Star Wars theory: Palpatine made Snoke from this controversial Jedi master
The dead speak!
Snoke theories are the lifeblood of Star Wars speculation. He's an entire villain with no explanation except for the fact that Palpatine "made" him and a few cryptic lines of dialogue. There are a few popular theories, ranging from Snoke being an ancient Sith lord to Rey's uncle. However, none of these seem to provide definitive proof.
With no clear answer, all options must be examined, and a new Snoke theory is emerging as a genuinely credible answer, even if it may seem unbelievable at first.
Reddit user _SSF_REDDIT_ has proposed Supreme Leader Snoke could be Mace Windu. Yes, that Mace Windu, the one Palpatine threw out of a window right before enacting Order 66.
This raises many questions. After all, his story seemed pretty definitively over when he fell hundreds of feet to his death in Episode III. However, in Star Wars, old characters do seem to have a habit of mysteriously returning, and Jedi have a habit of landing on their feet.
As for evidence, well, we know what Force lightning does to a person, and Palpatine is the poster child of disfiguration by the Force. Could Mace Windu, Force lightning-ed until unconscious, become the decrepit figure we know as Snoke? He already has the bald head, so that's a start.
Palpatine after having his Force lightning reflected back onto him.
The two biggest questions regarding this theory are:
- How exactly did Mace Windu survive?
- Why would he become Snoke?
As for the first one, there's no definitive proof he ever died at the end of Revenge of the Sith. He fell out the window, and the audience is meant to assume that means he died. It's possible he landed on a ship below, got up, dusted himself off, realized he couldn't stop Order 66, and went into hiding.
He also could have survived due to a little-explored Jedi ability to sustain fall damage, as evidenced throughout Star Wars and most recently in the Clone Wars finale. Jedi can apparently fall hundreds of feet and still land nimbly. Whether Windu could do that while recovering from lightning damage and a limb severance is another matter entirely, but there's no knowing for sure exactly what happened after the fall.
Mace Windu and his signature purple lightsaber.
Why would Mace Windu become Snoke? Well, he's angry. All he knows is that Anakin turned to the Dark side and assisted Palpatine (his attempted murderer). Maybe he wants revenge on the world, even if that means turning to the Dark side and reigning over the First Order with great vengeance and furious anger directed at the Skywalkers.
He would also, naturally, want revenge on Palpatine too, so it would firmly square in his motive to manipulate Kylo Ren — who idolizes Darth Vader — to bring him Rey, the granddaughter of Palpatine?
There's also the matter of the lightsaber. By and large, Jedi lightsaber colors seem to reflect cool tones like blues and greens, while the Sith lightsabers are mostly reds. Then there's Mace Windu, with his purple lightsaber: a combination of blue and red. Could this foreshadow a possible turn in his future? (Yes, we know Windu's lightsaber is only purple because Samuel L. Jackson demanded it, but it's canon now so it's got to mean something.)
Mace Windu has the opportunity, motive, and means to become Snoke. So perhaps this is the new Snoke theory to wrestle with while we wait for more canon to explain the shadowy Supreme Leader.
