Finn (Star Wars)
| Character | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Finn (formerly FN-2187) |
| Occupation: | former Stormtrooper Resistance fighter |
| Relationships: | Rey (Friend & Ally), Poe Dameron (Friend & Ally), Rose Tico (Love interest & ally) |
| Fandom: | Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Star Wars: The Last Jedi |
| Other: | Portrayed by John Boyega |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Finn is one of the main protagonists in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Star Wars: The Last Jedi. He is played by British actor John Boyega.
Canon Background
At the beginning of The Force Awakens, Finn is a stormtrooper who defects from the First Order with the help of Resistance fighter Poe Dameron. Poe names him Finn; his original name was FN-2187. They crash-land on Jakku, and Finn, believing Poe is dead, enlists Rey and BB8 to help him reach the Resistance. Finn is not committed to joining the Resistance and considers joined a ship of smugglers. After Rey is captured by the First Order, Finn is determined to save her and takes an active role in the Resistance and their mission to attack Starkiller Base. As Finn and Rey flee the base, they are attacked by Kylo Ren. Finn is seriously injured in a lightsaber battle with Kylo.
In The Last Jedi, Finn awakes from a coma on a Resistance ship fleeing a First Order attack. When it becomes clear that the Resistance are been tracked through lightspeed, Finn tries to flee, so Rey will not return to the ship that is unable to escape the First Order. Rose Tico captures him, but together they are able to come up with a plan to save the Resistance. They both travel to find a master codebreaker who can help them infiltrate Snoke's ship. Although their plan fails, Finn defeats Captain Phasma and is able to escape to the planet Crait and the remnants of the Resistance.
Fandom
This article or section needs expansion. |
Shipping
Post TFA, on AO3, the most popular Finn ship was Finn/Poe, followed by Finn/Poe/Rey and Finn/Rey.[1] Post TLJ, based on works on Ao3, Finn/Poe remained the most popular ship, with Finn/Rey overtaking Finn/Rey/Poe in the number of works produced.[2] The gen pairings of Finn & Poe Dameron and Finn & Rey are also popular for Finn. It is unclear to what extent AO3 statistics represent the fandom at large; AO3 is known to skew toward slash.
Rarer pairings include the relatively new pairing of Finn/Rose Tico and the slash pairing of Finn/Kylo Ren.[3] Finn is also paired with fellow Stormtroopers named in the novelisation of The Force Awakens.
Although Finn/Poe is the second most popular TFA ship on AO3, some fans have noted that Finn ships are not as popular as would be expected given Finn's prominence in the film. See Star Wars: The Force Awakens#Racism In and Outside The Fandom.
Common Tropes & Storylines
Stormtrooper Rebellion: Fanon and Storylines
- The Stormtrooper Rebellion trope began to take shape immediately after the release of TFA and can be traced back to The Story of Finn by lullabyknell. This trope has had a big influence on fanon associated with the character of Finn, and his backstory.
- Finn is believed to have been kidnapped from his planet as a very young child and placed in the Stormtrooper training programme.
- Finn sometimes struggles to acclimatize to life outside the First Order. PTSD often appears due to the abuse Finn suffered as a cadet(child) or because of events in canon.
- Finn is often the impetus for a Stormtrooper Rebellion, with his high profile defection inspiring others. He often supports other Stormtroopers who defect to the Resistance or leads a squad of former Stormtroopers.
- The taking of names is considered an act of rebellion for Stormtroopers. In fanworks Finn often chooses to take the family name(s) of his love interest(s).
- Finn searching for and rediscovering his heritage, planet or family sometimes appears in fanworks. Some of these works also overlap with Prince Finn fics. In others, Jannah is revealed to be his lost sister. This was a common theory before TROS's release.
Other Tropes & Storylines
- Jedi Finn or Force Sensitive Finn. Post TFA, many fans theorised that Finn may be force sensitive, with some fans finding support for this theory in the films novelization.[4] Force Sensitive Finn often appear in early Finn fanworks. This trope was less popular following the release of The Last Jedi, but in the final installment of the trilogy it was confirmed that Finn is force sensitive.
- Virgin Finn often appears due to the fanon belief that relationships or sexual encounters between Stormtroopers would be discouraged in the First Order. Thus Finn is often sexually inexperienced and unfamiliar with romantic relationships.
- Prince Finn - Fanworks featuring Finn's backstory sometimes portray him as a lost/kidnapped Prince. Some of these works were influenced by Legends stories featuring a character, also named Finn, who was Prince of Artorias. Other works are Royalty AUs.
- General Finn works appeared in fandom before Finn's canonical promotion to the rank of General, in the final installment of the trilogy. Following the film, the popular Finn/Poe Co-Generals meme and trope appeared. Finn has also been portrayed as a General in other shipping fics and gen works, written before and after TROS's release.
- Pre-canon works are often set when Finn is still a First Order Stormtrooper.
- Families of Choice - Often focuses on Finn's interactions with his resistance family. In shipping works, Finn often assumes the surname(s) of his love interest(s).
- Modern AU
Events
- Finn Appreciation Week, 2018
- Finn Week, 2021-
Example Fanworks
| Examples Wanted: Editors are encouraged to add more examples or a wider variety of examples. |
Fanfiction
- Tomorrow (there'll be more of us) by dimircharmer, The resistance is starting to get stormtrooper defectors. Finn helps them out.
- Recovery Begins by Defira, In the aftermath of the assault on Starkiller base, Finn struggles with his recovery, and Poe struggles with his feelings.
- Have you heard by peradi, "I heard FN-2187 was a Stormtrooper." Finn sparks a revolution.
- A Rose by Any Other Designation (Would Still Be Required to Pledge Loyalty to the First Order) by Margo_Kim
- In a Palace by the Lake by celeste9, a Prince Finn Stormpilot fic.
Fanart
- you don't know a thing about me by cxtremis
Fanvids
- Star Wars: "Run" - Ultimate Finn Tribute
- FN-2187: A STAR WARS STORY - Teaser Trailer 【Fan-Made】 stop motion made using Star Wars lego characters
Meta
- no but like imagine finn as the stormtrooper messiah(archived link) is a 2015 tumblr post by Sunshinetrooper, that inspired LullabyKnell to write their fic, The Story of Finn. This meta and LullabyKnell's fic, inspired more fics focused on Finn as the leader of a Stormtrooper Rebellion.
- Finn does not give a fuck about your idols, Archived version by lj-writes (2017)
Archive & Fannish Links
- Finn and Finn (Star Wars) fanwork tags at AO3
- Finn works on ff.net
- Finn page on the Disney Wiki
- Finn page at Wookiepedia
Tumblr
References
- ^ As of 9 May 2016. Finn/Poe has 2527 works on AO3,Finn/Poe/Rey has 636 works on AO3, and Finn/Rey has 531 works on AO3
- ^ Works including Finn on Ao3 as of 16/2/2018 include:Poe Dameron/Finn (4104) Finn/Rey (Star Wars) (1118) Poe Dameron & Finn (883) Poe Dameron/Finn/Rey (853) Finn & Rey (Star Wars) (678)
- ^ Finn/Rose has 175 works on Ao3 as of 16/2/2018. Finn/Kylo Ren has 145 works on Ao3 as of 16/2/2018
- ^ Spoilers: Is Finn even a Jedi? fan discussion on Reddit