Ever since the first merchandise emerged of the striking new troopers, speculation has been rife. The colour red immediately conjures memories of Palpatine’s Imperial Royal Guard. It was also the colour of Snoke’s Elite Praetorian Guard. Nobody knows exactly where the new red Sith Troopers have been hiding, or who they owe their loyalty to. Until now. New merchandise images explicitly confirm who the troopers follow. WARNING: SPOILERS FROM HERE
Most previous theories suggested the red Sith Troopers have been hidden away in Unknown Space.
Were they another contingency plan laid in place by the Emperor ion case he was ever defeated? Were they out there waiting for his resurrection or has he been somehow guiding what happens from beyond the veil?
The official StarWars.com site has started revealing merchandise, toys and clothing ahead of the big Disney D23 Expo.
One T-shirt reveals who the Sith Troopers follow and it’s NOT Palpatine.
The T-shirt is emblazoned with the following text: “Sith Trooper. The First Order Battalion. Only the finest troopers in the galaxy under the strict command of Kylo and the Knights of Ren.”
It couldn’t be made more plain.
This ties in with other rumours that Kylo Ren is seeking his own forces, not only to defeat the enemies of the First Order, but also to deal with a schism between his troops and those who follow Hux.
Leaks and rumours have mentioned a Wayfarer Device that Kylo seeks to help him find these hidden forces. There have also been descriptions of some kind of mysterious and monstrous Seer in a cave.
The thread was originally revealed on Reddit, where many comments also point out that the rather jokey, playful tone of the T-shirt wording implies irony. Rather like the Jedi believed the Clone Troopers were loyal to the Republic.
It is entirely possible this is another way Palpatine is manipulating and pulling strings secretly, before revealing himself and using the Sith Troopers as a Trojan Horse to get him inside the First Order and then to take control of it.
ORIGINAL STORY AND T-SHIRT IMAGE ON REDDIT