Finn (Star Wars)

Creation and casting

Finn's origins in Star Wars: The Force Awakens trace back to screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan. While other writers toyed with archetypes like a pirate or merchant marine for the lead male role, Kasdan grew frustrated, accusing them of lacking ambition. He pushed for a renegade stormtrooper instead, which became Finn's final form. Director J. J. Abrams wanted fresh faces for the main parts so audiences wouldn't bring baggage from past roles.

John Boyega caught Abrams' eye with his debut in Attack the Block and was asked to audition. Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy noted that Boyega was a top pick from the start. After testing many actors, including Tom Holland, the filmmakers gave Boyega the part. Finn's stormtrooper code, FN-2187, nods to two things: Princess Leia's cell number from the original 1977 film and Arthur Lipsett's 1963 short film 21-87.

Appearances

Finn first appears in The Force Awakens (2015) under the designation FN-2187, a stormtrooper for the First Order. On his initial combat deployment to Jakku, he grows disenchanted with the organization. He rescues Resistance pilot Poe Dameron from captivity and orchestrates their escape together. They commandeer a TIE fighter, and during their flight Poe coins the name "Finn" by taking the first two letters of his former designation, FN-2187.

Soon after, their vessel is hit and crashes back onto Jakku. Finn searches the wreckage for Poe but discovers only his jacket before the ship is pulled into a sinkhole. Wandering into the desert, he comes across the scavenger Rey and the droid BB-8. The trio is chased by the First Order but escapes the planet aboard the Millennium Falcon.

They then encounter Han Solo and Chewbacca, who claim ownership of the ship. Han brings them to his associate Maz Kanata, who agrees to get them to the Resistance. Finn initially plans to run from the conflict, but changes course when the First Order destroys multiple planets and captures Rey. Arriving at the Resistance base, Finn learns Poe is still alive.

He provides intelligence on the First Order's superweapon, Starkiller Base, and asserts he can lower its protective shield. Finn, Han, and Chewbacca infiltrate the base and force Captain Phasma, Finn's former commander, to disable the shield. As Resistance forces attack, Finn and his group find Rey, who has escaped her captors. Han is killed by his son, Kylo Ren, who then confronts Finn and Rey in a forest.

Finn fights Ren with a lightsaber but is overpowered and knocked unconscious. Rey takes the weapon, wounds Ren, and flees the base with Chewbacca and the injured Finn. After Starkiller Base is destroyed, Rey and Chewbacca transport Finn to Resistance headquarters for treatment. The 2015 book Star Wars: Before the Awakening details the backgrounds of Finn, Poe, and Rey before the events of The Force Awakens.

Characterization

According to actor John Boyega, Finn leaves the First Order because he is following a higher purpose and starting his own path. Boyega noted that Finn ends up in an unusual situation where he is completely out of his depth. Early in the story, Finn’s choices are driven by impulse; for instance, he might grab a weapon and then immediately flee.

For The Last Jedi, the original plan had Finn traveling to Canto Bight alongside Poe. Director Rian Johnson found that the two characters’ dialogue was too similar, making the plot feel flat. To fix this, he invented Rose, a character designed to push back against Finn and offer a different perspective, making her his travel partner instead.

Reception

Critics widely praised both the character Finn and John Boyega's performance. Brian Truitt from USA Today highlighted the chemistry between Finn and Rey, as well as the "seriously clever" exchanges between Finn and Han Solo. Drew McWeeny of HitFix noted that Boyega skillfully balances "self-interested fear and reluctant heroism," and effectively tracks Finn's personal growth. In The Telegraph, Robbie Collin described Boyega's portrayal as a "would-be-heroic schtick" that is simultaneously half-brave, half-anxious, and very funny, adding that Finn aspires to be a "daring freedom-fighter" but doubts his own ability.

Rolling Stone's Peter Travers called Finn "bracingly comic and cunning." However, Ty Burr of The Boston Globe offered a more critical view, labeling Finn a "weak link" who "vacillates between noble impulses and cowardice until our interest drops away." Burr felt the performance was merely adequate, lacking the "iconic bite" needed for such a dramatic space opera.

Finn's debut also sparked racist backlash online. Boyega responded calmly, saying, "I'm not going to lose sleep over people." After the first trailer, he told critics, "To whom it may concern ... Get used to it," and explained that his films often challenge stereotypes, aiming to make people "drop a prejudiced state of mind and realise, 'Oh shit we're just watching normal people.'" When some called for a boycott because of a black stormtrooper, Boyega stated, "I'm proud of my heritage, and no man can take that away from me. I wasn't raised to fear people with a difference of opinion. They are merely victims of a disease in their mind."