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[ This clause contains monumental SPOILERS forStar warfare : sequence 7 - The Force Awakens . ]
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From the moment the end cite rolled onStar war : Episode VII : The Force Awakens , there was one question at the head of fans ' creative thinker : who is Supreme Leader Snoke , and just how crucial is he ? In short , he ’s the commander of the Force - using Kylo Ren , and the closemouthed commander of The First Order - the new , hard , more ruthless oddment of the Galactic Empire .
But it was no sooner than fans start up asking the question that theories , conspiracies , and full fan website erupted to explore the idea thatSupreme Leader Snoke was an assumed name for an conventional lineament . Several theories have risen to the top - finda summing up of the top contenders here- but there ’s one hypothesis , one break that we ’re surprised to see absent from the conversation . A physical body who , if the theory is proven straight , could bring one of the most surprising twists to theStar Warsfranchise fans have ever seen ( in the best means possible ) . Or at least give the actual give away a criterion to rise to .
But before we get to our possibility , we thought it overbold to give fans a partitioning of what we in reality KNOW about Supreme Leader Snoke , and help make good sense of the rumors that he may also be"The Operator " alluded to in the newest , canonicalStar Warsnovels .
Even if our final conclusion proves to be wrong ( but still the sort of rumour or lover hypothesis we want to see more of ) , listing what ’s fact , presumptuousness , and misdirection inStar Wars : The Force Awakensshould help fans keep an even keel as the months ( and years ) of further hearsay drag on . Without further bustle , let ’s get started …
What We’re Shown of ‘Supreme Leader Snoke’
Director J. J. Abrams and the repose of Lucasfilm ’s upper echelon deserve extra kudos for unveiling a brand name new villain in theStar Warsuniverse , without in reality making the movieabouthim . In a more contiguous sense , it was Kylo Ren ( Adam Driver ) who acted as antagonist , find his orders from a towering hologram of Supreme Leader Snoke , the occult new commanding officer of The First Order forces . He may not be an ' emperor ' himself , but his undisputed orders and selection of rank -“Supreme Leader”- definitely give the same impression .
On a forcible level ( or as forcible as a holograph can be ) , Snoke ’s show is at once human and distinctly … not . The asymmetrical faceseemsheavily wound , or perhaps marred , thereby fog most of his facial feature . Since Andy Serkis was creditworthy for the movement capture public presentation behind Snoke , many assumed he would be an alien being . While a non - human inheritance ispossible(and required by those who suppose he is the former Emperor’spresumed - dead - master Darth Plagueis ) , his anatomy and British accent for certain imply that Snoke is human .
Assumptions aside , the apparent prejudice towards human officers in the majestic social station ( noticeable in all of the films ) is in reality based on real prejudice . Emperor Palpatine ’s predilection for human beings above all other races may not be carry over into The First Order , butThe Force Awakensseems to imply that it is . In other Bible : an purple leader ( on film ) is most likely human , unless otherwise stated .
It ’s also been stated by those among the special effect crew that Snoke stands over seven feet tall , yet persist fabulously slender . Unfortunately , his pinnacle is unacceptable to actually judge in the motion-picture show , since his holograph puddle him closer to seventyfeet tall . When word of his size , and the claim that Snoke"couldn’t have been possible"without the use of CG first broke , fans expected to see a towering , alien brute . That ’s obviously not what we ’ve arrest , which make it severe to pin down specific at this point ( and consider J. J. Abrams ' solar flare for distraction in his villains , disbelief is always wise ) .
It ’s also worth wondering just what ’s hold in beneath Snoke ’s gown . If thevisibleinjuries are so devastating , it would appear the Supreme Leader ask some extensive procedures to keep himself together . And theStar Warsstory group has supplied grounds that cybernetics go well beyond the artifical limbs previously seen . In " Star war : A New Dawn , " for instance , the villain - who also rebuilt his imperium under a presumed - off-key name - has defied illness and demise by supplant his eubstance with robotics . Not just replacing , butimproving , augment his appearance ( and possibly , pinnacle ? ) to better restrain his rivals . Not say it put on to Snoke , but it ’s deserving keep in mind ( read : robot branch ) .
Physiology apart , it ’s Supreme Leader Snoke ’s military prowess which matter the most run short forrader . The First Order may be form in the Galactic Empire ’s trope , but under Supreme Leader Snoke , it has become a more devout , square off , and deplorable force , equal to of destroying the New Republic one system at a metre ( or at least they were , until Starkiller Base was destroyed itself ) . But Snoke last , and it ’s unvoiced to believe that the humankind who managed to conquer and unite the remain Imperial asset is n’t without a back - up architectural plan … or two .
And with General Hux ( Domhnall Gleeson ) - the embodiment of The First Order ’s military - justoneof thetwoapprentices he ’s insure ordering about , soldier and superweapons may only be one-half of his plan .
Next: How Kylo Ren’s Bond May Not Be What it Seems
Snoke Corrupted Ben Solo
It ’s much await that a modernStar Warsstory will begin with a black-market robed , shadowy figure order a similarly black robed , masked warrior on mission against the moving-picture show ’s heroes . But asThe Force Awakensprogresses , it ’s well-defined that the kinship between Snoke and Kylo Ren isn’tquitewhat fans are used to . Kylo Ren takes his orders from Snoke , but seems to get his own commission , faith , and resolve from a dissimilar source : his granddad .
The significance may have been overlook by some , but the division of Kylo Ren ’s theme is testament to how fractured he truly is . Typically , it ’s a organized religion or loyalty to one ’s authorities or order that drives soldier , be it Darth Vader or the Jedi . But for Kylo Ren , his meeting with Snoke carry a fraction of the weight see to it when he implore aloud to the burnt cadaver of his grandfather ’s helmet .
It ’s odd that Kylo Ren should worship the symbolic representation of his grandfather ’s fall from the Light , since Anakin realise the error of his ways before the end . An result is offer by his parents , Han Solo ( Harrison Ford ) and Leia Organa ( Carrie Fisher ) when they reassure one another that it was n’t them or Luke Skywalker ( Mark Hamill ) who guide Ben to the Dark Side . or else , it was Snoke , and Snoke alone .
Besides establishing Snoke as the prime mover among the villains in this new trilogy , the fact that he could , rent alonedid , sway , or in the words of his parents , " make " Ben Solo to the Dark over Light verbalize volumes . How could one man win over Ben to take a new name , adopt his grandfather ’s twisted charge , and turn on his own family while Luke Skywalker was training him to dothe exact opposite word ?
It ’s justone of several inquiry we trust to see suffice , but it ’s safe to assume Snoke must have some cognition of Darth Vader , beyond his simple reputation . But an outsider or stranger would have a difficult meter evenacquiringthe details needed to entice Ben , let alone pull it off .
Even Serkis , the man beneath the digital wizardy of Snoke confirm that " he is aware of the past tense to a great point . " It ’s possible thatanyImperial or well - connected figure could have kept up to date on Darth Vader , but hopefully , make Ben Solo with selective information so personal would only be possible by someone withintimateknowledge of the Skywalker clan . But Darth Vader is n’t typically afforded an copiousness of supporter …
Snoke May Not Be A Sith Lord - or Even a Force User
Whether Snoke was a confrere , ally , or passionate fan of Darth Vader , it ’s significant to pull one of the most widespread assumptions under the microscope : that Supreme Leader Snoke is a Sith Lord , or a notable Force user at all . The film and tie - in novels handle the theme with a amazingly deft touch , trust on inference , assumption , and vague lyric . In the film itself , there ’s no actualevidencethat Snoke is " using The Force . "
Snoke clear anallusionto The Force when he tells Kylo Ren that"There has been an awakening … have you palpate it?“Fan intellection will mechanically fill in the lacuna , seeing it as Force sensitivity on Snoke ’s part . But we would ask fan to study where the line of omnipotence , clairvoyance , or Force ' intuition ' ends , and a highly - informed , well - connected mastermind begins . The worse " sense " is drop again when Kylo Ren confide in his grandfather , claiming that Snoke can " sense " his pupil being pulled to the light source , and perhaps losing commitment to their case . The implication is easy to find - which is why theorists should call up to examine what’sactuallyoffered .
When Han face down his son aboard Starkiller Base , he give the axe the idea that he ’s beyond delivery , claiming that Snoke has planted prevarication in his head . Snoke ’s true goal , agree to Han ( who has more selective information to go on than any consultation extremity ) , is simply to " utilise Ben for his power , " sure to " break down " him once he ’s achieved his goal . That in itself would sound like a improbable order … if Kylo Ren was portrayed as a determined , compile , extremely - skilled Dark Side warrior .
The instance of a student / master relationship pop the question by Han - taking advantage of a young learner only to cast them apart once they ’ve outlived their usefulness - is n’t the model of the Sith that lover have come to know . The Sith ' Rule of Two ' states that an learner will learn all they can from the master , slay them , and take an apprentice of their own ( just as Darth Vader did inReturn of the Jedi ) . That means thatifSnoke is a Sith Lord , he ’s breaking the rules prove in - universe . Not to note that the ' Rule of Two ' would n’t easy leave for a ' unexampled ' Sith Lord to emerge ( they ’re all dead , or so we ’re recite ) .
There ’s no actual evidence straight off state that either man is a Sith , or as posit above , that Snoke is trained in use of the Force . Kylo Ren does n’t refer to Snoke as " Lord " or " Master , " only " Supreme Leader " ; a condition that go more like a political or governmental title than even a military one ( or , as the film shows , both ) . It ’s not even potential to call Kylo Ren " Snoke ’s veracious hand human , " since General Hux seems to be of equal social status , sneeringly warning Kylo Ren to remember theybothserve the Supreme Leader ’s orders to the alphabetic character .
in the end , if Kylo Ren is truly a Sith apprentice , or even the pupil of a skilled , vicious Force user … he ’s not a very honorable one . lack the discipline and lightsaber skills of any Sith antecedently seen , Kylo Ren is matched by a stormtrooper ( albeit apotentiallyForce - sensitive Stormtrooper ) in combat . It could even be argued that Kylo ’s skills - sensitivity to The Force , granting him the ability to register emotion , mental picture , and sense his family - should all be expected ofanySkywalker baby .
In fact , Rey ( Daisy Ridley ) seems to be more skillful in The Force after a single conversation with Maz Kanata ( Lupita Ny’ongo ) than Kylo Ren after yr of tutelage from Snoke . If Reyis also a Skywalker as some suspect , then it ’s hard to consider Kylo Ren has hadanyformal training , rapidly outstrip by Rey in nearly every way . Even if Rey was trained , and had her memories ' wiped , ' at the very least she ’d be a little rusty - compared to Kylo Ren ( who has been wielding the Force for years ) . If Reyisn’ta Skywalker , then Snoke ’s direction has hampered Kylo Ren ’s ontogenesis , not helped it .
But assume Snoke ’s tycoon does n’t hail from The Force . The questioning of Kylo Ren -“have you feel an awakening?"- could be , as Han suggests , an effort to use his skills to reap intel . It would also explicate why finding Luke Skywalker ( a missionary work Kylo Ren is perfect for ) is so important : Snoke can handle the Resistance , but a single Jedi poses an even large threat . It also explains why he would seek to seduce Ben Solo in the first property , hoping to gain a Force sensitive attack dog .
Most of all , Snoke get more familiarity or knowledge of The Force than skill in maintain it - like the knowledge gained by knowing , or knowingofDarth Vader ’s method or origins - would explain Kylo Ren ’s emotional , undisciplined , and excruciate demeanor . The Force Awakenscomes to a close with a promise that Kylo Ren will"complete his training"once brought to Snoke , so it ’s possible he has maintain all the important Force lessons to himself to this pointedness .
But … we ’ll in all likelihood take Han Solo ’s word on this : SnokeneedsKylo Ren ’s power . And with one Force drug user firmly enough to keep in check , it would also explain Snoke ’s interest in having Rey add to him - specially before she realized just how"powerful"she truly is .
NEXT: Why The Mysterious ‘Operator’ May Hold The Key
The ‘Operator’ Theory - A Former Imperial Admiral
Assuming that mostStar Warsfans have n’t had the time or interestingness toread every canonic novel bearing the " Star Wars " name , then the sudden egress of " The Operator " among Snoke theorists would be confusing . But the dim figure could be the biggest hint at the lineage of Supreme Leader Snoke that the Lucasfilm account group has offered . Even if he is n’t , " The Operator " is still one of the most interestingStar Warscharacters in recent memory .
disregardless of whether or not " The Operator " is actually the world who becomes Snoke ( and the fan biotic community seems peculiarly suspect that this is the case ) , he ’s important enough to the film serial publication for fans to read up on . As fans long suspected , andThe Force Awakensconfirmed , the Empire and its force did n’t just " go away " after the Battle of Endor meet Darth Vader , the Emperor , and the 2nd Death Star destroy . The power vacuum was as much an opportunity as a nose candy , and the more strategic Imperial officeholder set to sour .
Among them is Admiral Rae Sloane , left as the highest ranking officeholder in Endor ’s orbit as comander of the Star Destroyer Vigilance . Sloane ’s story is told in both " Star Wars : A New Dawn " and " Star war : Aftermath , " with the latter novel containing the information relevant here . To keep things short , Sloane organizes a get together of the persist , scattered Imperial officers . The architectural plan is to re - organise the Empire ’s leadership and consolidate assets . But when a richly - grade source cognize only as " The Operator " crest off the New Republic , the Rebels springtime a ambuscade instead .
The meeting work into the Battle of Akiva , one of the biggest nose candy to the Empire since Endor , and only the latest essential detail leak to the Republic by this secret " Operator . " In the grade of the storey , it ’s let on that Sloane is holding card of her own , suspected to have gained control of the Ravager , the last remain Super Star Destroyer ( after Darth Vader ’s was also demolish at Endor ) .
Unsurprisingly , Sloane manages to escape the ambush , forget her devoid to refund to the Ravager ’s secret positioning , and describe to her commanding military officer . The officer ? An unnamed fleet full admiral presumed dead , using the Republic to eliminate his rival by tipping them off under the alias of " The Operator . " It ’s not a raw tactic , either , with it possible that the enigma man was crowd both Imperial and Rebel force out long before the Death Star was destroyed .
What form of Imperial fleet full admiral would arrange the destruction of purple ships , military officer , and crew , just to will himself behind to lead it ? And what would he have thought of the Emperor ’s visual sense ? We ’ll let the man himself suffice , with the following contract right from " Star Wars : Aftermath " :
“ The Empire became this … ugly , inelegant simple machine . rude and inefficient . We need to be broken into pieces . We need to get free of those who want to see that honest-to-goodness machine moil ineluctably forward . It ’s clock time for something good . Something new . An Empire worthy of the wandflower it will reign . ”
It ’s the Empire that will be created by The First Order that the unknown full admiral is , presumably , describing , which mean he ’s a magnificent , pitiless tactician on a level that nobody in theStar Warsgalaxy has known . He ’s also a fan of classical music … which is just about all that ’s known of him .
The Force Awakensbears some grounds of his machination , since the Ravager - planned to be the flagship of the fleet full admiral ’s new Imperial Navy - wound up take heavy hurt in the Battle of Jakku , eventually crashing into the Amandine Aurore Lucie Dupin of the desert planet ( pictured above ) . Undeterred , " The Operator " continues his plotting . Which is why fans have descend to suspect that " The Operator , " who is also the unnamed fleet admiral presumed dead before his paying back , may have taken the title of Supreme Leader Snoke by the timeEpisode VIIbegins .
He ’s spent the last thirty geezerhood since pull out Sloane and the " suitable " assets to his side constructing The First Order , along with a weapon " desirable " of the Empire it would avail make . But if heisSnoke , then what ’s known about his origin story could aid shed some illumination on Snoke ’s own identity .
At this point , we ’ll cue reader that there ’s no literal grounds or prescribed word that " The Operator " even survives toEpisode VII . Although , given his characterization , it would be odd for the mastermind of The First Order to dead evaporate . After all , the secret plan of " Aftermath " is occur from the same story mathematical group constructing and manage allStar Warsstories for the immediate future tense .
So , now that we ’ve nonplus the evidence , along with some inferences / synthesis out of the way , it ’s time to vex another theory of our own . certainly , it ’s a farseeing shot . But if Supreme Leader Snoke ’s identicalness is a eddy at all - one that would hopefullyenrich , not just retcon theStar Warssaga - then there ’s one serviceman who fits the beak that we ’re crossing our finger to see . Forget Plagueis . block an obscure Sith . Why not go back to where this whole franchise began …
NEXT: A Shocking Theory on Snoke’s True Identity
Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin
That ’s right , the same Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin who was shown"holding Darth Vader ’s leash"inStar Wars : Episode IV - A New Hope . It ’s at this point you may be thinking : ' this twisting would be impossible , since Grand Moff Tarkin was shown dying aboard the Death Star when Luke Skywalker ’s proton shooter line up their way to the post ’s reactors . '
To be exact , it’sassumedTarkin was killed . And as strongly as we may feel that Peter Cushing ’s dusty , calculating ' Governor Tarkin ' getting just one appearance is a monumental waste , it is n’t wishful thinking on our part ( notjust , anyway ) . The fact that Snoke is likely an sometime , frail , British - accent mankind is just the peak of the iceberg lettuce .
It ’s probable thatForce Awakensviewers give tight attention to Supreme Leader Snoke point out that his scars were far more than the intelligence would propose . It ’s potential , founder what we see of the case in hologram , that most if not all of his torso isseverelyburned . But worse than the burns is the skull crack in one-half , the disfiguring facial osseous tissue geological fault , and the skin and tissue torn and pulled across his neck opening , school principal and brass .
In a VFX Virginia reel for the movie that lately surface online , full part models of Snoke show the extent of his combat injury .
It ’s here where our theory begins : instead of gauge which characters , accidents , diseases or attempted murder are being show ( admittedly a ton of merriment ) , permit ’s start unproblematic . Does theStar Warsfilm series have a character of Snoke ’s talent , who may have also undergo a ruinous injury , requiring his broken body to be literallypulled back together(and who knows how many eubstance role replaced by automatonlike substitutes ) ?
It ’s our opinion that Grand Moff Tarkin fit the bill - in more mode than the emaciated frame , wounds , and one - of - a - kind zygomatic bone alone .
His Military Experience
The government agency of Grand Moff Tarkin is taken for granted in the firstStar Wars , entrusted by the Emperor in person to oversee use of the Death Star . In fact , with Tarkin giving order of magnitude forthwith to Darth Vader ( ending Vader ’s Force Choking of another officeholder with a short bidding ) , the decided impression given is that , at least in terms of the Empire ’s military might , it’sTarkinwho sit around at the Emperor ’s hand , not Vader .
Of naturally , Tarkin is soon done away with , and Vader is go out to take that position all by himself ( considering how thing turn out , an unwise move on the Emperor ’s part ) . consider that Tarkin was uncoerced to demolish an entire populated planet just to show the power of the Death Star , it ’s safe for the galax as a whole that he never made it off of the exploding space station . Who knows , he might have had the drive and knowledge to establish an even larger one , open of wiping out entiresystems .
Force Awakensjokes aside , it ’s clear that someone of Tarkin ’s record and experience , at least , has the potential to organise a cold , calculating , and set imperium built on awe and deterrence . The First Order is an embodiment of that thought process , but theStar Warsstory radical offered another hint . When the flesh out Universe wasrendered non - canonical " Legends " overnight , the group had three young , canonical novel to foretell were come soon , all presumed to flesh out the taradiddle they were get up to evidence .
Since Tarkin was so unforgettable and malevolent a character , the chance to read his origin history was too good to run up . But those fans who think they knew Wilhuff Tarkin were in for a surprise . Not only was his repute as the Emperor ’s top officeholder confirmed , but his reputation as a unpitying extremist seeking to annihilate , not get the better of his enemies was hard to stomach . In fact , Tarkin was so uncoerced to slaughter guerilla and innocents likewise , Palpatine had no selection but to transfer him to the Death Star just to limit the exposure of his atrocities .
But Palpatine saw the voltage for much , much more . The official prolusion of " Tarkin " speaks so highly of the Grand Moff , it ’s hard to believe he would last out subservient to the Emperor for long :
" Where resentment has moil over into acts of sedition , the Empire has been warm to mete out punishment . But as convinced as he is in his own and Vader ’s dark side powers , the Emperor understand that only a sovereign armed forces , overseen by a commander with the will to be as merciless as he is , can procure an Empire that will endure for a thousand generations …. "
Fan Art by Allen Douglas Studio onDeviantArt
Knowing this - and knowing that theStar Warsstory groupwantedfans to know this - we can confidently say that if Tarkinwaskilled aboard the Death Star , it was good news for the Emperor . And when the Death Star was blown to pieces , the Emperor reacted fleetly , executing the top majestic officers he deemed creditworthy . If Tarkin was n’t killed ( or was , and was reassemble into an unrecognizable , cybernetic graverobber ) , he would have reason to stay secret , determine as Palpatine ’s obsession with a young learner blinded him to the " unworthy " imperium he was creating .
As skilled as Sheev Palpatine may have been at play politics togetpower , the movie show his normal is amazingly crude , relying on fear and little else to maintain it . candidly , the theory that a wiser , more extreme foot soldier would conspire to progress a big , salutary empire would really have human history on its side . And there is no incertitude that the diabolical plotting of " The Operator " is exactly what we would expect from a piece as purpose as Tarkin . assume he ’s , you know , alive .
It does n’t wound that before commanding the Vigilance and serving " The Operator " - the highly skilled , presumed deadadmiral - Rae Sloane serve as Wilhuff Tarkin ’s executive officer .
Familiarity With Darth Vader
As we put forward before , the fact that Grand Moff Tarkin was n’t just close-fitting to Darth Vader , but the only majestic military officer to openly command him ( with the right to do so ) would actually do two questions about Snoke ’s human relationship with Kylo Ren . For starters , having known Anakin Skywalker prior to his turn to the Dark Side , and Darth Vader from the fourth dimension of his newfangled appointee as the Emperor ’s learner , Tarkin would have known Vader as well as anyone in the regal might structure .
Should he have outlast the Death Star ’s devastation , seeingLukeSkywalker trumpet as the champion of the Rebellion would lock in topographic point a larger story few others would be cognizant of . And having been told of the power of the Dark Side ( by Vader , likely dozens of times ) , Tarkin would know that even the brightest pupil - having witnessed Anakin ’s leadership among the Jedi ( inThe Clone Wars ) - can be seduced by such power .
He would n’t actually knowhowto use The Force , of course , make only the ability to research , or recall the anger and hate that fueled Darth Vader ( and perhaps take up Vader ’s knack for meditation to gain ground some minor awareness of The Force ) . The ' training ' that such accomplishment would allow would n’t be a real discipline , most likely resulting in an unbalanced , bestial Force soldier who would have to find his own painful path to the Dark Side .
Again , the simple explanation may be the most credible : Tarkin - excuse us , " Snoke " would have get word from Vader that Luke Skywalker was the supreme threat , and would demand a Force drug user to stay one step ahead , or take away him from the equation . That ’s exactly what Han claimed Snoke was up to , and a Tarkin in camouflage would be uniquely equipped to seduce Ben Solo , claiming to know the unfeigned mission and perfidy of Darth Vader .
Again , it ’s just an entertaining theory on our part , and fans are more than capable to punch holes - stating that it would be insufferable for anyone to remainsolidafter the Death Star explosion , let alone marred , or that cybernetics could n’t keep Tarkin animated long enough ( ortallenough ) . And until theStar Warsauthorities reveal Snoke ’s individuality , one way or another , there ’s no mode to bonk who ’s being honest , or just observe fans off the trail .
But it ’s still heavy to balk the idea that to produce a bigger , badder , more terrifying villain for the unexampled trilogy , theStar Warsstory group depend to the most underestimate - but somehow - still - totally - unforgettable villain . And what if they decide to honour that sports fan - best-loved character by creditinghimwith the Rebel triumph , and the New Republic ’s wage increase , all in avail of making a more unstoppable Empire ? Would fans be unforced to accept that an false death was n’t quite as it seemed ?
It may not make out to pass , and the literal reveal may be far more unbelievable or hard - to - consider . But there ’s no question that if done right , this twist could actuallyaddmore weighting and meaning to George Lucas ' original pic . And that , as far as we ’re concerned , would be a truly awesome feat .
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NEXT: Star Wars 7 Easter Eggs, Cameos & Connections
Star Wars : Episode VII – The Force Awakensis now in theaters , followed byRogue One : A Star Wars Storyon December 16th , 2016,Star warfare : Episode VIIIon May 26th , 2017 , and the Han SoloStar WarsAnthology film on May 25th , 2018.Star war : Episode IXis expected to reach theaters in 2019 , followed by the thirdStar WarsAnthology film in 2020 .
