The Snaps & Breeze Chain to Ghost: How Power’s Hidden Puppet Masters Shaped the Entire Universe
Starz
The Power Universe has been thriving on deceit, ambition, and legacy for a long time. Yet few fans recognize the deeper chessboard beneath the surface, one orchestrated by Snaps and Pop, the enigmatic puppet masters from Power Book III: Raising Kanan. Snaps and Pop are the ones who have been pulling the strings from the shadows and building a web of influence that spans generations, even though Raq, Kanan, Ghost, and Tommy are the ones who dominate the headlines.
Who Are Snaps and Pop? The Silent Kings of Queens
Snaps and Pop, the legendary drug lords of Queens in the 1970s and ’80s, were responsible for running the streets with brutal efficiency. Although they now claim to be retired, they never left the game. Their influence is deeply rooted in the criminal underworld due to their deep connections:
Stefano and the Italian mob
Corrupt law enforcement figures like Detective Howard and Officer Pickett
Major suppliers, including Ronnie Mathis, and even whispers of ties to the elusive Def Con
Snaps and Pop’s strategic genius sets them apart from other kingpins. They are not criminals, but rather tacticians. In one chilling example, Pop embraced Ronnie Mathis in what seemed like a warm welcome, but he was checking him for wires. They are not involved in the game. They are the ones who write it.
Recruiting Kanan: A Calculated Move of Generational Control
The introduction of Snaps and Pop to Kanan Stark in Season 3 of Raising Kanan was not accidental. They were already in the process of scouting him as their next tool of power. Kanan was young, eager, and pliable, unlike Raq, who was fiercely independent and hard to manipulate.
How They Groomed Kanan
Tested his loyalty with small missions, allowing him to prove his worth.
Ordered strategic hits, including the suspected hit on Famous, to eliminate liabilities.
The implanted distrust of Raq was slowly turning Kanan against his mother.
By Season 4, Kanan’s new mentors fed him knowledge, sharpened his instincts, and guided him toward manipulation and eventual dominance. Kanan was a pawn in their long game, even though it’s hard to see.
The Breeze Connection: A Critical Link Between Kanan, Ghost, and Tommy
Why Breeze Matters
He mentored Ghost (James St. Patrick) and Tommy, laying the foundation for their rise.
He coined the nickname “Ghost” for young James.
He was Kanan’s closest ally, long before Ghost and Tommy entered the picture.
Despite everything, Breeze’s fate is still unknown. Ghost once claimed that he killed Breeze for not respecting him, but was that the whole story? Could Snaps and Pop have played a role in Breeze’s disappearance, just like they have played a role in so many other power plays?
Legacy of Manipulation: From Kanan to Ghost to Tariq
Kanan’s use of Snaps and Pop’s tactics against him shaped Ghost and Tommy’s fates. Their strategies created generational blueprints for control, betrayal, and dominance.
Patterns That Echo Through the Franchise
Just as Snaps framed Raq, Kanan later framed Breeze—possibly even tying him to Ghost’s father’s murder.
Kanan mirrored their strategy, manipulating Ghost and Tommy into building his empire while remaining in the shadows.
Kanan passed the manipulation down to Tariq, teaching him how to play both sides just as he was taught.
Snaps and Pop created the blueprint for betrayal in the Power universe through repeated cycles, reinforcing the painful truth. Their identity is evident in every backstab, power shift, and lie.
The Fall of the Puppet Masters: Will Kanan Turn on Snaps and Pop?
What is Snaps and Pop’s strategy’s weakness? Not paying enough attention to Kanan’s ambition. While shaping him, they may have also developed their own destroyer. Kanan is beginning to realize the strings they’ve tied around him. History in the Power universe shows that protégés rarely let puppet masters live forever.
Possible Outcomes for Snaps and Pop
Kanan kills them once he uncovers the depth of their manipulation.
Raq and Marvin return for vengeance, leading to a final Thomas family showdown.
They live but are stripped of their influence, forced into genuine retirement, powerless and forgotten.
Snaps and Pop’s impact is already a part of the Power narrative’s bloodlines, betrayals, and broken alliances.
The True Architects of Power
The true mastermind of the Power saga may be hiding in plain sight as fans debate between Raq, Kanan, and Ghost. Snaps and Pop have created a legacy so profound that it has impacted every major character arc:
At the top of that twisted family tree? Snaps and pops are the ones who set everything in motion.
Power’s Hidden Kings Deserve Recognition
Raising Kanan is nearing its fifth season, but the writing is on the wall. Snaps and Pop’s reign is at a crucial point. Regardless of whether they end is due to Kanan, Raq, or Breeze himself, one truth stands above all else: The Power Universe was constructed in their image. Their ruthlessness. Their patience. Their manipulation. Two older men who never truly left the game were the originators of every betrayal, throne taken, and empire that has fallen.
