Snoke - speculation (spoilers)

[RoJoHen]

We didn't really get much of Snoke in this movie, but we know a little more about him that we did the Emperor in ANH.

At some point while he was training with Luke, Snoke seduced Ben/Kylo Ren into using the Dark Side. But who is he?

Is Snoke a Sith? A force user? In theory, the Sith line ended when Palpatine and Vader both died in ROTJ (Rule of Two and all that). But that doesn't mean that there aren't other people who could learn to use the Dark Side of the Force.

I'm very interested in learning more about Snoke's relationship with Kylo Ren. Where did he come from? How did he rise to power? How did he know about Kylo in the first place?

So far Kylo Ren reminds me of a young Anakin struggling to figure out where he belongs. I'm curious to see where Snoke fits into the picture.

 

[BigJake]

Snoke definitely seems like some sort of the Sith thing-under-the-bed that has emerged from the shadows. I'm guessing he probably is nothing that has been mentioned or alluded to in prior films, but something "new" to the mythos (even if he turns out to be something very "old" in-setting, Naga Sadow-style).

I'm also interested in how he found Kylo and rose to power... OTOH I'm not sure I want them to fill in too many of those blanks. The tantalizing mystery is one of those things that might be better left that way.

I would guess that he may not be as powerful as he's trying to portray himself (I get big waves of "overcompensating" from that mammoth holo-projection of his) -- and that Kylo will eventually find his power, work out that he's stronger than Snoke and supplant him, Sith-style. And that probably Kylo trying to recruit Rey (or maybe Finn?) as his own Dark Side apprentice will be a recurring theme in subsequent movies.

 

[Mage]

Although I've never read any details on how some fans think he's Plaguis, after seeing TFA, I wouldn't be surprised if he is. Suspecting that Palpatine/Sidious was going to murder him, he faked it, and vanished into the background, sensing what was coming for the Galaxy through the Force, and feeling that Palpatine's long term scheming wouldn't last long enough. He worked an even longer 'con' and is now trying to push events into a truly long reign of The Dark Side.

Or perhaps he's a very old Sith. Or not Sith at all. Look at Rey. She uses the Force, and is clearly Light Side. But does that make her a Jedi. Just because someone is strong in the Force and uses the Dark Side, doesnt mean that person is a Sith.

 

[BigJake]

I think Plagueis is so obvious a guess that it's almost certain to not be who he is.

 

[Mage]

I think Plagueis is so obvious a guess that it's almost certain to not be who he is.

Well,

Spoiler: SPOILER

Han dying was also a very obvious guess......

 

[BigJake]

I guess maybe so. I remained innocent of that particular one until seeing the movie, thankfully. Who knows?

 

[Venardhi]

The mechanics of Luke training Ben and Snoke somehow seducing him to the dark side seems to demand at least a bit more information. Whether Snoke kidnapped him, or joined Luke's temple/academy at some point, or found some other way of getting close to Ben.

Personally, I like the idea of Snoke somehow posing as a surviving Jedi from the purge to get close and find a likely apprentice. It would seem to be the most plausible path there. Explaining why Leia refers to him by name as if he were someone they all knew personally.

 

[USS Triumphant]

Explaining why Leia refers to him by name as if he were someone they all knew personally.

Then again, that could just be her talking about a leader she doesn't respect while denying him his title - like how many on the political right here (the US) always refer to the President as Obama rather than ever using his title.

 

[Kelso]

I'd imagine that he has something to do with that "First Jedi Temple" that Luke went looking for.

 

[Draculasaurus]

My theory.
I think he's a poor clone of Luke made by the Old Empire fetishizing New Order, from his hand severed on Bespin, so they could have their own force using leader.
It's a out-there theory, but it fits with the theme of collecting relics, he's human but disfigured, and the line about them still having cloning tech seemed a little inserted.

 

[Venardhi]

The cloning thing seemed more like an acknowledgement of the prequels and that they should have the capability but for some reason have actively chosen not to use that option.

Snoke being a clone of Luke isn't just "out there." I'd go as far as to say there is no way in hell.

 

[DarKush]

I would love for it to be Plagueis. Perhaps he survived Palpatine's assassination attempt or he resurrected himself. Wookieepedia says Snoke was active during the Clone Wars and had several apprentices before Ren. Plagueis was active before the Clone Wars and we know of one canon apprentice in Sidious. But if he survived and was in the shadows or it took him years to regain his full strength he could've been around and maybe beyond Palpatine's senses.

It would be crazy if it was Darth Maul, who is still out there. Plus Maul was active during the Clone Wars and had at least one apprentice with Savage Opress. Though he might be one of the Inquisitors in Rebels.

What if it's Palpatine? Resurrected? He's jacked up due to his fall? If Maul survived being cut in half then why not Palpatine surviving his long fall? Perhaps though he's not at full strength?

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Snoke

 

[Tom Hendricks]

I would love for Snoke to just be a con man. He has no force abilities, but latched on to Ben Solo and used him to gain power.

 

[BigJake]

If Snoke was just a con man, the Kylo Ren we see is already powerful enough to have figured this out and killed him. (And it's heavily implied that wherever Snoke's hideout is, he's been to it and thus in proximity with him.)

 

[Lonemagpie]

Whoever he is, he isn't going tobe from the EU. I wonder if they're going to break an old unwritten rule and introduce time travel, with him being an alternate Vader/Anakin (the gash in his head is very ROTJ-Anakin) or a future Ren (the jaw damage matches where Rey caught him with the lightsaber)

 

[Draculasaurus]

The cloning thing seemed more like an acknowledgement of the prequels and that they should have the capability but for some reason have actively chosen not to use that option.

Snoke being a clone of Luke isn't just "out there." I'd go as far as to say there is no way in hell.

You're probably right, but it's not any crazier sounding than someone in 1977 saying; "I bet Vader ends up being his father and then Obi-Wan's ghost tells him that Leia's his sister."

 

[Set Harth]

I wonder if they're going to break an old unwritten rule and introduce time travel, with him being an alternate Vader/Anakin (the gash in his head is very ROTJ-Anakin) or a future Ren (the jaw damage matches where Rey caught him with the lightsaber)

Future Ren training past Ren? But how did he... that wouldn't...

*glances at who's directing/writing Episode VIII*

Oh, hell.

 

[RoJoHen]

I would love for Snoke to just be a con man. He has no force abilities, but latched on to Ben Solo and used him to gain power.

If Snoke was just a con man, the Kylo Ren we see is already powerful enough to have figured this out and killed him. (And it's heavily implied that wherever Snoke's hideout is, he's been to it and thus in proximity with him.)

See, I was also kind of getting the impression that Snoke didn't have power, not Force power anyway. He may just be a very charismatic, opportunistic leader who somehow got Kylo Ren to join his side. And while Kylo Ren certainly has power himself, he is still young and naive.

Honestly, he reminds me of how Anakin should have been portrayed in the prequels.

 

[USS Triumphant]

If Snoke was just a con man, the Kylo Ren we see is already powerful enough to have figured this out and killed him. (And it's heavily implied that wherever Snoke's hideout is, he's been to it and thus in proximity with him.)

Unless... he's of a Force-immune species. Maybe he's a Toydarian con-man.

 

[The Wormhole]

Whoever he is, he isn't going tobe from the EU. I wonder if they're going to break an old unwritten rule and introduce time travel, with him being an alternate Vader/Anakin (the gash in his head is very ROTJ-Anakin) or a future Ren (the jaw damage matches where Rey caught him with the lightsaber)

I sincerely hope they leave time travel out of Star Wars. There's truly is no place for it in this franchise.

And yes, I am aware the EU dabbled with temporal physics. Doesn't mean I have to like it.