Last weekend, it was revealed that the working title for Star Wars: Episode IX is ‘Black Diamond’ and that the production company formed for the movie is called Carbonado Industries (UK) Ltd. Now, for those who don’t know, a carbonado is the hardest form of a natural diamond – aka a black diamond. So, why choose this for Episode IX? Well, eagle-eyed fans think they have the answer, and they’ve pinned it down to the ring worn by Supreme Leader Snoke.
This piece of jewelry, prominently seen in The Last Jedi, remained resting on Snoke’s dead hand after Kylo Ren bisected him and said hand was ominously left lying on the throne after the rest of him flopped onto the floor. Star Wars: The Last Jedi – The Visual Dictionary gives us some more details on it, too, explaining that the glyphs on it are from the Four Sages of Dwartii – Braata, Faya, Sistros and Yanjo – ancient philosophers whose statues the Emperor kept in his office. The ring also features black obsidian taken from Darth Vader’s castle on Mustafar, as seen in Rogue One.
So, there’s clearly a lot of backstory that’s gone into this thing, which seems to indicate that it’s of some importance to the plot. My bet is that Episode IX is going to feature a power struggle within the First Order. We already saw General Hux almost blow Kylo Ren away with his blaster during The Last Jedi, and it’s clear that both men despise one another.
Hux has proven himself to be a power-hungry backstabber, too, so I’d guess it’s just a matter of time before he makes a move against Ren. My thinking is that this ring will come to symbolize who’s in control of the vast armies of the First Order, perhaps carrying with it Force echoes of the Sith Lords Palpatine and Vader, whose influences inform its design. While Snoke himself is dead and buried, it seems his presence might still linger.
What do you guys think, though? Are we stretching the former Supreme Leader’s ring too far? Or is it set to play a large role in Star Wars: Episode IX? As always, take to the comments section down below with your thoughts.