Star Wars: The Last Jedi - What The Ending Really Means

6. Potential First Order Conflict?

Unfortunately, General Hux is turned into something of a clown by The Last Jedi from almost his first scene. He's a patsy for more powerful villains (though Snoke recognises the value in both his genius and his malleability) and gets dragged around a lot. Sure, he survives, but he might not be the same character at the end of the movie.

It's clear that there was always conflict between Hux and Kylo Ren that bordered on sibling rivalry (or the competitiveness of two favourites pitted against one another), and removing Snoke from the picture will do nothing for their relationship. Particularly as Ren sought Hux's fealty by partly choking the life out of him.

There was definitely something in the way Hux looked at Kylo Ren in their last scene together that hinted that the conflict has now escalated and we might see Hux rising to be an enemy to Ren right by his side. And given his lack of physical competition to Ren, that will make for an interesting dynamic in Episode IX.