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[Source] |
“ | Today is the end of the republic! The end of a regime that acquiesces to disorder! At this very moment, in a system far from here, the New Republic lies to the galaxy, while secretly supporting the treachery of the loathsome Resistance! This fierce machine which you have built, upon which we stand, will bring an end to the Senate, to their cherished fleet! ALL REMAINING SYSTEMS WILL BOW TO THE FIRST ORDER! AND WILL REMEMBER THIS AS THE LAST DAY OF THE REPUBLIC! | „ |
~ Hux's speech to the assembled First Order stormtroopers before activating Starkiller Base |
General Armitage Hux is a major antagonist in the Skywalker Saga, specifically the sequel trilogy. He appears as the secondary antagonist of The Force Awakens, a major antagonist of The Last Jedi, and a minor antagonist of The Rise of Skywalker.
He is the military leader of the First Order, and he is also the one behind the functions of Starkiller Base. He is a ruthless and tyrannical leader who intends to destroy the Resistance and the New Republic, so he can become the ruler of the galaxy.
History
After the fall of the Galactic Empire and Emperor Palpatine, the remnants of the Empire fled to the Unknown Regions of the galaxy and slowly built themselves up into First Order. Hux's father, General Brendol Hux, was a high-ranking member. Hux conspired with the backstabbing Captain Phasma to assassinate him, and the deed was eventually carried out.
The First Order destroyed the New Republic and was put in power of the galaxy, opposed to the Resistance, led by Princess Leia Organa. Hux was the leader of the military forces, and developed a fierce rivalry with the Supreme Leader Snoke's apprentice, Kylo Ren. He was also angered he was placed under him in the views of the First Order's Supreme Leader Snoke, and seeked to rule the galaxy. He was also present when Ren led a legion of stormtroopers and massacred Tuanul to retrieve the map containing Luke Skywalker's location. They left Tuanul, and discovered the map was in the head of the droid BB-8 who had escape.
Ren imprisoned Poe Dameron, who knew where the droid was, but a stormtrooper traitor, Finn, helped him escape. Hux had his men shoot their stolen TIE fighter down on Jakku, and realizing that was where the droid was, sent his forces to hunt him down. With the permission of Snoke, Hux rallied the First Order forces and commanded Starkiller Base, the First Order's planet-converted superweapon, to destroy the Hosnian system, the last remaining stronghold of the New Republic.
Ren captured Rey, who had seen the map, and sensed her to be strong in the Force. When a Resistance fleet started approaching, Snoke ordered Hux to destroy them with the weapon. However, he was unable to complete the task in time, and the Resistance forces overpowered the unprepared forces of First Order. On Snoke's orders, Hux hesitantly saved a defeated Ren and evacuated while Starkiller Base was destroyed. After this, Hux retaliated by leading a fleet of Resurgent-class Star Destroyers, including the Mandator IV-class Siege Dreadnought Fulminatrix, against the Resistance base, taking them by surprise as they had to them. They heavily massacred them, and the survivors barely escaped.
After this attack, Finn and Rose Tico, a member of the Resistance, infiltrated the Mega-class Star Dreadnought Supremacy to disable the trackers, but they were arrested by Phasma and brought to Hux, who prepared to execute them in front of an army of stormtroopers, when the temporary leader of the Resistance, Vice-Admiral Amilyn Holdo, sacrificed herself as she rammed her ship into the First Order Mega-Destroyer, splitting it in half. This allowed Finn and Rose to destroy Pasham and escape Hux's forces.
Meanwhile, Ren killed Snoke and offered Rey for the duo to rule the galaxy together, but Rey refused and escaped. Hux arrived and found Ren unconscious. He prepared to execute him and take his role as ruler of the galaxy, but Ren awakened, forcing Hux to seal his blaster. Ren lied to Hux that Rey had executed Snoke, and self proclaimed himself as the First Order's new leader. Hux protested to this claim, so Ren choked him until he was forced to admit this.
The First Order attacked the Resistance base on Crait, when Luke Skywalker arrived to aid the Resistance. He argued with Ren aboard his ship, who then knocked him unconscious. He awakened in time to see Ren and Luke duel, and the revelation that it was a hologram and the real Luke used the last of his energy to complete this task before dying. The Resistance were in even small numbers, and the First Order's power grew immensely.
A year later, a broadcast spread all over a galaxy from non-other than the resurrected Sith Lord Darth Sidious, stating that the Sith will have revenge. Hux was demoted before Allegiant General Pryde, who Hux grew to hate as almost as he did to Ren. Hux, going mad after this, secretly became a spy for the Resistance to aid them. Hux, Pryde and Ren searched for Sidious so Ren could kill him and eliminate the threat to his power as Supreme Leader.
After Kylo found Sidious at the planet Exegol and the Dark Lord offered him the Throne of the Sith and the Final Order, a massive fleet of Xyston-class Star Destroyers designed by the Sith Eternal, with the condition of eliminating Rey, the First Order begun to hunt for her. During a confrontation between Rey and Ren, Chewbacca was taken prisoner by the Knights of Ren and brought before Hux and Pryde.
Rey, Finn and Poe attacked the ship to save Chewie, but Finn and Poe were captured. Hux arrives and kills the stormtroopers that are about to kill them, revealing himself as the spy much to their surprise. He convinces Finn to shoot him in the leg to make it look like he did not help them escape. Later, when he tells Pryde that they escape, he realizes what actually happened and shoots Hux dead, asks to inform the Supreme Leader that the spy has been eliminated.
Personality
General Hux is an evil commander who leads with an iron fist. He will attempt to kill anyone to get what he wants: power and control. He seems to be bitter to his minions, as he screams at the stormtroopers and takes control of every action of theirs by force. Egoistic as he is, his methods are ruthless. He seems to have as aspiration to destroy any trace of the New Republic, willing to kill billions of people in order to achieve his goals, and feeling no remorse at all. He is shown to be extremely intelligent and clever with his schemes. He later attempts overthrow Ren at any cost, even spying to the enemy, so he would rule the galaxy himself, but this fails.
Inspiration
General Hux is very much inspired by Adolf Hitler, the ultimate leader of the Nazis. Many people criticize his evil character, as they say he is much of a real life dictator, and ultimately a Nazi. Even Domnhall Gleeson always mentions how evil Hux is, stating that he is a tyrannical brute.
Relationships
Allies
Supreme Leader Snoke
Hux works as Snoke's military leader inside the First Order. Under Snoke, Hux commands the faction's military, however, he takes full control (with Snoke's permission) of Starkiller Base. Hux is very loyal to Snoke, and due to his ambitious nature, he seeks Snoke's approval to achieve his own goals.
Rivals
Kylo Ren
Hux and Kylo Ren are the two closest members of the First Order to Snoke, and as they both are disputing Snoke's attention and approval, they see each other as rivals. Thus, they are very unfriendly towards the other. Kylo Ren is also shown to be very aggressive towards Hux. Despite their rivalry, Hux and Kylo Ren at times struggle to work together for the good of the First Order. However, after Kylo Ren assumed as the new Supreme leader, Hux is very frustated in receiving orders and working for him, even betraying the First Order acting as a spy to the Resistance in order to cause Kylo's demise, showing how much Hux disliked Ren.
Enemies
The New Republic
Hux has no mercy to the New Republic, as all his plans are to rise to power and destroy the senate of the New Republic, so he can become the powerful ruler of the galaxy. When Hux destroys them, he looks with a smile at the weapon and is proud of his own successful actions.
Finn
Hux does not stand traitors, and after Finn betrayed the First Order, Hux immediately intended to hunt him down. Finn however managed to escape. Finn later helped in destroying Starkiller Base.
Poe Dameron
Poe is enemy as he is a high-ranked Resistance pilot. Poe later battled for Starkiller Base, and was responsible for destroying Hux's creation, foiling his plans.
Trivia
- He resembles Adolf Hitler due to his fearsome speech, and due to every youth saluting to him.
- He appears in the book Aftermath: Life Debt with his father Brendol Hux.
- Hux mirrors Grand Moff Tarkin from A New Hope, as he was the commandeering general of Starkiller Base (Tarkin for the Death Star) the ultimate weapon of the First Order (the Death Star for the Empire), and also commanded Starkiller Base to destroy the stronghold of the New Republic (Tarkin commanded the Death Star to destroy the Rebel's stronghold, Alderaan). However, Tarkin died in his debut movie refusing to leave the Death Star, while Hux fled the Base long before its destruction and survived until the final movie. To add on to that, Tarkin had undying loyalty to the Empire, but Hux betrayed the First Order without another thought so he could rule the galaxy for himself, and while Tarkin's Death Star destroyed a few moons and one planet, Hux was even more grievous as he wiped out a whole system. Despite this, however, Tarkin can still be considered more cold and cruel than even Hux himself.