Anticipation for 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' is increasing day by day. This is especially due to the fact that very little is known about the second film of the sequel trilogy being directed by 'Looper' helmer Rian Johnson. However, a slew of key information has been revealed about the mysterious evil masterminds Snoke and Kylo Ren. A new trailer will also be reportedly released at the upcoming Star Wars Celebration in Orlando.
The editor-in-chief of fan site Making Star Wars, Jason Ward, published an article revealing what he calls spoiler information about Supreme Leader Snoke, voiced by Andy Serkis of Gollum and King Kong fame. He reports that Snoke will be getting an image makeover in 'The Last Jedi,' where the character will step out of the shadowy holograms and appear in person.
Jason Ward mentions that Snoke will have an even more decadent look than in J.J. Abrams' 'The Force Awakens.' He says, "Snoke wears a gold silky robe with a very ornate pattern on it in The Last Jedi. In fact, I think you can pretty much see the robe on page 226 of The Art of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. What is also interesting is his slippers are like 'jester shoes' or 'genie slippers.' They're also gold because you have to match if you that far in with the gold robe. I think the robe and shoes are lined in red too so he's stylin'. He has a very 'blood and gold' vibe to him."
It was also mentioned that Snoke sports a ring on his left hand which houses a black stone that might be a black Kyber Crystal. We have already seen Snoke sitting on some sort of a throne. Jason Ward now offers a bit more detail regarding his throne room, saying that it's 'opulent.' Snoke may have a lot of wealth and loves his money. Now Snoke sounds more like some dark, corrupted version of Lee falk's The Phantom, especially because of the throne room, the jewels and the ring on his finger. Whether those at Lucasfilm used the character as an inspiration is not known.
Of course, with someone as high profile as Snoke, there out to be bodyguards. Each of these "Praetorian Guards" possesses different weapons, including objects similar to swords, knives and Ninja-blades and "have glossy red armor, shell plating, and matte red cloth elements for the capes and such." Ward adds, "The helmets are a lot like the far out designs they came up with for Kylo Ren in Star Wars: The Force Awakens where it was sort of a medieval helmet with upward facing shields with no eye holes."
Now, 'The Last Jedi' being a Star Wars film, the guards could be blind and have all-seeing potential, like Neo in The Matrix. That is perhaps unlikely seeing as only the Jedi, or Force-sensitive people like Chirrut Imwe get such privileges. It is more likely that many of these guards will either fall off a railing-less platform or get shot by a blaster. Or perhaps they'll have their arms ripped out by a certain hairy creature, who happens to look like a dog from planet Earth.
Snoke also has a Mega Destroyer which looks like a flying wing bomber aircraft and will serve as his "mobile command unit." The ship, Ward describes, is comparable in size to the enormity of the Death Star and has at least 10 engines rather than the usual three of a typical Star destroyer. Inside the ship, the evil cousins of BB-8, with red glowing vents on their glossy bodies, are ready to pounce on unsuspecting Imperial defectors or those of the Rebel Alliance.
As for Kylo Ren, he'll be less of a Darth Vader wannabe in looks and has been seen without his helmet for most of the film. He will also have his own TIE fighter, which Ward informs us, looks more like an old B-29 bomber. That's two World War II planes being referenced. Ironically' Kylo Ren's thrusters look more like those of the Millennium Falcon; the freighter owned by his father Han Solo, whom he murdered. The First Order will be deadlier than before and are out to destroy Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa and the rebellion by any means necessary. All in all, 'The Last Jedi' looks set to be the darkest and the most intense film in the 'Star Wars' franchise yet.
There's some good news, however. Carrie Fisher will be making an appearance in 'Star Wars: Episode IX' via archival footage and without using CGI. Her brother Todd Fisher told New York Daily News that he and Carrie's daughter Billie Lourd have given Lucasfilm the rights to use recent footage shot for the Star Wars films. "She's as much a part of it as anything and I think her presence now is even more powerful than it was, like Obi Wan — when the saber cuts him down he becomes more powerful. I feel like that's what's happened with Carrie. I think the legacy should continue," Todd Fisher said.
'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' releases on December 15 this year.
