The Last Jedi ‘Digs Into’ Finn’s Character

Star Wars: The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson is promising fans the film will do a deep exploration into the character of Finn, who is set up to have a rather intriguing arc. Introduced as one of the new leads in The Force Awakens, the stormtrooper-turned-hero will spend most of Episode VIII separated from his friend Rey, as the two are on rather different paths. While the young scavenger finds to exiled Luke Skywalker to learn more about her Force abilities, Finn remains aligned with the Resistance, teaming up with mechanic Rose Tico on a top secret mission.


Finn has been shown in the various Last Jedi marketing materials, with footage from trailers and TV spots showing him recovering from his Episode VII injuries and participating in the Battle of Crait. However, a lion’s share of the advertising has focused primarily on the trio of Rey, Luke, and Kylo Ren, as that dynamic will carry the main plot of the movie. That being said, the rest of the ensemble hasn’t drawn the short straw, and will receive plenty of attention during the 150-minute runtime.


While participating in a Twitter Q&A, Johnson was asked about what it was like to work with John Boyega, the charismatic actor who has brought Finn to life in the sequel trilogy. The filmmaker praised his leading man, and teased what we can expect from Finn’s storyline in The Last Jedi.


https://twitter.com/starwars/status/935572532895215616


Finn’s Force Awakens arc revolved around his decision whether to fight against the First Order or run to the Outer Rim far away from the conflict, ultimately choosing the former. However, it seems like that was more inspired by his loyalty to Rey than a newfound commitment to the Resistance’s cause. Boyega has mentioned Finn is still trying to get away from the escalating war, but obviously fate has other plans for him. How he gets roped into traveling to Canto Bight at the Resistance’s bidding remains to be seen, but it sounds like this experience could change him in a profound manner. Rose has no wavering doubts about fighting with the heroes, so perhaps she instills some new values in Finn. Both characters are seen flying the ski speeders towards the First Order walkers on Crait, so Finn isn’t running anymore.


This is to say nothing about Finn’s impending showdown with his former boss, Captain Phasma. Part of his mission sees the former stormtrooper infiltrate a Star Destroyer, where a familiar face will be waiting for him. It’ll be interesting to see how that all goes down considering the history between the two. Finn infamously got the better of Phasma in Force Awakens, which led to the Captain being tossed down the garbage chute. No doubt, the villain will be out for revenge in this film, looking to make up for her previous failures. Based on what little we see of their fight in the trailer, Finn seems quite intense as they come to blows, so the context surrounding their encounter will be one of the more anticipated parts.