General Hux was NOT Ruined in the Sequel Trilogy (Until He Was)

General Armitage Hux of the First Order is a character who played a key role in The Force Awakens. But a lot of people say they were disappointed by how the was written in the Last Jedi and the Rise of Skywalker. In this video essay, I take a look at everything the character goes through in this series and attempt to answer the question: was General Hux ruined?
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Music Used: • Futuristic Sci-fi Bac...

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Remember to share this video with literally everyone you know!

[@RobTFilms]

yes

[@SullySideUp]

Hey Joe Brennan, have you seen this video by Joe Brennan? He told me to share it with everyone I know and you've replied to my comments like 3 times so you should probably watch it

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Where’s the link

[@eliprag]

@@Joe_Brennan_ i hope disney makes a movie or series on him

[@adammaher403]

"'He lost the star wars.'" Thanks for making me spit my drink all over my desk.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

You can thank Mr Trevorrow for that gem

[@joshualally2883]

A missed opertunity would of been to have Hux as a antagonist to Poe, Phasma as a antagonist to Fin and Ben be a antagonist to Rey. Would of been good to see the rivalry develop between them.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

That's a good shout. They were so keen to have a "trio", and a parallel trio on the dark side would've been really cool

[@girlscarf]

@@Joe_Brennan_ I kind of feel like they attempted something close to this in the last jedi (minus Poe vs. Hux). They try to pit Hux and Phasma vs. Rose and Finn. I guess they pair Poe with/vs Vice-Admiral Holdo.

[@billmcdermott9647]

Since Hux was born into the first order it would have made more sense that he would fight tooth and nail to save the only he has ever known because he has nothing else so watching Kylo run it into the ground would would compel him to act.....resurrecting the emperor or even exploit ting a plan of Kylos Kylo was radclised Hux was born into it so it’s a great dynamic that could have been explored because Kylo has a life he can go back to while Hux only has the life with the order

[@Joe_Brennan_]

There are just so many possibilities that are better than what we actually ended up with

[@webguy943]

He was born in it. Moulding by it. You merely adopted it.

[@zembaproductions]

​@@webguy943Based Dark Knight Rises quote as always

[@WearyFeline]

Hux is 100% my favorite character of the sequel trilogy.

[@TheZamaron]

Sadly this only applies to TFA.

[@sophiecorcoran7676]

I was so ready to see Hux step up and become the main villain in the last film because that would have made sense and would have been cool. You actually made me see TLJ Hux in a new light tbf and see that it kinda made sense. But yeah his character in TROS was just ??? Why? The wasted potential makes me cry honestly. (also I admit I just wanted to see more of the awesome Domhnall Gleeson).

[@Joe_Brennan_]

More Domhnall Gleeson is always a good thing. Thank you for watching!

[@luciencartervo5356]

I think that the idea of hux growing more and more disillusioned with the state of the first order after Snoke Dies, and eventually leaving/betraying them, could have been decent. But they flubbed the execution

[@Joe_Brennan_]

To be honest, I don’t think there’s anything fundamentally wrong with the direction his character takes in TROS. It’s along the same lines as the coup I was hoping for. But, like you said, the execution was appalling

[@dennisreynolds1868]

as a hux stan this is one of my fave vids and i’ve watched it like three times. absolutely spot-on characterization in my opinion and i agree that pryde is just JJ’s way of insisting TFA hux was supposed to be tarkin 2.0. TLJ hux is best hux imo, i think he stands out the most as his own character

[@ChannelPup]

I also notice that around the halfway point Joe gets replaced with his short-haired twin, Eoj.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Great guy, appreciate him stepping in

[@jamesabernethy7896]

It was to emphasise the point about Hux's hair.

[@TheDelinear]

I thought this was a very subtle nod to the Bigger Luke conspiracy theory from the original trilogy. Less-hirsute Joe.

[@TenthSgtSnipes]

“Unfortunately a sequel was never made” man if only

[@Joe_Brennan_]

pain

[@colinaustin435]

Honestly I think the decision to make Hux betray the First Order actually kinda makes sense, it's just the execution that lets it down. In TFA and TLJ Hux's main goal is really just to please and impress Snoke. Obviously he also wants to satisfy his own need for power and control, but I think all of his actions in those two movies lead back to his need to please Snoke. His passion for the First Order stems back to his passion for the man who rules it (for the most part). And in TLJ, Snoke, the only man who really gives his life any meaning, is killed by Kylo, a man Hux already doesn't like. So now that the First Order is ruled by a new person (who we see in the climax of TLJ doesn't have fantastic leadership skills by letting the Resistance get away) who Hux has no respect for, Hux may have lost that passion for leadership because his life is now kinda meaningless. And over the course of a year it makes sense that his love for the First Order would lessen as his hatred for Kylo would rise, if he's just serving this man whom he despises. It could also be argued that in TROS, the First Order has drastically changed from what it was due to Kylo's new leadership (as this is probably a completely different First Order from the one Hux had that passion for). So in TROS, the First Order he betrays is not the same one he loved in TFA and TLJ. But I think the problems start with TROS, because we never get to see this change, and when he suddenly (seemingly) disregards the only thing we see him love in the previous movies, it feels out of place. And the execution of this is undeniably shaky (with him getting so little screen time) so I'm not trying to defend how his character is presented in TROS, but I do think his motivations make sense. It's really just the movie that screws it up. Sorry that's pretty long.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Don’t apologise for an insightful comment. I think that’s a pretty interesting reading. You’re probably right that it’s an idea that could have been made to work. But, like you said, it all comes down to the execution- which was so poor. Even the best ideas executed that poorly would have been awful

[@colinaustin435]

Thanks for the reply! Yeah I think it goes without saying that TROS is the culprit, but all this just goes to show how cool it is that we can analyze a character with only around 10 minutes of screen time across a 7 hour trilogy.

[@hollydogo4902]

‘Any idea is a good idea if we execute it properly.’ -RDR2

[@cassidymooney1183]

As much as i hate the sequel trilogy it had so much squandered potential. The death of Snoke was this brilliant tearing away of the facade of power for the first order. A third film which showed Kylo and Hux spiraling into disaster and brutality would have made the whole trilogy come together so well. Im imagining a sort of Macbeth/Dishonored ending where they do enough damage to the first order themselves that by the end Rey only needs to show up and fight a broken and tragic Kylo 1 on 1

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Killing Snoke was an absolutely genius move and the fact the follow-up just filled the role with a character who was pretty much the same was absurdly lazy

[@cassidymooney1183]

@@Joe_Brennan_ yeah, an absolute refusal to try anything new

[@moscanaveia]

@@Joe_Brennan_ Coming full circle. Snoke was added to tick the Palpatine box in TFA, then once he was removed, JJ didn't know what to do other than try to tick the Palpatine box again

[@jackbaxter2223]

Killing Snoke was a great idea, but the execution of it was horrendously lazy and ham-fisted. Then what they did with it in TROS was even worse. Killing Snoke, regardless of how clumsily they did it, means that they need another villain to take his place as a genuine threat, someone who was ruthless and evil. But adding in a new character in the third film is a terrible idea. You need to use a villain that has already been established as a threat. That leaves us with Kylo Ren or Hux. Since they were determined to 'redeem' Kylo Ren, that only left them with Hux. And for that role, you needed a character that the audiences would take seriously, not a butt monkey for every joke. If they had used Kylo Ren (which would have made sense, after two movies of him doubling down on being evil), then how they treated Hux might be forgivable. But they didn't, so it's not.

[@gaiapreciadotrigos4178]

I totally agree. The best way the last episode could have gone, for me, was: Kylo turns back into Ben at the beginning, he gives into the light and understands the Resistance. He goes back to the First Order and frees everyone. Here, some join the resistance, but others, led by Hux, stand their ground on the first order and that’s how a civil war begins (exploding Finn more as well). Then we reach a point in which Hux is straight up mental, he doesn’t think clearly. And that’s when he sort of explodes and realizes how he’s following his father’s exact steps, and given that he absolutely hated his father, he eventually agrees to leaving both the Resistance and First Order behind (how it should have been) and create a whole new order. Here we see Rey accepting the proposition she previously declined from Kylo, because now it’s Ben the one that’s asking. And for once in Star Wars we could have a bit of a happy ending.

[@JoeBull076]

it confuses me so much that they didn't plan out the trilogy before hand. when George wrote star wars he not only planned the whole trilogy, but he also planned what became the prequals, sure the prequals were bad but at least he knew what the story was. If any one of the directors had done all three movies (and been given full creative control without Disney getting too involved) then the sequels would have been so much better, they would have had a clear vision.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

I think I'll make a video on the idea of a plan, because I have some complicated feelings on the subject.

[@JoeBull076]

@@Joe_Brennan_ also ur hair looks good

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Thank you!

[@VictorBalestrin]

I don't disagree about having some sort of end point in mind when crafting the arc of the sequels, but I do have to challenge the notion that George had everything thoroughly planned from the start. Yes, he had a notion of where he might go with the story (and wrote quite a lot of backstory, too), but he did operate on a movie-by-movie basis, both in the original trilogy and in the prequels. Case in point: in J.W. Rinzler's books on the making of the original trilogy, we get an overview of the evolving drafts of each script, and at certain points of development, Anakin might have been alive, in hiding, training Luke's twin sister - who wasn't Leia. Eventually, the trigger was pulled on combining Vader and Anakin into the same character, and by the time "Return of the Jedi" came along, Lucas thought there wouldn't be enough time in the movie to introduce the sister character properly, so he combined her with Leia to neatly tie everything. A subtle way you can spot this evolution on George's thinking during the prequels is Palpatine. In "Attack of the Clones", you can see him considerably aged up and starting to decay when compared to "Phantom Menace", because the operating principle at that point was that the Dark Side was a corrupting influence that took a huge toll physically, so Palpatine's transformation into the emperor we saw in Ep. VI was subtly starting there. But by the time George actually wrote and shot "Revenge of the Sith", he came up with the Mace Windu confrontation and the Force lightning thing, and resolved the Emperor's appearance that way. But if we had a decaying Palpatine again, the transformation wouldn't have been so stark, so we end up with a much healthier Palps in the first half of the film. Now, as far as we can gather, there might have been more continuity between the sequel scripts ("The Last Jedi" was fully written and had started pre-production even before "The Force Awakens" was released, and the Trevorrow script was being written the same way), but after Carrie Fisher's passing and the scramble to replace Trevorrow and rewrite Ep. IX while still making the 2019 release date, and having in mind the backlash against VIII from a portion of the fan base, that might as well have been tossed out the window.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Those are some of the exact complicated feelings I was referring to

[@nancyhi8357]

Hux being Ben Shapiro is an idea I can get behind

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Once I made the connection, it informed a lot of my argument

[@almcdonald8676]

Amazingly with no prior contact with your channel I only had to spend 5 seconds watching and listening to you to suspect that you were a leftard. Then I saw this silly reference to Shapiro. I think it’s because most current leftard arguments are smug and vacuous and more about intra-group signalling than real policy and you epitomise, at least to my eye, smug vacuity. The Shapiro/Hux comparison just emphasises this. Before I congratulate myself for my uncanny observational skills I suppose I should concede that it’s possible I might have encountered your channel previously and forgotten. Or it might be that I’m detecting a self conscious irony in your presentation that comes across to the uninitiated as disingenuous. Either way my weekend is now leavened by my own sense of smugness.

[@MeinNilpferd]

I know it's an accurate comparison but I'm still angry because Hux is too pretty to be compared to little baby Ben Shapiro

[@ChannelPup]

How tf did I not get the Ben Shapiro parallels sooner?! They're kinda...very unsubtle looking back. This is genius.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

It seemed the easiest way to describe the very specific energy he radiates

[@Elena-ce8ek]

But Hux is more handsome 🥰🤣

[@gadgez_]

I had completely forgotten that ... Pride? Pryde? was even a character that existed.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

He is so completely forgettable. Which is a real shame because Richard E Grant is wonderful

[@gadgez_]

@@Joe_Brennan_ "Allegiant General Pryde, how did you know Hux was the traitor?" "I have a Great Intelligence."

[@bobsempletank5362]

It just occurred to me when watching this- Hux is basically Grievous. A big man who talks the big talk, but pussies out and runs away the second things go bad, like how he runs the second things don't go his way in almost every battle he fights, or how when Dooku tries to gain contact with Grievous after Grievous loses the Malevolence, and Grievous ignores him and runs off like a child. The only difference is that Grievous has some victories under his belt, so it gives him this over-inflated confidence that Hux is desperately trying to get. In a way, it showed Hux was never going to change with success, and he was always going to be that sniveling rat like Grievous was. I'd say this works perfectly because when these power structures arise, the sniveling weasels like Grievous, Hux, *cough cough* Shapiro *cough cough* will always be present.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

This is a really apt comparison actually. I hadn't even thought of Grievous, but you're absolutely right.

[@ogpandamonium]

Goodbye curly hair. You will be missed...

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Gone... but never forgotten

[@RobTFilms]

You could say that Hux was the impostor among us all along...

[@Joe_Brennan_]

No I could not say that

[@RobTFilms]

@@Joe_Brennan_ But you could!

[@Joe_Brennan_]

You're right. I could say that, but I won't

[@RobTFilms]

@@Joe_Brennan_ Oh. I guess you could but you're not actually going to.

[@NATHAN-gl9ns]

The hair cut thing in the middle of the video was a very clever way of making a point, but I do admit I didn't notice until I read a channel pup comment lol

[@Joe_Brennan_]

I wanted to make it as seamless as possible, but it may have been TOO seamless

[@NATHAN-gl9ns]

@@Joe_Brennan_ You have mastered the ability of making transitions so seamless, it's as if no change occured

[@cdet3666]

@@Joe_Brennan_ the hair change was so good!

[@timogul]

I don't think he was _great_ in TFA, but I think he had _potential,_ right? The second and third movies _could_ have built on his strengths as a villain and grown the character into a proper threat. And I think that the franchise _needed_ a great villain, similar to whatshisface in the third movie, the general that appeared out of nowhere and actually did things. That character should have existed from the first episode of the trilogy, and Hux _could_ have been that character, if Johnson hadn't jokified him. This is doubly true after Snoke was removed as a main boss. An "unhinged lunatic" does not make for a good antagonist, especially when Kylo was already doing that. That is a mid-boss role, the "muscle" to the actual villain. The actual villain needs to have more control than that. Yes, Johnson's take on the character was a plausible direction to take him out of TFA, but it was also the _worst_ direction to take him with a full trilogy of films in mind. Hux's scene on the bridge was fine in and of itself, but should have used a different character, one that could be dunked on harmlessly. Would that scene have worked functionally if instead of Hux it had been Vader? Or Tarkin? Also, you misread Hux's motivations. Hux wasn't mad at Kylo because he'd let the Resistance escape, he was mad at Kylo for usurping what power he had. He wasn't motivated by nationalism, he was motivated by power for power's sake. If he couldn't have the First Order, he sure as hell wasn't going to let Kylo have it.

[@greghawkins59]

What should have happened in rise of skywalker is hux should have killed poe and said "my mother is a lovely woman"

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Poetry

[@zeroisnine]

Your skills are need at Lucasfilm sir.

[@greghawkins59]

@@zeroisnine I'd have done a much better script than Chris "so called" Terrio

[@GrandadsLounge]

Came for the Hux, subbed for the acerbic political wit.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

I can never tell if comments like this are sincere or not but I'll take it

[@GrandadsLounge]

@@Joe_Brennan_ no my friend, genuine!!! Your writing and delivery is actually excellent, i really thought you had more subs and I know imma be sharing your content with my lot. We need more voices like yours, youtubes been ruled by chumps like shabibo and the quartering for too long.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Ah well I really appreciate that- thank you!

[@spacecat7864]

Came to find Grandads ambiguous comment, subbed for the comparison of Hux to Benny Shaps.

[@ed1rko17]

I totally agree, and I'm surprised to see how many people liked how Hux was handled in TROS, and thought it was a satisfying conclusion from TLJ. And people don't understand how dangerous Hux was. Yes, he got clowned on by Snoke and Kylo because he didn't deserve the power he had. He's a weasel. But he has that power and he's a loose canon who has caused mass destruction. He's Donald Trump. Just a buffoon, but dangerous, as most of these white supremacists in power are. He was completely wasted in TROS.

[@lookingforwookiecopilot]

Him going from the number two at the end of Last Jedi, to just another lacky at the table in Rise of Skywalker was odd and kinda sucked.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

It's very disappointing

[@matthatter5099]

“He lost the Star Wars” LMAO my favorite part of Star Wars is when the Star Wars happens

[@Joe_Brennan_]

It's the best Star Wars line that never was

[@_valstrax_8748]

Never did I think comparing a star wars character to ben shapiro would happen or make the character better. You learn something new every day ig.

[@megankoeller1554]

I mean all the characters were ruined in the rise of skywalker. :( :( :( :( Domnall Gleeson is such a good actor, he was wasted on this franchise. Peter Rabbit did better by him 😂

[@Joe_Brennan_]

About Time is the best showcase of his loveliness

[@megankoeller1554]

@@Joe_Brennan_ True!!

[@MeinNilpferd]

It makes me sad that they gave Domhnall Gleeson sideburns as Hux but not in anything else because they really suit him and seeing him without them just doesn't feel right

[@buskergirl]

@@Joe_Brennan_ The Tale of Thomas Burberry just blew my mind. It's a 3 minute video on KZbin. He is the main character with hardly any words, but he can tell a story with a blink of his eye.

[@orbaitv5991]

If you really believe they were ruined then you never understood them in the first place.

[@javelincheshire6358]

I agree with you on wishing the sequel trilogy was more overt with it's politics and how a society moves from the empire to post-empire reformation. I sadly think when Disney acquired SW they looked at the hate for the PT and went well by golly let's give them the star wars people actually like without doing anything too new. But that's a topic for another discussion. Anyways, excellent video on Hux.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

I think the Last Jedi does a good job working within the framework established in the Force Awakens while still having SOMETHING to say. But it’s still quite vague. And thank you!

[@josephl5128]

Oof the hair gag gave me a good long chuckle. Love the video Joe.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Thank you! I was quite happy with how that bit turned out

[@deadshot5007]

Ok here is my opinion: Hux's character was really damaged because it was changed in TLJ and TROS just tried to continue with it. In TFA Hux was seen as this cold calculating loyal officer in charge of the most powerful machine in the galaxy. He had a promise to be a decent threatening villain but that never came to be. TLJ almost changed the character completely in the worst way possible. It made him a constant laughing which ruined the tone in the scenes, made him an incompetent idiot and all of that for no reason. You could have continued his rivalry with Kylo just fine without diminishing the threat of Hux as a villain but no for some reason RJ had to make one of the worst decisions in the movies. The only good thing from Hux in TLJ is him trying to kill Kylo for a second and his last scene which sets up him wanting to remove Ren from the picture. Now we are in TROS which is where we again disagree. TROS had to made the decision to keep that change or retcon it and pretend that it's the same TFA Hux. It choose to keep the changes but to replace Hux with a new general. Pryde replaced Hux because Hux was just not threatening anymore but the movie still continued the rivalry Hux and Kylo had. In my opinion Hux becoming a spy in order to remove Kylo so that he can rule the First Order and the galaxy is 100% in character and a natural progression to what TLJ sets up. Now to his death. I don't have a problem with it and I don't think it ruins a character that was already ruined. They had to remove him because the film needed an actual threatening and a competent villain which is all what Pryde was. He showed that he was smart by figuring that Hux was the traitor in no time and showed that he was threatening with how cold he was. Which is why I don't have problem with Hux's death Do I wish they did more with Hux before it? Yes but the movie didn't had the time for that. Well these are my thoughts.

[@FabianEllis]

Phenomenal video! I LOOOOVE Hux so much. I think in Episode IX it would have been more interesting if Hux had had a larger role. One thing I found fascinating about Adolf Hitler is that he actually created a false representation of himself in the media through propoganda posters etc. The way he makes extremely exaggerated gestures in his speeches and things like that. It's so messed up, truly a terrifying, awful man. General Hux could have been an interesting take on this. The idea of hiding behind masks in Star Wars is a big element of the series. What if Hux literally faked his own death and became a different person? What if he disguised himself as a new Snoke or literally became General Pride or something messed up like that. Maybe he cloned Snoke and puppeteered him to gain popularity and take over the First Order. I love the idea of identity and think that could have been the main theme of episode IX. With Rey dealing with trying to learn who she really is. There's a great line in Duel of the Fates where Finn tells Rey: "no one is no one." I think that's so powerful and could have been really great. Finn's arc in The Last Jedi is also about him finding his identity- he chooses to join the Resistance. Poe chooses to become the new leader and I actually liked his arc in TROS where he's unsure of himself as a leader and Lando Calrissian actually inspires him to get back up on his feet. Finally, Kylo Ren is ALL about identity. I think that's pretty obvious. There's the character of DJ who hangs in the middle- never joining either side. So yeah, the sequels had so much potential and TROS was fun but never fulfilled all the stuff I was excited about. It had interesting ideas about a dark side version of Rey- that great scene with Han and Ben. But anyway, awesome video!

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Thank you! I agree that TROS has its moments, I almost wish it didn't. Would be easier to write it off entirely and say I hate it. But annoyingly, it does some really cool and interesting things in amongst the awfulness

[@jackmorelli5638]

I disagree on the TROS take (I always thought he was petty and selfish enough to betray the FO just to screw over Kylo) but I still love the analysis

[@jackmorelli5638]

I do wish his death got a little more of a moment but part of me also loves how quick and silly it is. He’s like the 15th most important character in the trilogy so it’s impressive he has a consistent storyline and arc across three films at all

[@Joe_Brennan_]

That’s fair enough! Thank you for watching. I’m glad you enjoyed even though we don’t 100% agree

[@Crowszero6]

Such a good video!! I've just discovered your channel and can't get over how well-thought out & interesting they are :)

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Thank you so much, that’s very kind

[@Literature_WC]

IM SICK AND TIRED OF GETTING BULLIED, EVERY DAY I GET YELLED AT FOR NOT DESTROYING THE STUPID RESISTANCE, KYLO REN SCARES THE CRAP OUT OF ME, ONE TIME, THAT SON OF A SOLO SLAPPED MY HOT TEA OUT OF MY HAND AND ONTO MY LAP, AND I GOT BURNED, IM SICK OF EVERYTHING 🤬🤬🤬😡😡😡😭😭😭😭

[@amybrennan3182]

I agree that he is Ben Shapiro!! You’re so right, Joe, once again. Another fantastic video - the sincere apologies for not being first this week :( well done!! xx

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Thanks

[@TyrannoNoddy]

Pretty cool analysis. Even if I actually don't mind The Rise of Skywalker compared to most (still far from my favourite, but I don't hate it like so many do lol) and I think Hux being a petty bastard makes sense for him (and kinda makes his actions sorta ironic), I do think you have a point in that they could've done more with him in IX instead of JJ wanting to bring in more new characters just cuz he can lol

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Thank you for watching!

[@francescoparisi1081]

Bruh he literally had to accumunate Hux to Ben Shapiro just because he disagrees with him

[@heapsofcosplay8128]

I came for the character analysis but stayed for the Ben Sharpiro jabs.

[@vortexprod577]

How long did that “cut” pun take? It’s not often I audibly laugh at videos, but you got me this time. :D

[@Joe_Brennan_]

The challenge was mostly in the planning. As soon as I had the idea, I had to really hurry up and finish writing the first half because my hair was getting WAY too long. Then I just had to avoid touching the camera for 24 hours while I had a haircut, finished the second half, and waited to match the natural light

[@josephwojtkowiak3555]

The scene at 5 minutes doesn't make sense because if there is no negotiations about the rebels destruction. Why does Hux bother even talking to the rebels and announce their destruction? He should just gave the order to attack and destroyed them instead of going along with the charade and waste time.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

I think the idea is that Hux has had his life and career ruined and is hoping to twist the knife a bit before getting revenge. It's not the best tactic, but I think it's Hux who is flawed, rather than the writing

[@junecatira6338]

Poor guy don't compare him to Shapiro 😭 At least Hux invented cool stuff like lightspeed tracking and starkiller base, he's a technological genius 😭😭

[@babybunkerboo]

YES! TROS RUINED HUX! It pretty much ruined everything! He DEF had the potential to be THE villain in Ep IX! My headcanon is that he was wearing a MK 45 Protective Vest and escaped the destruction of the Steadfast...

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Episode X: The dead speak! Somehow Hux returned

[@riansubversivisms5120]

What I found more hilarious was the reaction of Poe to Hux’s reveal as the spy : - What ? I knew it !

[@morglag800]

your script for this video was very well-written. thanks! i'm subbed and looking forward to more.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Thank you! Welcome to the channel

[@mustash2004]

Talk more about Rose. Her exclusion is easily the biggest mistake of The Rise of Skywalker, worse than bringing Palpatine back, worse than Snoke being a test tube baby, worse than awkward CGI Carrie Fisher robot lines, worse than dark science, worse than Kylo consulting Vaders helmet even though Palpatine was behind it, worse than evil triangles, worse than another desert planet, worse than 2 fake out deaths, worse than Keri Russel as the Pink Power Ranger, worse than being sold into slavery to be "protected", worse than making Rey a Palpatine, worse than Huxler being a spy, worse than The Great Intelligence in the role of Tarkin, worse than The Knights of Slipknot, worse than shark teeth Rey, worse than Leia going to bed to die, worse than Luke and Leia secretely somehow always knowing Rey is a Palpatine, worse then upscale/CTRL +C/CTRL + V Star Destroyers with penises, worse than not knowing which way is up without two communication towers (hint, it's up), worse than sudden Finn force senstivity, worse than Return of the Jedi v2 finale, worse than Ben suddenly lying over dead (takes after his mum), worse than Rey Star Wars.....I mean, Rose is the key to all of this. So yes, more about here please.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

I like the idea of looking at a few different characters and making “was ____ruined?” videos. Rose is on that list

[@Anerisian]

What‘s there to say? She was added for the chinese market. The “diversity” and alleged bullying was launched onto social media for free marketing, and spread far and wide to pave over the blatant chinese market motive. When the remakes-reboots of films didn’t land in China as expected (and why Disney made reboots in disguise, yes, including TLJ) - they changed that strategy and dropped Rose Tico, too. Then pretended that’s what the fans allegedly wanted. The fans were always abused to justify whatever poor decision didn’t pan out.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

It’s cute that you fucking weirdos have written such detailed fanfiction about real life

[@mustash2004]

@@Anerisian That is such a cold take. Doesn’t warrant a reply beyond that, just thought you should know

[@northseapirate2313]

Why not Jar Jar Binks too? You know, while we are on the subject of bringing back annoying pointless characters who brought down the main ones.

[@Entertainer13]

This video captures exactly my feelings about TLJ and having to witness TRoS. I'm not the greatest fan of TLJ, but I loved the risks it was taking in the narrative, and I loved what we were left with for the next movie. We were guaranteed - or so I thought - something that couldn't be a retread. Instead, JJ and his team came in and did what they did.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

It did seem like an original finale was 100% certain. But the only creativity they showed was in expertly finding a way to make a messier version of Return of the Jedi

[@TheDelinear]

I mostly loved TLJ (Finn and Rose's storyline could have been better/tighter, but I think it worked as part of a narrative showing Finn learning who really benefits from the wars he was unwillingly drafted to fight and would have led nicely into a stormtrooper rebellion storyline). I think RJ did a great job of not only setting the sequels up to go in a new and interesting direction, but also weaving in the threads of TFA's plot in a way that didn't feel jarring. TRoS didn't even attempt to do the same, it showed a complete lack of respect for the movies that came before it, even undoing the biggest shock of TLJ and Rey's heritage in the most trite way they could think of. The most ironic thing about TRoS in my eyes is that they very deliberately made the decisions they did to undo TLJ and undercut characters like Rose specifically to appease the kind of whiny fanboys who like to make a lot of noise and harass actors off of social media, and yet they ended up with such an insipid movie that it's mostly disliked by TLJ lovers and haters alike.

[@TheAlexRH]

Reframing Hux as space Ben Shapiro does make the character make complete sense and now I hate him a little more

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Always glad to help people hate villains more

[@quaritchsilco]

Love this video. TRoS for sure ruined every character for me not just Hux and this perfectly describes why a lot of the other characters got shafted by the movie. What bothers me is how much people will say TLJ took the story off course but JJ is literally the executive producer of the movie and Rian has talked about working with him on how to make TFA and TLJ flow together. After Carrie's passing it seemed they just wanted to push out TRoS and didn't give JJ time to even work with Rian (since he was working on Knives Out) so the movie just tried to please people that hated TLJ instead of trying to tie it together with the other two movies.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Thank you! I think the worst thing a sequel can do is try to appease the people who hated the previous instalments, rather than the numerous people who loved them. But, from what I understand, they didn't know (or care) that TLJ fans existed

[@quaritchsilco]

@@Joe_Brennan_ Unfortunately they seem to get a lot of their information from KZbin grifters and Reddit users. I've heard not just some of the actors talk about it but people who've worked behind the scenes as well. Lfl seems to be extremely out of touch right now and could probably take page from phase 4 Marvel in regards to treating their characters with more respect and listening to the people that actually liked them.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

I made a video on that exact topic! How Marvel are pushing their characters forward, and Star Wars are compromising their creative visions for the sake of a loud minority of fans

[@KireiC]

@@Joe_Brennan_ well I only just discovered your channel, now I have to go watch that one! Thanks! (And thanks to the bit of SW/ Reylo Twitter that brought me to this one)

[@amyyflms]

it's just so upsetting seeing the lost potential of this trilogy, largely because there was no overarching plan for the story. with a plan we could've gotten a deeper look into hux's psyche and why he does what he does, giving a more concrete lead into either his growing insanity as the leader of the first order or his disillusionment causing him to defect. given the context of the various novels and comics there was clear potential for either of these to take place. trevorrow's script does have a lot of things that i like, but hux suddenly being obsessed with the force just doesn't make sense. if we'd seen evidence of it previously sure i could get behind it, but its just very removed from his characterisation. plus it would have been amazing to have a main villain that isnt related to the force in any way, because that's all we've had in the past. the villains in star wars should be able to have weight and impact that isnt reliant on the force plot of the story.

[@thaisbitencourt5980]

Boy, I’ve been saying all of this for over a year now. Thank you for summarizing all this into a video. The ideia that a villain can’t be ridiculous and terrifying is incredibly limited. I always think of Walter Frey of ASOIAF, the men is pathetic, but him and his pathetic family where still able to destroy our favorite characters with one “Hehe”. So yeah, Hux had a lot of potential

[@Joe_Brennan_]

I'm glad to have been able to sum up so many people's thoughts on the character. It means I'm not alone in thinking it

[@jackbaxter2223]

There's a difference between being pathetic and being laughable. The Starks didn't mock Frey to his face with impunity after he betrayed them, and he wasn't treated as the butt of every joke or slapped around by the different lords. Frey was pathetic, but Hux was turned into a joke.

[@arvadonraxin1263]

Great video! On the whole I didn't enjoy the Last Jedi, however unlike Rise of Skywalker, there are a decent number of things I did enjoy from TLJ. Hux's development was one of them and I was very much looking forward to more of him in the final installment; a friend and I theorised that there would be some kind of civil war/infighting in the First Order between those loyal to Hux and those loyal to Kylo and that instability was what the Resistance would take advantage of to bring down the FO as a whole as they would've been woefully outmatched in a proper conflict. But alas we got Rise of Skywalker and I was very disappointed. Glad to know that you have similar views to myself on Hux!

[@Joe_Brennan_]

It is nice to know I'm not alone on the Hux front, even if we don't agree on TLJ as a whole

[@StupidBeagleReviews]

This video is so great. It’s honestly rare for me to find people who get Hux. Last Jedi is one of my favorite movies, and Treverow’s script wasn’t the greatest, but has a lot of great ideas in it. At least it continued Last Jedi rather than attempted to erase it. I also love the Ben Shapiro comparison and I cannot un-see it. I think the reason the fandom menace hates Last Jedi Hux is because he reflects them very well. It looks like this channel is relatively new, and you’re starting off super well. Can’t wait to see more. Love your Last Jedi shrine lol.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

I agree about Duel of the Fates, and may make a full video on it, comparing the pros and cons against TROS. And thank you for the kind words! Yeah, I’m really just getting started on the channel, been going for less than a year. I’m looking forward to making more Star Wars videos soon

[@VeronicaGonzalez-nn3py]

They did my man Hux wrong

[@user-yo7uq8ge5v]

0:26 7:25 14:36 15:07 "You spin me right round, baby right round!"

[@Jenonymouse]

Great video! I have no idea how I came across this, but I'm so glad I checked it out. I agree heartily with so many of your points and I love your humor and editing style. Definitely worth a re-watch, hopefully with my sisters who would also like it. Major props to your edit of Tarkin touching Leia's face in ANH vs. Hux touching Rose's face in TLJ. Of all the things for me to have not thought about before! ...But then, I never viewed Hux as a Tarkin cut & paste, so there's that. I will DEFINITELY be watching your Rose video. The only character I think they sidelined more was R2-D2, but that's a complaint I have against the entire ST. I liked BB-8, loved him even, but I NEVER wanted Artoo to be dismissed from the trilogy for the sake of new merch.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Thank you for the kind comment! I really appreciate it. I think you can be forgiven for not noticing the parallels between Hux and Tarkin touching the faces of Rose and Leia, since the Hux shot actually comes from a deleted scene! With under 10 minutes of Hux footage to use in a 20 minute video, I had to look at all the additional material I could, and spotted that lovely connection.

[@Jenonymouse]

Well I thank you for forgiveness, kind sir, but you are too kind to me. 😁 I loooved that deleted scene between Hux and Rose. I always have. The idea of Hux and Rose _as a ship,_ however was something I would have laughed at and dismissed--though not with any venom--up until I heard about it casually through some fan theories and a few good fanfics, which shed such a thought provoking light on both of their characters through the standpoint of their interactions that now I can't help but ship Hux and Rose quite honestly and without remorse. And it all started with one brief scene which didn't even make the final cut. Of course, Domhnall Gleeson and Kelly Marie Tran's charming personalities and the way they gravitated toward each other during film promos also helped provide a great deal of visual fodder too. They're awfully likeable.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

It was never a pairing I understood, but a lot of people I follow on Twitter seem to be fond of it, so there's clearly something there. It's always intrigued me. I've see those promo photos of Dohmnall and Kelly and they're adorable, and I assumed that's where a lot of the basis came from. Maybe I'll have to investigate further into how people see the actual characters

[@Jenonymouse]

If I know the promo shots you're thinking of, with the Praetorian Guards, I love those...and yet, it's not even the good stuff, imo. When I was first getting into this ship, I was surprised just how much footage and pictures there were of the two of them together--it's not like they really had any scenes together--and it seemed like they were always having a ball, off in their own corner of Secondary Character Land. It's always nice to have some good visuals for a beloved ship. For Rose and Hux it's just about crucial. It's good to know that, if DG & KMT had been given that curveball, they would have knocked it out of the park. As for the characters, I feel like about 95% of all the really thought provoking or profound insights I've heard about either of the characters have come from the Hux and Rose shippers. Although they do tend to focus more on the humanity of Hux, and in fiction, Hux having a change of heart, so if you love the idea of him as a great villain it might not be your thing. But then again, I love the idea of Hux as a great villian too, and like I said before, I agree with...I think everything?...you said. But then, one of the things I love about Star Wars in general is the way it sparks the dissection of the themes of redemption and unselfish love and forgiveness, so I jumped on board that ship pretty easily. I was REALLY HOPING that TRoS would deal heavily with the theme of atonement...but if wishes were horses, eh? I think Hux had good reason for being the spy because, from what we know about him through canon, he had quite an increasing hand in the First Order becoming what it was. However arrogant or short-sighted it was, I think he had enough reason to convince _himself_ that HE was the one doing the work and that HE was the one with the vision. Let Kylo Ren's version of the Order implode on itself, then he could get on with the serious task of whipping the galaxy into shape the way he originally intended--better even, with Snoke and Ren out of the way. I have the impression that he felt like he did it once, he could do it again, never even seeing his own hubris. What I can never understand is, as conniving and untrusting as he was, we're expected to believe he would never suspect anyone would try to kill him and, oh, say, I don't know, take some precautions lest someone shoot him with a blaster? I feel like Hux is nothing if not a self-serving survivalist. Unlike other SW villians and their hubris, Hux knew that his strength didn't lie in his physical prowess or super human powers. He was a planner, he was patient. There's no scenario where I can believe he wouldn't EXPECT an assassination attempt and take all sorts of precautions. That's why my head canon is that Hux was wearing beskar and escaped. Whether he eventually managed to find some happily ever after with Rose or he's quietly working on rebuilding the First Order from scratch is just details. Point is, he escaped. 😜 ...But that's only when I believe the events of TRoS actually happened to begin with. It's pretty hard for me to believe most of the time.

[@soccerjockey]

I enjoyed Hux and I agree he would've worked better if they had explored his Ben Shapiro "i cant make my wife orgasm" insecurities and made him dangerous in his incompetence. Instead he was the butt of a few too many jokes before beind tossed aside. The "wiping the floor" moment was wayyyyy too over the top (like 90% of the trilogy, good and bad) and lessened the affect of Kylo's rampage against him later in the film

[@jenniferharrison2070]

This video is so good! I really wish they used the potential script with hux’s dramatic death at the end, would have been amazing

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Thank you! I absolutely love the concept art of Hux's death. I've given a lot of thought to that unused script and I think it PROBABLY would have been better overall. There are things I like and dislike about them both. Maybe I'll have to make a video just posing the question of whether it would've been an improvement

[@tpfang56]

As a General Hux stan, I am not a fan of how TLJ treated Hux, but after watching your video I do see your point that he wasn’t completely ruined by TLJ. My issue was not that he was humiliated and brought low, but rather how much of it was played as a joke. It felt like Rian Johnson didn’t want him to show any of the ruthless or cunning he had in TFA. Maybe I’m just into Hux feeling like an actual threat lol. You’re absolutely right though that he was actually, properly butchered in TROS. You’re telling me that a man who was literally born and raised in the structure of the First Order would suddenly betray a cause he deeply believed in just to see Kylo Ren fail? I was expecting Hux to throw a coup and wrestle back control of the First Order. They totally wasted his villain potential, even in TLJ I felt that way :(.

[@cohent9983]

1:29 u showing elon musk and ben shapiro is just pathetic on ur end lmao

[@Joe_Brennan_]

No I’m the opposite of pathetic

[@MarUlberg]

Some excellent points! I still think the "your mom" joke was a bad moment for his character tho. The major difference from the Han Solo moment is who the camera is on. With Poe being in this scene only in voice and Hux remaining on camera, the interaction works more towards the humiliation of Hux rather then building up Poe as a jokester.

[@pluto1093]

7:41 this is the best joke ever

[@Joe_Brennan_]

The highest effort joke I’ve ever done

[@Squicx]

Yes. Simply. Yes.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

A fair response

[@qookyquiche2550]

Really glad I saw this video cuz I agree with you 100%. I wasn't that big of a star wars fan originally, but when I watched TLJ for the very first time in theatres, I immediately knew/believed Hux was being set up as the main, terrifying baddy for Episode IX...it just felt so obvious to me as narrative progression/character development and yet.... instead we get TROS. Great analysis on the more minor details too! Also that haircut. that dedication. How long had you been planning this video in order to make that visual joke? 🤣

[@Joe_Brennan_]

TLJ fans often get criticism for comparing TROS to a perfect Episode IX we’ve created in our heads. But I think that’s only because there are so many obvious logical continuations from that movie that never happened in the real sequel. As for the haircut, it just came about quite naturally. I had really long hair when I was writing it, and then had the idea for the joke. So I just didn’t bother getting it cut until I’d filmed the first half of this video. Thank you for the comment!

[@maxdon2001]

Great video!

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Thanks!

[@HillarySJohknaym]

Sequels don't feel like Starwars, but I sorta liked them as individual fanfiction.7/10

[@Diego-Designs]

As much as I don't like TLJ I have to admit that something new would have been nice to see. I just don't like how the fans were treated and how everything was reversed to be the typical Star Wars. Good video by the way!

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Thank you!

[@greghawkins59]

HOLD ON, did you grow your hair?

[@Joe_Brennan_]

The opposite

[@greghawkins59]

@@Joe_Brennan_ wtf

[@ItsEliza5]

I like this character but over they just kinda ruined it,like I even held hope for the- (Spoilers) -Spy thing they did with him in Rise of Skywalker like to me that HAD potential but they just lit it on fire and walked away it was quite sad he had so much room to an interesting character but they didn’t do much with him after The Force Awakens

[@munjatkumo1929]

Hux wasn`t ruined in the Rise of skywalker, because no such movie exists. Epic prank bro! Mad props to you for making fake movie scenes that supposedly happened in a fake movie the Rise of skywalker, just so you could put them in this video! Instantly subscribed.

[@munjatkumo1929]

Also I agree with your argument.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Thank you!

[@strangerthingsfan0458]

I loved him being Space Hitler in The Force Awakens, but then they ruined him in Rise of Skywalker the moment he said "I'm the spy".

[@Joe_Brennan_]

It is the funniest moment in the film though

[@lewisanderton8062]

It seems that both JJ Abrams and Colin Trevorrow didn't quite have a full grasp on what to do with Episode IX. But I'm genuinely curious, who should've directed Episode IX. Who would've been your pick to make the final film? I have no answer to this question as of yet. The only answers I come across are "JJ should've directed all three ST films" or "George Lucas should've directed all three ST films" which are both wrong and also don't really answer the question. Thought I could find a much more reasonable answer here. Who should've directed Episode IX?

[@Joe_Brennan_]

I know this answer will sound like a cop-out but I'm gonna have to say Rian Johnson. I just think he would have made such a great sequel to The Last Jedi, and a perfect finale to the whole saga. To be honest, that Broom Boy epilogue is already a brilliant way to end the whole series. I just think he gets it, both Star Wars and filmmaking. I think Kathleen Kennedy was actually keen to bring him back, but he was already signed on to do Knives Out and Disney didn't allow a delay. Star Wars's loss was cinema's gain. Off the top of my head, there's no one else I can think of who should've done Episode 9. I just hope he comes back for something...

[@lewisanderton8062]

@@Joe_Brennan_ A fair answer, I do stan Rian Johnson so much it's unhealthy, and I'm sure he would've made a great Episode IX. But I also like the idea of each film in the ST being helmed by different filmmakers, I like the variety in style and vision that it opens up. I just wish they picked someone with better ideas for episode IX. I have some candidates (some better than others): -Justin Lin -Christopher McQuarrie -Ryan Coogler -Chloé Zhao -Doug Liman

[@Joe_Brennan_]

I think I agree with you in principle. But having seen both Trevorrow and Abrams’ idea for the finale, I have slightly lost faith in ANYONE doing a good job. So this perfect unmade Rian Johnson version exists in my head and brings me peace.

[@lewisanderton8062]

@@Joe_Brennan_ Fair enough, be at peace.

[@jamesabernethy7896]

Another great video from you. Very snappy and to the point. Hux was was a victim of the writing because the films were so different in tone, he character was changed to fit the tone. Force awakens was a remake for a modern and younger audience. More jokes and more light hearted moments among the drama. The way Han Solo was written was a sign of things to come. Last Jedi might as well have been National Lampoon's : Last Jedi. The Film was a parody of the universe that gave birth to it. The tone shifted so much. Rise of Skywalker was Carry On: Rise of Skywalker starring Sid James, Kenneth Williams and Hattie Jacques. It was a more a farce than a spoof. The characters evolved (not in a good way) to fit the universe that were placed. Imagine if National Lampoon's loaded weapon was the sequel to Lethal Weapon and not the spoof to it. Or if in Predator 2 , the Predator was running around after Danny Glover and slipping on skateboards and trying to disguise himself with a comedy wig and Hawaian shirt. The tones don't match in my opinion. The Danny Glover thing is just a coincidence. I made a similar coincidental link when speaking about strong female characters. Sarah Connor from Terminator and Ellen Ripley to how she was portrayed in the sequel Aliens. Both films have Michael Biehn...And Bill Paxton... and Lance Henriksen...and were directed by James Cameron. I realise I could have gone down the T2 Jenette Goldstein route but too late now... Anyway, don't agree with your points but 5 Stars for the Video. Great pacing, very natural humour and nice editing.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

I really appreciate that although you disagree about the content, you can still enjoy the video. A lot of people seem to write me off as soon as I come out with a differing opinion, which isn't a healthy way to be

[@jamesabernethy7896]

@@Joe_Brennan_ It's definitely important to different opinions and be civil about things. Then it can become an open discussion instead an argument with the same two narrow points being shouted back and forth. I follow youtubers that i don't always agree with. Some political and some filmmaking. Being able to discuss if a shooting angle was a specific choice or was it a practical limitation. My points aren't always right but i think they are valid and constructive. Negative comments can be constructive but they are said in the wrong way then they're not worth listening to. It's important to support young creators like yourself and you've earned every compliment i've given. So impressed from your first video. keep up the great work.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Thank you!

[@bobfrancis123]

I absolutely hated that scene when Poe very unprofessionally mocked Hux. Yes, it was supposed to be for laughs, but the joke failed hard for me. Every part of the Military Arc (Hux, Holdo, Poe, Rose, and especially Finn) felt like the writers, directors, or producers didn’t know military professionalism nor character consistency from a bag of Cheetos. Now realizing that Johnson really didn’t give a damn about how TLJ grew out of TFA nor leads into E9 makes the scenes even worse. Knives Out was entertaining. But Johnson was really out of his element with just doing Act 2 of a three act play. Complaints about the military characters aside, I did really enjoy the Rey/Kylo arc in TLJ.

[@MoviesRemastered]

Great video but you lost me at "yo momma" joke but then won me back with the haircut. 🤣

[@Joe_Brennan_]

As long as I got you back on board, I don't mind so much that I lost you for a bit

[@MoviesRemastered]

@@Joe_Brennan_ your humour is spot on so you got a new sub here. Brilliant. Hux was definately ruined in TLJ. That "I'm the Spy" line was camper than Christmas and I had to cut it out.

[@ryanammenheuser4788]

I've been trying to conceptualize a rewritten Rise of Skywalker that still keeps the controversial stuff (namely, Palpatine's return) and I think I would've implemented it so that Hux does a coup and Kylo Ren spends most of the movie on his own, hoping to find Palpatine because he thinks he can use his army to challenge both the Resistance AND the First Order.

[@elenasgaard7770]

The FIRST ORDAH !!!! 🤣

[@KaskDaxxe]

can u do a breakdown of oom-9's character arc

[@legokao2548]

I was literally thinking this is exactly like Lucius Malfoy and then you mentioned him😂

[@Joe_Brennan_]

I don’t love going “omg it’s EXACTLY like Harry Potter!” but it felt like an apt comparison

[@jackbaxter2223]

I partially agree with this video, and partially disagree. Reading through the comments and people's different takes on it has helped me crystallise my thoughts on the matter. The comparison I saw to Walder Frey from Game of Thrones was interesting, in that he is as pathetic as Hux is, but the difference is how other characters treat them. While people despise Walder Frey and Hux both, Hux is treated as a joke. The Starks don't mock Frey to his face with impunity after he betrays them, and the other lords don't slap him around as a punchline. Frey's death is a satisfying moment of catharsis and personal revenge for Arya, while Hux's death doesn't matter for any character. So I disagree with your take that TLJ didn't ruin him but TROS did, as I think the horrendous treatment TROS gave him wouldn't be possible without the way TLJ turned him into an unthreatening joke. The dynamic between Hux and Kylo Ren in TFA was perfect, in my opinion. They were two peers high up in this fascist empire who despised each other, but each represented different types of evil. Kylo Ren was the physical threat, using a lightsabre and the force, while Hux represented the more banal evil of fascism, using others to do his dirty work. I absolutely hated the 'Hux's mother' joke from the first time I saw it, and I strongly disagree that it's developing Poe's character or that's it's reminiscent of what Han Solo did in ANH. The main difference is that it isn't shown from Poe's perspective the way the Han scene was shown from his. The whole thing is shown from Hux's perspective, so it doesn't show Poe as a carefree joker, or someone who uses humour to cope in highly stressful situations, but instead it just shows Hux being humiliated and turned into a laughing stock. Having Hux audibly yelp every time someone throws him around with the force was a terrible idea because it's just more of the same humiliation. Nobody cares about the defeat of a villain if he's already been repeatedly mocked and humiliated by almost everybody. The only Hux scene in TLJ that actually works for the character is after he finds Snoke dead and Kylo Ren unconscious, and he looks down on Kylo and slowly draws his handgun, only to slide it back into his holster the moment Kylo suddenly wakes up. That shows him as being the kind of cold-blooded and ruthless individual he would have needed to be in order to rise as high as he did in the First Order to begin with. It doesn't make any sense that Hux as he is shown in TLJ would ever reach as high a rank as he did. Killing Snoke was a cool idea (even if the execution of it was horribly clumsy), but it means you need a new serious villain, as in a villain that the audience takes seriously. Kylo Ren spent two movies doubling down on being evil because he wants to be Darth Vader, so he would have been a great choice, except that the studio forced him to be 'redeemed' in TROS. That only leaves you with Hux (until TROS went with the immensely stupid idea to suddenly introduce not one but two completely new villains to try and fill that role), who would have been fantastic if he had been kept as the First Order fanatic that he was presented as in TFA. Honestly, the First Order failing because Hux and Kylo Ren kept sabotaging each other with their infighting would have been great. Instead we're given a joke that nobody takes seriously or views as a threat. Him becoming a threat out of spite for his mistreatment in TLJ might have redeemed the character, but it wasn't to be. Having him betraying Kylo Ren out of spite fits his character perfectly, but spying for the resistance to destroy the First Order doesn't. There was actually a starting plan for the sequel trilogy, but Johnson threw that away because he, as he admitted, doesn't believe in greater universes and wants each film to stand alone. TL;DR - The way TROS treated Hux was worse than the way TLJ treated Hux, but only because they continued down the path for his character that TLJ started down. That is ultimately why I think that TLJ 'ruined' (for lack of a better term) Hux's character. To use the Klansman comparison you used, instead of showing him as a pathetic person who can indeed be dangerous, which TFA did, TLJ and TROS decide that from now on he's just pathetic and no longer dangerous at all.

[@paulmeredith2037]

All characters in this trilogy were let down by the writers. Screenwriting has gone down hill in the last few years.

[@zembaproductions]

I think TLJ's mistake wasn't making Hux a character that is constantly bullied by force users or the Resistance. The execution is just a little too much. I mean Snoke literally wipes the floor with him, Kylo throws him around and force chokes him. The oppression he faces could've been portrayed in much more subtle and relatable ways. Physically throwing him around and makin "your mom" jokes about him is funny but far from a character that you want to make a villain out of. He is comic relief for the dark-side scenes as if we didn't have enough comic relief in the sequels. (The entirety of the resistance is comic relief imo) TFA got him just right with the instability and constant need for approval but Starkiller base was a mistake in of itself and it was just there so they could copy ANH. His wrath and cold-blooded character could've been shown with a coordinated attack on the republic instead of a superweapon. Starkiller's destruction starts to take him down a path of lameness and Disney just treats him like a cuck after a certain point. They created the greatest antagonist in the sequels and turned him into a lame guy who was bullied onto the other side because JJ didn't find him "cool enough" to be a dark-side character. This shows how shallow-minded the writers who decided to throw him around like a punching bag were. They couldn't comprehend a character that isn't like Tarkin getting powerful and becoming a compelling and interesting villain.

[@richardbuckley1232]

Nice analysis.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Thank you!

[@TheRealXboxNerd]

The hair joke was excellent 👏🏻

[@Joe_Brennan_]

I am very proud of it

[@nicolaridolfi6510]

Hux saw the Starkiller Base destroyed and said: "I think I'll go to the barber"

[@TheDelinear]

Me, having only watched the Trailers video before this: okay this guy seems like a good watch, I'll give another video a watch but now I'm in that awkward period where I'm wondering if the content creator has horrible politics and will suddenly say something hateful, and I'm about to watch his take on a Star Wars character, oh god here we go... *Video shows a montage of people who are snivelling or nasty or pathetic* Me: Yeah okay I think this guy's gonna work out fine :D

[@Joe_Brennan_]

This was a great comment to receive. I've been there myself, you just cross your fingers and HOPE that the new person you've found doesn't turn out to be awful.

[@SecretSynth]

Oh my gosh Hux is Space Ben Shapiro how did I not see it sooner

[@ScareMeSexy71]

hair raisingly amusing and informed review, top stuff!

[@Joe_Brennan_]

You're too kind

[@heatherysnicket]

Thank you for perfectly articulating my frustration over Hux's character and how he could have been the perfect big bad in Episode IX. Never before have I seen narrative potential so squandered only to be replaced by something dumb and pointless. I felt very vindicated watching this. :)

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Thank you for watching! I’m always glad to be able to put people’s frustration into words

[@Hotraider]

16:40 Now that is what was expecting him to be, but no instead we got this

[@Grunkle2210]

good video joe brennan your hair looks nice :)

[@crellercorps]

3:29 When that guy in the primary school friend group gets a gf.

[@lewisanderton8062]

Dude! Have you been reading my mind? I've been writing a script for my own version of Episode IX (I'm weird like that) and from 13:04 onwards you more or less describe EXACTLY how I wrote Hux's character Beat. For. Beat. Right down to the coup, and the teaming up with the Knights of Ren. How did you do this? How did you get in my house?

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Now that would be telling...

[@Joe_Brennan_]

In all seriousness, I just feel like it's the most logical continuation of the story and the characters. Not in a "it's predictable and obvious" sort of way, but just that it feels right.

[@Kumonekowo]

I really find the idea for DOTF Hux really really intriguing. I’m interested to know how he got the lightsaber(s). In the script, if I remember correctly, the lightsaber is purple. Wonder how he got that . . Sadly we will never know. I think the idea of a Hux so desperate to be force sensitive would have been a very interesting addition to his character. I wish we knew more about Hux and his views (aside from his lust for power). This is kinda a disorganized comment but I just feel like there’s so many amazing ideas for Hux that we will never get to see. I wish DOTF was canon

[@Waltham1892]

Everyone was ruined in the last trilogy. Why should Hux have been any different?

[@analassassin2380]

How’s this guy only got a few thousand subs.

[@knightriddler777]

honestly, if they absolutely had to resurrect a villain for episode 9, snoke himself wouldve made more sense (if he happened to be darth plagueis, that is)

[@arkle519]

You're right. The sequels have problems, but it's not the ones fanatics go mad over. It has real narrative and cinematic issues but what people only point out are where it "ruins" characters or diverges from the previous films.

[@josephinelong6362]

I was wishing he could done something big. A bit sad for me because he is my favourite character 😢

[@nathanielk7415]

joe brennan is a very clever man who is correct

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Hell yeah. This is the kind of comment I like