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Star Wars: The Last Jedi: Snoke's Connection with Emperor Palpatine Teased in New Book


The recent release of the Star Wars novel, Star Wars Aftermath: Empire's End, has triggered fan speculation about the origins of Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis) in Star Wars: The Last Jedi and his possible connection to another evil ruler, the Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.

Star Wars Aftermath: Empire's End, written by Chuck Wendig, is the third installment in a series and preceded by Star Wars: Aftermath and Star Wars: Aftermath: Life's Debt. All three books dwell on a massive uncharted territory in space also known as the Unknown Regions. They also show us the declining influence of the Empire in its last days.

YouTuber Star Wars HQ emphasizes that Palpatine himself was obsessed with the history and genesis of the Unknown Regions. He believed that it was the cradle of the Force and its two manifestations: the power of the Jedis and the dark 'magic' of the Siths. In the third novel, Palpatine starts to feel an immense presence of darkness from the Unknown Regions, possibly more powerful than him, calling to him and showing him visions. This dark presence led Palpatine to secretly construct a backup base near that forbidding territory, a fallback position in case the Empire falls.

What is interesting about this plot is that no other Sith - not even Darth Vader - senses this dark presence or is contacted by it. Star Wars HQ even points out that this malevolent being kept itself secret from Vader, as if it didn't want to be known by him.

In its review of the book, Slashfilm adds that Palpatine feels that this dark presence is calling out to him to join it. Again, the invitation is not extended to Vader. Maybe this new force senses that Vader could not be trusted and would eventually turn against the Dark Side. If it did, it did manage to protect itself because as everyone who has seen Return of the Jedi knows by now, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) brought out the good side of his father, Vader, and redeemed him. Vader eventually turned against the Emperor and killed him before dying himself.

It was an event that the dark presence in the Unknown Regions wanted to prevent. According to the book, had Palpatine lived, he would have launched an expedition into the Unknown Regions and made contact with the dark presence.

Now where does Snoke enter into this? Slashfilm reminds us that in the novelization of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Snoke admits that he is ancient and long-lived. These qualities can be applied to the dark presence. Snoke also says that he has been watching the Empire from afar, and had seen its rise and fall.

Tie it all together and there is a possible connection between Snoke and that dark presence concealed in the Unknown Regions. For their own reasons, both of them wanted the Empire to prosper and were keen to protect the Emperor. It is also hinted at that they had roots in the beginnings of time, space, and perhaps the formation of the Force itself.

Let's also not forget that the history of the Force is becoming integral in the movies too. Why is the now elder Luke keen on finding a very old Jedi Temple that supposedly holds the deepest secrets of the Force? During that last fight that slaughtered his students decades before The Force Awakens, did he sense who Snoke truly was---and recognized that he could not defeat him on his own? Did that revelation prompt him not just into exile but into a quest that would unlock the mysteries of the Force and its followers?

If the latest leaks prove true, Snoke apparently also has a huge grudge against the Skywalkers. Was it because Luke frustrated his plans of creating some kind of super dark alliance with the Emperor?

These are all theories but the connection between Palpatine and Snoke cannot be easily dismissed. What makes it more intriguing is that this possible plot will lead Star Wars, its characters, and its audience into deeper layers of adventure and wonder that might challenge our ideas and how we have perceived this saga so far.

Watch Star Wars HQ'S own take on the Snoke-Palpatine connection below.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is directed by Rian Johnson and stars Mark Hamill, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaacs, and Carrie Fisher. It will open in theaters on December 15, 2017.

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