Supreme Leader Snoke is not a Sith Lord, that much we know, but it seems Andy Serkis’ booming baddie still holds a strong connection to the Sith and, in particular, Darth Vader.
It’s a bond that can be traced all the way back to Snoke’s jewellery, of all things, as Pablo Hidalgo’s Visual Dictionary (h/t ComicBook.com) has uncovered a new clue relating to the Supreme Leader’s obsidian ring. Not only does it reference the Four Sages of Dwartii – namely Braata, Faya, Sistros, and Yanjon – but apparently, the jet-black mineral was mined “from the catacombs beneath Darth Vader’s Mustafar castle.”
If that name rings a bell, it should; Mustafar is the volcanic world on which Vader built his grand, majestic castle – one that would later feature in Star Wars spinoff Rogue One. And though this is merely an example of Lucasfilm’s franchise-building, Pablo Hidalgo’s revelation is still a pretty cool addition to the lore of Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
As you can see, the gold itself is etched with members of the Dwartii, controversial philosophers and all-around gatekeepers who came into power during the formative years of the Galactic Republic. And perched on top of that gilded foundation is a lump of obsidian sourced from the mines of Mustafar.
However that may be, it’s really Kylo Ren – son of darkness, heir apparent to Darth Vader – who emerges as The Last Jedi‘s ultimate villain, which was a conscious decision on Rian Johnson’s part.
“Snoke’s place in this movie came about largely from me figuring out Kylo’s arc, what Kylo’s arc was going to be in this movie,” said the director. “In my mind what I wanted to do with Kylo was to take him and basically knock out the kind of shaky foundation from under his feet, and build him by he end of the movie into someone who’s standing up as a credible, but complex villain. He’s taken the reins, basically. He’s no longer a Vader pretender. He’s somebody who actually is going to be going into the next movie [as] someone who’s taken control and taken the reins of everything.”
Indeed, setting the stage for Episode IX is arguably one of The Last Jedi‘s greatest feats, and we fully expect Rey and Kylo Ren to cross paths for one final duel come 2019.
