Page 78 - Star Wars Insider #181

FINN’S CONTINUING JOURNEY

n Star Wars: The
Force Awakens, Finn
I embarks upon a
personal journey of
growth, defecting
from the First Order,
then befriending Rey, and joining the

Resistance’s mission to infiltrate and to
destroy Starkiller Base. While his story
arc in The Last Jedi includes several
elements that are similar to those of
his introductory Hero’s Journey, his
second adventure contains unique
nuances that expose new layers of
Finn’s true self.
Past as Prologue
In the opening sequence of The Force
Awakens, we are introduced to heroic
pilot Poe, villainous Kylo Ren, and First 01 02
Order stormtrooper FN-2187. The faces

of two of these men are concealed by At first, Finn’s motivation is as much
their helmets, suggesting that only about survival instinct and fear as it is
Poe is who he appears to be. When right and wrong. He doesn’t want to go
Kylo orders the destruction of the back to Jakku with Poe, and at Takodana
Jakku village and the massacre of its he insists the only safe course is to fl ee
innocent inhabitants, FN-2187 refuses to the Outer Rim, both times out of his
to fire upon the villagers. Even amid desire to get as far from the First Order

the death and destruction, his crisis as possible. On both occasions, though,
of conscience catches Ren’s notice. his survival instinct is overridden by
Later, Kylo intuitively connects his friendship. Stranded on Jakku, Finn
perception of the soldier’s moral qualms sees Rey fending off a pair of thugs and
to the identity of the First Order traitor instinctively wants to help, though she
absconding in a stolen TIE fi ghter capably handles the situation without
with the liberated Poe. The interaction his assistance. On Takodana he realizes,
between Finn and Kylo Ren shows once Rey is abducted by Kylo Ren, that
that both characters understand the he still wants to help her. After arriving
difference between right and wrong. on D’Qar and reuniting with Poe, Finn’s
Despite his First Order brainwashing, decision to volunteer for the mission is
Finn chooses to act on his conscience. not motivated by a desire to save the

He is not a pacifist, after all: he does Resistance; he wants a ride to Starkiller 04
not hesitate to shoot at the First Order Base so he can save Rey. As at Niima
during their escape, or later in the fi lm. Outpost, the scavenger has already that rouses Rey into action as she
saved herself by the time Finn fi nds her, summons the lightsaber to her hand.
but in their reunion she realizes there is Finn is unconscious for Rey’s defeat of
At first, Finn’s someone in the galaxy who will come Kylo and his return to D’Qar. As she
back for her.
prepares to leave D’Qar to retrieve Luke
motivation is confront Kylo together, but after Ren Skywalker, Rey promises Finn they will
In the snowy forest, Finn and Rey
see each other again. Though Rey and
as much about dispatches Rey’s initial attack with a Finn spend The Last Jedi apart, Finn is
survival instinct kinetic Force shove, Finn recalls Maz’s never far from Rey’s thoughts: she urges

Chewbacca to ask about her friend once
advice and fights with the only weapon
and fear as it is he has: Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber. he makes contact with the Resistance,
and when she prepares to face Kylo Ren
Ren may already be wounded, but it
right and wrong. is never an even fight. Kylo gravely again, she asks the Wookiee to deliver a

injures Finn, and it is Finn’s agony
personal message.
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