Star Wars is one of the greatest sci-fi universe ever created and its part of a cultural phenomenon. The original trilogy was a cult classic that one can revisit umpteen times and still get inspired, the prequels were a huge let down and the current trilogy is going strong.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens, directed by J.J. Abrams managed to reinvent the Star Wars franchise and reported decent box-office numbers. It also attracted some flak from Star Wars fans who said that movie felt like a rehash of ‘New Hope’ with awesome visual effects. But still, it opened a number of possibilities to build a cinematic universe in the future.
And then came Star Wars: The Last Jedi which became a textbook definition of “polarization”. On one hand, a particular section of fans heaped massive praise on the movie as it introduced new elements which were never seen before and got the major character arcs right, while the rest of the people literally hated the movie for its major departure from original movies in terms of pace and tone.
Star Wars has always had a way with villains. Either fans liked them or they hated them with all their heart. Such was the case of Darth Vader when it comes to the former scenario. The latter scenario could be best described by the example of Darth Maul.
Both are really terrific villains in the Star Wars expanded universe but only one of them made it big in the movie while the other’s reputations were soiled and lobotomized by the horrific abomination of a movie trilogy that was the prequel trilogy of the 90s.
Villains, not heroes, sometimes are what make a blockbuster movie. The Dark Knight directed by Christopher Nolan is better known for Heath Ledger’s Joker rather than Christian Bale’s Batman. The actor Heath Ledger posthumously won the Academy Award for the “Best Supporting Actor” which was extremely well-deserved as it literally brought alive the iconic Batman villain.
Avengers: Infinity War is much anticipated not because of the Avengers but fans are drooling all over the place after getting a glimpse of Thanos, the Mad Titan. Such is the power of a Villain in making or breaking a blockbuster franchise. He will come to Earth to steal Infinity stones as he wants to be the ultimate ruler of the cosmos.
Star Wars has consistently scored in this regard. Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine are regarded mostly as successful villains. The Original trilogy had classic villains that Rian Johnson tried to replicate in The Last Jedi trilogy.
The Supreme Leader Snoke and Kylo Ren were the prima facie for all things evil in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Star Wars: The Last Jedi. But the first was better received not because of Kylo but due to the mysterious appearance of Snoke in a short but pivotal scene.
Kylo Ren has matured from a crybaby in The Force Awakens to a mature, conflicted and likable character in The Last Jedi. While Kylo has grown as a person enough, Snoke has and always been a fan favorite.
His scars and deep Andy-Serkis voice along with the mystery enshrouding the character every time he graced the screen was not only a treat to watch but also something every guy wanted more and more of.
Here’s what Serkis said about Snoke’s design:
“He’s got this cleft in his head and I think it’s very painful for him to speak and yet there’s an imperiousness about him. He’s severely damaged but there’s a vulnerability that’s he’s trying to cover so that was sort of what I was trying to do.”
In an interview with EW, Serkis said:
“The thing about Snoke is that he is extremely strong with the Force, the dark side of the Force. He’s terribly powerful, of course. But he is also a very vulnerable and wounded character. He has suffered and he has suffered injury. The way that his malevolence comes out is in reaction to that. His hatred of the Resistance is fueled by what’s happened to him personally.”
EW mentioned in the featured article that Snoke’s injuries were inspired by people who endured pain in the trenches of First World War. Here’s what it said:
“In that conflict, modern war machines ripped and gnarled human bodies like never before, but lifesaving contemporary medicine ensured the survival of men who otherwise would have died on the battlefield. They lived on carrying damage previously seen only on corpses.”
In ‘The Force Awakens’, the thrilling suspense that was built around Snoke which got the fanbase excited. And then in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, at first Snoke was mind-controlling Rey and was in total control and in a snap, he went away just like he came – in a flash. It was shocking as nobody thought that Supreme Leader could go down just like that.
Supreme Leader Snoke, leader of the dreaded First Order and the most powerful Force User of the Galaxy was killed by a simple Force Parlor trick done by a guy who had once been bested in a lightsaber fight by a girl who had never even held one before in her life. The cause of his death was so controversial that fans were forced to cry foul.
Luke Skywalker’s demise was the most painful one undoubtedly. But it was Snoke’s death that was the most controversial. Supreme Leader Snoke was killed when Kylo Ren uses the force to turn Rey’s Lightsaber towards him and switches it on, cutting Snoke’s body into two. Snoke’s upper torso lied on the floor while his lower half still graced the throne.
Snoke was then presumed dead. Or is he?
The YouTube Channel Star Wars Theory thinks otherwise. It says Snoke just might return in Episode IX with a big bang. There were already rumors of Snoke’s body in the throne room being a force projection. The real Snoke was light-years away on another ship or that’s what the theory says.
The new The Last Jedi: Visual Dictionary seconds this theory more or less. We have already seen Snoke talking to General Hux via Force projections in The Force Awakens. Now the Dictionary claims Snoke is a profound and prominent user of this ability and his force skills in this area is even better than Luke Skywalker’s. So could it be?
But what about the ‘thud’ sound that fans heard when Snoke’s body hit the ground? If it was just a force projection, how come there was a sound when the body parts hit the floor? There is also a theory to help explain that. Apparently, Snoke’s slippers had something to do with that.
And about the Mental Bridge still existing between Kylo and Rey that Snoke set up? We got no clue. When Luke died, his Gold Dice disappeared just like his body. Is the Mental Bridge permanent? Or is the ability to affect things with the Force even after death only perks of the Dark Side?
Star Wars: The Last Jedi is in theaters. Will Snoke return for Episode IX? We will know when the movie releases on December 20, 2019.
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