This post contains SPOILERS for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker finally explains Supreme Leader Snoke's origin. Introduced in The Force Awakens, Snoke was one of the most mysterious elements of the sequel trilogy fans were eager to learn more about. There was no shortage of theories about him and his backstory, with people speculating he was Darth Plagueis reincarnated, Gallius Rax from the Aftermath novels), or something else. In the movies, audiences learned precious little about him before he was sliced in half during The Last Jedi's epic throne room scene.
That creative choice, which proved to be extremely controversial, seemed to render Snoke unimportant. He was merely a red herring and a stepping stone on Kylo Ren's ascension to Supreme Leader. But, as it turns out, Snoke was a pawn in a much larger picture. The reemergence of one Emperor Palpatine provides audiences with the answers they've been waiting for since 2015.
Snoke Was Created By Palpatine
When Palpatine's surprise return was confirmed in the first Rise of Skywalker teaser trailer, some wondered if it was possible the Emperor was connected to Snoke in some way. After all, the First Order rose from the ashes of the old Empire, so it wouldn't have been surprising if Palpatine was pulling the strings all along. That's precisely what happened. In an early scene, one that was partially released as a pre-release clip, Palpatine tells Kylo Ren that he created Snoke and was behind the rise of the First Order. Through Snoke (and Darth Vader's spirit), the Emperor was able to corrupt Ben Solo and turn him into Kylo Ren.
What this revelation does is make Palpatine's comeback a bit less sudden within the context of the narrative. Throughout the sequel trilogy, he's been there on Exegol, plotting his latest course of revenge so the Sith can rule the galaxy. How Palpatine survived his apparent death in Return of the Jedi isn't really addressed (he's back to life in the opening crawl), but at the very least, the question of Snoke's ascension can be put to rest.
Was Palpatine Actually Snoke Or Just Influencing Him?
Of course, this doesn't mean everything about Snoke is definitively answered. One question that remains is if Snoke and Palpatine were actually one and the same, or if Palpatine was simply influencing/controlling Snoke from a distance. Star Wars canon seemingly dropped a hint supporting the former theory in a comic book earlier this year, in which Snoke spoke with great reverence for Luke Skywalker. The First Order's Supreme Leader told Kylo Ren that if Luke were be his side, he would have taken control of the galaxy long ago. That seemed curious to some, since Palpatine wanted to turn Luke to the dark side and make the powerful Skywalker is new apprentice. It was almost as if Snoke was talking about events from a previous life.
Essentially, the theory implies Snoke was a host body for Palpatine, but there's little in The Rise of Skywalker supporting that. In fact, exact specifics about Snoke are left intentionally vague for the audience to draw their own conclusions. But based on the Emperor's wording that he created Snoke, it sounds as if the two were separate entities, and Snoke was a puppet carrying out Palpatine's wishes while the Emperor remained on Exegol in his impaired state, waiting for Rey to be brought before him so he could carry out the Sith ritual. It's important to keep in mind Palpatine wanted to transfer his spirit (and all those of the Sith before him) onto Rey so she could become the new Empress. Snoke was probably a literal creation of Palpatine's, rather than a vessel for the fallen Emperor's spirit.
Palpatine Has Multiple Snoke Clones - Who Was The Source?
The Rise of Skywalker also reveals that the Supreme Leader Snoke from the previous movies who trained Kylo Ren was not the only Snoke made. As Kylo Ren walks through the Sith temple on Exegol, a shot shows multiple deceased Snoke bodies, suggesting the Emperor was conducting cloning or another kind of genetic experiment to build the perfect puppet to command the First Order. How many Snokes Palpatine went through to ultimately carry out his plan remains unknown, but it's nevertheless interesting there was more than one. It obviously raises the question of what went wrong with the ones that died, which sounds like the perfect material for a novel or comic to explore down the line.
The other major query that needs to be resolved is who was the original Snoke source, if there even was one? It's said Palpatine created Snoke via Sith science, so perhaps Snoke was created through means other than traditional cloning (like Jango Fett on Kamino). Unfortunately, the film skims over the details, never providing any definitive answer. But again, this is something that could be explored in a novel or comic book down the line. Now that The Rise of Skywalker is out and there's no need to be so secretive about Palpatine's role in the sequel trilogy anymore, there's a long stretch in the timeline that should be explored in other materials, fleshing out what's presented in the movies.
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Some of The Rise of Skywalker's creative choices are proving to be extremely polarizing due to how they retcon aspects of The Last Jedi, but clearing up Snoke is arguably one of the stronger elements of the film. It helps the sequel trilogy feel like an organic continuation of the Skywalker saga, connecting Snoke to the series' overarching villain. Palpatine found a way to cheat death after the Battle of Endor (apparently through dark side techniques) and hid in the shadows, manipulating events to his desire until it was time to strike. Snoke's emergence and rise to power no longer feels as random as it did during The Force Awakens, knowing it was all part of Palpatine's master plan. As we've explored, there are still a few finer details left to be addressed, but the broad strokes are now finally covered.
