Darth Sidious hologram

Since the announcement of his involvement, the mystery surrounding Andy Serkis' CGI character Supreme Leader Snoke has been one of the most well-guarded secrets in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Who is the man behind the rise of the First Order? Why does he wish to recreate the Empire and destroy the New Republic? What does Kylo Ren mean to him, and how are the two characters related?

Even now after the release of the film, many of those questions remain unanswered. There is shockingly little known about the character. This article will look at what we do know, using that to speculate on the exact nature of the new big, bad villain of the Star Wars universe.

Spoilers ahead!

Turn back now!

Last chance.

First things first, we're pretty confident Supreme Leader Snoke is not, in fact, a giant, despite the character's appearance throughout the film. Though initially confusing, it is revealed the massive, CGI "man" whom Kylo Ren and General Hux consult is actually just a hologram. The hologram's size is likely just for visual effect, and also a symbol for the character's high status as the leader of the First Order.

But even if he's not actually a giant cross between Lord Voldemort and Gollum, who is Snoke? Is he a Sith? We can only assume so. It appears Snoke was extremely influential in luring Kylo Ren to the dark side. At the end of the film, he invites Ren to join him so that Ren may complete his training in the ways of the force.

(Photo : Disney)

It's also worth noting that Snoke's existence is not a complete mystery. Both Han and Leia seem to know of the First Order's mysterious leader, even if the wider galaxy does not.

So if Snoke is indeed a lord of the Sith, where did he come from? The answer may lie in the prequel book to The Force Awakens, Star Wars: Aftermath. The book describes how a certain sect of the Imperial remnant, lead by Emperor Palpatine's former adviser Yupe Tashu, believes that the Dark Side is the only way they will be able to regain control of the universe. Here's a quote from the book, uttered by Tashu during a secret Imperial summit devised to plan the future of the Empire:

We must instead move toward the Dark Side. Palpatine felt that the universe beyond the edges of our maps was where his power came from. Over the many years he, with our aid, sent men and woman beyond known space. They built labs and communication stations on distant moons, asteroids, out there in the wilds. We must follow them. Retreat from the galaxy. Go out beyond the veil of stars. We must seek the source of the Dark Side like a man looking for a wellspring of water.

Snoke very well could be the "source" that Tashu speaks of. Snoke certainly appears to be an ancient Sith, his skin gray and mangled, almost as if he's been stiched together after death.