DOTE on SNOTE

A+ for the title!

Ever since Snote's trial I knew he was destined to be a very multifaceted character, but with this update it was so wondrous how much hidden depth there is to our blue grumpy Admiral. He is almost (if not wholly) Shakespearean in complexity and easily holds his weight against SW villains like Vader or Sidious.

What I found funny thinking the other day, was that Snote obviously began as a Snoke parody but became even larger and better characterized (IMO) than the original. Literally nothing short of Darth Plagueis is going to convince me that Snoke has more depth and that's such a heinous thing to say when you remember that one is from the official movies and the other is from a paint comic hosted on a forum done by literally just one guy.

I have been following this story from update one and stuff like this is what elevates the comic from just being fan fiction.

 

All of our main trio are arguably fantastically characterized.

But Snote man... Snote takes the freaking cake!

How can you NOT gush over his character every time he makes an entrance? If the phrase 'your story is only as good as your villain' has any truth then boy am I glad we have Snote around.

@Spacebeast48, looks like @FN-3263827 beat you to the punch!

 

Yes! So glad I wasn't the only one who noticed the body language and facial expressions for the scene!

Eyes are the windows to the soul. I think it was quite telling how shifting the eyes were all across the scene, especially for a scene like this. Here's what I'm talking about:

Spoiler: Enter panel 1

Look at Snote's expression here. This is his default face, the public face, the face he is addressing everyone else.

Spoiler: Enter panel 2

He recognizes Missy and tries to hide his surprise by sticking with his default as best he can. Notice the raised eyebrows and forehead wrinkles.

Spoiler: Enter panel 3

This is where it gets really interesting. Missy's eyes are fixed at Snote all throughout the conversation, but Snote suddenly can't focus on her face once he realizes where the conversation is leading to. In this frame, he is deflecting, redirecting...

Spoiler: Enter panel 4

We know that look. That wistful staredown at the floor (or nowhere at all), eyebrows raised but strained. This is the exposed Snote, the discovery that this fierce orator from his trial and the seasoned commander from Act 1 is a man who either regrets the path he is currently on (but cannot escape: more on that later) or a man who is (in his eyes) taking the sacrifice no else will. Pretty noble for a villain, right?

Spoiler: Enter panel 5

This here! This is the moment where Snote chooses to bring his eyes back to Missy, loaded question to boot. Not only is he asking Missy that question, but it is a question he has been asking himself for a long long time. His resolve is shaken, his faith is in crisis. We got ourselves a villain who has actual insecurities (this is why Kylo Ren and Vader are my two favorite Star Wars villains from the movies).

Spoiler: Enter panel 6

Let's be honest here guys: this is the money shot. First thing that I noticed here was the artistic way @Alamact used lighting for the scene. Red and blue. The dark side, and the light. Snote's words "I understand." are terribly mundane out of context, but the rich context masterfully established for this single frame makes those words carry a literal ton of dramatic weight. Snote made a promise. What was the promise? To whom? We are looking at Snote past the screen now. This is Snote at his core. His eyes are looking back (as if they are looking back to the past) and they are 99% intentionally looking back towards the darkened red part of the scene. Snote has skeletons in the closet... some traumatic part of his past and now he sees Missy walking down that same road. They are two of the same kind.

Spoiler: Enter panel 7

A close up shot. The truth is out... but Snote is looking down. Missy's father must have been a friend or at least a person he respected.

Spoiler: Enter panel 8

His eyes are back to Missy and he almost assumes a kind of familial pose, tone and look. The question would be why does Snote the Chessmaster choose to reveal himself to Missy... to show his vulnerabilies? Does he want to get through to her? Is this a subconscious cry for help?

Snote intrigues us because whenever we get character building moments like these, we get answers for why our protagonists act like they do. But Snote? Snote leaves us with only further questions, and that's more exciting and more real than a "fishy eyed toilet monster" who also commands mystery, but never gives us a hook to latch onto.

 

Im still convinced that all this ties into Snote being a freak of nature in the eyes of the Ascendancy (being Force sensitive). The story drew attention to this point several times already for it not to be a Chekhov's gun or something like that.

 

@Alamact needs to get on board with this! I would LOVE to see a scene like that happen, but hopefully with some equally iconic signature Snote line to match the "I find your lack of faith disturbing."

 

My name's Lord Doctor Inventorus and this is my favorite analysis on the Cantina!

Snote is an anti villain. You are glued to his performance because you have difficulty in casting moral judgement on them. You know that what they're doing is (probably) wrong but somehow you still can't fault them for it. Actually do we really even know what's Snote even up to? @madarabg could be right that we just end up getting a bait and switch tormented hero here but I think Snote has even bigger potential than that.

 

Whatever floats your boat, Darth.

Small chance of Snote being the villain in Act 2 though. I think we are probably getting something new.
Disciples of Silence maybe?

 

Didn't Al say he was holding those back for Act 3?

 

Look... I'm sure Alamact is probably a trustworthy person IRL, but his storytelling has often been deceptive (IMO). Infact, I would take anything that shadowy apparition said to Doop in the vision with a grain of salt.

Not having a followup and payoff to that scene where the disciples reveal themselves until the next Act would just make it feel weird and out of place when rereading Legacy.

 

Willing to bet your credits on it Beast?

I bet you 250 credits that the villain of this Act is going to be whoever put the bounty on Kestrel and Mynock (and is also searching for the holocron) which if we go back to Fluke's POV from Knights we realize is Darth Antaganis.

 

Brb, grabbing some popcorn.

 

OK, I'll take that bet. I like your theory Baron, but you'll excuse me for being skeptical here (please don't shower me with Pessimistic ratings)



(we should also think about moving this discussion to someplace other than literally the Snote thread)