This episode is part two in a series analyzing
the First Order. What you’re about to watch is not an overview and history of the First
Order as it was, but rather our idea of what it could have been if for whatever reason,
the Templin institute were put in charge of its development. . If you’d like to understand
why we made the changes we did, be sure to watch part 1 in which I discuss the ways we
felt the First Order didn’t quite work And because this episode is at its core, a
reimagining of the First Order, we’ve made the decision to exclusively use concept art
to portray it. Some of the artwork might contain elements you recognize, others might be repurposed,
while others still might have never been brought to life. We also reached out to a variety
of talented artists, who graciously allowed us to use their work. In this latter instance,
you’ll find their links in the description. So while this artwork doesn’t always perfectly
reflect our version of the First Order, it serves as a fantastic starting point. But finally, the Templin Institute did commission
one piece of artwork for use in this episode, for more details on how you can obtain a digital
wallpaper version of it, stick around after the video. When the fires of the Galactic Civil War had
finally been extinguished and a peace treaty was signed, there arose the great task of
sifting through all the details. Only by carefully studying what remained of the Imperial Archives
and the countless code cylinders, official logs and other captured documentation could
the full scale of the Galactic Empire’s crimes become known. For decades, the New
Republic’s intelligence services commanded an army of investigators, analysts and clerks
to pour over every communique sent, every order given, every fact committed to Imperial
records. Old battlefields were analyzed, starships wrecks left adrift were recovered and studied.
It was an arduous task, for many of the last acts of the Galactic Empire had been devoted
to destroying its darkest secrets and covert plans. It was from this great effort that the first
warning signs arose. The discrepancies were subtle, but as more and more were found, a
pattern began to emerge. Within the official Imperial logs, Star Destroyers were recorded
as lost in battles in which they couldn’t have participated. Stormtrooper Legions were
marked as destroyed in campaigns in which they were never deployed. More and more as
the war dragged on towards its inevitable conclusion, the orders of the Imperial military
shifted from strategic defense, to something else entirely. Confident in their supremacy over the galaxy,
the New Republic dismissed these inconsistencies as the natural consequence of the Imperial
military’s disintegration into rival warlords. Without a single unifying figure, an heir
to the Emperor, such chaos it was argued, was to be expected. And while this reasoning
could explain a great many of the mysterious orders and redeployments made in the final
months of the Galactic Empire, New Republic intelligence was forced to admit that large
formations of the Imperial Military, together with high level administrators, technologists
and nobles, had simply disappeared. Had the New Republic pursued this mystery
in earnest, then the galaxy might have been spared a second great war and the victory
of the Rebellion not have been so easily overturned. Instead, the missing fleets and armies of
the Empire, its highest remaining leaders and most ardent supporters, were given a respite,
hidden in the depths of the Unknown Regions. Here, to their astonishment, they found a
base of power waiting for them, from which they could one day return to the greater galaxy
and reform the Empire. This was their First Order. In the tumultuous years leading up to the
Clone Wars, the fear that his true nature as a Dark Lord of the Sith might be exposed
weighed heavily upon Chancellor Palpatine. While his eventual triumph over the Jedi Order
would removed the greatest threat to his ascendency, even as Emperor, he was forced to conceal
his Sith identity from the Empire he ruled. Should this deception ever be revealed, there
remained the ever present possibility that the wider galaxy, or even his own secular
military, might move to overthrow or assassinate him. The Unknown Regions, a chaotic patch of space
where hyperspace routes grew unpredictable presented a unique opportunity for Palpatine’s
future plans. If reliable passages through its territories could be found, then a true
Sith shadow regime might be established there. Isolated from the rest of the galaxy, the
Sith ideology could flourish openly, and the region could act as a refuge to which the
Chancellor and then Emperor could permanently flee should his nature be discovered. Under Palpatine’s direct instruction, a
vast effort to chart the Unknown Regions was undertaken by the Galactic Republic. The operation
was portrayed as a relatively small-scale exploratory and scientific venture, intended
to uncover new sites for colonization and forgotten relics of the High Republic. The
“Outer Reaches Expansion Program,” as it was then known, was publicly suspended
with the secession of the Confederacy of Independent Systems and largely forgotten by the end of
the Clone Wars. In truth however, the work to map the Unknown
Regions never ceased. Republic Clones replaced the initial civilian workforce and then were
themselves supplanted by loyal members of the nascent Imperial military. Classified
at the highest level, even those directly involved in the project were unaware of its
true scope and the full extent of the resources devoted to it. Recovered information from
the Jedi Temple on Coruscant proved invaluable in guiding Imperial expeditions, but it was
Grand Admiral Thrawn who provided the most valuable insights. As a former member of the Chiss Ascendency,
a sovereign state native to the Unknown Regions, Thrawn’s knowledge of the area produced
more tangible results in a single year than the project had yielded in the previous decade.
Thrawn’s disappearance during the expanding Galactic Civil War proved to be a setback,
but a minor one, as the greatest discoveries had already been made. First among these was
the location of Exegol, an ancient, forgotten stronghold of the last Sith Empire. All those
present at the time of its discovery would be quietly killed in the ensuing decades,
ensuring knowledge of its location remained with the Emperor alone. Had Palpatine’s rule over the Galactic Empire
been allowed to continue for a century or more, Exegol and the Unknown Regions would
have become the core of a new Sith Dominion. From here, Sith cults and loyalists would
have been gradually incorporated into the Imperial military, before the entire Galactic
Empire as a whole was eventually subsumed. At the time of Palpatine’s death during
the Battle of Endor, only the initial stages of this plan had been completed. The Unknown
Regions had been rapidly developed with enormous fleetyards, anchorages, infrastructure, and
even a collection of colonized worlds, but they were largely automated, home to only
a small collection of Sith cultists and a deteriorating slave workforce. As the Empire collapsed, it was to this refuge
that a hardcore group of Imperial loyalists were instructed to flee. Crimson messenger
droids, Sentinels bearing the face of Emperor Palpatine himself appeared before carefully
selected military units, civil authorities and industrial oligarchs. Their disappearance
from the front lines was concealed by psychological military operations, namely Operation Cinder,
whose purpose was to sow chaos and delay any response by the New Republic. Admiral Rae Sloane, General Maximilian Veers,
and Commandant Brendol Hux represented the three highest ranking military officers to
escape to the Unknown Regions. As the Galactic Empire continued its slow collapse, these
officials created an informal triumvirate, utilizing the infrastructure of the region
to form the core of a new Imperial state. The bureaucrats and civilian officials who
had likewise found refuge in the enclave were incorporated, sometimes forcefully into this
new hierarchical structure. While it was initially hoped that a counter-offensive might be launched
from the Unknown Regions and the complete collapse of the Empire prevented, the signing
of the Galactic Concordance and the lack of available manpower prevented these plans from
reaching fruition. As the New Republic grew to become the dominant galactic power, the
Triumvirate severed communications with the last Imperial holdouts and made every effort
to conceal its existence. For seven years, this isolationist, hidden
remnant of the Galactic Empire worked to create a true sovereign state in the Unknown Regions,
but the Triumvirate became divided. Neither Veers, Sloane or Hux could agree on the state’s
ultimate goal. Whether it should work to overthrow the New Republic or even reveal itself to
the wider galaxy at all.The presence of the Sith Cultists throughout the Unknown Regions
also became a point of contention. While their connection to the Dark Side of the Force remained
largely unknown to the Imperial Remnant, misconstrued as simply a worship of the Emperor and Darth
Vader, their usefulness had reached its end. Distrustful of their mystical nature and no
longer reliant on them to maintain the region’s infrastructure, the Triumvirate moved to arrest
their leaders and relocate their followers into forced labor camps. But on the eve of this Operation, the 501st
Legion, the most elite formation present within the remnant, initiated a coup against the
Triumvirate. At their head was a mysterious force user known only as Snoke. One of the
first guides to the Imperial Exiles within the Unknown Regions, Snoke was believed to
have simply been a minor figure within a seemingly unimportant cult known as the Eternal. Sloan,
Veers and thousands of other Imperial officials were killed in the following days, replaced
with new personnel loyal to Snoke who in turn claimed the position of Supreme Leader as
his own. The open recognition and forced adherence
to a religion almost synonymous with terror and evil disturbed many of even the most hardened
Imperial loyalists, but Snoke’s displays of power and gifts of material wealth served
as a suitable foundation for his seizure of leadership. For the first time in thousands
of years, a Sith Empire operated openly once more within the galaxy, at its heart, was
Exegol. Key to the survival of this growing Empire
was secrecy. The forces of the New Republic would likely not possess the capability to
launch a military campaign into the Unknown Regions for decades, but the power of Luke
Skywalker remained an omnipresent threat. To disguise its true nature, Snoke orchestrated
the creation of the “First Order”, a shroud behind which the Sith ideology could flourish.
Today, in the modern era, the First Order exists in two distinct, but increasingly interconnected
forms. The first of these is the facade of the First
Order that Snoke projects to the New Republic and the wider galaxy. It is spread not by
fleets and armies, but through manifestos and ideological pawns. Rather than a traditional
sovereign state, this expression of the First Order is instead a political doctrine and
social movement advocating a centralized government, the militarization of society and other such
tenets embodied by the former Galactic Empire. It acknowledges that the Imperial System was
flawed and that it committed atrocities, but actively works to downplay those horrific
acts in favor of a fictional, inspirational narrative. First Order communications, broadcast
publically across the HoloNet, extol the Empire achievements against piracy, slavery, and
lawlessness. They criticize the New Republic as weak and ineffectual, especially in the
traditionally backwards territories in the Outer Rim. The ideological beliefs and revisionist history
of the First Order has found a myriad of supporters across the galaxy. Many of the lingering remnants
of the Galactic Empire, petty realms whose warlords were never trusted with the secrets
of the Unknown Regions, have openly embraced it. Some Imperial Warlords have adopted the
virtues of the First Order out of an honest belief in their value, while others see it
only as a way to cement their own legitimacy. Even within the borders of the New Republic
however, the First Order has made significant gains, particularly among those who feel disenfranchised
by the current government. Many radical political parties, lobbyist groups, paramilitary organizations
and even charities have become aligned to First Order goals and motives. To conceal the existence of the Sith Empire
within the Unknown Regions, Snoke and his representatives only communicate with these
Imperial remnants and sympathetic groups through intermediaries. These are mainly trusted operatives,
dummy corporations and third party messengers unaware of the substance of their messages.
Most First Order adherents within the galaxy are completely unaware of Snoke’s influence
and might feel repulsed or threatened by that fact should it come to light. In this way,
both outside Imperial remnants and loyal Republic citizens have been misled into actively working
against their own self-interest. This aspect of the First Order outside the
Unknown Regions has two major goals. The first is to sow dissent and division within the
New Republic’s political structure. The second, is to create a galaxy wide “fifth
column”, a network of supporters who can undermine the Republic and then mobilize openly
during the outbreak of war. In both these areas, there have been major successes. First
Order aligned political parties have found representation within the Galactic Senate
and tens of millions of First Order operatives operate clandestinely within every level of
galactic society. Even in the Outer Rim Territories, historically
resistant to any external authority, First Order backed anti-piracy forces have embarrassed
the New Republic by confronting criminals and slavers that had been ignored for decades.
In most cases however, it is the Sith Empire that secretly funded these outlaw groups to
begin with, and they are effectively gaining renown across the galaxy for ending a crisis
they created themselves. While such covert operations carry with them an inherent risk
and are unlikely to affect major political change on their own, it is a strategy that
the New Republic has so far been unable to successfully counter. Yet every action undertaken by this aspect
of the First Order is ultimately meant to conceal the existence of its second form,
the Sith Empire that lies at its heart, known as the Sith Eternal. As a true successor to
the Sith Dynasties that ruled the galaxy in ancient times, the Sith Eternal exists as
an absolute stratocracy. Executive power is invested solely in the Supreme Leader beyond
the ability of any written law, legislature or custom to constrain. The force-user known
as Snoke remains the first and thus far, only Supreme Leader in the history of the Sith
Eternal, but his own connection to the dark side of the force remains unknown, even to
his most loyal supporters. In contrast to ancient Sith Emperors, Snoke has also shown
a willingness to cast aside ancient dogma and tradition in favor of more practical and
efficient methods, especially those utilized within the former Imperial military. Under
Snoke, whenever tradition clashes with modern efficiency, even the ancient dogma of the
Sith might be reformed or destroyed. In a strange irony, where the Imperial System was
intended by Palpatine to be subsumed by the Sith Order, in most cases, the opposite occurs. While the ancient Sith Dynasties maintained
a cabal of lesser Sith Lords to execute the will of the Emperor and serve as a ruling
council, the mass extermination of force users during the reign of the Galactic Empire means
that it is now traditional military officers that form the upper-hierarchy of leadership.
The one exception to this is Kylo Ren, a Sith acolyte who is rumored to be a disgraced student
of Luke Skywalker. Kylo Ren and the highest echelon of military
leaders each act as a kind of regional governor, endowed with the same responsibilities and
authority as the old Imperial Moffs. While the code of the Sith encouraged fierce rivalries
and competition among these officers, by the decree of Snoke, the Sith Council is a strict,
and fierce, meritocracy. Officers promoted solely for their loyalty and ambition rather
than their ability proved disastrous during the Galactic Civil War and within the Sith
Eternal, it is mastery of one’s duties, not the force, that dictates who rises through
the ranks. This Council, together with the armed forces
of the Sith Eternal, dominates every political, economic and ideological aspect of their society,
in effect removing any distinction between military and civilian authority. Traditionally,
the political structure of ancient Sith Empires, and even the Galactic Empire that followed,
was based around an aristocratic elite, noble titles and privileges of birthright. Reforms
enacted under the Triumvirate have eliminated this institution and the success of these
measures have ensured they remain under Snoke. Upon birth, a citizen of the Sith Eternal
will be immediately entered into various state programs. The first of these to take effect
is also the most secretive. Newborns found to be innately gifted with the use of the
force will be immediately seized, taken to specialized schools and environments to further
harness their abilities. For all others, childhood consists of various Youth Leagues, which indoctrinate
their members with the ideology of the state and provide an opportunity for particularly
promising cadets to rise to a place of distinction. By adulthood, every member of the Sith Eternal
will have had over a decade of experience within several different paramilitary groups.
Their performance therein is then used as the basis by which they are assigned some
other aspect of national service. In contrast again to the Sith Empires of old, enlistment
within a combat element of the armed forces is relatively rare and reserved only for those
who show the greatest potential. Regardless of which aspect of society they are assigned
however, citizens exist within the same overriding military hierarchy. Within the Sith Eternal every person is subjected
to ubiquitous state-propaganda campaigns extending throughout all levels of society. These campaigns
advocate the dedication of oneself to the good of the state, suppression of internal
desires and obedience to authority. While in many ways identical to the ideology of
the First Order propagated throughout the outside galaxy, internal media is supplemented
with direct references to the Sith and additional, heavily altered, historical parallels to ancient
Sith heroes and accomplishments. While the Sith Eternal is in essence, a single,
vast military institution, at its core are its three major combat branches, the Army,
Navy and the Asha-Karat. One of the many lessons learned from the fall of the Galactic Empire
was the inefficiency of unwieldy conscripted forces. With manpower in short supply across
the Unknown Regions, the Doctrine of the Sith Eternal has shifted across each branch towards
smaller, professional formations. Compared to the Galactic Empire, the army
of the Sith Eternal has undergone the most radical evolution. Under the initial tutelage
of General Maximillian Veers, the Sith Army has further refined the combined arms approach
utilized by its Imperial predecessors. While much of its walkers, weaponry and other equipment
is recognizably Imperial in nature, their tactics have undergone a sizable shift. Emphasis
has been placed on the outcome of a mission rather than the specific means of achieving
it. Individual soldiers and officers are entrusted with far greater operational flexibility leading
to superior personal initiative among unit commanders.Gone is the rule through fear and
intimidation that defined the earlier Tarkin Doctrine. Individual units are nearly unrecognizable
compared to their Imperial counterparts. To make up for manpower shortages, Sith Legions
incorporate tens of thousands of droids, at every operational level, supplementing a much
smaller core of organic soldiers. At the company level, droids might fill the role of supply
or auxiliary personnel, or heavy weapons teams. Within Sith Legions, entire divisions of droids
are commanded by a scattered few organic officers, intended for use in battles of attrition that
the Sith Eternal could otherwise ill-afford. Instead, the Sith Army is based around mobility,
dropping from orbit to deliver a single powerful blow followed by mechanized maneuver warfare.
Sith doctrine is aimed at making it difficult for any enemy to react to a continually shifting
front, becoming suitably unbalanced. Once circumstances are the most favorable, a single
decisive battle of annihilation can be pursued. In the event this is not achieved within a
specified timeframe, Army elements will return to orbit rather than commit themselves to
a war of attrition. Among the most elite formations of the Sith
Army are the so called “named” legions. When a unit distinguishes themselves in some
manner, they are awarded the title of an ancient Sith or Imperial Hero. Among the most famous
named legions are the 501st Vader, the 89th Revan and the 134th Jerjerrod. The Sith Navy has likewise implemented various
reforms meant to fix the deficiencies of its predecessor within the Galactic Empire. This
is most apparent in its Starfighter Corps. Like the Sith Army, the Navy is no longer
willing or even capable of accepting needless losses. While its starfighters bear the same
outward characteristics of the venerable Tie line, they have incorporated shields, armor
and electronic counter-measures to prioritize crew survivability. Many models also feature
personal hyperdrives, and pilots are expected to fly with equal proficiency within large
formations as when alone or in small groups. While reliant on Civil War era Imperial starships
for much of its history, the first generation of Sith capital ships are mainly iterative
rather than revolutionary. The Resurgent Class Star Destroyer, a modern replacement for the
aging Imperial II Class, shares many similarities with the design it was intended to replace.
Its most radical improvements are the increased protection afforded to its shielding systems
and bridge crew, and redundant systems meant to offset the effectiveness of Ion weapons.
The Mandator IV Siege Dreadnought is likewise a comparatively conserative improvement over
the Imperial Onager Class while the Toleraratis Class is a redesign and modernization of the
Clone Wars era Acclamator class. These largely reactionary designs have allowed
shipyards within the Unknown Regions to continue production uninterrupted for decades, slowly
mobilizing enormous sector fleets comparable in size to those used by the Empire. At the
center of these formations are the Indefatigable (in·duh·fa·tuh·guh·bl) Class Star Dreadnoughts,
the Sith Eternal’s successor to the Executor Class super star destroyers. Compared to their
Imperial predecessors, the Indefatigable Class are less suited to directly conducting planetary
invasions, carrying fewer ground troops and the associated equipment. Instead, the class
is intended to serve primarily as command vessels, with the facilities and sensor suites
necessary to direct and manage an entire sector front. But the ultimate expression of the Sith Eternal’s
naval fleet is the enormous Supremacy Class. Dwarfing even the largest super star destroyers,
the single vessel produced so far is closer in scale to the Imperial Death Stars than
any other traditional ship in history. Rather than a dedicated warship however, the Supremacy
is something of a mobile forward operating base, designed to act as a bridge between
the Sith Eternal’s government within the Unknown Regions and its forces within the
greater galaxy once war against the New Republic is inevitably declared. While both the Sith Army and Navy have inherited
many of the customs, equipment and doctrine of their Imperial forerunners, the Asha-Karat
stand alone in their complete devotion to the ancient Sith Order. Loosely translated
from the Sith Language, Asha-Karat, or “The Victory of Death” is the third major independent
branch of the Sith Eternal, and the only one to marshal force users within its ranks. While
much smaller in scale compared to the Army or Navy, and consisting only of a few legions
and a single sector fleet, the crimson Stormtroopers and Star Destroyers of the Asha-Karat are
renowned for their fanaticism and are directly subordinate to Supreme Leader Snoke alone.
Drawn primarily from the Sith Cultists that predated the arrival of the Empire within
the Unknown Regions, the Asha-Karat’s devotion to the Sith has caused friction with the other
two, largely secular branches of the military. It is the Asha-Karat that has been the most
vocal in their objection to the reforms implemented by Snoke, and it is rumored that it is his
mastery of the force alone that keeps them in line. But despite this internal friction, every
aspect of the Sith Empire is dedicated towards a single objective, known simply as “the
day”. Unbeknownst to the New Republic and the wider galaxy, a countdown has begun. When
the day arrives, Sith Fleets and armies will strike out from the Unknown Regions seizing
strategic star systems and engaging enemy formations. For 30 years the plans have been
drawn; every target identified and every strategy considered. The First Order will soon assume
its purpose, and when the power of the Sith are mobilized, they will be joined by countless
collaborators, defectors and a network of clandestine groups who only await the command. The first stages have already begun. Across
the New Republic, intelligence officials have noted alarming trends amongst frontier piracy,
mercenary and slaver groups. They have recorded the growing reach and power of First Order
aligned paramilitary organizations. And they have observed with growing unease, the mounting
reports of unidentified ships and droids on the outer periphery of key Republic installations
and worlds. But the most dangerous rumors are those spread within the Sith Eternal itself.
Some say that Snoke, for all his power, is nothing but a puppet, and even he must report
to a hidden master. Within the darkest depths of Exegol, it has been said there has been
an awakening. Darkness rises, and the galaxy will tremble if the light does not rise to
meet it. Thanks for watching the Templin Institute’s
vision of what the Sith Eternal and First Order could have been. We tried our best to
create a credible and interesting variation of a Sith Empire, but I’m curious to hear
your thoughts. Which version of the First Order do you prefer? Is there an area where
we succeeded or failed? Is this a dangerous slide into the world of fan fiction? Let me
know in the comments below. And if you’d like to get your hands on the
artwork we commissioned for this episode, it is available on our website in HD resolution
with a 4k variant exclusively on our Patreon for every $2 pledge and above. Thanks for
your support!
They should do one for the new Republic now.
Awesome video, would love to see more Reimagined Nations or Factions!
There wasn't a poll, but I prefer this version.
I like the video. Personally though I think you need to reimagine both the First Order and Resistance in respect of the Cold War they're facing at the time. Let me give a quick break down.
State of the Republic
Following the end of the Galatic Civil War the Rebel Alliance was formally reformed into the New Republic, however, this name was largely in name only. In fear of the central power the Galactic Empire once controlled, many planets refuse to join the fledgling New Republic; those that do join seek to heavily limit the central government's authority.
The office of the chancellor is abolished and the New Republic's military foces are downsized to a small defense fleet focused on supporting sector security forces. The greatest power falls to regional governors, some heroes of the former rebel alliance, others former imperials who have been able to retain control.
Seeking to take back control these ex-Imperials have allied themselves with secret organization, The First Order.
The First Order
Created as a failsafe in case of Palpatine's death and the Empire's fall, The First Order is formed by the Empire's best and brightest out in the unknown regions. By arming and supplying imperial holdouts and criminal syndicates bordering and within New Republic space The First Order seeks destabilize the government while they build new fleets from the remains of Star Destroyers.
However, rumors of a faction abducting children to train as Stormtroopers have started to reach the New Republic.
The Resistance
Concerned of this new looming threat, General Leia Organa, director of New Republic Intelligence, leads former Rebel Alliance comrades and the New Republic's best, in arming and supplying resistance cells against The First Order.
General Organa seeks information on The First Order's plans in hopes it will mobilize the New Republic.
Interesting pair of videos but they seem to ignore a lot of fundamental issues.
First, it is not the First Order which is broken but /Star Wars itself/ which is badly corrupted and lacking in vision.
You have a society with fusion power the size of a Coleman lantirn. With that much electrical generation, you also have free clean water. You have field effect propulsion. You have droid servitors. You have automan manufacturing. If you can't stand your neighbor, you have FTL-B to both go out into the local system to get resources and build a ship and FTL-I to go interstellar and arrive on any of 60 million other settled worlds (Palpatine was so bad a leader, he inspired an entire generation to up-and-out flee his depotic rule).
With all of this, why are you so constantly at war?
One could say it's an instinctive drive to elevate oneself to positions above each other, as a function of social dominance resource access or tournament mate display or or or. But now you're talking a very human level of psychological panoply and personal spectacle as driving the perception of 'Conan, what is good...'.
Where the _image_ of greatness matters, you get sword wielding psions whose limited range of effects (literally, how far they can see/reach to influence others) would be utterly irrelevant in a war of ranged blasterfire or orbital attack fleets.
Unfortunately, you cannot get there from either the Imperialperspective of limitless power held only by two people who must spend their entire living awareness, managing it. Or the First Order equivalent of what amounts to cradle-to-grave socialist group think where Aufstragstaktik is expected from people who grow up hive-minded, thinking that only performance within the group matters. Individual greatness comes from individual creativity individual creativity comes from an egocentric understanding that you matter.
Yes, it is stupid to spend megabucks raising armies from childhood when you could let the parents undertake that effort and simply draft notice rob them of their genetic future at 18. But it's more than that, because a child soldier tends to be on the spectrum, sociopath to psychopath, and being near feral, is simply not reliable as an adult warrior because they have ONLY that perspective of killing for food or acceptance. No understanding of why or in anticipation of what reward.
First Order shock troops stolen as toddlers and trained as Marxist Socialist Killers would be wound so tight you couldn't walk among them without being at constant risk of missed-a-step perceived imperfection.
They would only feel fear-based loyalty towards those who had psychologically tortured them as children. Which is ridiculous, given composite force armies transfer to new commands, by region or mission, all the time here on earth and an interstellar army would magnify this effect, a thousand fold.
Rank/Rewards for competence? Why don't we see it? Hux in a Hawaii shirt with a drink and a funny hat, laying out on some FO rest world after a campaign well won for instance? Even in Nazi Germany, the push to win in The East was one of simple soldiers becoming Ritters in a new Kingdom's frontier colonies with land and peasan servants from the gradually culled slavic untermenchen and this perception of REWARD was something they understood because, as kids, they saw the power and enjoyed the kindness of their parents.
Now, we all understand that the ST was flawed from the start by gender politics and penile envy. And so you see the lead male characters as a laughable sprawl of incompetence amidst constant cameos of female superiority.
Yet that is irrelevant to the larger, social, dynamic. For until you build in this human psychological cultural underpinning by which everything has an association index, you cannot place your everyman vs. ultraman characters. A country bumpkin like Anakin, Luke or Rey, seeing the splendor of a military parade and being less intimidated than /envious/ of 'I wish all those men would respect _me_' and acting to gain the power to make that sense of relevance happen. Versus the later Vader or Hux or Ren whose nature was that of enjoying what that achieved power meant in a decidedly personal, if not sybaritic, enjoyment of personal luxury and ownership of vast sprawls of land or toys or just the simple certainty that every mundane need was cared for by servants (not robots!) would be a huge psychological contrast between the have nots and the truly empowered.
You will never get there, enshrining dead relics of history like Vader and Revan and JerJerrod because they will be utterly unknown and _unknowable_ to the young eyes and ears and voices who are given their heraldry as a mark of association with power. It would be entirely inappropriate to try this in a world which pushed for group excellence in the living now, because it would be a setup to seeing the actions of these past 'heroes' as worth emulating when, in fact, they were consistently seen as selfish and stupid psychopaths by THE AUDIENCE who knew them as something other than what the story presents to the new characters.
Again, Star Wars as much as the First Order is broken because it has always portrayed it's male villains as loons, luddites and morons. To fix the First Order (even as just a progression of governments in a constant-war, 'human struggle', condition) is to reboot the entire series with an eye towards evolving the society through the efforts, good and bad, of it's protagonists as they literally, fundamentally, change the world they live/d in at the time.
Vader being vehemently anti-slave, even in a world full of giant scale projects requiring vast labor resources, is an excellent example of this. To the point where, at the end of his life, slavery was seen as a dead ideal, /because/ the Empire ended it (much like the British Royal Navy ended Slavery in the Mid Atlantic and the Middle East).
I would suggest that you approach a Star Wars revisioning from such a perspective of 'globalist' understanding where not just human but alien ideas and levels of social advancement varied, by region of the Star Wars galaxy you were in. Since differentials of ability and morality are also hot spots for potential conflict as a function of exploitation of perceived inferiority with hidden desires for resources or population pressure relief, hyperlane access to other regions or or or.
Make the human response one of surface level psychologies acting upon the immediate environmental existence and the immediate environment one of hiding the greater strategic necessities of either cultural conflict or resource shortfalls. Much as it has been here. And you move beyond the pettiness of the presented personal/gender based insanity which present day Star Wars has devolved to.