Snoke

"There has been an awakening. Have you felt it?"

- Snoke

Snoke was a male individual who served as the Supreme Leader of the First Order approximately thirty years after the Battle of Endor. He had distinctive, idiosyncratic bone and facial structures. Snoke was a powerful figure, skilled with the dark side of the Force, who had trained at least one Force-sensitive, Kylo Ren, as an apprentice. Snoke was responsible for Ren's seduction to the Dark Side. Shortly before the Battle of Starkiller Base, Snoke summoned Kylo Ren to discuss an awakening in the Force, and he ordered Ren to kill his father, Han Solo, in order to overcome his temptation by the light. He demanded that the prisoner Rey be brought before him when Kylo Ren proved unable to read her mind. During the Resistance attack on Starkiller Base, Ren successfully killed Solo, but was defeated by Rey in the ensuing conflict. When the destruction of Starkiller Base by the Resistance pilots was inevitable, Snoke ordered General Hux to bring Ren to him in order to complete his training.

Personality and traits
"Even you have never faced such a test... it is time."

- Supreme Leader Snoke

Snoke was the Supreme Leader of the First Order, and appeared to be a calculating and reserved military leader as well as a powerful master of the dark side. Kylo Ren of the Knights of Ren described Snoke as "wise," while Han Solo and Leia Organa believed he was manipulative and that he exploited Force-sensitive individuals, such as Kylo Ren, only for their power. Snoke was very old, having a vast knowledge of the past and of the Force. He displayed tendencies unusual for practitioners of the dark side, displaying an interest Kylo Ren due to his embodiment of a balance between both the light and dark sides of the Force, as opposed to only one aspect.

Snoke wore a simple, hooded cloak similar to those worn by previous Sith Lords. His most imposing feature was his towering height, dwarfing the likes of Kylo Ren and First Order General Hux. Snoke had an elongated face with pale, scarred skin and dark black eyes. His bone structure was misshapen, bearing forehead protrusions similar to those of Emperor Palpatine after becoming deformed during his duel with Jedi Master Mace Windu. Snoke tended to speak slowly and enunciate his desires with a forceful undertone.

Behind the scenes
Snoke is portrayed by Andy Serkis in the film Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens utilizing motion capture. Snoke's voice was heard in the movie's first teaser trailer. His name was officially unveiled on May 28, 2015. Snoke's appearance underwent many changes throughout development of the film, with the character's final appearance not being decided on until after principal photography.

Interestingly, his design is similar to Star Wars artist Ralph McQuarrie’s early design for Emperor Palpatine.

Appearances

 * Before the Awakening
 * Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens