the administrators of the Green Lantern Corps, an interstellar police force which patrols the universe.

Functionally immortal, Guardians resemble short (approximately 4 feet tall), large-headed, white-haired pale blue humans wearing red robes with Green Lantern chest symbol similar to their Lanterns'. They possess vast knowledge and psionic power which mirrors the abilities of their Green Lanterns' power rings.

The Guardians evolved on the planet Maltus, and were possibly the first intelligent life forms in the Universe. Billions of years ago a Maltusian named Krona used time-bending technology to observe the beginning of the Universe. This experiment flooded the beginning of the Universe with entropy causing it "to be born old". (This is a retcon, originally the experiment created evil, and splintered the Universe into the Multiverse).

Feeling responsible for this the Maltusians relocated to the planet Oa (at "the centre of the Universe"), and became the Guardians. Before life existed on Earth they learnt how to manipulate what they called "the Glow", and eventually created a Central Battery to store this energy. They also attempted to remove magic from the Universe, binding as much magical energy as possible into an orb called the Starheart . This would eventually become the ring and lantern of Alan Scott.

Some time after this they created robotic Manhunters to patrol the Universe. The Manhunters rebelled, believing they were superior to the Guardians and should be in control, and were exiled. The Guardians decided to replace them with intelligent beings, given some of the power of the Central Battery, accessed through a ring (i.e. the Green Lanterns). This led to two schisms.

One group felt that the Manhunters' belief that the only way to protect the Universe was to control it was valid. They became the Controllers. At the same time the female Oans felt that there was no need to involve themselves in the Universe's problems at all, and left to become the Zamarons. Over the years the Controllers and Zamarons evolved to look most unlike the Guardians.

Other groups have also left the Guardians, although less dramatically. One such group settled on Earth and became the origin for legends of leprechauns

The Guardians were almost wiped out in the events of Emerald Twilight , the only survivor being Ganthet . However, they have since been restored, and are now mixed sex, although they are currently still children.

The appearance of the Guardians of the Universe are modelled on David Ben-Gurion.[1]