Finn

There's been an awakening. Have you felt it?

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"I was raised to do one thing, but I've got nothing to fight for."

―Finn^[src]

Finn was a human male who served as a First Order stormtrooper, designation FN-2187 and known to his fellow soldiers as Eight-Seven. He was considered one of the group's best stormtroopers before he deserted to join the Resistance in their struggle against the First Order. Having left the First Order, he took on the name "Finn" at the suggestion of Resistance pilot Poe Dameron, based on his stormtrooper designation, having never been given an actual name. After leaving the First Order, he reluctantly became involved in the droid BB-8's quest to rejoin the Resistance, and escaped the desert planet Jakku with BB-8 and a scavenger named Rey.

Along with the famed smuggler Han Solo and wookiee Chewbacca, Finn joined the Resistance's efforts to destroy the First Order's superweapon Starkiller Base after Rey was captured. However, after Solo's death at the hands of Kylo Ren in the battle at Starkiller Base, Finn was seriously injured in a lightsaber duel with the more experienced Ren.

Biography

Serving the First Order

"You have great potential, 2187. You are officer corps material. Your duty is to the First Order above everything. Nothing else comes before that."

―Captain Phasma^[src]

The boy who would become Finn was taken as a child from his family to serve the First Order. Finn later reflected that he had been too young to even remember who his family was. The child received the designation FN-2187 and was made a stormtrooper of the First Order, a military junta that continued the ideals of the fallen Galactic Empire in the decades after the Galactic Civil War. FN-2187 served under Captain Phasma and, as a cadet, alongside fellow troopers FN-2199 ("Nines"), FN-2000 ("Zeroes"), and FN-2003 ("Slip"). FN-2187, known to his fellow troopers as Eight-Seven, was seen by his comrades and superiors as an ideal First Order stormtrooper, and consistently scored top marks as a cadet.^[4] Finn was also once in charge of sanitation duties at Starkiller Base.

During his time as a cadet, Eight-Seven and his fellow troopers underwent a training simulation in which they assaulted a New Republic bunker, with the intention of destroying a heavy repeating blaster manned by Republic soldiers. During their advance on the bunker, Slip fell behind—a common occurrence—and Eight-Seven intended to rescue him. Over the objections of Zeroes and Nines, who wanted to complete their objective and felt that rescuing Slip would lead the Republic to take them all out, Eight-Seven ordered them to rescue their fellow soldier. Eight-Seven sent Zeroes and Nines in different directions in order to divide the Republic's attention, while Eight-Seven himself went for Slip and successfully rescued him. Though Zeroes and Nines were pinned down, their diversion gave Eight-Seven a clear path into the Republic bunker, into which he threw a grenade and destroyed the blaster before the Republic could react to his attack.^[4]

The simulation was monitored by Captain Phasma and General Hux. After the training session ended, Phasma spoke to the troopers and told them that their performance was adequate. Each was given a review of their performance, with Eight-Seven being commended on his kill rate and the completion of his objective. She further said that his fellow soldiers should follow his example. The other troopers were dismissed, but Eight-Seven was ordered to stay so Phasma could question why he rescued Slip, as it was not the first time Eight-Seven had to help him. Phasma ordered him to stop, as she said the First Order was only as strong as its weakest link. Rather than fixing the problem, Phasma said he was allowing it to persist and weaken the group. Phasma sensed hesitation on his part, but he assured her that he would stop helping Slip.^[4]

Following this incident, FN-2187 and his fellow troopers were deployed to a mining colony in an artificial asteroid field known as Pressy's Tumble in the Outer Rim system of Pressylla. Captain Phasma informed the Stormtroopers there that the purpose of the visit was to 'restore order' after Republic agents had infiltrated the mining operations, sabotaged equipment and created dissent among the miners there. Upon arrival, Captain Phasma took FN-2187's unit to a room of negotiators. Captain Phasma then gave the order that the troopers execute the negotiators. FN-2187 aimed his rifle at an Abednedo negotiator, yet couldn't bring himself to shoot—Slip attacked the negotiator instead. Upon returning from Pressylla, FN-2187 and his fellow troopers were officially recognized as full-fledged Stormtroopers. Captain Phasma decided that FN-2187 ought to be deployed in an upcoming battle in Jakku, thinking that he would understand what it meant to be a Stormtrooper and fight back when brought face-to-face with those attacking him back. ^[4]

Deserting from the First Order

"I'm done with the First Order. I'm never going back."

―Finn^[src]

Finn on Tuanul — Finn reacts to the attack on the village of Tuanul.

After Eight-Seven was deployed, he and his fellow troopers were sent on a mission to the desert planet Jakku, where a man named Lor San Tekka allegedly held part of a map that would lead to the location of Luke Skywalker, the last of the Jedi. Eight-Seven was deployed from the Star Destroyer Finalizer, along with 4 elite First Order squadrons of Stromtroopers, to the village of Tuanul. The First Order assaulted the village where the man was in hiding, and during the fighting his friend FN-2003 was killed by Resistance pilot Poe Dameron, wiping his blood on FN-2187's helmet. This deeply affected the Stormtrooper, and when ordered by Kylo Ren to kill the villagers, he refused to fire.

Returning to the Finalizer, Eight-Seven felt significant stress from the mission, and Captain Phasma noticed his distress. She told him to submit his blaster to be checked, making sure he fired a shot. Knowing he would be re-evaluated and discovered for not firing on the villagers, and with his faith severely shaken in the First Order, he decided to desert. He freed the captured Poe Dameron from his cell, and the two stole a Special Forces TIE Fighter. FN-2187 manned the guns, killing several of his former comrades in the hanger, and then disabling the Finalizer's turbolasers. During the escape, Dameron asked the Stormtrooper his name, to which he replied with his number. Not content with calling a man a number, Dameron named the trooper Finn, from the FN in his number. Finn liked the name, and went on to use it. Dameron also told him that the map vital to the Resistance was located in his white and orange BB-unit, BB-8. Finn demanded not to return to Jakku, insisting that they would be killed. The TIE was hit by a missile, though, sending it spiraling towards the planet below.

Meeting Rey and BB-8

"I don't know your name."
"Finn. What's yours?"
"I'm Rey."

―Rey and Finn^[src]

Finn and Dameron ejected from the TIE shortly before it crashed, each landing separately some distance from the wreck. Making his way to the crash, he found Poe's jacket, but no other sign of the man, and the fighter sunk into the sand. Believing Dameron to be dead, he discarded his armor and eventually arrived at the nearest settlement, looking for BB-8 to carry on Poe's mission. Once at the settlement, he found BB-8 along with Rey, a desert scavenger, after witnessing her save the droid from two thugs. Soon after, BB-8 pointed him out to Rey, identifying Dameron's jacket, prompting the woman to chase after him. Finn attempted to outrun her but Rey outflanked him. Held under questioning and accused of stealing Dameron's jacket, Finn falsely claimed to be with the Resistance to get them to trust her. The three were immediately targeted by the First Order, looking for Finn and BB-8, but they managed to escape Jakku aboard the Millennium Falcon.

Once in space, the Falcon was in need of major repairs, so Rey and Finn attempted to fix the aging ship. Finn then confessed to BB-8 that he wasn't with the Resistance and tried convincing the droid to tell him where the Resistance base was. While they were in the back, the ship was caught in a tractor beam. Finn initially believed them to be captured by the First Order, but instead they met Han Solo and Chewbacca, who had reclaimed their vessel after it had been stolen from them years earlier.^[5]

"This was a mistake!"
"Huge!"

―Finn and Rey^[src]

Rey and Finn Crawl Eravana — Rey and Finn crawl through the *Eravana* to avoid detection.

The Falcon broke down and left them stranded. The ship was in major need of repairs, so Finn, Rey and the BB-8 began working to fix it. While they were working on repairs, the ship was caught in a tractor beam by a freighter. Initially believing themselves to be captured by the First Order, they met their real captors: Han Solo and Chewbacca, the former owners of the ship. Upon boarding their old vessel, Han and Chewie went about inspecting their ship and found two stowaways, Rey and Finn, who he assumed were the thieves that had stolen the Falcon. When Rey and Finn explained that they were going to take a droid named BB-8 to the Resistance as he had a map that would reveal Luke's location, Han and Chewie agreed to help them.

Unfortunately, Han's freighter, the Eravana had been boarded by two notorious criminal factions, the Guavian Death Gang and Kanjiklub, whom Solo was indebted to. Not wanting Rey and Finn to be involved, Han placed both of them in the lower corridors of the freighter while he and Chewie went to meet with the criminals, with BB-8 accompanying them. The smuggler tried but failed to convince both parties that he would fix things eventually, with the Guavian Death Gang negotiator, Bala-Tik recognizing the BB-8 astromech droid from a First Order bounty placed on it. They demanded that Han hand over the droid and any stowaways he might have on board. As the scuffle continued, Rey accidentally released three rathtars. They successfully escaped the gangs and jumped into hyperspace in the Falcon. Bala-tik then ordered his men to inform the First Order that Han Solo and the droid unit are aboard the ship.

Takodana and Starkiller Base

"I'm looking at the eyes of a man who wants to run."

―Maz Kanata to Finn^[src]

Maz Kanatas Castle Takodana — Finn, Rey, Han, and BB-8 travel to Maz Kanata's castle.

After a harrowing scuffle with some rival gangs of Solo, the Falcon and its passengers traveled to Takodana, where Finn met the pirate and tavern keep Maz Kanata. At Kanata's castle, Finn was asked to join the Resistance in its struggle against the First Order, but Finn initially refused, believing the First Order to be too powerful. He planned to leave with pirate Captain Sidon Ithano, but before he could, the First Order attacked, having been alerted to BB-8's presence. Maz Kanata gave Finn the lightsaber that once belonged to Jedi Knights Anakin and Luke Skywalker, with instructions to give it to Rey.

Finn wielded the lightsaber during the battle, killing at least one stormtrooper, and engaging in a duel with FN-2199, who brandished a Z6 riot control baton. He was unable to defeat Nines, who was shot by Han Solo wielding Chewbacca's bowcaster. Finn, Solo, and Chewbacca were captured, but made an escape when the Resistance counterattacked. Finn witnessed Kylo Ren carrying off Rey and ran to rescue her, but could do little to help as Ren left the battlefield.

"That lightsaber. It belongs to me!"
"Come get it!"

―Kylo Ren and Finn^[src]

Finn traveled with Solo, Chewbacca, and BB-8 to the Resistance base on D'Qar, where he was reunited with Poe Dameron, who had survived the crash on Jakku. Finn was present during the meeting to discuss the attack on Starkiller Base, and his knowledge of the superweapon was invaluable in planning the attack. He volunteered to go with Solo and Chewbacca to destroy a shield generator on the planet's thermal regulator, but was more interested in rescuing Rey. After crash-landing on the planet, Finn revealed to Han and Chewie that he used to work on sanitation on Starkiller Base, much to Solo's annoyance. Finn devised a plan to lower the shield around the planet, which would allow the Resistance pilots to attack the oscillator and destroy the weapon. Chewbacca captured Captain Phasma, and the three forced her to lower the shield. She warned them that her troops would storm in and kill them all, but Solo and Finn were able to dump her into a trash compactor.

Finn Lightsaber Stance — Finn ignites Luke's lightsaber before his duel with Kylo Ren.

The three then found Rey, who had escaped by herself. Rey and Finn went to set charges on part of the oscillator, and witnessed Han Solo confront Kylo Ren, who was revealed to be Han's son Ben Solo. After witnessing Kylo murder his father, Rey and Finn attempted to escape, but were met with Kylo again in the woods. Rey attempted to use her blaster against Kylo, but he threw Rey back with a Force push and knocked her out. Finn, enraged, ignited the lightsaber and engaged in a duel against Kylo Ren. Finn briefly held his own, even with him having no training with a lightsaber. Finn used his emotion to fight Kylo, even managed to inflict a shoulder wound on him. But in the end, Finn sustained wounds in his shoulder and across his spine. After Finn was disarmed, Rey regained consciousness and picked up the lightsaber and defeated Kylo. Finn was taken by Rey to the Millenium Falcon, which was piloted by Chewbacca, and was left in intensive care at the Resistance base while under a coma. Rey wished him a heartfelt goodbye before leaving to find Luke Skywalker.

Personality and traits

"FN-2187 has the potential to be one of the finest stormtroopers I have ever seen."
"From what I just observed, Captain, I agree."
"But his decision to split the fire-team and return for FN-2003 is problematic. It speaks to a potentially...dangerous level of empathy."

―Captain Phasma and General Hux^[src]

Finn was a male human. During his time with the First Order, he wore the standard-issue stormtrooper armor. Following his desertion, he discarded his armor, but continued to wear the armor's body glove and shoes, and took to wearing Poe Dameron's jacket as a way to remember him. Upon discovering that Dameron was alive, Finn offered him his jacket back, but the pilot insisted he keep it.

While in service to the First Order, Finn was seen by his training cadre and his fellow soldiers as one of the best stormtroopers that the First Order had to offer. His instructors saw him as loyal to the First Order, as well as dutiful, brave, intelligent, and possessing the strength necessary to be a great stormtrooper. Finn was trained to believe that the New Republic was depraved and that the First Order was necessary to bring law to a lawless galaxy, and everything he had seen of the galaxy was filtered through his training; the First Order showed him only what they wanted him to see, but he did not doubt its truth. Nonetheless, though as a cadet he was eager to be deployed and see the galaxy so he could serve the First Order and Supreme Leader Snoke, he was plagued by doubt. That doubt came to a head on Jakku, when he refused to fire on the villagers and deserted from the First Order.^[4]

Despite his training and education by the First Order, Finn had a good heart and empathy for others. While deployed on Jakku, after witnessing his friend FN-2003 killed by Poe Dameron, he refused to fire on unarmed villagers. These two events shook his belief in the First Order, inspiring him to desert and free Dameron, and eventually help Rey and BB-8 and side with the Resistance.

Finn was also protective of those he cared about. He risked jeopardizing a training mission in order to save FN-2003, and when seeing Rey being carried off by Kylo Ren, ran desperately to rescue her. He later accompanied Han Solo and Chewbacca on a mission to destroy the Starkiller Base's shield generator in order to rescue Rey.

Skills and abilities

"FN-2187, your targeting was exemplary. According to the simulation, you fired your weapon only thirty-six times, scoring kills with thirty-five of those. You deployed one explosive, which resulted in the achieving of the objective and another six enemies killed. All of you should take your example from FN-2187."

―Captain Phasma to FN-2187 and his team^[src]

As a stormtrooper, Finn consistently scored top marks in his training and was seen as someone who could become an ideal First Order trooper. His First Order training made him an effective marksman with a high kill rate.

Despite a lack of training, he had the ability to wield a lightsaber in combat. He was able to hold his own against a stormtrooper with a riot baton, and despite being defeated, managed to inflict a shoulder wound on the more experienced Kylo Ren.^[6]

Behind the scenes

Finn is portrayed by John Boyega in Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens. Boyega's casting in the film was first made known on April 29, 2014,^[7] and his character was first revealed in the first teaser trailer for the film on November 28, 2014.^[8] His first name was revealed by Entertainment Weekly in an exclusive digital trading card.^[9] The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams stated that it is "completely intentional" that no last name has been provided for the character.^[10]