'Star Wars' Top 6 Snoke Identity Theories

Which ones do you believe?

6. Snoke is Gallius Rax

The first Aftermath novel is centered around a group of Imperial leaders who meet on Akiva directly after the destruction of the second Death Star. The group was betrayed by Admiral Sloane, one of their own. Sloane was working for an informant known as “The Operator” whose aim was to destroy the old Empire so he could build “an Empire worthy of the galaxy it will rule.” The Operator was revealed to be Gallius Rax, a fleet commander who with a bold vision for a better Empire. Rax controls people from behind the scenes to accomplish his goals, setting him up perfectly to lead the First Order, the new Empire as Snoke.

5. Snoke is Mace Windu

This crazy theory has to do with Snoke being Jedi Master Mace Windu played by Samuel L. Jackson in the prequel trilogy. Many have speculated that Windu never did die in Revenge of the Sith, but instead prompted him to turn to the Dark side. The electrocution at the hands of Darth Sidious would certainly have given him the disfigured face to look the part of Snoke. Samuel L. Jackson has repeatedly stated that he thinks Windu is still alive, saying Jedi have been known to survive large heights.

4. Snoke is Emperor Palpatine

This theory goes on the basis that in the Expanded Universe, Palpatine was known to have created clones and survived through them. Some fans have noted that Snoke looks like Ralph McQuarrie’s original Palpatine concept art and the two characters theme music is surprisingly similar. The main point to disprove this theory is the way Palpatine died in Return of the Jedi. After being thrown down the reactor shaft, his body would have been blown to bits when the Death Star exploded.

3. Snoke is the Grand Inquisitor

The Inquisitors are Force-sensitive Jedi hunters first introduced in the Star Wars: Rebels television show. The leader of the Inquisitors is called The Grand Inquisitor and he bears a striking resemblance to Supreme Leader Snoke. As the Grand Inquisitor used to work for Vader, it would make sense that he is continuing his job of hunting down the last Jedi, in the form of Luke Skywalker. Although he met his end at the end of Star Wars: Rebels season one, his last words were very cryptic, hinting at the rise of something ominous. He says: “You have no idea what you’ve released here today. There are some things far more threatening than death.”

2. Snoke is Darth Vader

The main point to back this theory up is the position of Snoke’s scars compared to the position of Vader’s scars. Although Vader’s body was burnt in Return of the Jedi after his death, the force ghost could still be Snoke. Maybe Vader’s force ghost is switching from the dark to light, with the dark side being Snoke. The light side would be the reformed Vader from the end of Return of the Jedi who appears before Luke and gives him guidance whilst the other half attempts to kill him. We’ve never seen Snoke in person, only in hologram so far.

1. Snoke is Darth Plagueis

This is possibly the most talked about Snoke theory and for me, the most believable. Darth Plagueis was Darth Sidious’ master and was said by Sidious to have been able to “keep the ones he cared about from dying.” This means he could’ve also stopped himself from dying. Plagueis would have also been quite disfigured after being poisoned and attacked by Sidious. The description of Snoke also fits what Plagueis would have looked like and their two themes are very similar.