The official backstory for the Star Wars character General Hux has revealed the true reason why he betrayed the First Order in Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker. Disney's Star Wars sequel trilogy introduced a variety of interesting new characters in the newest iteration of the galaxy's Empire, the First Order. Kylo Ren in particular has garnered interest for his arc and the way he was portrayed by Adam Driver. However, one character who tends to get looked over more than anyone is General Armitage Hux. Played by Domhnall Gleeson in the films, he's essentially the right-hand man to Kylo Ren as he leads the first firing from the First Order's massive battle station, Starkiller Base. Hux had a lot of potential for who he would become following Snoke's death in Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi...that is, until a startling reveal in the following film.
The Rise of Skywalker has a fairly infamous twist where it turns out that General Hux is actually a spy for the Resistance, feeding them information about the return of Emperor Palpatine and his plan. This is a change in character that appears to come out of nowhere, especially considering how his characterization in the two previous films. He was shown as the second worst-case scenario that any Resistance member would ever face as he leads the First Order's stormtroopers. In a way, once Kylo Ren becomes Supreme Leader, Hux becomes the new Darth Vader as second-in-command. Turning him into a spy for the Resistance thus feels like an odd move given his past, but a glimpse at his backstory actually brings this sudden shift to light.
Hux's Backstory Changes How Fans View His Past Actions
In the 2019 comic Age of Resistance - General Hux #1 by Tom Taylor and Leonard Kirk, readers are given a glimpse into General Hux's past. He's faced hardships throughout his life including abuse from his father as well as other officers. As he grows older though, he comes to a realization that changes his view on life forever: anyone higher in power than him is an enemy. He tells one of his abusers before killing them that people underestimate him and see him as weak. In reality, he's just patient and waiting for his moment to strike once he becomes a general in the First Order. His goal is to take out anyone higher in command than him so he will no longer be seen as "something [they] can control" and he can "hold more power" than anyone.
What's interesting about this reveal that leads to Hux betraying the First Order is that it makes fans view what he does in The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi in a new light. Knowing that he's on a personal quest to rise the ranks and become the most powerful person in the galaxy makes his most questionable character moments stand out as moves in his patient game of chess. One scene that comes to mind is from The Last Jedi where he draws his weapon on an unconscious Kylo Ren after seeing Supreme Leader Snoke is dead. When Kylo begins to come to, Hux quickly puts his blaster away. For years, some fans assumed that he knows Kylo Ren has betrayed Snoke and wants to kill him for it. However, his past actually shows that this is a moment he sees as his golden opportunity. If he kills Kylo right there, he will no longer have anyone above him and he can become the new Supreme Leader.
It's fascinating how this one detail in the comics has reshaped everything fans have come to know about General Hux. When he is discovered to be the spy in The Rise of Skywalker, he tells Finn and Poe that he doesn't care who wins as long as Kylo loses. Now it's clear that he wants to use the Resistance as his ultimate move to gain power. General Hux's betrayal of the First Order is more calculated than fans expected, and it makes him one of the most interesting characters in the Star Wars canon.