Supreme Leader Snoke is, without question, one of the most fearsome beings currently populating Disney’s galaxy far, far away. Brought to life with great menace by the equally great Andy Serkis – Hollywood’s undisputed mo-cap maestro will soon be seen in War For the Planet of the Apes – Snoke adopted an Emperor Palpatine-like role in The Force Awakens two years ago, as the Force-sensitive alien quietly pulled the strings aboard his mobile command post.
And though we’ve yet to see Supreme Leader Snoke in his true, physical form – that looming presence that spent much of The Force Awakens bellowing orders at Kylo Ren and General Hux was merely a hologram, remember – all signs point to Star Wars: The Last Jedi offering more screen time to Andy Serkis’ deeply scarred extra-terrestrial and, in particular, Luke’s quest to find him. That alleged nugget of information was unearthed by Making Star Wars and now, three weeks later, the outlet is at it again.
But rather than focus on Mark Hamill’s wise old Jedi, Making Star Wars has relayed a piece of artwork that purportedly unveils Snoke’s royal guards as they’ll appear in the Rian Johnson-directed sequel. Wielding “double-bladed fighting sticks,” one of Snoke’s sworn protectors is seen here kitted out in blood-red armor, while there’s also mention of a second brawler that prefers to dabble with CQC via a pair of nunchucks. Further details on the latter weren’t disclosed at the time of writing, and as with all rumors that surface through Making Star Wars, it’s best to treat this sketch – one that evokes memories of the artwork depicting Luke’s cutesy alien allies (Porgs) on Ahch-To – with a heightened sense of caution.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi will be with us on December 15th and if you’re worried that Rian Johnson’s blockbuster sequel will recycle tried-and-tested storylines as a narrative crutch, don’t; the director is fully confident that The Last Jedi stands on its own two feet just fine.
