Finn was introduced in The Force Awakens and he became an immediate fan favorite because he was just so darn lovable. I loved Finn because I had never seen a stormtrooper as a main character and on top of that he was the first black character to have a super major role in Star Wars. Basically, Finn is pretty awesome.
Now his story has grown beyond just being the stormtrooper gone good and today I’m celebrating his journey with this segment of The Defining Moments. Enjoy!
1. Snapping Out of the Spell
FN-2187 was a loyal First Order stormtrooper. He had risen in the ranks from sanitation duty to being part of Captain Phasma’s platoon and when it was time for him to participate in his first raid he was ready. He had gone through all of the simulations, he was a perfectly trained soldier ready to do anything the First Order asked of him, and then reality struck.
When a fellow stormtrooper was gunned down in front of him he realized, at that moment, the brutality of war. This wasn’t a game anymore. This was a real battle with individuals dying on both sides. When he looked around and saw his fellow comrades heartlessly herding the helpless Jakku innocents into a circle against their will it was like watching a horror film. What was he doing? Was he really a part of a regime this evil?
When he, along with the other stormtroopers, were given the orders to slaughter the unfortunate civilians he couldn’t perform the atrocious act. It was wrong, it was evil, and he didn’t have the stomach to do something as wicked as gunning down helpless men, women, and children. Even though he didn’t know it, this would be the beginning of his transformation from the soldier, FN-2187, to the eventual rebel hero, Finn.
2. Removing the Helmet
Finn was traumatized. He couldn’t believe the atrocities he had just witnessed or the fact that he had been a part of it. Taking off that stormtrooper helmet was the second act of his defiance and him growing into a different person. He didn’t want to be this mindless follower in a white mask of death. He was a living soul just like the ones that had been extinguished down on Jakku and he was going to make sure he wouldn’t be a part of the evil First Order anymore.
3. Rescuing Poe
Finn knew it was only a matter of time before he would be sent to reconditioning and would become a brainwashed First Order soldier. He would rather die than become a robotic monster again and so he had to think fast how he was going to get away from the First Order. As fate would have it, during the skirmish on Jakku the First Order managed to capture the Resistance’s best pilot. Knowing this the stormtrooper, FN-2187 concocted a brilliant escape plan.
Not only was his rescuing of Poe the ultimate renouncing of the First Order but it was the beginning of a great friendship that would end up blossoming between the two.
Continue reading The Defining Moments of Finn →
