Obscure details about Armitage Hux that the films don’t tell you
Armitage Hux was the illegitimate bastard son of an Imperial General, Brendol Hux and an Imperial Kitchen worker. He was born out of an affair during the end of the Galactic Civil war on the planet Arkanis, an Imperial allied world that hosted an Academy that trained force users and Officers for the Empire.
(Fun Fact: Domhnall Gleeson’s, Armitage Hux’s actor, real life father is Brendan Gleeson, who’s appearance was molded after for Brendol Hux.)
Armitage Hux was psychologically and physically abused as a young child into his adult years by his father, Brendol. Brendol hated his son for being weak willed and for being an embarrassment to him because of his illegitimate conception.
Armitage’s mentors in the Empire/First Order were Fleet Admiral Gallius Rax and Admiral Rae Sloane. Rax put a young Armitage in charge of a group of older child soldiers and had them carry out his assassinations in quiet for the Admiral. Meanwhile Rae Sloane, who knew Armitage was being abused by his father, made him a deal: if Armitage protected her from Rax’s assassination attempts and the other child soldiers, Sloane would protect Armitage from his father’s abuse. After Rax died, Sloane would become closer to Armitage and would watch over and protect him in the unknown regions of space from his father as well as command Brendol to teach Armitage his ways.
“Your son Armitage. I know you don’t like him. I suspect you hurt him—psychologically or physically, I don’t know, and I don’t care. You will leave him alone. And you will teach the boy everything that you know. Are we clear?”
Sloane vowed that she’d killed Brendol if he hurt Armitage again, though she wasn’t aware that the boy was already growing into a monster thanks to the guidance of Rax and Brendol.
Armitage would eventually assassinate his father with the assistance from one of Brendol’s own trusted guards, Captain Phasma. Armitage would eventually be promoted to the rank of general and took over his father’s position as commander of the First Order military.
Armitage also took his father’s child training program to new levels, giving the First Order the numbers they needed to fight against the New Republic. With Phasma and Captain Cardinal overseeing the training, Hux created a superior program to that of his father Brendol. The program under Armitage would produce better soldiers than his father ever had. One of those soldiers would grow to become one Armitage’s crown achievement to the First Order, and then their greatest threat. The Stormtrooper was FN-2187, later known as Finn.
Armitage is not a compassionate man and values power and control over everything else. Armitage did however take pride in his Stormtrooper Program and took it as a personal offense when Kylo suggested the Clones be used as a new tool of the FO. The only canon evidence of Armitage caring about another person had been his unnamed mother and Rae Sloane. Though he does seem to have a respect for Phasma due to her assistance in his father’s murder and seemed to of known about Phasma’s dealings after Starkiller base was destroyed.
Interestingly enough though, Armitage disapproved and was disgusted by Brendol murdering the people of Phamsa’s home world of Parnassos, and was angered by Kylo’s excessive use of force during the battle of Crait. Whether or not all of that was because of pragmatically or contempt is unknown though.
Armitage Hux bad been planning to usurp Snoke himself so he could take control over the FO, but after Kylo’s coup, Hux had chosen against rebelling against Kylo not to attempt a coup of his own against Kylo due to the collateral risk it would be to his own life and the weakened state of the First Order was left in after the destruction of Starkiller, the death of Snoke, and the loses they took in manpower in both TFA and TLJ.
General Armitage Hux is an interesting character, because combined with with his abusive upbringing and immoral actions, the character seems like he would be right at home in a show like Game of Thrones as the bastard son of Tywin Lannister. The brilliance of a character like Armitage Hux is that he is a perfect example of how a tragic and abuse past does not equal a character that should have his actions forgiven or disregarded like many of the villains of the FO. Regardless of Armitage being very much a victim of Brendol’s abuse and Rax’s brainwashing, It does not erase the wrong deeds that he’s done. Armitage did at least have someone who loved and cared for him in the form Rae Sloane, while someone like Finn had nobody, as far as we know, and went through similar treatment, yet came out a good man.
If there’s one thing I do enjoy about the sequel characters is that how many of them aren’t just foils for each other, but explicit contrasts. Poe and Kylo were both born into loving families and had dreams of being heroic pilots like their father/mother, though Poe remained kind, and Kylo became cruel. Phasma and Rey were both born on unforgiving, harsh words where they had to fight to survive and trust no one, but Rey grew up into a caring person, while Phasma grew to be pragmatic monster. And finally, both Finn and Armitage grew up abused, neglected, and used by the FO, but Finn chose to a better person in spite of his upbringing, while Armitage became the monster they wanted him to be. The message out of characters like Armitage Hux, Kylo and Phasma is that regardless of darkness or light, we choose who and what we will become.
I also wanna give praise to Domnhall Gleeson, who worked with JJ Abrams personally in creating Hux to be the immoral character from TFA. Gleeson also did research about Hux’s history to make sure he played the character according. Throughout TLJ, Gleeson had used his knowledge of the character and improvised scenes like his overtop reaction to the mention of his mother or pulling out his gun on Kylo. I respect Gleeson a good deal for playing a villain so unapologetically.
Personally speaking, I think that Hux and the Stormtroopers/Knights of Ren will pull a coup on Kylo in IX theory is just a horse shit theory that people are writing to put Kylo on the side of the good guys. None of the First Order Trio are redeemable people in the eyes of the heroes, and especially in the eyes of the New Republic. Characters like Kylo and Hux will either end up dead, imprisoned, or on the run as a fugitive.
I also think that Hux, Kylo and the FO will ally themselves with Senator Carise Sindian of Hux’s homeworld Arkanis and turn the planet into the new main headquarters of the First Order. It’d be also funny if they gave Hux a cat like Pablo Hidalgo keeps sithposting. But honestly, just please give homeboy a razor cause those muttonchops looked really goofy.
Give Homie a beard!
What is my personal opinion Armitage Hux? I think he’s a monster, though considering what was done to him growing up, I think it would be safe to call him a tragic monster.
I love the concept that Kylo wants to be loved by Hux because he is the only one who sees him as he is while everyone else just sees the version of Kylo they want to see
Hux is very careful when and where he lets go of the fearsome persona he’s built up to command his crew. Which is why Kylo is especially happy to have Hux all to himself on a short vacation. No one to stop them sharing a hammock in the cool evening on a private beach. Nothing to interfere with unguarded kisses and lazy caresses. No need for Hux to hold back a delighted laugh when Kylo teases him with a private joke. No reason not to turn his face against his lover’s for a playful nuzzle as they drift to sleep. No reason at all.
I think one of the most interesting things about Kylo and
Hux is that while they both very obviously have serious praise kinks, I think
they manifest differently
Kylo wants to be told that he is good, just as he is. He knows the things he’s good at; fighting,
the Force, piloting, etc. and hearing he’s good at those doesn’t do anything
for him. He’s only ever gotten the praise and attention he craves by
accomplishing things, being good at them, being useful. But he doesn’t want someone to want him because of what he
can do, to use him as he’s always
been used. He’s had enough of that and he wants someone who wants him just as
he is and who will tell him he’s good and enough
because of that and nothing more
Hux, meanwhile, is the opposite. A blanket statement that he
is good does nothing. He needs praise for what he can accomplish. While Kylo is tired of being used, all Hux wants is to
be useful. He wants to be told he performed a task well, that he’s good at what
he does, that he excels. His entire
life he’s been called useless, worthless, even by those who were supposed to
care, been told that he used nepotism to get where he is. He knows he didn’t
and craves the acknowledgement that he
did this, that he accomplished it all on his own because he’s that good and capable
I was listening to a bunch of cast interviews and something Laura Dern said really struck me. She was talking about the design of the character being very feminine, as opposed to the way Strong Female Characters are often expected to look. And it got me thinking.
When she is first introduced, Poe off-handedly mentions some battle– he recognizes her name because she’s a goddamned war hero. A famous one. One a cocky flyboy like Poe has heard of and admires. (Quick aside: I love Poe Dameron. I love that he was given a character arc in this movie in which he was allowed to fuck up. This is not me criticizing him.) I think that’s notable– Poe would not be admiring an Admiral who was known for, say, finding a diplomatic solution.
Poe is not wrong to be surprised by her appearance; in most movies, a female military hero would either be dressed like a man (not complaining about the other Resistance officers being in uniform; I like that, too) or would be full-on femme fatale, her femininity played only as weaponized sexuality. Rose and Rey, much as I adore them, are much closer to the former; they are female, but dressed in a completely practical and mostly gender-neutral way. Holdo is different; Holdo is feminine. She is not girly or sexy; her femininity is not the sort that is fetishized. She is very much a woman, stately and elegant with her pastel hair and beautifully draped gown.
And underneath that? From what we see of her in the movie– she has a spine of goddamn steel. She is called on in a time of extreme stress, and she faces it calmly. She is firm with Poe, but not unkind– though she does seem exasperated by him. In that same situation I’d be so stressed I’d be snapping at everyone who dared speak to me. She faces her own death with quiet dignity, smiling as she bids Leia farewell. The idea to weaponize the jump to lightspeed is brilliant, and the act shows someone who is unafraid of causing her own death if it lets her save everyone else– there is a different strength required for that than for sitting and waiting for her eventual demise. An active sacrifice instead of a passive one.
This quiet, dignified, soft, feminine woman did more damage to the First Order than everyone else in the film combined, and she did it with a gentle smile.
Particularly in general Hux hand gesture (grabbing the wrist) that in medieval art means emotional prison
Therefore I conclude that star wars is so poetic that even on this poster puts general hux expressing his position with medieval hand gestures. And now that Snoke he can raise to the occasion and fulfill his destiny.
P.s. don’t forget about Kylo Ren expression of anger and strength
Really interesting ! How did you find this ? And Hux makes the same hand gesture in this picture:
I can often figure out a logic to the racial/ethnic/coloration choices for Star Wars casting. Kylo Ren’s biological ancestry is known – he’s going to look something like them. It’s important (especially in the sequel trilogy) to show that Star Wars encompasses people across the spectrum (at least insofar as race goes), so we end up with primary characters in the Resistance who are black, Asian, and Latino.
In the First Order, we have primarily white folks. That dates back to George Lucas saying the Empire was modeled after the British Empire, complete with the accent, clothing, stiff upper lip, and various mannerisms. They’re very proper. Almost all the officers are men, clean-shaven old white guys. The entrenched, old money establishment. You should be able to tell this at a glance.
It occurred to me the other day that Hux does not fit this pattern. He is almost literally a red-headed stepchild. He is, canonically, a bastard. His deviance from the pattern is blazing on the top of his head for anyone to see. They could have toned that down, you know. They could have hired an actor who better fit the established mold for an Imperial officer. Even if they were determined to have Gleeson, they could have dyed him.
But no. They sought out a red-head. They kept him a red-head. Then they put him next to Peavey (black/grey haired), Mitaka (black hair), and various others who all fit the English “type” of black, brown, perhaps dark blond hair, and bald. (Moden Canady is an exception – his hair is orange/grey.)
I’ve seen people say this is because Star Wars was trying to use visual shorthand to say the First Order is a bunch of Nazis. First off, I think that’s bunk, but were it true, I can’t see that Star Wars would choose a red-head when there are so many perfectly fine actors with light brown or dark blond hair to choose from who would more clearly signal Nazism.
Was Star Wars trying to signal that the First Order itself is the bastard step-child of the Empire? It seems true enough by what I understand of canon and reading Wookieepedia’s stuff about how the FO came to be. As a political entity, they were cast aside, ignored, neglected, and discounted by the main part of the galaxy, then came roaring back in a quest for revenge and legitimacy … led by a red-headed, illegitimate person.
The more I think on it, the more I think that’s what they’re really trying to say.
Let’s be real here, Hux isn’t meant for military leadership. His true calling is engineering. Besides from assassinations the novels frequently mention that Hux rose through the ranks thanks to his technological prowress. We don’t know for sure just how involved he was in the design and construction of Starkiller but considering he treated the project like his own child I’d say he was likely lead on the design team. He was also notably more stable when his only concern was Starkiller as opposed to being leadership in an active combat situation. Let’s not forget he also created the trap they used to track the rebel fleet through lightspeed, which was a feat unheard of before that moment.
Hux views the FO like a machine to be fine tuned and perfected rather than pieces of a strategy game. It’s only when Force users enter his neatly defined system does he lose his cool in the wake of the entropy. The Force is not something he can calculate for, neither are its users. Tbh I only think he’s on his quest for military power to spite his father and all those that doubted him as a kid. That and he cannot truly fix this inefficient machine unless he is the admin with complete control.
What angers me the most is that I just KNOW that JJ had some bigger plan for his character. Why else would he be given such an oddly detailed backstory? We know more about Hux’s past than we do Finn’s or even Rey’s. We can trace his life from when he was five and fled Arkanis all the way to present canon. Why else would Lucasfilm invest and authorize such expansion upon his character if he wasn’t going to play some larger role? But Joss Whedon the Sequel looked at JJ’s outline and tossed it out the window in favor of his own self insert fantasy. Now because of his actions Hux will likely never get the story he was created and intended for. They can’t retcon TLJ. It cannot be undone and I’m going to die mad about it.
Kylo’s age bracket is perfectly calculated to appeal to a wide audience: it’s what I call the ’Mr Darcy age’, young enough to appeal to a younger woman audience, and old enough to appeal to older women without making them feel icky about it. He has a manly, imposing physique, contrasted with a much younger-looking face (I suspect some CGI wizardry there, btw) but without any ’cutesy’ features that would make him look too boyish. He looks every inch the Hades archetype. His costume, movement, and carefully coiffed Byronic hairstyle are all designed to maximize his dark-themed physical appeal. This is in no way intended to be a repulsive villain. They knew he would come across as sexy to a significant portion of the audience.
Summary: Kylo is HOT & we’re supposed to love him. YOU’RE DOING IT RIGHT.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
And I think this is what aggravates some fanboys. He’s a villain appealing to the female audience, not the male audience.
Sorry boys. It’s our turn.
SORRY BOYS. IT’S OUR TURN!!!!!!!
You know it.
That’s actually my favorite thing about this. That they chose Adam – who is unconventionally attractive. He doesn’t have the classic James Dean look like Han or the boyish charm of Anakin in the prequels. He’s handsome in such a unique way. When I first saw Adam in anything I was like “oh fuck.” because he looks like he could just be an ordinary dude, but there’s something about him that draws your attention. Maybe it’s the eyes. Or how interesting his bone structure is, narrow but not in a straight up Adrian Brody narrow. And he’s tall with broad shoulders and isn’t the skinny lean muscle build you see in most movies where someone is the romantic lead. He’s got strength in his limbs and torso but not to a point where it’s overdone like a marvel movie (sorry Evans, really I still love you.)
Stephen Colbert NAILED it when he called Adam a millennial sex symbol. Because he is.
And coding Kylo/Ben that way through the female gaze is something so revolutionary in film. Usually we get men coded through the male gaze with super thick rippling muscles and boyish charm (The Rock, the Chrises, etc.).
And here we get this, flowing haired, dark prince who has a tortured and pained air to how he speaks and acts without it feeling trite like some media has portrayed the tortured Byronic hero (Sorry Edward Cullen, but true all the same).
I love that the fanboys are butthurt over it. While though I do know several guys who were shocked when they heard me gush about my love for Adam Driver. Because they are used to me gushing over Evans or Pine because that’s what media has shoved down my throat as classically attractive for so long. Finding Adam’s beauty in his uniqueness is so fucking refreshing.
Like he takes the best of the well-muscled male heroes that Evans, Hemsworth, Pine, and co embody and adds a depth to it in complexity and resonance. My favorite things about TLJ are the scenes where we get to really focus in on Adam’s face. I know right? He’s so hyper expressive and there’s such beauty in the way he emotes.
We joke about fanfic and how eyes always tell emotions so blatantly in fic. But Adam’s eyes can do that very thing we have all written about and read trillions of times. And it’s unsettling and mesmerizing to see it.
Even JJ talks about him in that scene as a Prince to Rey’s Princess if they are talking about SW as a fairytale. And they make him so believably regal in that scene that it makes you honestly buy it that he’s the last Prince of the Royal House of Organa, heir to the ashes of Alderaan.
Yes!!! All of this!!^^^
👆👆
And this is why when antis [and other women] make fun of us for finding this “unattractive man” attractive, it’s not so much a dig at ADAM but a dig at OTHER WOMEN. It has been, and always will be, an attempt to suppress women and their sexuality.
TechieHux 