10 Years Later, This ‘Star Wars’ Character Is Still Disappointing

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The Star Wars sequel trilogy is a frequent source of debate among fans. While each movie made over a billion dollars – with The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi being the top-grossing films of their release years – the trilogy remains controversial. Similar to the reaction to the prequel trilogy, it has faced a lot of criticism, but it’s likely that opinions will become more positive over time as those who grew up watching these films share their perspectives. We’re already starting to see this happen as The Force Awakens nears its 10-year anniversary.

The Star Wars sequel trilogy holds a significant place in the franchise and brought many compelling new characters to life. Following The Force Awakens, viewers were equally captivated by these new faces – both heroes and villains – as they were by the original characters. However, one particularly promising character, Finn, didn’t receive the attention he deserved. He represents perhaps the biggest missed potential of the entire trilogy. This isn’t a reflection on John Boyega’s excellent performance; rather, the writing and promotion of the character fell short of what he could have been.

An Understandable Frustration for ‘Star Wars’ Fans


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As a fan, one of the things that really bothered me about Finn’s story was how it felt like Disney initially led us to believe he’d be the main hero. All the marketing for The Force Awakens made it seem like he was the one destined for greatness, especially since he was shown with Luke’s lightsaber. A lot of us were so excited by the possibility of a new Star Wars hero who was a Black man, and a Jedi at that – it felt like a huge step forward for representation and finally seeing ourselves reflected in the story.

All the initial focus on other characters was a deliberate distraction. The real surprise was that Rey, played by Daisy Ridley, was the main hero and the powerful Force user at the center of the new Star Wars trilogy. This was a clever move because audiences often expected the new female character to fill the role of a female Han Solo or Leia, but instead, she became the new Luke Skywalker. Having a female Jedi lead was a significant change, and it’s still something some fans debate, with some claiming it turned Star Wars into a franchise aimed primarily at girls.

Rey is a strong character, and having a female Jedi lead Star Wars was significant. However, many viewers were upset that Finn, a Black male character who was initially presented as potentially important, ended up with a smaller role. It appeared Disney was prioritizing the appearance of diversity rather than genuine inclusion by sidelining a person of color in favor of a white character. Had Disney and Lucasfilm been upfront about Rey being the central Jedi and Finn having a different path, the disappointment might have been lessened. Because audiences felt misled about Finn’s role, the sequels struggled to regain trust, and ultimately didn’t fully satisfy expectations.

Finn’s Storyline in the ‘Star Wars’ Sequel Trilogy Shows Promise


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Finn’s character had a promising development in the first two Star Wars films, The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, but his storyline unfortunately falters in The Rise of Skywalker. We first meet Finn in The Force Awakens as a Stormtrooper who breaks free from his programming after witnessing a fellow soldier’s death. He spends much of the film focused on escaping the First Order and simply surviving. While he displays bravery by the end, his actions are driven more by personal relationships than by any strong beliefs.

Finn’s story in The Last Jedi is compelling because the film continues directly after The Force Awakens, unlike previous Star Wars sequels which had time jumps. This means Finn’s choices are immediately connected to what happened before. While viewers might have anticipated him becoming a character like Han Solo, The Last Jedi focuses on Finn’s initial desire to escape the First Order and avoid fighting. This makes sense, considering he rescued Rey in The Force Awakens more out of personal care than loyalty to the Resistance. The film shows Finn coming to terms with the scale of the conflict and realizing he can’t remain neutral – he has to fight for what’s right. This was a promising direction for his character, but unfortunately, The Rise of Skywalker didn’t follow through on that potential.

Rey and Finn both play central roles and move the story forward in The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. However, The Rise of Skywalker shifts the focus almost entirely to Rey by revealing her connection to Palpatine. This leads to several questionable story choices that negatively impact Rey’s character arc, and more importantly, leaves little room for other characters, especially Finn, to develop.

What Finn’s Storyline Could Have Been


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With J.J. Abrams returning to direct The Rise of Skywalker, many expected him to address a key unanswered question from The Force Awakens: Finn’s backstory as a former Stormtrooper. Finn was the first character to show audiences the humanity inside the Stormtrooper armor, giving a face to soldiers who had previously been seen as nameless enemies for over forty years. The revelation that these new Stormtroopers weren’t volunteers, but kidnapped children brainwashed into fighting, added a complex moral layer to the conflict. It meant the First Order troopers were committing terrible acts, but as victims of brainwashing, they weren’t fully aware of their actions.

The story hinted at a compelling internal struggle for Finn. Having once been a stormtrooper himself, would he feel conflicted about fighting and potentially killing others who were in the same situation? Could he have pushed the Resistance to use non-lethal methods, like stun settings on their weapons? Interestingly, Poe Dameron, Finn’s close friend, was the one who initially shot at Finn’s former comrade, which sparked Finn’s defection – could this have created tension between them? Unfortunately, The Rise of Skywalker didn’t explore these promising ideas, letting go of interesting themes established in The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi.

The story seemed to be building towards Finn becoming a leader like Spartacus, encouraging Stormtroopers to rebel against the First Order and ultimately weakening their forces. This would have shown that the First Order wasn’t truly powerful without its soldiers. It’s a similar arc to Rey’s, where both characters went from ordinary beginnings to become inspirational heroes, echoing the journey of the original trilogy’s main characters.

Although The Rise of Skywalker briefly suggests Finn could inspire other Stormtroopers through the character Jannah, that’s all the development he gets. The film focuses on Finn wanting to share something with Rey, but never actually reveals what it is. The eventual explanation – that he’s Force sensitive – feels like a last-minute attempt to satisfy viewers who hoped he’d become a Jedi. If the filmmakers had intended for him to have Force powers, they should have fully explored that storyline and allowed both Finn and Rey to train as Jedi. Ultimately, the writers couldn’t decide on a clear direction for Finn’s character, giving him small pieces of multiple storylines. This resulted in an unfulfilled and disappointing arc, as he didn’t get a satisfying conclusion on either front.

Finn’s story felt unfulfilled, and it highlights some of the biggest problems with the recent Star Wars sequels. While there were initially promising ideas for his character, the filmmakers seemed afraid to fully commit to any one direction. They constantly worried about upsetting fans, and this hesitation ultimately hurt Finn’s arc. He deserved a more satisfying conclusion than what The Rise of Skywalker, and the sequels as a whole, delivered.

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2025-10-26 23:49