Supreme Leader The Supreme Leader was the head of state of the First Order , a hermetic state that came to power in the years following the defeat of the Galactic Empire . Snoke , a mysterious being who possessed a powerful connection with the dark side of the Force , held the title of Supreme Leader during the era of the New Republic . Under his leadership , the First Order completed its military buildup and moved to seize control of the galaxy from the Republic , resulting in open war between the First Order and a group of freedom fighters known as the Resistance . The reign of Snoke was brought to an end by Kylo Ren , the grandson of the Sith Lord Darth Vader . Ren assassinated his master and — having coerced the allegiance of General Armitage Hux — claimed the title of Supreme Leader for himself . As leader of the First Order , Ren ' s objectives were to end the war , destroy the Resistance , the last Jedi and the remnants of the New Republic , and ultimately rule the galaxy as the head of a new order in his image . Powers . The Supreme Leader was the ruler of the First Order , a hermit state that sought to reclaim the legacy of the Galactic Empire . Acting as the head of the military apparatus , the Supreme Leader was responsible for the organization ' s strategy but could also entrust the execution of his plans to an upper cadre of high - ranking officials by delegating authority to them . Any alterations to the First Order ' s strategy required the Supreme Leader ' s approval . 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 . 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 . 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 . History . The death of Emperor Sheev Palpatine and the fall of the Galactic Empire would mark the dawn of a new era in which the New Republic strove to restore peace and stability to the galaxy after years of civil war . Hoping to ensure that the Empire would never rise again , the Republic attempted to neutralize the Imperial remnants through disarmament treaties and war reparations , effectively reducing the once - powerful Empire to a rump state . However , a group of Imperial officer s , noble s , and technologists retreated to the Unknown Regions of the galaxy . Rejecting the conditions of the Galactic Concordance , they were determined to restore the legacy of the fallen Empire , and therefore quietly adopted a rearmament policy which resulted in the creation of new fleet s and armies . Drawing inspiration from the ideals of the Empire , this movement ultimately evolved into the First Order . By the time its military buildup was complete , a mysterious being known as Snoke had risen to become the Supreme Leader of the First Order . His reputation as the First Order ' s ruler preceded him , although few individuals were permitted to see him in person . Governing the First Order from a mobile command post , Snoke delegated responsibilities to subordinates — including Kylo Ren and General Armitage Hux — who reported directly to him . As such , the Supreme Leader entrusted Hux with overseeing the creation of the First Order ' s war machine while Ren — Snoke ' s apprentice in the ways of the dark side of the Force — was tasked with destroying the last of the Jedi , his former mentor Luke Skywalker . Having completed the superweapon of Starkiller Base in 34 ABY , Hux persuaded Snoke to authorize the firing of the weapon with the Hosnian system as its first target . With the capital of the New Republic hosted on Hosnian Prime , Hux argued that the First Order could deliver a crippling blow to the Republic government in a single stroke . Snoke agreed with Hux and ordered him to oversee preparations , resulting in the deaths of Chancellor Lanever Villecham and the members of the Galactic Senate , as well as the annihilation of the Hosnian system . Although Starkiller Base was subsequently destroyed by the Resistance , a paramilitary group founded by General Leia Organa , the First Order felt confident that victory was inevitable . At Snoke ' s direction , the First Order deployed its vast military forces across the galaxy with the intent of seizing control over the major systems . He also continued to pursue his objectives of eliminating the surviving members of the Resistance , as well as hunting and killing Skywalker . Using Hux ' s hyperspace tracker , Snoke personally oversaw the First Order Navy ' s assault on the Resistance fleet . At the same time , he used his mastery of the Force to create a Force - bond between his apprentice and Rey , a Force - sensitive Jakku scavenger who sought to learn the Jedi arts under Skywalker . Having gained new insights into Ren ' s inner conflict through their bond , Rey ultimately left Skywalker to seek out the fallen Jedi , determined to turn the tide of the war by restoring Kylo Ren to his former persona of Ben Solo . However , Snoke anticipated Rey ' s intentions and used the bond to lure her to him . After successfully probing her mind for the location of Skywalker , Snoke commanded Ren to execute Rey . Although he previously berated Ren , calling him a child and unworthy of his grandfather ' s legacy , Snoke was confident that his apprentice had now fully embraced the dark side — no longer sensing weakness but strength and resolve emanating from his apprentice . To his shock , Ren used Rey ' s lightsaber to bisect Snoke at the waist , killing his master and saving Rey in the process . Together , they fought and defeated the Elite Praetorian Guard s who attempted to avenge their slain leader . Although Rey urged Ren to help her save the remnants of the Resistance , the First Order warlord came to believe that the Resistance had to be destroyed along with all reminders of his past in order to usher the galaxy in a new era under his rule . To this end , he invited Rey to rule the galaxy at his side , but she ultimately rejected his offer and fled to help the Resistance , causing Ren to blame Snoke ' s death on her . Knowing that the last of the Resistance would make their stand on the planet Crait , Ren ordered Hux to send their forces in pursuit of the survivors . Hux was initially opposed to following orders from his rival , leading Ren to silence the general ' s protests by asphyxiating him through the Force . Unable to breathe , Hux relented to the will of the new Supreme Leader . Under Ren ' s leadership , the First Order all but destroyed the Resistance at the Battle of Crait , but due to the intervention of Luke Skywalker a handful of survivors were able to escape with the assistance of Rey . Style of office . As master of the First Order , Snoke was addressed by his official title , " Supreme Leader , " or as " Leader Snoke " by his subordinates such as Kylo Ren and General Armitage Hux . Following the demise of Snoke , Ren was henceforth referred to as Supreme Leader due to his status as Snoke ' s successor . Though initially opposed to following orders from his rival , Hux was forced to acknowledge Ren ' s authority and therefore began addressing the knight by his new title . Residence . Acting as the head of a hermetic state , Supreme Leader Snoke preferred to lead the First Order from a mobile command center instead of a traditional planetary capital . As a result , the " Supremacy " — a " Mega " - class Star Dreadnought — was utilized as the Supreme Leader ' s headquarters and , by extension , a mobile capital of the First Order . A gargantuan capital ship spanning more than 60 kilometer s wide , the " Supremacy " was also a warship that possessed considerable firepower . In addition to housing shipyard s and army training grounds , the ship contained a throne room where Snoke would broadcast his image across the territories of the First Order through holographic technology . It was in the throne room where the Supreme Leader was attended by his alien servants and the Elite Praetorian Guard . In the wake of the Supreme Leader ' s assassination , the throne room sustained considerable damage as a result of Kylo Ren and Rey ' s battle with the Praetorians . At the same time , the " Supremacy " was cut in half by the " Raddus " , the Resistance flagship which entered hyperspace while facing in the direction of the First Order battleship . Behind the scenes . The position of Supreme Leader of the First Order first appeared in the 2015 sequel trilogy film , directed by J . J . Abrams . Rian Johnson , director of the 2017 film , said he killed off Supreme Leader Snoke to give Kylo Ren a compelling set - up for .