Supreme Leader Snoke is a fictional dark side villain from the Star Wars sequel trilogy, created as an artificial being and used as a puppet leader for the First Order by Emperor Palpatine.

In-universe: who is Snoke?

  • Snoke is a powerful dark side user who becomes Supreme Leader of the First Order during the era of the New Republic.
  • He seduces Ben Solo (Leia and Han’s son) to the dark side, turning him into Kylo Ren and making him his apprentice.
  • Snoke commands the First Order’s war machine, including Starkiller Base, the planet‑killer superweapon that destroys the New Republic’s capital system.
  • He prefers to operate from a mobile command ship or throne room rather than a fixed base, appearing as a distant, intimidating ruler.

In the films, Snoke first appears in The Force Awakens as the mysterious mastermind behind the First Order and Kylo Ren, then plays a central manipulative role in The Last Jedi.

His true origin (canon after Episode IX)

Later canon sources reveal that Snoke is not an ancient Sith, but an artificial genetic “strandcast” created on the hidden Sith world Exegol.

  • He is grown and engineered by the resurrected Emperor Palpatine (Darth Sidious) and the Sith Eternal cult to act as Sidious’s proxy.
  • Snoke has his own mind and personality, but Palpatine secretly influences and controls him from afar through the Force and Sith technology.
  • His purpose is to rebuild Imperial power as the First Order, groom Kylo Ren, and destabilize the New Republic and the Jedi so Palpatine can eventually return openly.

This is why, in The Rise of Skywalker , we see vats of Snoke-like bodies and learn he was essentially one of Palpatine’s creations rather than an independent ancient overlord.

Powers and personality

Snoke is portrayed as physically frail but extremely strong in the Force.

  • Abilities: powerful telekinesis, Force throws, mind probes, telepathy, and Force lightning.
  • He can link minds across the galaxy, creating the Force “bond” between Rey and Kylo Ren to manipulate both of them.
  • Personality-wise, he is cruel, mocking, and manipulative, constantly belittling Kylo to deepen his anger and dependence on the dark side.

A good example is the throne room scene in The Last Jedi , where he toys with both Rey and Kylo at once, convinced he has perfectly read Kylo’s intentions—right up until it kills him.

What happens to Snoke?

  • During The Last Jedi , Snoke captures Rey and orders Kylo Ren to kill her.
  • Kylo instead secretly turns a lightsaber on Snoke and cuts him in half, killing him in the throne room and seizing control of the First Order for himself.

Later lore frames this as Palpatine losing one tool but still achieving his broader goal: pushing Kylo further into darkness and paving the way for the Final Order.

Outside the story: why was “who is Snoke” such a big deal?

When The Force Awakens came out in 2015, “who is Snoke” exploded into one of the biggest Star Wars fan questions online and on forums.

  • Fans speculated he might be Darth Plagueis, Mace Windu, an ancient Sith, or some wounded survivor of the original trilogy.
  • The films themselves kept him mysterious, which led to years of theory videos, Reddit debates, and essays.
  • Many viewers expected a huge reveal; when The Last Jedi killed him abruptly without a detailed backstory on-screen, it sparked intense arguments and think‑pieces about “mystery box” storytelling and expectations.

Post‑ Rise of Skywalker reference books, canon guides, and articles have largely settled the question in official lore: Snoke is a lab‑created dark side proxy used by Palpatine, not some hidden legendary Sith Lord.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.