The Soldier with the Green Whiskers is a character from the fictional Land of Oz who appears in the classic children's series of Oz books by American author L. Frank Baum and his successors. He is introduced in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900). His name is Omby Amby, but this was so obliquely stated that he also became known briefly as Wantowin Battles.
Classic Oz books
In The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the Soldier with the Green Whiskers (real name not yet revealed) is the head guard of the Royal Army of Oz. His job is to protect the Emerald City and its residents. He gladly escorts the four main protagonists Dorothy, the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman and Cowardly Lion through the streets of the Emerald City upon their first visit. He leads them all to the royal palace of the Wizard of Oz, where he forces them to wipe their feet upon a plush green carpet before entering. When he blows upon his green whistle, a pretty maid dressed in green silk named Jellia Jamb appears to show the four guests to their private rooms while staying in Oz's palace.
The Soldier with the Green Whiskers appears to be the tallest citizen in the city, and is often described as being "very tall" with a very thick and long green beard that flows nearly to the ground. After the Wizard's departure from Oz, he leaves the Scarecrow to rule the city in his stead. The Soldier with the Green Whiskers is the one who tells the King Scarecrow that Glinda the Good Witch might know of a way for Dorothy to get back to her homeland in Kansas. The four protagonists take his advice and travel to the land of the southern Quadlings to seek its ruler.
In the second Oz book The Marvelous Land of Oz (1904), it is revealed his appearance is largely for show. When attacked by General Jinjur's all female Army of Revolt, he admits that his gun, which was usually drawn containing flowers, is not kept loaded for fear of accidents. He tells her to "wait right here" while he looks for the powder and shot that he has misplaced. After his ineffectual attempts to save the Emerald City from invasion, which the Scarecrow chastises, he vows to disguise himself by shaving his beard. However, he lets it grow back once Princess Ozma has been established on the throne as Oz's true ruler.
Omby Amby
In Ozma of Oz, we are introduced to the Royal Army of Oz, consisting of twenty-six officers and one private. This private, Omby Amby, proves to be the only brave soldier in the Army, so Princess Ozma promotes him to Captain-General and makes him her personal Body Guard. He has a fierce moustache (not noted in the text until The Emerald City of Oz, but shown in the illustrations from the beginning), but is capable if gentle-natured, unlike the pompous officers, who come up with excuses not to fight and act very cowardly when facing the Giant with the Hammer. Omby Amby gets inadvertently flung onto the arm of the Giant and must jump down onto the soft body of the Scarecrow, and the officers more outwardly show their fear than the private. An officer mentions that they have a few other privates, but Omby Amby is the only one we ever see. He is cleaning the barracks when Ozma calls him into the banquet for his promotion.
When the Wizard returns, he recognizes Omby Amby, who greets him accompanied by Jellia Jamb, but wonders what happened to his "green whiskers." Omby Amby admits to have shaven them off.
As Omby Amby, he appears briefly in The Road to Oz and is tour guide to Aunt Em and Uncle Henry in The Emerald City of Oz. It is he who informs them of the "Defensive Settlements of Oz" such as Rigmarole Town and Flutterbudget Center, where people are exiled for talking too much or worrying too much, respectively.