Star Wars: 10 Ways Finn's Story Could Have Turned Out Differently
When the trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens first dropped back in 2014, there were plenty of mysteries for fans to get excited over. Who was the villain with the cool, cross-guard lightsaber? Who was piloting the iconic Millennium Falcon these days? And who was John Boyega's mysterious character, draped in stormtrooper armor but looking panicked as he felt his way around a desert?
Finn was a big part of the sequel trilogy. He deflects from the First Order to join the Resistance, later playing a big role in stopping villains such as Emperor Palpatine and Kylo Ren from ruling the galaxy. However, have fans ever wondered what would have happened if the writers decided to go down a different path? If they had decided to test out a different idea? How would that have impacted the story, overall?
10 He Could Have Fired On Jakku
Finn is one of the first characters the sequel trilogy introduces. He appears at the beginning of The Force Awakens, serving the villainous First Order and helping them take control of a Jakku village. He and his fellow stormtroopers are ordered to executive survivors and everybody complies - bar Finn.
Ultimately, this sets the events of the trilogy in motion, with Boyega's character deflecting shortly afterward. However, had he opened fire, everything could have been different. He may have climbed up the ranks of the First Order instead of becoming one of their biggest adversaries. He could have become one of the franchise's biggest villains, along with Kylo Ren.
9 He Could Have Abandoned His Friends
Finn joins the fight against the First Order, but only reluctantly. He even comes extremely close to leaving Rey, Han Solo, and the other Resistance members behind on Takodana, actively seeking a way to abandon the battle and live a much more peaceful life instead. This is pretty understandable given he knows exactly what the good guys are up against.
Had the First Order not gatecrashed Maz Kanata's castle, he may have been granted his wish. Instead, their sudden appearance throws his plans into chaos and he decides to stick around, much to Rey's delight.
8 He Could Have Died On Starkiller Base
Shortly after the tragic death of Han Solo, Rey and Finn face off against Kylo Ren in the snowy woods of Starkiller Base. When Ben Solo knocks Rey unconscious, John Boyega's character then decides to battle his old First Order leader in a lightsaber duel. Despite having no training, and going up against a ruthless trained killer, he fancies his chances.
But Finn is extremely lucky to avoid being killed. He's easily bested by Kylo, who leaves him with a painful injury. Fortunately, Rey emerges from her slumber and is able to whisk her friend away so he can be saved. If it wasn't for the former Jakku scavenger, Finn could have feasibly been killed off.
7 He Could Have Had A Serious Injury
The fight between Kylo Ren and Finn is brief. But the damage, certainly, is done during that showdown. Mentioned above is how he sustains a serious injury to his back, which is badly damaged after Adam Driver's character almost killed him. Luckily, in The Last Jedi, it doesn't appear there was any lasting damage done.
Finn wakes up and immediately gets down to business. Yet, the nature of his injury could have been far worse. Not everybody is able to walk away after taking a lightsaber to their spine and there could have been major repercussions for the former Stormtrooper. In the end, Rian Johnson clearly felt it was best to get Finn back in the middle of the action right away rather than have him sidelined.
6 He Could Have Died on Crait
As fans know by now, there were a few times were Finn had a brush with death. In The Last Jedi, he was seen to put his life on the line once more when he found himself actively involved in the Battle of Crait.
After the First Order began to lead an assault on their base, using a super laser siege cannon, several members of the Resistance attempted to stop them. Since they were close to breaching base, Finn decided to make the ultimate sacrifice by flying into the cannon. However, at the last minute, Rose saves his life. Nevertheless, it hasn't stopped fans from wondering about the possible ramifications that could have come from Finn dying on Crait and the impact it would have had on the story.
5 He Could Have Coupled Up With Rose
Speaking of that different direction, it's time to touch upon Finn's relationship with Rose Tico. They share much screentime together in Episode VIII, teaming up to find the master codebreaker on Canto Bight. And it was definitely fitting that Rose saved his life, ensuring he lives on to fight another day.
That kiss did indeed suggest fans might have seen more of them as a couple in the future. However, Rose was marginalized during The Rise of Skywalker and, in any case, Finn's feelings for Rey were reestablished. A true case of what could have been.
4 He Could Have Coupled Up With Rey
Then there's the alternative theory. When Finn first meets Rey in The Force Awakens, it's hinted he's and the future Jedi shared a special bond. The movie also showed more hints of his feelings when he interacts with BB-8, urging the droid to help him out as he looks to win her affections. While this was soon abandoned during The Last Jedi, in The Rise of Skywalker, it's hinted the feelings remain strong.
In that blockbuster, Finn spends a fair bit of the time informing Rey he's got something big to tell her. Many took this to mean his true feelings towards her (although he would likely have been in line for disappointment given her kiss with Ben Solo towards the end of the movie).
3 He Could Have Been A Jedi
The other explanation for Finn's continuous 'I've got something to tell you' comments towards Rey is that he's actually a Jedi. Though he was bested by Kylo Ren in their lightsaber duel during The Force Awakens, there was an implication that he could be Jedi as he was Force-sensitive.
For instance, when Finn says he knows how to destroy the signal on Exegol, he merely says he's got 'a feeling.' Usually, in the Star Wars universe, this means the force is hard at work. The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special even had Rey training Finn and, given it seemed to be set a little while after the final installment in the Skywalker saga, that's worth pondering.
2 He Could Have Had His Origins Explained
When the character of Jannah was revealed ahead of the release of The Rise of Skywalker, it certainly got people thinking. Some believed she would be related to Lando Calrissian, which was something that's definitely hinted at towards the end of the movie. And others suggested that she could be a part of Finn's backstory.
Before becoming stormtroopers, both Finn and Jannah were children taken away from their families. Therefore, there's still a whole world that needs explaining there. It would have been interesting to learn about their backstories before they were turned into soldiers. Alas, Disney decided to skim over things instead.
1 He Could Have Had His Hero Moment
Boyega was critical of Finn's arc after The Rise of Skywalker released, taking aim at Disney for the way his character was marginalized. And he appeared to confirm the Resistance hero was in line for a big hero moment in Colin Trevorrow's Duel of the Fates story, acknowledging a piece of concept art for the movie that showed Finn leading a Stormtrooper uprising.
"I think Colin Trevorrow was going to tell that story," he said. "That image of Finn with the blue flag, and you have the AT-ATs lined up with tribal marks, and the stormtroopers take off their helmets. That would have been sick! That would have been dope, man, hands down."