‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’: Andy Serkis Says Snoke is Not A Sith Lord

Speculation about the newest Star Wars villain has been running rampant ever since Star Wars: The Force Awakens first premiered in theaters.

While we don’t know much about the First Order’s Supreme Leader Snoke, actor Andy Serkis made some comments in the latest issue of Empire Magazine that could reignite many more fan theories.

“[Snoke is] definitely not a Sith, but he’s certainly at the darker end of the Force,” said Serkis. Without giving too much away, that begins to unfold a little in this one.”

While there are some obvious comparisons between Snoke and the Emperor, Serkis teased that his character might be worse than the leader of the Imperial Army.

“Snoke is bloody dark; way darker than Palpatine,” Serkis said.

The actor previously teased that the villain has a long-held grudge against the Resistance and the New Republic, fueling his campaign of terror across the galaxy. He expanded on those ideas, hinting that there may be a reason to his physical state.

“He’s riddled with this osteoporosis so his body’s twisted, like a corkscrew,” Serkis said. “He’s incredibly damaged, so there’s a bizarre vulnerability about him. Beneath that vulnerability, though, is this intense hatred.”

In another interview with Entertainment Weekly, the actor talked about his character’s abilities and motivation in the new Star Wars saga.

“The thing about Snoke is that he is extremely strong with the Force, the dark side of the Force. He’s terribly powerful, of course. But he is also a very vulnerable and wounded character,” Serkis said. “He has suffered and he has suffered injury. The way that his malevolence comes out is in reaction to that. His hatred of the Resistance is fueled by what’s happened to him personally.”

He also told IGN that Snoke’s backstory has been figured out by Lucasfilm. While the finer details of the character’s origin won’t be explored in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, it’s something that could figure prominently into the plot of Episode IX.

Fans will find out just how dark Supreme Leader Snoke is when Star Wars: The Last Jedi premieres in theaters on December 15.