'Star Wars 9' Spoilers: New Comic May Confirm Palpatine Controlled Snoke

Supreme Leader Snoke has always been a bit of a mystery, and, after his death in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, some fans worried we’d never learn his backstory or what he hoped to accomplish. However, the return of Emperor Palpatine in Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker has some theorists wondering if the newest Star Wars movie could reveal an unexpected connection between Snoke and Palpatine. Now, a new Snoke-centric comic may just confirm that the Emperor was influencing the First Order leader all along.

Warning! Possible spoilers for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker below.

It’s important to note that these comic book series are considered Star Wars canon, so everything pertaining to the specific storylines have been approved by Lucasfilm prior to being published. This is exactly the reason why we’re eyeing the latest Age of Resistance — Supreme Leader Snoke #1 comic. The specific panel showcases Snoke and Kylo’s relationship as they visit Dagobah. Snoke is obviously annoyed by his new apprentice and surprisingly shows respect for Luke Skywalker.

But is there some important meaning hidden in these panels? Redditor u/gonetoblack was the first to take notice of the possible subtext.

“If I had your uncle by my side instead of you, the galaxy would have been mine a long time ago,” Snoke says.

Now, on the surface, this dialogue doesn’t immediately bring to mind a Snoke-Palpatine connection. Snoke’s surprising respect for Luke aside, however, the supreme leader’s words suggest that something (or someone) was stopping him from taking over the galaxy. Palpatine is, of course, the only other person powerful enough to have been able to stop Snoke from controlling what he believes to be rightfully his.

What else would stop the leader of the First Order from becoming an all-powerful authoritarian? Not only that, but Snoke sounds really bitter, almost as if his patience is wearing thin. The dialogue also implies that Snoke took on Kylo as an apprentice because he had to, not because he was his first choice. Perhaps Palpatine pushed Snoke to teach Kylo the ways of the Dark side. It would explain why Snoke is so bitter towards Ben Solo.

Could Snoke have been waiting a long time for Palpatine’s plans to kick in? It’s not impossible. After all, many fans have speculated that Snoke may have known Palpatine long before he died and this comic seems to confirm that Snoke’s being controlled in some way. Another thing the comic book seems to imply is that Snoke’s body isn’t possessed by Palpatine and he’s probably been working with the former emperor of his own free will. Powerful leaders like Palps always have their minions and Snoke has definitely acted like one in the past.

Then again, seeing Snoke pine of Darth Vader does give us Palpatine vibes. After all, as far as we know, Snoke never interacted with Anakin Skywalker. But if Snoke is just the Emperor in disguise then it makes sense that he may be feeling some regret over his literal falling out with his old apprentice.

Additionally, Bryan Young, who wrote an essay for Supreme Leader Snoke #1, also teased the Palpatine/Snoke connection on Twitter, posting the exact same panel above. “And does anyone else seem to think these frames imply a lot about a Palpatine connection?” he asked. The answer seems to be pointing to yes.

The Snoke/Palpatine relationship must be important to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker if Young has gone out of his way to make fans aware of its existence. Of course, it’s also possible he wants them to be intrigued enough to buy the comic. Either way, it’s safe to say that Snoke was definitely not working alone, and his connection to Palpatine could finally be revealed in Episode IX.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters December 20, 2019.