As suggested by the junior novel Servants of the Empire: The Secret Academy, and confirmed in the Visual Dictionary, General Hux is the son of Commandant Brendol Hux. During the time of the Empire, Brendol, unimpressed by the Imperial recruitment system, conceived the idea of raising stormtroopers from birth in order to emulate the loyalty and prowess of Republic clone troopers. This new system was then implemented by the First Order.
Brendol Hux was among the Imperials who fled to the Unknown Regions after the defeat of the Empire, taking with him his young son. General Hux grew up believing that the galaxy was doomed to inevitable chaos without the strong rule of the Empire. He also believes he is destined to rule the galaxy, which presents an interesting conflict between Hux and Kylo Ren. Kylo does not respect Hux as a warrior, since Hux has only theoretical knowledge of battle. And Hux has little patience with the mystical ways of Kylo Ren, believing he has his own agenda apart from the First Order.
Some fans believe that Hux was cast too young. However, that is the point of the character. He is young and inexperienced, yet he is fanatical in his beliefs and willing to destroy entire systems to secure the rule of the First Order. The First Order specifically uses young officers, like General Hux, who do not remember the reality of the Empire, but receive a warped version of Imperial history, as revealed in the Visual Dictionary.
Hux’s speech before the firing of the Starkiller is a clear echo of the speeches of Adolf Hitler, and Domhnall Gleeson perfectly captured that almost psychotic fanaticism. Hux has no hesitation in destroying an entire system, believing that he can end the war with one swift stroke. He believes that the success of Starkiller is another step towards his destiny to rule the First Order.
I was actually surprised that Hux survived the destruction of Starkiller. I had assumed that he would have a similar fate to Tarkin, designed to give us a satisfying end to a dark side character, but there is clearly more for Hux to add to the saga. What fate is in store for Hux in Episode 8, given his failure at Starkiller? I see the possibility of more direct competition between Hux and Kylo, both perceiving the other as the bigger failure. And given his belief that he should rule, could Hux become a “threat” to Snoke himself? While Hux vies for the acceptance of the Supreme Leader, the fact that he is not impressed by the “mystical” side of the First Order makes one wonder how loyal he truly is to the Supreme Leader.
Until next time: May the Force be with you. Always.
This is just apologetic nonsense to defend a rotten Disney practice. General Hux is a boy because Disney wants young children to identify with all the major characters and buy their action figures. His whole lore was conceptualized to justify his youth to people like me who don’t like preposterous stuff in films.