First Order The First Order , or simply " the Order " , was a political and military faction that came into existence as a result of the fall of the Galactic Empire . In the aftermath of the Battle of Jakku , the Empire formally surrendered to the New Republic by signing the Galactic Concordance , a peace treaty that marked the end of the Galactic Civil War in 5 ABY . In spite of the Empire ' s collapse , its legacy survived in the Unknown Regions of the galaxy , where former members of the Imperial Military plotted their return to power . Their cause gained support through some Imperial sympathizers who briefly inhabited a wing of Republic politics before abandoning the nascent democracy to join the Imperial - based movement in the Unknown Regions . Inspired by the ideals of the Empire , this movement sought to improve upon that regime by avoiding its weaknesses and flaws , ultimately resulting in the formation of the First Order . In the decades that followed the Empire ' s defeat , the First Order gradually built its strength through the secret mobilization of new fleets and armies in violation of the Galactic Concordance and Republic law . Despite further acts of defiance to the treaty , the Galactic Senate did not regard the First Order as a serious threat to the Republic . However , the Senate ' s inaction motivated the Rebel veteran Prince ss Leia Organa to found the Resistance . Although the First Order became entangled in a conflict with Organa ' s group , the Republic remained its primary target . After thirty years of plotting their revenge against the government that overthrew the Empire , the First Order test - fired the superweapon of Starkiller Base on the Hosnian system and thereby destroyed Hosnian Prime , the capital world of the Republic . Shortly thereafter , the Resistance launched a counterattack that resulted in the base ' s destruction . Swiftly rallying , the First Order deployed their previously hidden flotilla s against the known galaxy , forcibly seizing military control of thousands of systems and being poised to seize all major systems within weeks . Desiring to crush their opposition , the First Order attacked the Resistance base on D ' Qar during their evacuation and then pursued them using their new hyperspace tracking to the Crait system , where Supreme Leader Snoke perished at the hands of his apprentice , Kylo Ren , who usurped his former master as Supreme Leader . The surviving Resistance fighters fled to an abandoned Rebel base on Crait , where the First Order launched an assault to mercilessly annihilate the Resistance . However , the sudden appearance of Jedi Master Luke Skywalker , via a Force projection , distracted the First Order forces under Ren ' s command long enough for the Resistance survivors to escape , an event that inspired hope against the rising darkness . History . Early foundations . For roughly a thousand years , the Galactic Republic maintained peace and stability within the galaxy , aided by the efforts of the monastic Jedi Order and the Republic Judicial Forces . With the believed extinction of the Sith — ancient enemies of the Jedi Order and the Republic — the ruling Dark Lord Darth Sidious secretly plotted to overthrow the Republic with the formation of his own Sith Empire . Sidious , along with his apprentice Count Dooku , orchestrated a secessionist movement by fomenting political chaos across the galaxy . Sidious secretly commanded a rival galactic government known as the Confederacy of Independent Systems in the destructive three - year Clone Wars , while ensuring himself elected as the next Supreme Chancellor of the Republic . Gradually amassing far more emergency powers than would be ordinarily allowed , along with changing the Galactic Constitution , Sidious eventually issued the Proclamation of the New Order , officially transforming the thousand - year - old democracy into the Galactic Empire in an instant and installing himself as the first Galactic Emperor . With the destruction of the Jedi Order and a massive military machine to enforce his will , Sidious remained largely unchallenged throughout the initial nineteen years of his reign , embarking on the gradual conquest of the known galaxy . Eventually , the Alliance to Restore the Republic was formed to oppose his aggressive expansion and genocidal actions , resulting in the destructive five - year Galactic Civil War . Four years after the destruction of its First Death Star by the hands of Luke Skywalker , the Empire suffered a decisive defeat at the Battle of Endor , where its second and more powerful Death Star II was destroyed and along with it , Emperor Palpatine and his right - hand man Darth Vader . Following another year of bloody conflict , the fractured Empire made its last stand over the sandy wastes of Jakku against the New Republic , resulting in many casualties on both sides . Defeated and facing severe internal unrest , the Empire was forced to sign the Galactic Concordance , severely limiting its ability to wage war and ushering in its transformation into a mere rump state . Origins . Following the Battle of Jakku , Grand Vizier Mas Amedda and the New Republic Chancellor Mon Mothma signed the Galactic Concordance , which dissolved the Empire . In response , many Imperial noble s , technologists , warlord s , and officers fled into the Unknown Regions in an effort to escape the prying eyes of the New Republic . They used information derived from Grand Admiral Thrawn who hailed from the Chiss Ascendancy , and the survey teams and droid s that Emperor Sheev Palpatine had sent to explore the Unknown Regions . At the request of the dying Counselor to the Empire Gallius Rax , Grand Admiral Rae Sloane , and Commandant Brendol Hux rendezvoused with the Super Star Destroyer " Eclipse " . Sloane saw an opportunity to rebuild the Empire . There , isolated from the galaxy , these Imperial hardliners formed the First Order , which was influenced by the principles of the fallen government . With the New Republic now the dominant force in the galaxy , it continuously stressed upholding the values of democracy throughout the stars . In spite of such , however , the New Republic was not without its critics , many of them disgruntled sympathizers of the Old Imperial ways , some of whom were a part of the political structure . Once disagreements between the loyalists and Imperial sympathizers became too severe , the latter group seceded , whereupon they established the First Order along with the former elements of the Imperial military that still inhabited the Unknown Regions . While some in the Galactic Senate applauded the notion , others realized that without New Republic supervision , the Order would return to the draconian ways of its predecessor . Because it descended from the Empire in ideology , the First Order , upon being formed within the Unknown Regions alongside various former Imperial officers , technologists , nobles , and other pro - Imperial supporters , intended to reclaim their legacy . A growing Order . With many of the Emperor ' s servants carrying some of the regime ' s greatest military secrets to the Unknown Regions , the First Order began a massive militarization effort to produce a technologically superior military to the former Galactic Empire , keenly aware that it lacked the superior numbers of the former state . Numerous shipyards , bases , and research facilities were built on newly explored star systems and colonized worlds as the Order slowly expanded and plotted its eventual return to the galaxy at large . To avoid the terms of the Concordance which included the sale of weaponry to the Order , arms manufacturers BlasTech Industries and Merr - Sonn Munitions , Inc . opted to bypass these restrictions by forming a subsidiary known as the Sonn - Blas Corporation , whom would manufactured all weaponry within First Order space , while Sienar - Jaemus Army Systems and Aratech - Loratus Corporation would develop spacecraft and vehicles to the Order . Growing in size and strength , the First Order unexpectedly came under the command of Snoke , a powerful dark - side user who became the Supreme Leader of the First Order , to the surprise of Grand Admiral Rae Sloane , Ormes Apolin , and General Brendol Hux and others among the last of the Imperial leadership who did not forsee the rise of Snoke to power and were surprised when he took over . Brendol ' s son , Armitage would be spared in the long term by Snoke in order to use him as a tool . Meanwhile Brendol would at some point go on a mission to recruit the strongest warriors in the galaxy to the First Order military . However his yacht was shot down by Parnassos automated defense system , Hux then found himself shipwrecked and sent out a distress signal and also met Phasma , who had observed the starship crashing and lead her Scyre warriors into Claw territory to meet Hux . His son , Armitage Hux meanwhile responded to the signal and would go to Parnassos to rescue his father . Hux would soon arrive at the crash site where he greeted his father , Hux then accepted Phasma as well as Siv , and Frey into the Order . Hux would shortly tell his father that his disappearance had caused concern in the higher ranks of the First Order and that he was to return immediately , as the Supreme Leader had many things to discuss with him . Sometime later , Phasma and Hux conspired to assassin ate Brendol , agreeing that it was time for Brendol to die . Hux left the actual murder up to Phasma with his only instruction being to make it untraceable . Phasma would carry out the killing of Brendol using the toxin from the bite of a Parnassos beetle . Hux then gave a brief address to Captain Cardinal and the stormtrooper corps informing them of Brendol ' s passing and ascended to his role in the military . Subverting the New Republic . In the years leading up to the destruction of the Hosnian system , the First Order quietly bided its time preparing for its eventual war with the New Republic . To generate funding to refit and rearm the former Imperial fleet , the First Order used a militia group called the Amaxine warriors as proxies to fund the Nikto crime lord Rinnrivin Di ' s cartel . Seven years prior to the " Napkin Bombing " at the New Republic senatorial complex on Hosnian Prime , the First Order used the Amaxines to inject billions of credit s as start - up capital into Rinnrivin ' s cartel , turning the hitherto minor cartel into a major crime syndicate . Establishing a mutual relationship with the Amaxines , Rinnrivin embarked on lucrative smuggling and gambling operations with the proceeds being channeled through shadowy corporations and Centrist sources back to the First Order , which used the money to rebuild its fleet . In addition , the Order also recruited several Centrist senators like Lady Carise Sindian as clandestine agents who worked to subvert the Republic from within . Many Centrists , an informal faction in the Republic ' s Galactic Senate who favored a stronger central government and military , admired the Old Empire ' s leaders and practices . Another proxy of the First Order was Arliz Hadrassian , a former TIE fighter pilot who had become the leader of the Amaxine warriors . While Hadrassian saw the Amaxines as the vanguard of the First Order , Lady Carise regarded her as too volatile to manage . Hadrassian in return was impatient with the Centrists for refusing to secede from the Republic . The First Order ' s operations were almost exposed when Rinnrivin Di ' s criminal activities began to exact a devastating toll on the planet Ryloth ' s offworld trade . In response , the New Republic senator s Leia Organa and Ransolm Casterfo embarked on an investigation which uncovered Rinnrivin ' s links to the Amaxine Warriors . However , the two senators failed to discover the Order ' s linkages to the Amaxines and Rinnrivin ' s cartel . In an attempt to sow chaos , Arliz Hadrassian bombed the New Republic ' s senatorial complex . This set in motion a chain of events that led to the death of Rinnrivin and the destruction of most of the Amaxine warriors ' forces on the planet Sibensko . Hadrassian killed herself after assassinating the Republic senator Tai - Lin Garr . While most Republic senators and media believed that the demise of Rinnrivin ' s cartel and the Amaxines eliminated all threats to the Republic , Leia disagreed and established the Resistance in response to the New Republic ' s complacency . Following the assassination of Tai - Lin Garr , Lady Carise and her Centrist counterparts began preparing a motion to secede from the New Republic in order to join and support the First Order . Preparing for war . For the three decades after Endor , the First Order largely escaped galactic attention , with many in the New Republic Senate believing that it posed no real threat to the galaxy at large . Echoing these sentiments , Chancellor Lanever Villecham argued there was no need for concern as long as the First Order adhered to the dictates of the Galactic Concordance . Despite this , the Order blatantly defied the accords by ushering in the mass mobilization of superior stormtrooper forces , along with violating Republic bans on the sale of weaponry to the First Order and its rules governing capital ships . Testing the resolve of the New Republic , small skirmishes occasionally erupted between the First Order and Republic , all while the Starkiller operation sought a suitable planet for implementation . With the First Order ' s growing threat and rapid mobilization for war , prominent members of the Republic voiced concern over this successor state , with the most vocal being Leia Organa . Scoffed at by the Senate at large for being an alarmist and warmonger , Organa used her influence as a prominent member of the former Alliance to recruit many former military officers left forgotten by the Military Disarmament Act passed by the Galactic Senate . Funded by like - minded senators who shared Organa ' s fears about the First Order , the Resistance came to serve as the opposing force and check to the Order ' s growing power , sparking the cold war . Despite this , members of the Republic Senate were mired in corruption and bureaucracy , with senators such as Erudo Ro - Kiintor colluding with the First Order for promises of wealth and power , with large sums of credits being discretely transferred to him through the Corporate Sector Authority . As a result , the Resistance was forced to work on its own until it could obtain irrefutable evidence of First Order violations of the peace that could be presented to Republic Command . During , the Resistance pilot Poe Dameron and General Organa discovered that Senator Erudo had been colluding with the First Order and that he had valuable information about Lor San Tekka , whom Organa believed could lead them to her brother , Luke Skywalker . Leader Snoke had during this period come to be served by a new apprentice , Kylo Ren . Manipulated to the dark side by Snoke when he was still Ben Solo , Ren had been instrumental in preventing Luke Skywalker ' s attempt to rebuild the Jedi Order . Joined by his Knights of Ren , Kylo conducted subsequent purges and hunts of those with Force affinity , much as the Inquisitorius of the Old Empire had done . In response to Operation : Sabre Strike , Captain Phasma dispatched Agent Terex to recover the information that Poe had obtained from Senator Erudo . Terex and his First Order strike force pursued Poe and his Black Squadron to the planet Ovanis . With the help of the unwilling spy Oddy Muva , Terex planted a tracker on Poe ' s T - 70 X - wing fighter . A skirmish took place on the skies over Ovanis and the Cave of the Crèche , which was complicated by the presence of the Crèche cult and the hatching of two winged creatures . Ultimately , Terex and his landing force were defeated . The Crèche elder gave the information on Tekka to Poe . To avoid war between the First Order and the New Republic , Terex and his surviving men were allowed to leave on their Maxima - A class heavy cruiser . Terex later obtained intelligence that Poe and his Black Squadron were traveling to Megalox prison on the high - gravity world of Megalox Beta . Poe had traveled to the prison world to question Grakkus the Hutt about his knowledge of Lor San Tekka ' s whereabouts . Terex bribed Warden Luta into abandoning Black Squadron to the prison population . Though Grakkus had made a deal with Terex to disclose the information , Grakkus changed his mind and decided to sell the information to whoever got him out first . Incensed at Grakkus ' double - cross , Terex hired the crime lords Isin , Kan Be , and Toren to use their gangs to storm Grakkus ' fortress and kill Black Squadron . He planned to interrogate Grakkus and then kill him . Grakkus ' plan was , however , foiled by Black Squadron ' s astromech droid s including BB - 8 , who deactivated Megalox ' s gravity shield . While Black Squadron and Grakkus escaped , Terex and his mercenaries were pinned down by the high gravity . Terex managed to escape aboard the " Carrion Spike " and attacked the Megalox space station , seeking to punish Luta for letting Black Squadron escape . His ship blasted several shuttles but was forced to retreat when Black Squadron turned around and inflicted considerable damage on the " Carrion Spike " . Captain Phasma summoned Terex back to First Order space to report for debriefing , but Terex instead chose to pursue his nemesis Poe . Later , the " Galaxy Beacon " journalist and former New Republic Starfleet member Suralinda Javos discovered that the First Order was building military installations , shipyards , weapons research facilities , and " something bigger " in violation of the Galactic Concordance . She met with Poe on the Inner Rim gas giant of Pheryon , hoping to sell the information to the Resistance in order to boost her journalistic career . However , the First Order Security Bureau Agent Weel and his stormtroopers captured Javos and Poe . During interrogation , Javos managed to kill Weel and free Poe . After escaping , Javos decided to join the Resistance . Instead of returning to First Order space , Terex traveled to the crime haven of Kaddak . There , he retook control of the Ranc gang , which he had helped create after the Battle of Jakku . Terex had subsequently joined the First Order after intercepting a First Order shipment . Against Captain Phasma ' s orders , Terex decided to use his Ranc gang to destroy Poe and the Resistance . His plan involved giving false intelligence on the First Order to the Resistance droid spy N1 - ZX and tracking Poe back to the Resistance base . Terex wanted to destroy the Resistance once and for all to aid the First Order ' s conquest of the galaxy . Terex ' s plans were upended when Poe realized the deception and led Terex ' s Ranc gang fleet to a remote desert planet . In addition , Oddy decided to break Terex ' s leverage on him by rescuing his wife Sowa Chuan and several slaves from Terex ' s flagship , " Carrion Spike " . While Terex led a landing party in pursuit of Poe and the droids , Black Squadron assailed Terex ' s ship and armada of " Uglies . " Oddy and most of the slaves managed to escape in escape pod s while Black Squadron provided firing cover . Terex ' s landing party was also wiped out by N1 - ZX , who had been reprogrammed with Mister Bones ' s droid personality template . Terex also fought with Poe and BB - 8 but was disarmed following a struggle . The battle came to an end when First Order forces under Commander Malarus arrived and wiped out Terex ' s Ranc gang fleet and flagship " Carrion Spike " . Malarus had been dispatched by the First Order to arrest Terex , whose rogue mission violated Supreme Leader Snoke ' s directive to avoid open conflict with the New Republic and New Republic - aligned forces such as the Resistance . Malarus also led a landing party who met with Poe and took the captive Terex into custody . Height of the Order . Seeking to locate a fragment of a map that led to Jedi Master Luke Skywalker — who had gone into self - imposed exile following the failed resurrection of the Jedi Order , for which he blamed himself — the First Order deployed the " Resurgent " - class Star Destroyer " Finalizer " to Jakku , where a BB - unit and ace Resistance pilot Poe Dameron had recovered a fragment of the map . Seeking to capture the droid and destroy the last Jedi , an assault was launched on the outlying settlement of Tuanul , but not before BB - 8 had escaped with the map . Following an unlikely alliance of deserting stormtrooper FN - 2187 and an unknowingly Force - sensitive girl named Rey , the First Order ultimately chased the pair and famous smuggler Han Solo and Chewbacca to Takodana , where they sought refuge . Following a climactic battle between the Order and Resistance , who were both informed of the group ' s presence through undercover spies , Kylo Ren kidnapped Rey , who , having seen the map , could be interrogated until she revealed Luke ' s location . Meanwhile , the First Order would declare war on the the New Republic and would destroy the Hosnian system , seeking to end its unofficial support of the Resistance with a new superweapon dubbed Starkiller Base , which could fire a planet - shattering beam through hyperspace , and destroy an entire star system . With the destruction of the Republic ' s capital and a portion of its fleet , the First Order stood poised to destroy both the New Republic and the Resistance . Much to its chagrin , deserter FN - 2187 — now known as Finn — along with Han Solo and Chewbacca arrived at the Starkiller Base in an attempt to disable its shields and allow a Resistance strike to destroy the battle - station - converted planet . With the First Order fifteen minutes away from destroying the Resistance ' s base on D ' Qar , the trio managed to not only shut off the planet ' s shields but also rescue Rey after a lightsaber duel with Kylo Ren . Escaping the planet with seconds to spare , the First Order ' s sun - harvesting superweapon was destroyed by the Resistance ' s Starfighter Corps , forming a new star where the planet once was . Despite this major setback , the First Order ' s resolve towards galactic conquest only increased , with Snoke deciding to finish Kylo Ren ' s training and re - group after the destruction of his superweapon . Concurrently , the Resistance sent Iden Versio , Zay and Shriv Suurgav aboard Commander Gideon Hask ' s " Resurgent " - class Star Destroyer , the " Retribution " in order to retrieve vital intelligence on the Order and eliminate Hask for Del Meeko death on Pillio . The First Order tried to prevent the raid , however Hask was killed and the Resistance was able to gain intelligence on the specifications on the " Mandator IV " - class Siege Dreadnought . Despite the loss of Starkiller Base , the First Order still possessed a secure and intact chain of command and massive military strength in the form of hundreds of batttlecruisers and millions of troops , emerging from the shadows to seize control of the galaxy by force . At the same time , with the loss of the senate and the Hosnian System , the New Republic lost its leadership and its entire home fleet , which , due to the Military Disarmament Act , was the majority of the Republic military . Because of this military and political imbalance , the New Republic was virtually helpless as the First Order fleet spread across the galaxy . The few Republic military forces that remained were completely outclassed and destroyed by the First Order , which had spend 30 years training and preparing for this war , while the New Republic military stagnated in peace . This clearly one - sided conflict convinced many Republic member worlds to surrender to the First Order without a fight , rather than risk defeat and devastation . This was also a result of Republic political infighting and corruption , as Centrist senators and worlds enacted a long - planned mass secession from the New Republic to the First Order . At the same time , many Outer Rim worlds that had been left defenseless and forgotten by the New Republic quickly became incited by the Order ' s promise of protection from the pirates and criminal cartels that preyed on them . These events quickly fragmented the New Republic , as individual planets and governments began looking to their own interests . Meanwhile , the Resistance found itself greatly outmatched by the First Order . With the loss of the New Republic and its unofficial support of the Resistance forces , the organization only possessed a few military ships and a few hundred soldiers . This hopeless imbalance led General Leia Organa to order the complete evacuation of the Resistance base on D ' Qar , as a First Order fleet was on its way to destroy the Resistance once and for all . Setting their sights on the Resistance base , General Hux ' s forces arrived and destroyed the base , but the Resistance was able to evacuate in time . However , this escape cost the Resistance the vast majority of its remaining fleet , and left them as wandering fugitives . Meanwhile , Supreme Leader Snoke summoned his apprentice , Kylo Ren , to his throne room on the " Supremacy " , the First Order flagship , and mocked him for his failure at Starkiller Base and his ambitions to emulate Darth Vader before ordering him to find Rey and destroy the Jedi . Using hyperspace tracking , the First Order traced the Resistance to the Crait system , catching them completely off guard and destroying one of their cruisers instantly . Kylo Ren , leading a TIE squadron in his personal fighter , attacked the command ship " Raddus " and blew up its hangar bay , taking out all of the Resistance ' s remaining fighters before he set his sights on the ship ' s bridge , where his mother , Leia Organa , was . Though Ren was ultimately unable to bring himself to fire , his wingmen had no such qualms and fired on the bridge , exposing it to the vacuum of space and killing the majority of the Resistance ' s leadership , including Admiral Gial Ackbar . Leia was able to use the Force to pull herself back aboard , but she was left incapacitated . The Resistance , now commanded by Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo , continued to outrun the First Order , but their fuel supplies were dangerously low , and one by one the other ships ran dry and were destroyed by the " Supremacy " turbolasers . Once the " Raddus " was almost out of fuel , the Resistance began to fragment as desertions dramatically increased as members saw the struggle against the First Order as a lost cause . Later , a full - blown mutiny occurred as two sides formed among the crew : those who wanted to escape and hide from the enemy , and those who wanted to fight . This mutiny , led by Poe Dameron , was put down by the recovered General Organa , and the Resistance attempted to slip down to the former Rebel world of Crait . However , due to the capture of the Resistance infiltration team on the " Supremacy " , the First Order learned of the plan when the team code breaker DJ betrayed the Resistance for his freedom and payment . This led the " Supremacy " to fire on the unarmed and unarmored U - 55 orbital loadlifter s , destroying roughly half of them . In a desperate sacrificial gamble to save the Resistance , Vice Admiral Holdo aimed the " Raddus " at the " Supremacy " and entered lightspeed . As a result , the ship collided with the First Order flagship and cleaved it and several " Resurgent " - class Star Destroyers in half , saving the Resistance remnant and causing heavy damage to the First Order fleet . However , the First Order forces quickly recovered and , under the orders of the newly proclaimed Supreme Leader , Kylo Ren , sent an invading force of All Terrain Armored Transport and All Terrain MegaCaliber Six walker s down to the abandoned rebel base in which the Resistance was taking shelter . The battle let to the death of many of the remaining Resistance soldiers and the loss of its remaining equipment . In addition , the Resistance ' s Outer Rim allies were called on for reinforcements , but failed to send aid in time . However the remaining few dozen Resistance soldiers were able to flee aboard the " Millennium Falcon " , leaving the First Order victorious on Crait . Organization . Government . The First Order was a military junta inspired by the former Galactic Empire . It was led by Supreme Leader Snoke until he was killed by his right - hand man Kylo Ren who assumed the title of Supreme Leader of the First Order . The office of Supreme Leader is one that wields ultimate authority over the entire First Order . Snoke delegated power to a number of high - ranking officers and advisers , effectively removing any distinction between military and state . They oversaw the colonization of the Unknown Regions and destruction of the last Jedi . Much like Darth Vader in the former Empire , Kylo Ren existed outside the formal command structure of the First Order , and frequently came into conflict with military officials owing to his agenda consistently trumping military objectives . Kylo ' s placement in the hierarchy not only maintained fear within the Order ' s upper ranks , but also intentionally resembled that of Darth Vader ' s during the reign of the Old Empire . Despite having Force - sensitives within its ranks , the First Order did not employ Sith or Inquisitors like its predecessor . The First Order lacked an official capital , as its Supreme Leader constantly moved his base of operations ; thus administration of the government existed on an amalgam of planets within First Order territory . With the construction of Starkiller Base , the Order possessed an unofficial headquarters for its expanding power . The First Order Security Bureau acted as an intelligence service within the administration of the Order . One notable agent was the former Imperial stormtrooper and Ranc gang crime lord Terex . Foreign affairs . The First Order was one of the remnants of the Old Empire that had emerged in the wake of the Galactic Concordance . Since the Concordance limited the Empire ' s ability to wage war by imposing strict disarmament treaties and punishing reparations , the First Order despised the New Republic as an illegitimate regime that tolerated disorder in the galaxy . Despite the First Order ' s frequent violations of the Galactic Concordance by intruding into Republic space and building illegal weapons , the New Republic did not believe that the Order posed a threat . Despite intelligence reports to the contrary , several Republic politicians in the Senate Intelligence Committee and senior military leaders such as Major Lonno Deso dismissed the First Order as an ill - organized , poorly equipped , and badly funded group of Imperial loyalists who used propaganda and fear to exaggerate their strength and power . In an effort to subvert the New Republic , the First Order also channeled funds through shell and third - party corporations in the Corporate Sector to corrupt Republic senators like Erudo Ro - Kiintor , who blocked motions advocating sanctions against the First Order and increasing support for the New Republic Starfleet . Consequently , the First Order ' s main military adversary was the Resistance , a private military organization founded by General Leia Organa in response to the Republic ' s unwillingness to take action against the Order . The First Order saw its primary mission as restoring order to a lawless galaxy and viewed the Republic and Resistance as obstacles to achieving these goals . About thirty years after the Battle of Endor , the First Order launched a preemptive attack on the Hosnian system in order to destroy the Republic and force the wider galaxy into submission . Later , the First Order successfully destroyed the Resistance ' s base on D ' Qar . However , the remaining Resistance forces were able to evacuate . The First Order was also known to have dealings with other entities like the Corporate Sector Authority and the Guavian Death Gang . Military . With its rapidly expanding military in clear violation of the Galactic Concordance and Republic laws , the massive militarization effort of the First Order continued throughout its tenure in the Unknown Regions . There , military bases and shipyards were constructed to churn out some of the technologically superior weapons and starfighters utilized by the Order ' s military . To avoid treaty restrictions banning the sale of weaponry to the First Order , galactic arms manufacturers BlasTech Industries and Merr - Sonn Munitions , Inc . spun off a subsidiary known as the Sonn - Blas Corporation , which manufactured much of the First Order ' s weaponry within First Order space . Sienar - Jaemus Fleet Systems also helped produce vessels such as the " Upsilon " - class command shuttle and TIE / fo space superiority fighter , along with its two - seated variant the TIE / sf space superiority fighter . Sienar - Jaemus Army Systems manufactured the widely used AAL , which could ferry twenty stormtroopers into combat , while the Aratech - Loratus Corporation developed the LIUV ; on ground the First Order also used a wide range of four - legged walkers similar to Imperial AT - ATs . In violation of New Republic laws regarding capital ships , Kuat - Entralla Engineering developed the " Resurgent " - class Star Destroyer , which featured more than three thousand turbolaser s and ion cannon s , and was specifically designed to evoke the fearful image of the Old Empire ' s " Imperial " - class Star Destroyers . Like its predecessor , the First Order employed the use of stormtroopers , including variants such as snowtrooper s . It also utilized specialists including megablaster heavy assault trooper s , flametrooper s and riot control stormtroopers and selectively had one of the three variants placed in every ten - member stormtrooper squad . Unlike the inconsistent academy standards of the previous Galactic Empire , training of the new generation of stormtroopers emphasized improvisation and counter - insurgency operations , including guerrilla tactics . With the First Order lacking the numerical superiority of the Galactic Empire , better - equipped and - trained soldiers resulted in higher trooper proficiency than the previous Galactic Empire . Soldiers were often trained on capital ships and underwent vivid simulations to create the most loyal soldiers , which was an extension of the ideas of Commandant Brendol Hux and his Commandant ' s Cadets . One of its primary bases of operations was Starkiller Base , an ice planet converted into a stronghold . Seeking to rule the galaxy through fear , the base housed a superweapon capable of destroying entire star system s by firing a planet - destroying beam through hyperspace , and was led by an unofficial triumvirate of General Armitage Hux , Kylo Ren , and Captain Phasma until it was destroyed in the Assault on Starkiller Base . The scale of the First Order ' s military operation shocked complacent New Republic observers , who had believed such shows of force were merely part of local defense forces and ceremonial guards . With the rapid expansion of the First Order ' s stormtrooper ranks and military capabilities , the Resistance believed that more trooper specializations were yet to be discovered , and ships even larger than the " Resurgent " - class Star Destroyers existed , such as the " Mandator IV " - class Siege Dreadnought and the " Mega " - class Star Dreadnought . Society and culture . Growing up on the far side of the Unknown Regions gave the officers and citizens of the First Order an Imperially skewed version of galactic history . Under the guidance of Imperial veterans , along with approved literature , vids and mandatory viewings of morale sessions twice a day for stormtrooper cadets , officers learned of their glorious past and how it had been robbed by terrorists and rebels , who later called themselves the New Republic . Many believed that only they could have the power necessary to wrest the galaxy from a path of chaos and corruption . This claim was not without some basis in fact . The corruption and ineffectiveness of the New Republic was plain to see across the galaxy , to the citizens , the Resistance , and the First Order . In fact , this corruption was one of the First Order ' s most potent weapons , as they ensured that their agenda was met with no interference from the Senate . The First Order citizens saw this as proof that the Rebellion was built on false promises and that rebels can only tear down a government , not build one . Prerecorded speeches often filled the airwaves , in which General Armitage Hux often commented on the depravity of the Republic with famines on Ibaar and Adarlon , the brutal suppression of the people of Balamak , and unchecked alien advances throughout the Outer Rim . Following these reports were stories of First Order victories such as liberating labor camps on Iktotch or winning a fleet battle in the Bormea sector . Despite these patriotic functions and rallies , the First Order relied on the brutal suppression of dissent and unpatriotic activities . Riot control stormtroopers were specially trained to quash insurrection , while live - fire dispersal of protesters was permitted . Industrial unrest like the Strike at Pressy ' s Tumble were blamed on New Republic agents . According to the First Order , the Jedi were officially extinct , while it was forbidden to pronounce Kylo Ren ' s birth name by order of Supreme Leader Snoke . Within many of the labor camps and mining operations in First Order space , a large number of individuals were from alien species . To boost morale , the First Order utilized a commemorative rank insignia system , issuing armbands bearing the names of famous units and heroes of the Galactic Civil War . Many within the military believed that despite being outnumbered by the New Republic Starfleet , their technological superiority was so complete that even their smaller navy stood virtually unchallenged . In addition , the First Order looted various currencies across the galaxy , including peggat s , aurei s , and zemid s , and melted them down as " blood money " due to their universal value , and had no qualms with inducting children into direct combat . The most infamous example of the latter was the stormtroopers of the First Order , which forcibly subjected any children of worlds conquered by the First Order to military training . Because the First Order trained its soldiers since birth , several members had very high ranks despite their age technically making them closer to junior officers , in contrast to the Empire ' s Sub - Adult Group , which while promoting patriotism never subjected its members to direct combat . However , the First Order ' s recruitment methods were seen differently by their personnel and by some in the galaxy at large . A large number of the children that the First Order recruited came from poor and impoverished worlds on the Outer Rim , worlds where lawlessness was rampant and the residents had little to no prospects in life . Because of these horrific conditions , many of the people were happy to give their children to the First Order willingly , either in the hopes of them having a better life , or simply for payment and one less mouth to feed . Even the freelance recruiters that the First Order used agreed ; one of them stated that one such planet , Athulla , was a " nightmare " and that the First Order was doing the children a favor . In fact one of these improvised children from the desert world of Jakku would rise to become a respected officer in the First Order ; Captain Cardinal . Once recruited the citizens and soldiers of the First Order were raised on a strong sense of duty , loyalty and obedience to the state , and were taught that one must subjugate their personal desires to the greater good of the First Order . To this end , they are expected to surrender their previous life and identity upon their recruitment into the First Order , instead being identified by a numerical code . However this was not expected with senior officers and distinguished members of the Stormtrooper core , such as Phasma and Cardinal . The citizens were educated to believe that it was the pursuit of individual selflessness and desires , rather than the unified whole , that led the Rebel Alliance to rise up to topple the galaxy - uniting Empire . They were also taught that the Rebels were short - sighted terrorists that could not see the benefit of the Empire and instead started a war that forced the Empire to crack down security and restrict personal liberties to combat it . The First Order placed heavy emphasis on individual strength and training in both physical and mental categories . This was shown in the training programs that were mandatory for all recruits from a young age and progressed to more severe training as they progressed to adulthood . The Order , like the Empire before it , believed that the strong naturally rose to power , while the weaker were left to serve their natural leaders . Astrography . The First Order claimed the large , unexplored region to the west of the Core as its heartland , with the emergent power expanding across the vast swaths of space left untouched for millennia by galactic explorers . The result of a cold war between the New Republic and First Order , a narrow region of neutral systems known as the Trans - Hydian Borderlands existed between New Republic and First Order space . Despite frequent First Order incursions into Republic space , the Galactic Senate did not wish to spark a conflict , and thus was limited to formal diplomatic protest . Nonetheless , by thirty years after Endor , the Order operated mines in the artificial asteroid field known as Pressy ' s Tumble and controlled the Atterra system in the Outer Rim Territories . It also controlled Vodran in Hutt Space . Behind the scenes . The First Order was created for the 2015 film and was developed through conversations amongst the production team . According to J . J . Abrams , the film ' s director , the team wondered what would have happened if the who went into hiding in after started working together again . Abrams hinted that the First Order would therefore be a group that admired the Galactic Empire and felt that its work was unfulfilled . The First Order ' s exact nature during the development of the film was kept secret since the film ' s announcement . On August 10 , 2015 , the official " Star Wars " Twitter and GooglePlus accounts unveiled an image of the First Order congregating at Starkiller Base . Costume designer Michael Kaplan said the First Order uniforms were designed to look severe , " very hard edge , very broad shoulders , very angular , geometric . " He cited inspiration from French fashion designer .