Supreme Leader

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Supreme Leader

TheSupreme Leader was theabsolute ruler of theFirst Order, afascist regime dedicated to rebuilding theGalactic Empire. Invested withabsolute power, these self-appointed rulers controlled every aspect in the First Order, but could also delegate authority toofficers in themilitary. In addition, the First Order utilizedpropaganda to promote unconditional loyalty to the Supreme Leader, particularly in the case ofnext-gen stormtroopers who wereconscripted atbirth to becomesoldiers of the First Order and its rulers.

The First Order was an offshoot of theContingency, a secret plan devised byGalactic EmperorSheev Palpatine todestroy the Empire, while simultaneously rebuilding it in theUnknown Regions, where a select number ofImperial officers andmilitary personnel escaped in the aftermath of theGalactic Civil War. Palpatine, who was the public persona of theSith LordDarth Sidious, created anartificialForce-sensitiveStrand-Cast known asSnoke to rule the First Order ashis proxy. During theNew Republic Era, Snoke outmaneuvered his rivals and secured absolute power as Supreme Leader of the First Order. As a ruler, Snoke controlled the First Order from hisflagship, theMega-class Star DreadnoughtSupremacy, instead of aplanetarycapital. Snoke also delegated authority toGeneralArmitage Hux and other high-rankingofficers, allowing them to lead hisarmies while he focused on spiritual matters ofthe Force.

TheFirst Order-Resistance War began in34 ABY, after Snoke authorized General Hux's plan to overthrow theNew Republic bydestroying its capital ofHosnian Prime. The Supreme Leader then directed his forces to conquerthe galaxy and defeat theResistance. However, during theBattle of Oetchi, Snoke wasassassinated by hisdark side apprentice,Kylo Ren, who usurped his Master's title as the new Supreme Leader. Although the Resistance escaped destruction in theBattle of Crait, the First Order succeeded in conquering much of the knowngalaxy under Ren's leadership. In35 ABY, Ren discovered that Sidious was secretlyresurrected onExegol, where theSith Eternalcult created a vastarmada ofXyston-class Star Destroyers collectively referred to as theFinal Order. Ren sought to control the Final Order and rule the galaxy as the newEmperor, until his return to thelight side of the Force as Ben Solo. Despite the loss of Ren, Sidious retained control of the First Order throughAllegiant GeneralEnric Pryde, the highest-ranking member of theFirst Order Supreme Council, who pledged his loyalty to theDark Lord of the Sith. However, theirforces were defeated by the Resistance and itsallies in theBattle of Exegol, preventing the return of theSith and precipitating a galaxy-wideuprising against the First Order.

Powers[]

The Supreme Leader was a self-appointed title ofultimate authority,^[4] and as such the leader of theFirst Order with undisputed command of itsmilitary.^[6] The Supreme Leader had the authority to make strategic decisions at will; altering the First Order's strategy required the Supreme Leader's expressed approval.^[1] The Supreme Leader could also rule by proxy, choosing to cede control ofpropaganda and the armed forces toFirst Order officers of highmilitary rank. Such was the approach ofSnoke, who preferred to concentrate onspiritual matters during his tenure as Supreme Leader.^[4]

The authority of the Supreme Leader was considered absolute within the ranks of the First Order, with personal interests regarded as secondary to orders from the Supreme Leader.^[1] It was the prerogative of the Supreme Leader to summon his subordinates at his pleasure, as well as to administer punishment to those who failed him.^[5] Due to the Supreme Leader's status in the First Order, anofficer who had direct access to his person effectively wielded greater authority than their rank would indicate.^[8] During thewar between the First Order andResistance, it was a crime to say malicious, objectionable, or defamatory things about the Supreme Leader.^[9]

History[]

Origins[]

A successor to theGalactic Empire in all but name,^[7] the First Order was ruled by the Supreme Leader, an office invested with absolute power^[11] not unlike the authority wielded byGalactic EmperorDarth Sidious.^[12] With theEmperor'sdeath, anew era dawned in which theNew Republic rose to power. After defeating the Empire at theBattle of Jakku, the nascentdemocracy concentrated on restoring peace and stability tothe galaxy whileImperial holdovers escaped intoexile in theUnknown Regions, refusing to accept the conditions of the Empire'ssurrender or thepeace treaty that ended theGalactic Civil War.^[13]

The exodus ofImperial officers,nobles, andscientists^[14] ultimately led to the creation of the First Order—inspired by the former regime'sideology^[15]—fulfilling themandate ofCounselorGallius Rax, who sought to build a new Empire upon the ruins of its predecessor.^[10] Rejecting the treaties and war reparations that reduced the once mighty Empire to arump state, the First Order secretly adopted a rearmament policy in order to create newfleets andarmies.^[13]Grand AdmiralRae Sloane andCommandantBrendol Hux were among the officers who fled from knownspace,^[10] and it was initially believed that one of them would lead the new Empire emerging in the Unknown Regions.^[16]

The rise and fall of Snoke[]

The title of Supreme Leader existed as early as24 ABY.^[2] Contrary to the beliefs held by some that either Sloane or Hux would lead the First Order, it was Snoke—a mysteriousbeing with astrong connection tothe Force, thedark side in particular—who outmaneuvered his rivals and secured absolute power as Supreme Leader.^[16] His reputation as the First Order's master preceded him by the lastdays of theCold War between his regime and the New Republic.^[8] What not even the highest echelons of the First Order knew, however, was that Snoke was ageneticstrandcastcreated by theSith Eternal to serve as their proxy while they gathered their strength.^[4]

During his reign, Snoke remained steadfast in his refusal to designate aplanet as the First Order's base of operations, having chosen to rule from amobile command center. An ambitious ruler, Snoke was not content to rule the handful ofsectors claimed by the First Order in theOuter Rim Territories, nor was he satisfied by colonizing clusters of worldsbeyond the frontier. In his view, ambitions limited in scope would have made the First Order no different than the various nonaligned states that emerged in the wake of the Empire's collapse, or the hermetic kingdoms in the Unknown Regions that had been dismantled or destroyed by the First Order during its secret rise.^[16]

Ultimately, it was Snoke's desire to see the First Order reclaim the galaxy that the Empire had lost in its war with theRebel Alliance. The Supreme Leader would then build on that foundation, taking the First Order beyond what the Empire achieved in itstime. Until that goal was achieved, however, the Supreme Leader wanted to keep the First Order'scapital mobile. He therefore chose to rule from histhrone room in theSupremacy, the first in a line of gargantuanwarships known as theMega-class Star Dreadnought.^[16]

Snoke's authority was uncontested, although he did designate GeneralArmitage Hux andKylo Ren—Brendol Hux'sillegitimate son and Snoke's dark apprentice, respectively^[16]—as his chiefcommanders,^[5] allowing them to lead theFirst Order's armies in his name. As such, they were both among the few individuals who could contact the Supreme Leader directly,^[8] and as rivals they competed for Snoke's approval. At times they were required to work together despite their rivalry; however, their objectives were different insofar as Hux oversaw the First Order'smilitary program, while Ren pursued his personal quest to destroy the lastJedi, his formerJedi MasterLuke Skywalker.^[1]

While they both projected the airs of loyal and obedientlieutenant in the presence of their master, in secret Ren and Hux both coveted the title of Supreme Leader.^[8] Hux was especially careful to never hint at his ambitions, knowing the Supreme Leader hadspies spread throughout the First Order, and only went so far as to imagine himself as Snoke's successor.^[16] Nevertheless, possessing the Supreme Leader's favor granted him greater authority than his rank as General would indicate. He therefore requested the title ofGrand Marshal, though his request was denied by the Supreme Leader.^[8]

Upon completing the construction ofStarkiller Base^[1] in34 ABY,^[17] Hux persuaded Snoke to authorize thesuperweapon's use on theHosnian system, reasoning that a direct attack on thecapital ofHosnian Prime would destroy the New Republic'sleaders, including theGalactic Senate andChancellorLanever Villecham. Agreeing with his general's plan, Snoke permitted Hux to carry out the attack, resulting in thesystem'sannihilation and the fall of the New Republic.^[1]

Although Starkiller Base was subsequentlydestroyed by the Resistance, a paramilitary group founded by Ren’s mother GeneralLeia Organa, the First Order felt confident that victory was inevitable. At Snoke's direction, the First Order deployed its vast military forces across the galaxy with the intent of seizing control over the major systems. He also continued to pursue his objectives of eliminating the surviving members of the Resistance, as well as hunting and killing Skywalker.^[8] Using Hux'shyperspace tracker, Snoke personally oversaw theFirst Order Navy'sassault on theResistance fleet. At the same time, he used his mastery of the Force to forge aForce-bond between his apprentice andRey, a Force-sensitiveJakkuscavenger who sought to learn theJedi arts under Skywalker.^[5] Having gained new insights into Ren's inner conflict through their bond,^[8] Rey ultimately left Skywalker to seek out the fallen Jedi, determined to turn the tide of the war by restoring Kylo Ren to his former persona of Ben Solo.^[5]

However, Snoke anticipated Rey's intentions and used the bond to lure her to him. After successfullyprobing hermind for thelocation of Skywalker, Snoke commanded Ren to execute Rey. Although he previously berated Ren, calling him a child and unworthy of hisgrandfather's legacy, Snoke was confident that his apprentice had now fully embraced the dark side—no longer sensing weakness but strength and resolve emanating from his apprentice. To his shock, Ren usedRey's lightsaber to bisect Snoke at the waist, killing his master and saving Rey in the process. After defeating Snoke's personalbodyguards, Rey urged Ren to save her allies, but the First Orderwarlord came to believe that the Resistance had to be destroyed along with all reminders of the past in order to usher the galaxy in a new era under his rule. To this end, he invited Rey to rule the galaxy at his side, but she ultimately rejected his offer and fled to help the Resistance, prompting Ren to blame Snoke's death on her.^[5]

The reign of Kylo Ren[]

A new Supreme Leader[]

Knowing that the last of the Resistance would make their stand on theplanetCrait, Ren, who claimed Rey had murdered Snoke, ordered Hux to send their forces in pursuit of the survivors. Hux was initially opposed to following orders from his rival, leading Ren to silence the general's protests byasphyxiating him through the Force. Unable to breathe,^[5] Hux was intimidated into proclaiming Ren as the new Supreme Leader.^[19] Under Ren's leadership, the First Order all but destroyed the Resistance at theBattle of Crait, although Rey managed to save a handful of survivors due to the sacrifice of Skywalker. However, the apparent arrival of Luke Skywalker himself stalled Ren's advance, with the Supreme Leader focusing all of the First Order's efforts on destroying the Jedi Master instead of continuing the wider battle in spite of Hux's advice. Electing to duel Skywalker in a one-on-one duel while the Resistance escaped, silencing Hux's criticism by throwing him against the wall of their command shuttle, Ren discovered that Skywalker was not truly present at all, but instead hadprojected himself to buy the Resistance time to flee.^[5]

First Order personnel watching were unable to explain how Skywalker was seemingly indestructible and able to vanish into thin air. Spreading as a story that saw Ren defeated by the legendary Jedi Master,^[20] the story of Skywalker's stand against the First Order would spread across the stars^[5] and undercut Ren's reign^[20] as a message of hope and rebellion.^[5] The event was also emotionally damaging for Ren,^[21] who had just attempted to murder his uncle and was cut off by Rey.^[5] Nonetheless returning to theFinalizer, which now stood as the regime flagship, to formally introduce himself to the First Order as its new Supreme Leader, Ren stood before assembled ranks from the First Order military, additionally preventing Hux from doing the introduction for him. Blaming the Resistance for Snoke's demise, Ren unveiled Snoke's corpse and threw it out to space to mark the new beginning he promised he would usher in, offering the First Order a new era of glory under his leadership. After a moment of pause, the Stormtrooper Corps saluted Ren, formally crowning him the new Supreme Leader.^[18]

Under the new Supreme Leader, the First Order devoted its resources to hunting down the remnants of the Resistance, with Rey and her friends deemed priority targets by Ren himself.^[22] In his new capacity as Supreme Leader, Ren wielded more authority than he ever had in his life, yet he still thirsted for greater power, which he hoped to gain by launching a quest to find dark Force secrets that he would use to secure himself as the ultimate controller of the galaxy,^[23] leaving the Resistance and all other enemies to his reign crushed.^[24] While Hux considered it a waste of histime to investigate every rumor of a Resistance sighting, Ren declared that the First Order would indeed follow up on every rumor and utilize all of its assets, from informants tobounty hunters until every trace of the Resistance was destroyed. Hux, whom Ren controlled through fear and intimidation, notwithstanding his authority as Supreme Leader, was compelled to acquiesce and carry out his ruler's orders.^[22]

Follow and lead, follow and destroy[]

In his desire to destroy the Resistance^[25] and any other threat to his reign,^[24] Ren acted without mercy to anyone who either contacted or provided aid to Organa's fugitives,^[25] with even neutrality punishable by death if the neutral party earned the regime's ire. For example, theTah'Nuhna people of theplanet of the same name, who always took a neutral stance in political conflicts but aided those in needed, provided refuge to the Resistance for a time, an action that enraged the First Order and was regarded as choosing a side. Despite the Tah'Nuhna's politically neutral status,^[22] astarship assault group^[26] and force of accompanying ground personnel were dispatched to Tah'Nuhna, where they began a massacre of the native population as punishment for so much as helping the regime's enemies.^[22]

After learning that the Resistance had passed throughFondor, the First Order deployed afleet ofStar Destroyers to seize control of the planet'sshipyards. AFondorian prisoner explained that his world refused to support the Resistance to no avail. The fact that Fondor had any communication with the Resistance at all was treason in Ren's view. He therefore declared that the First Order would seize control of the shipyards effective immediately, believing that Fondor's actions necessitated extreme measures. When the prisoner protested by citing hishomeworld's history of independence, which even the Empire respected, Ren revealed his belief that the Empire's weakness was its leniency. The Fondorian was summarily executed by the Supreme Leader as a warning to the rest of the galaxy.^[25] Although he enjoyed how simple his life as the galaxy's sole leader was,^[6] Ren still sought to bring Rey to the dark side so they could rule together.^[24] During a duel aboard theStar CruiserHalcyon, he offered her that place by his side, but she denied his request and escaped.^[27]

TheSupreme Council was formed as anadvisory board to Supreme Leader Ren. Comprised by high-ranking members ofFirst Order High Command, such asAdmiralFrantis Griss and GeneralsAmret Engell andBellava Parnadee, the purpose of the Council was to implement Ren's plans for the conquest of the galaxy. Although Ren allowed General Hux to serve in the new cabinet, he ensured that his former rival would have neither the power nor the autonomy that he once exercised under the previous Supreme Leader. The officer who succeeded in gaining Ren's favor wasAllegiant GeneralEnric Pryde, a veteran of the Empire whom Snoke had designated as commander of the First Order's reserve forces. Despite Ren's growing responsibility and maturity, the Council grew concerned by their Supreme Leader's complete submission to the dark side in his pursuit of power, as they favored more orthodox tactics and strategies.^[20]

During his reign, Ren sensed his late uncle Skywalker watching over him through the Force. Despite Skywalker's death, his nephew was still fixated on seeking revenge and began revisiting several locations from his past, hoping to no avail for the reckoning he had sought. Though confused by Ren's behavior, the First Order's forces as well as the Knights of Ren accompanied their leader on his journey from Crait toOssus, where the ruins of Skywalker'sJedi Temple were located. Holding to his^[28] philosophy of "killing the past,"^[5] the Supreme Leader ordered General Hux to have the remains of the temple completelydestroyed fromorbit.^[28]

Chasing a ghost[]

Although Kylo Ren directed his subordinates to use every resource at the First Order's disposal in destroying the Resistance,^[22] he considered the remnants of his mother's movement inconsequential. Consolidating his reign as Supreme Leader was his priority.^[30] Under his leadership, the First Order conquered vast swathes of the galaxy.^[20] However, when abroadcast was transmitted in the voice of the late Emperor, Ren focused all of his attention on finding the source of the transmission, whom he regarded as a threat to his power.^[24]

His actions convinced General Hux that Ren had succumbed to madness for diverting the First Order's resources from its conquest of the galaxy, allowing rebellions to grow while the Supreme Leader hunted the Emperor who was believed to be long dead .but Pryde knew someone was behind the transmission and the Supreme Leader will never answer to anyone again. Determined tofind the hidden source of the mysterious broadcast, Rentraveled toMustafar and uncoveredVader's wayfinder, aSith artifact imbued withhyperspace coordinates. TheSith wayfinder led Ren to the legendary world ofExegol, where he discovered an activeSith stronghold was located.^[29]

Deep within the Sith sanctuary, the Supreme Leader found a storage that contained multiple genetic copies of his former Master and predecessor, Snoke. Ren confronted the undead Emperor, whose soul inhabited an imperfect clone of his original body, and had anticipated Ren's arrival.^[29] Aware of the Supreme Leader's ambition to create a new Empire, Sidious unveiled his latest creation: theFinal Order,^[30] a vast armada ofXyston-class Star Destroyers, all of which had thetechnology to destroy planets.^[20] The Emperor offered to name Ren his successor if he succeeded in fulfilling Vader's legacy: destroying the last of the Jedi.^[30]

Consolidating his rule[]

While the Supreme Leader was suspicious of Sidious's motives,^[30] he was convinced that combining his forces with theSith Eternal military would transform the First Order into a true Empire, with Ren ruling the galaxy as the new Emperor^[24] andMaster of the Knights of Ren.^[31] He had hishelmet rebuilt,^[7] having destroyed it in anger^[30] after his master called him a "child in a mask,"^[5] by the time he returned to the First Order.^[24] By then, it was as much as symbol of his reign as the new Supreme Leader^[7] as it was a mark of his leadership over theKnights of Ren.^[29]

Despite General Quinn, whose concern about the Sith Eternal was shared by other officers who favored military protocol to the fanaticism ofSith cultists, Ren's enthusiasm was shared by the other members of the Supreme Council,^[20] in particular Allegiant General Pryde who supported the Supreme Leader's alliance with theSith cult. Ren had dealt summarily with Quinn for inquiring about the Emperor's conditions before giving command of the Sith fleet to the Supreme Leader. He then instructed the remaining members of the Supreme Council to suppress all acts of dissent against his rule. With the Knights of Ren at his side, the Supreme Leader embarked on a personal mission to track down Rey, though without the intention of killing her despite Sidious' wishes.^[29]

Sidious had revealed the former scavenger's secret heritage to the Supreme Leader;^[29] she was the Emperor's granddaughter, and therefore carried the power of thePalpatine bloodline, just as Ren was a scion of theSkywalker dynasty.^[30] Moreover, he had discovered that they were joined to each other as two halves of a rare and powerfuldyad in the Force. The Supreme Leader was certain that their combined power would allow them to kill Sidious, destroy the Sith once and for all, and take theThrone of the Sith, and rule the galaxy.^[29]

Pryde and Hux remained at Ren's side, using their resources to assist the Supreme Leader while he hunted the scavenger across the galaxy. Ren had taken ahusk necklace from Rey while their minds were bridged through the Force. Anintelligence officer,Tishra Kandia, traced the necklace's origins to thedesert planetPasaana where Rey wassearching for aclue to find theEmperor's wayfinder. Though she evaded the Supreme Leader's forces, the First Ordertracked Rey toKijimi where she learned the full truth of her lineage from Ren as well as their connection as a dyad. The Supreme Leader took little notice of the damage to hisflagship or thesoldiers who had been slain or wounded in his service. As far as Ren was concerned, any loss of life or resource was an acceptable price to see Rey who had managed to escape from him once more.^[29]

Ren found Rey in thewreckage of theDS-2 Death Star II Mobile Battle Station onKef Bir. She had found her grandfather's wayfinder only to lose it to the Supreme Leader who destroyed it to stop from going to Exegol by herself. Theyengaged in a lightsaber duel that nearly ended in Rey's death; Ren was essentially paralyzed as he sensed his mother from across the galaxy. General Organa had reached out to her son through the Force, reminding Ren that she loved him. Rey seized advantage of his distraction by grievously wounding the Supreme Leader with his own lightsaber. Both she and Ren sensed Organa passing into the Force. Though she had struck down Ren in anger, Rey used her powers toheal Ren's wound. This act of compassion, combined with his mother's love and the memory of his father, destroyed the last traces of Kylo Ren as a persona, restoring his identity of Ben Solo.^[30]

Legacy[]

The loss of Ren was a setback in Sidious' plan, but it allowed him to gain direct control of the First Order as well:^[24] with Ren having abandoned it,^[32] the First Order was left without a Supreme Leader, leaving command to fall to the next highest ranking officer, Enric Pryde.^[24] As an Allegiant General, he controlled both ground and naval forces,^[20] and with Ren gone, Pryde was free to take orders directly from Sidious^[32] as he had done in secret for sometime already.^[29] As his faithful servant, Pryde then formally swore allegiance to Sidious,^[24] and began to forge the First Order into a rebornSith Empire,^[20] as part of an unholy alliance with the Sith Eternal.^[33] Pryde was also given authority to command the warships of the fleet. By then, the fleet was ready for full deployment.^[24]

The Resistance deployed its forces to Exegol in an attempt to prevent the Sith fleet from spreading throughout the galaxy,^[20] with theBattle of Exegol underway by the time Ben Solo returned to Exegol; no longer in control of the forces he commanded as Kylo Ren, the former Supreme Leader's only goal was to protect Rey from Darth Sidious.^[29] As the dyad joined together against the Emperor, afleet of civilians emerged on the battle scene, journeying to Exegol from across the galaxy to defeat the Sith Eternal forces. The battle ended with the destruction of Sidious and his forces, as well as Pryde who perished aboard his flagship.^[24] Solo died as well, sacrificing his life for Rey.^[4] With the death of Pryde,^[29] the remaining forces of the First Order crumbled under agalactic uprising against its military rule.^[4]

Style of office[]

As master of the First Order,^[34] Snoke was addressed by his official title of Supreme Leader. He was also referred to as "Leader Snoke" by his subordinates, such as Kylo Ren and General Armitage Hux.^[1] This honorific was inherited by Ren who, as Snoke's successor, was henceforth addressed as "Supreme Leader," even by his rival Hux.^[5] For his part, Ren would have preferred a title like "master of the dark side" or "commander of the Knights of Ren," although he came to appreciate the Supreme Leader name in time. The Supreme Leader could also be addressed as "Your Leadership" or "Sir."^[6]

Residence[]

Supremacy[]

TheSupremacy, the firstMega-class StarDreadnought, was thede facto headquarters of the First Order during the reign of Supreme Leader Snoke.^[16] A gargantuancapital ship spanning more than sixtykilometers wide, theSupremacy was also awarship equipped with considerable firepower. In addition to housingshipyards, production lines and R&D labs, andarmy training grounds, theship contained athrone room^[35] where Snoke would broadcast his image across the territories of the First Order throughholographic technology.^[8] Although various officers and allies argued for a planet to act as their capital, Snoke insisted on using theSupremacy as his headquarters, and refused to establish a planetary capital until the galaxy was under the First Order's control.^[16]

Access to the throne room was limited to the Supreme Leader'salienAttendants and elite guards^[34] as well as his top commanders General Hux and Kylo Ren. The throne room sustained extensive damage in the wake of Snoke's assassination, around the same time when theSupremacy was cut in half by the Resistance flagshipRaddus, which rammed through the First Orderbattleship atlightspeed.^[5]

Steadfast[]

Following the death of Snoke and the destruction of theSupremacy, Supreme Leader Ren initially ruled the First Order from theResurgent-class Star DestroyerFinalizer. Prior to his ascension, Ren shared command of theFinalizer with his rival, General Hux. They continued to serve together as theFinalizer'scommanding officers, albeit with Hux superseded by Ren in authority, until their vessel sustained heavy damage atBatuu. Ren subsequently designated theSteadfast as his new flagship, taking Hux with him to prevent his former rival from plotting against him. TheSteadfast was aResurgent-class Star Destroyer commanded by Allegiant General Enric Pryde andAdmiralFrantis Griss. When Hux was forced to join theSteadfast's crew, his authority was superceded not only by Ren, but Pryde as well.^[20]

Protection[]

Elite Praetorian Guard[]

Main article:Praetorian Guard

TheElite Praetorian Guard was a cohort of eight sentinels, heavilyarmored and well-trained in melee combat. Following in the example of Emperor Palpatine'sImperial Royal Guard, the Praetorian Guard served as Supreme Leader Snoke's personal bodyguards, and therefore, tasked with protecting him against any threat to his safety. The Guard as a whole was divided into four pairs, each brandishing their own uniquemelee weapons^[36] such asvibro-voulges,electro-bisentos, andvibro-arbir blades.^[8]

In the aftermath of Starkiller Base's annihilation, Kylo Ren was summoned to theSupremacy throne room where his master scolded him for his failure in the presence of the Praetorian Guard. The apprentice rose to his feet in a fit of anger, causing the Praetorians to snap into an attack formation until the Supreme Leader signaled the Guard to stand down after subduing Ren on his own. After Ren brought Rey to Snoke as aprisoner, the young Jedi hopeful made an attempt on the Supreme Leader's life, to which the Praetorians responded by taking an offensive stance only to stand down once more at their master's command. Having overpowered Rey with the Force, Snoke implored his apprentice to complete his training by executing the girl. Using guile and subterfuge, however, Ren assassinated his master, causing the Praetorians to engage both him and Rey in an attempt to avenge their slain leader.^[16] In spite of their efforts, the entire Praetorian Guard was destroyed by Ren and Rey.^[36]

Knights of Ren[]

Main article:Knights of Ren

As Supreme Leader, Kylo Ren looked to the Knights of Ren as his own equivalent of Snoke's Praetorian Guard.^[20] AsMaster of the Knights of Ren,^[1] only Ren could command the Knights, much to the displeasure of General Armitage Hux and the First Order Supreme Council. The Knights were Force-sensitive, but to a stunted degree. In past generations, they would have been considered ideal candidates for the ImperialInquisitorius.^[20]

A gang of dark marauders, the Knights of Ren consisted of six warriors:Vicrul, the harvester and reaper of the fallen;Cardo, whose attacks left wide swathes of destruction;Ushar, the Knight most likely to force his victims to beg for mercy;Trudgen, a collector of trophies from fallen conquests;Kuruk, the most solitary of the Knights; andAp'lek, the strategist who reveled in deception and employed misdirection to trap an opponent. During the war, the Knights were tasked with hunting the scavenger, Rey, who vexed their master.^[20]

The Knights of Ren turned against their master after he renounced the dark side, becoming Ben Solo once more. Solo had trained alongside the Knights after turning away from the Jedi path, and as such he considered them his brothers-in-arms. Realizing that their true allegiance was with Darth Sidious, he considered it the final betrayal in his life.^[29] However, the Knights believed that their actions were justified; they had sworn fealty to Kylo Ren, not Ben Solo whom they viewed as a weaker version of Ren.^[30] The return of the Jedi apprentice who idolized Luke Skywalker filled the Knights with hatred for their one-time master.^[29] The Knights tried to kill him, convinced that Solo had traded the dark side's strength for weakness,^[30] but in the end they were all destroyed by the Jedi's Force abilities andlightsaber combat skills during the Battle of Exegol.^[24]

Transport[]

Supreme Leader Kylo Renutilized a personalUpsilon-class command shuttle, a line ofshuttles inspired by the ones in the Old Empire, such as theLambda-class T-4a shuttle which used to carry Emperor Palpatine.^[37][38] Ren's shuttle functioned as his mobile command station during the Battle of Crait, shortly after his ascension as Supreme Leader.^[5] The distinguishing feature of theUpsilon-class shuttle was its advancedsensor suites and military-focused design, making it more than a mere pleasure craft or luxury starship.^[37]

List of Supreme Leaders[]

Period	Supreme Leader
—34 ABY[39]	Snoke[1]
34ABY[39]–35 ABY[3]	Kylo Ren[5]

Behind the scenes[]

The position of Supreme Leader of the First Order first appeared in the2015sequel trilogy filmStar Wars: Episode VIIThe Force Awakens, directed byJ.J. Abrams.^[1]

Appearances[]

Non-canon appearances[]

• Disney Infinity 3.0(Mentioned only)
• LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens(Appears in hologram)
• Fortnite
• LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
• "First Order Fighters" —LEGO Star Wars 97

Sources[]

Notes and references[]

External links[]

• Supreme leader onWikipedia