" You think you can turn him? Pathetic child. Grand Admiral Rae Sloane and Commandant Brendol Hux were among the officers who fled from known space, and it was initially believed that one of them would lead the new Empire emerging in the Unknown Regions. Rejecting the treaties and war reparations that reduced the once mighty Empire to a rump state, the First Order secretly adopted a rearmament policy in order to create new fleets and armies. The exodus of Imperial officers, nobles, and scientists ultimately led to the creation of an new state called the First Order- inspired by the old regime's ideology -fulfilling the mandate of Counselor Gallius Rax who sought to build a new empire upon the ruins of its predecessor.
After defeating the Empire at the Battle of Jakku, the nascent democracy concentrated on restoring peace and stability to the galaxy while Imperial holdovers escaped into exile in the Unknown Regions, refusing to accept the conditions of the Empire's surrender or the peace treaty that ended the Galactic Civil War. With the Emperor's death, however, a new era dawned in which the New Republic rose to power. Grand Admiral Rae Sloane was a leader in the First Order before Snoke came to power.Ī successor to the Galactic Empire in all but name, the First Order was ruled by the Supreme Leader, an office invested with absolute power not unlike the authority wielded by Galactic Emperor Darth Sidious. ĭuring the war between the First Order and Resistance, it was a crime to say malicious, objectionable, or defamatory things about the Supreme Leader. Due to the Supreme Leader's status in the First Order, an officer who had direct access to his person effectively wielded greater authority than their rank would indicate. 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. 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. Such was the approach of the artificial strandcast Snoke, who preferred to concentrate on religious matters during his tenure as Supreme Leader. The Supreme Leader could also rule by proxy, choosing to cede control of the armed forces to First Order officers of high military rank. 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. The Supreme Leader was a self-appointed title of ultimate authority, and as such the head of the First Order with undisputed command of its military. The Supreme Leader governed with absolute power over the First Order. However, their forces were destroyed by the Resistance in the Battle of Exegol, which, in turn, inspired a galactic uprising against the First Order. As a result, Allegiant General Enric Pryde pledged his loyalty to Sidious. Despite Ren's ambition to rule the galaxy as the new Emperor and Dark Lord of the Sith, he was ultimately turned back to the light side of the Force, leaving the First Order without a Supreme Leader. In 35 ABY, Ren forged an alliance with Sidious who offered the Supreme Leader an armada of Xyston-class Star Destroyers. Neither Snoke nor Ren designated a planet as their capital Snoke had chosen to rule the First Order from his flagship, the Mega-class Star Dreadnought Supremacy, while his successor did so as well from the Resurgent-class Star Destroyer Steadfast. In 34 ABY, Snoke was assassinated by his apprentice, Kylo Ren, who was the grandson of the Sith Lord Darth Vader.
He was also content to allow officers, such as General Armitage Hux, to lead the First Order's forces while he focused on spiritual matters of the Force.
Although Snoke possessed ultimate authority in the First Order, he favored the title of Supreme Leader instead of Emperor. In addition, Sidious had created Snoke-an artifical strandcast who was strong with the dark side of the Force-to serve as his proxy while he recuperated on Exegol following his first death. The First Order was an offshoot of the Contingency, a plan devised by Galactic Emperor Darth Sidious to destroy the Galactic Empire and rebuild it in the Unknown Regions.
In addition, the First Order utilized propaganda to promote unconditional loyalty to the Supreme Leader, particularly in the case of stormtroopers who were conscripted at birth to become soldiers of the First Order and its master. Invested with absolute power, the Supreme Leader controlled every aspect of the First Order military and government, but could also delegate authority to First Order officers. Supreme Leader was the title of the self-appointed rulers of the First Order. " Long live the Supreme Leader." ―Kylo Ren and Armitage Hux