Annlyel James 
Annlyel explores the story arc of Finn in The Rise Of Skywalker
The Rise of Skywalker is coming, bringing an end to the Skywalker saga that we have grown to love so much over four decades. Generations of fans have followed these stories, become attached to these heroes, and very soon we will have to say goodbye. It’s a bittersweet thought but we knew this day was inevitable.
With every day bringing Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker closer and closer one can only wonder just how this story will end. What will be the conclusion of these characters’ stories and will it satisfy our deepest needs? With every bit of extra content, I’ve seen from the film, it’s making me more and more excited to see this movie. Of course, we still have a half a year to wait but that doesn’t mean I can’t theorize a bit about what could potentially happen in this film. So, I’m starting a new series focusing on what could happen next for the main characters in this movie. Today, I start the series with everyone’s favorite ex-stormtrooper, Finn.
Finn Is a Bona Fide Resistance Hero Now…So What’s Next?
When we saw Finn again after what happened to him in The Force Awakens he was ready to jet to the farthest star system away from both the First Order and the Resistance. I mean, think about it from Finn’s perspective. He had just come out of a coma after nearly getting killed by Kylo Ren only to find himself waking to a situation worse than he had left. His main priority was to keep Rey safe, and that meant running, but throughout the film, he starts to realize what it means to be a Resistance fighter and the people, like the children in Canto Bight, that he could save. Long story short, he decided to stay with the Resistance and fight the First Order head on and no longer run away from his duties as a hero.
In the last forty minutes of The Last Jedi, his heroic side sprang forth tenfold and that leads me to this next segment.
If Finn is such a Resistance hero by the end of The Last Jedi then that means when next we see him he’ll undoubtedly have gained a rank. I think in Episode IX we should see Finn as Captain Finn. Not only would be that symbolistic of his two-movie-long feud with Captain Phasma but it would also be very nice to see him in a position of leadership like that. It’ll really show how far his character has come since we first met him when he was nothing more than a panicked stormtrooper trying to break the mental shackles the First Order had placed upon him.
Another thing that would be super awesome to introduce to his character is for him to try to recruit First Order defects and this is why I say this. In a deleted scene for The Last Jedi, we see Finn in a confrontation with his rival, Captain Phasma. As he is surrounded by stormtroopers waiting for Phasma’s command to end him he tells them of Phasma’s traitorous actions when she sold out the First Order to save her own skin in The Force Awakens. At that moment the Stormtroopers hesitated and you could visibly see them questioning their loyalty to Phasma.
Of course, because Phasma is a warrior and a survivor, she killed the stormtroopers within seconds but Finn could easily leave more seeds. What if he could find other people like him in the First Order that are questioning their reason to stay in the First Order and he can recruit those teetering individuals? That would be SO COOL! It would also give an interesting storyline to Star Wars that hasn’t been seen before and that’s always an important thing for this franchise.
Now, we clearly have seen that Finn will be on an epic adventure with his friends and the newcomer, Jannah, but there will be moments with him and the Resistance. I would love to see a specific squadron of Resistance fighters who defected from the First Order. That would be amazing. When so many fans and viewers are wanting new stories to get committed to with these movies you definitely need to bring a new direction that people wouldn’t see coming and I think this would undoubtedly be a plus to Finn’s story.
As always these are just theories and none of it might come true but if some of it is correct I will totally be thrilled.
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Annlyel James is a Senior Correspondent of The Future of the Force. She is passionate about Star Wars and Marvel but loves a wide variety of movie genres. Aside from her role with Future of the Force she also writes for her blog: annlyelonline. Follow her on Twitter where she channels the Force frequently!
