Star Wars: Episode IX rumor suggests there's a traitor within the First Order, but it's based on an old, questionable plot leak from a while ago. Those who have been following the sequel trilogy since it inception know Kylo Ren and General Hux have a bitter rivalry, constantly bickering as they attempt to one-up each other. In The Force Awakens, both attempted to get in the favor of Supreme Leader Snoke, suggesting different strategies to defeat the Resistance. With Snoke now dead after the shocking Last Jedi twist, there should be even more of a power struggle between the two surviving villains.

Kylo Ren appointed himself as the new Supreme Leader, but it's unlikely Hux sits back and takes orders from his foe. It wouldn't be surprising to see them at each other's throats, especially considering Episode IX is set to give us an all-out war where the stakes will undeniably be high. But just how far would Hux go to give himself an edge? Per The Last Jedi novelization, he had no qualms about eliminating his own father in his climb to the top, and now there's talk of Hux defecting - from a certain point of view.

Related: When We Think Lucasfilm Will Announce The Star Wars 9 Title

An unsubstantiated rumor making the rounds online says a key plot point in Episode IX will involve Kylo Ren trying to uncover the identity of a mole inside the First Order. The genesis of this speculation seems to be from a plot "leak" that came out earlier this year, which made note of a similar story thread. Allegedly, the mole is none other than Hux, who secretly gives valuable intel to the Resistance in an effort to make Kylo look inept. Theoretically, this would make it easier for Hux to assume command and be the Supreme Leader.

While Episode IX should see some kind of closure in regards to Kylo and Hux's dynamic, this seems like a fairly farfetched way for it to go. Hux has an almost cartoonish hatred of the Resistance, so it's doubtful he would ever betray the First Order - even if it was for his own personal gain. Any information the Resistance received would give them a tactical advantage in the conflict, which would hurt the First Order's overall position. Hux is almost definitely going to want to take control of the First Order himself, but there are more productive ways to go about that - ones that don't involve crippling your own resources. It would be one thing if Hux was about to pull an Agent Kallus turn and became a member of the scrappy rebellion, but that would go against everything we know about the character. Hux wants to squash the Resistance and Kylo Ren.

Unfortunately, there aren't a whole lot of official details about Episode IX to draw from, with Domhnall Gleeson's comments on the film being vague allusions to an epic J.J. Abrams film and a desire to do more comedy. Seeing that there are a handful of new characters in Star Wars 9, it's quite possible one of them turns out to be a First Order traitor and commits an act of subterfuge to aid the Resistance, but that person won't be Hux. If his speech before Starkiller base fired on the Hosnian system is anything to go by, he's committed to the First Order's cause and he even saw himself as the worthy Supreme Leader. Unless something more concrete comes along, fans should expect him to remain evil.

More: Every Star Wars 9 Update You Need To Know

Key Release Dates