With live-action Star Wars series like The Mandalorian strongly hinting at connections to the same cloning process Darth Sidious used to create Snoke, the controversial villain from the sequel trilogy has been a topic of interest again. When he first appeared in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, fans couldn't wait to unravel the origins of the mysterious new villain, but his backstory proved disappointing.Snoke's lack of character development and overall influence on the sequel trilogy has been one of its many detracting aspects, but it's also created an abundance of hilarious memes by fans who have been lamenting the epic villain who might have been.
Snoke's Identity Puzzled Fans For Years
With his elongated limbs, large scarred head, and intimidating aura, Snoke presented myriad mysteries for fans. Where had such a strange humanoid come from, and how had he become Supreme Leader of the First Order? Surely he was someone important from the past (Darth Plagueis the Wise, perhaps?) and someone integral to the future of the Star Wars canon.
It was fun for fans to try to predict who exactly Snoke was between his first appearance and Star Wars: The Last Jedi, but then it didn't really matter anymore, because with his unceremonious demise came the end of any worthwile speculation. Some of his past was referenced in a few comics, but those mostly referred to Kylo Ren's training, and didn't seem to matter given that ultimately he wasn't anyone of consequence.
He Was A Strict Master
The encouraging temperament Snoke might have had teaching Ben Solo about the dark side had long gone by the time he had turned Kylo Ren. When his pupil made a mistake, Snoke made sure that he knew it, forcing him to keep his rage at his failure close to the surface of his emotions at all times.
By showing little acceptance for mistakes, Snoke could toy with Ren's need for validation, especially as someone who glorified Darth Vader and wanted to be just like him. It was an effective strategy, and one used by many Sith, but it also ensured that Ren would turn on his master eventually.
He Was Compared To Emperor Palpatine Early On
It was impossible not to compare Snoke to Emperor Palpatine when he first appeared, especially as he spoke with a gravel-voiced cadence and sat on a throne. An otherworldly aura emanated from the Supreme Leader, as though he were an ancient being who had amassed the galaxy's wisdom of the dark side, and planned to control the galaxy with it.
The Emperor may have gotten an elaborate backstory thanks to the prequel trilogy, but initially, like Snoke, he was a shadowy figure in the first movie he appeared in, and by his last appearance in Return of the Jedi, fans still didn't know where he came from, or how he ended up ruler of the galaxy, and it wasn't necessary. Fans will put up with a lot of "what ifs" provided the writing and acting is incontrovertible.
Snoke Connected Kylo's Mind To Rey's
It's not surprising for the villain to gloat at their handiwork, so when Snoke revealed himself as the perpetrator of Kylo Ren and Rey's Force connection, it made some twisted sense. Not only was it frightening that the two had been able to interact through time and space, but there "Force calls" were being listened in on by a malevolent third party.
That there was a spy to their most intimate moments was a despicable discovery, especially since from Rey's perspective, it had brought her closer to Kylo. In the end, Snoke doomed himself by amplifying their Force dyad.
He Never Got A Backstory
While not a Sith, Snoke was still a powerful member of the dark side whose rise to power was shrouded in mystery. Given that Star Wars: The Force Awakens was directed by J.J. Abrams and Star Wars: The Last Jedi was directed by Rian Johnson, what Abrams set up in the first movie as the foundation of the narrative wasn't necessarily used by Johnson in its continuation.
George Lucas's original trilogy had different director's at the helm, but they were operating from Lucas's story, and seemed to have a more or less cohesive plot even if they were different tonally. Unfortunately, any intrigue that Abrams set up with Snoke's character was erased with Johnson's movie, forcing Abrams to do something different with Snoke.
Snoke Was Killed For Plot Development
Given that fans accused Johnson of not knowing what to do with Snoke in his film, his death seems a conscious decision to move the plot in a different direction and away from that villain. Snoke's death is therefore in service of other character's development, not his own.
With Snoke's demise, not only can Kylo Ren ascend to the role of Supreme Leader, but he can be conflicted by that process when Rey contributes a counter offer. All of this is after a badass throne room fight that needed Snoke's death to ignite.
One Snoke In A Million
Even though Snoke died mid-way through the sequel trilogy, his character was still somewhat important later on as the ghastly puppet for an even more evil mastermind, Emperor Palpatine. The reveal that Palpatine was "behind it all" was shocking, but Snoke's true origins didn't even rank among the best plot twists from the movies.
Snoke turned out to be one of dozens of clones that Palpatine had created in an effort to cheat death and still control remnants of his Empire while his real body regenerated. What might have been an original villain became the mask for an old one, and if it was going to be any one of the great Star Wars villains, it might as well have been that one.
Snoke Was Arrogant
Snoke may not have been Sith, but he still suffered from their famous hubris, and given who was behind him, his bombastic behavior made sense from a certain point of view. Palpatine always believed he would rule the galaxy forever and rebuild the Sith Empire, yet was blindsided by his arrogance at every turn.
Snoke was poised to be one of the biggest Star Wars villains in the franchise, and instead he was simply the id of a megalomaniac. Palpatine, who thought building two Death Stars was a good idea, ended up making the same mistakes he always did, and was doomed to failure.
His Character Arc Was Disappointing
Snoke was a cool villain who was completely wasted with the Palpatine reveal, and ended up inadvertently hurting Kylo Ren's character arc as well. Both of them were supposed to be seen as heirs to the Palpatine/Vader dynamic, but that was never fully explored. At best, Snoke builds Ren up and breaks him down, but doesn't reveal any master plan for his ascension to the elite caste of dark siders.
What was Snoke's true goal originally? To become a Sith, or something fans had never seen before? The idea of abandoning the rigid parameters of the Jedi and the Sith, the light side and the dark side was also abandoned, because after Snoke's death and Ren's speech about killing the past, the plot seemed to proceed in a fairly formulaic pattern.
Snoke Was Part Of Palpatine's Master Plan All Along
Palpatine developing Snoke as a way to achieve immortality in the short term might have been dissatisfying, but at least the Rule of Two was given more of a foundation. By learning that he was in fact "all the Sith" and desired to be "struck down" so that he might transfer his essence into a younger form, it presented a different perspective from which to view other scenes in the Star Wars canon, like the throne scene from Return of the Jedi.
Did Palpatine want Luke to strike him down, because Lord Vader was a useless vessel, but his son was not? It was always expected that a Sith apprentice would murder their master, but based on Palpatine's speech to Rey, it seemed that was the way masters simply leapfrogged through the ages. Where more Snoke lore might have been appreciated, more Sith lore was a fine consolation prize.