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| nickname =
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| occupation = {{Plain list|
| occupation = {{Plain list|
* First Order Stormtrooper,<ref name="Prudom">{{cite web | last = Prudom| first = Laura | url = http://variety.com/2015/film/news/star-wars-who-is-finn-john-boyega-rey-han-solo-1201664002/ | title = 'Star Wars': John Boyega on Playing a 'Stormtrooper on the Run,' Finn's Bromance With Han Solo| date = December 17, 2015 | accessdate = December 19, 2015}}</ref> Resistance fighter
* First Order Stormtrooper,<ref name="Prudom">{{cite web | last = Prudom| first = Laura | url = http://variety.com/2015/film/news/star-wars-who-is-finn-john-boyega-rey-han-solo-1201664002/ | title = 'Star Wars': John Boyega on Playing a 'Stormtrooper on the Run,' Finn's Bromance With Han Solo| date = December 17, 2015 | accessdate = December 19, 2015}}</ref> Resistance fighter TRAITOR!
}}
}}
| species = Human
| species = Human

Revision as of 23:20, 8 January 2016


Finn
Star Wars character
Promotional photo of John Boyega as Finn from The Force Awakens
First appearanceThe Force Awakens (2015)
Created by
Portrayed byJohn Boyega[2]
Voiced byJohn Boyega (Disney Infinity 3.0)
In-universe information
AliasFN-2187
SpeciesHuman
GenderMale
Occupation
  • First Order Stormtrooper,[3] Resistance fighter TRAITOR!
FamilyUnknown

Finn (originally designated Stormtrooper FN-2187) is one of the main protagonists in the 2015 film Star Wars: The Force Awakens. In the film, he is a Stormtrooper for the First Order who flees after being shocked by their cruelty in his first combat mission before joining the fight against them. He is played by English actor John Boyega.

Casting and creation

On getting the role of Finn, Boyega said, "Like any other actor, my agent called me with an opportunity. It just so happens that the opportunity was the lead in Star Wars. I met J. J. for the first time with Tom Cruise [at a dialogue re-recording session for the Mission: Impossible series]. And J. J. was just like, 'I loved [his previous film] Attack the Block, and I'd love to get you in something.' Mind you, at the time, everybody was saying that to me. J. J. kind of threw it away — 'Yeah, yeah, I'll get you in something' — and came back to me four years later with this amazing opportunity."[4]

Finn's stormtrooper code name, FN-2187, is a reference to the number of the cell in which Princess Leia was detained in the original 1977 film Star Wars.[5]

J. J. Abrams stated that he purposely withheld Finn's last name and background in The Force Awakens, saving it for Episode VIII and Episode VIII.[6]

Appearances

The Force Awakens (2015)

FN-2187 is a First Order stormtrooper serving under Captain Phasma and Kylo Ren. He was taken from his family when very young and has spent his entire life training to serve as a soldier.

Participating in a mission to retrieve information about the location of Luke Skywalker, he is horrified when Ren orders him to massacre civilians, an order his team follows without question. Phasma and Ren both notice his inability to kill, and Phasma instructs him to report for reconditioning to better follow his orders.

FN-2187, wanting to flee the First Order, gets the captured Resistance pilot Poe Dameron to help him escape by piloting a TIE Fighter. While piloting, Poe dubs FN-2187 "Finn", which FN-2187 likes more, referring to himself by this name for the rest of the film. Their ship crashes on the planet Jakku, and Finn assumes Poe to be dead once the wreckage of the ship disappears into a sinkhole, unaware that Poe had already been thrown clear.

Poe's astromech droid BB-8, now in the care of the junk scavenger Rey takes notice that BB-8 recognizes the jacket that Finn is wearing belongs to Poe. Rey assumes Finn to be a member of the Resistance after mentioning that BB-8 has a partially completed map leading to the Jedi Master Luke Skywalker. Finn goes along with her mistaken assumption, hoping that she will help him get BB-8 to the Resistance. The three of them escape the First Order on the Millennium Falcon with help from Han Solo and Chewbacca. Han takes them to his friend Maz Kanata, who promises to take them to the Resistance. Before they can leave, however, Ren's forces find them and take Rey prisoner.

Finn flies to the Resistance base, where he reunites with Poe and meets General Leia Organa, C-3PO, and R2-D2, who has been hibernating in low-power mode since Luke disappeared. Finn reveals some details about the First Order's superweapon, Starkiller Base, and claims to be able to disable their shields. When he arrives on the planet with Han and Chewbacca, however, Finn reveals that he worked on the base only in the sanitation section. Nevertheless, he manages to overpower Phasma and forces her at gunpoint to disable the shields. This allows the Republic-backed Resistance to attack, led by Poe. Solo is killed, but the remainder of the team rescues Rey and they begin to escape.

Ren confronts Finn and Rey in the woods, claiming that their fight is not over. Finn tries to fight Ren with Luke Skywalker's old lightsaber, but Ren bests him in combat and seriously wounds him. Rey then takes Finn's place and slashes Ren across the face. Rey and Chewbacca escape in the Millennium Falcon and deliver Finn - alive, but unconscious - to the Resistance base for medical care.

Finn is featured in Star Wars: Before the Awakening (2015) by Greg Rucka, an anthology book for young readers that focuses on the lives of Poe, Rey and Finn before the events of The Force Awakens.[7] Finn is also a point of view character in the 2015 novelization of The Force Awakens by Alan Dean Foster.[8]

Finn is a playable character in Disney Infinity 3.0, voiced by Boyega.[9]

Episode VIII

Finn is set to appear in Star Wars Episode VIII, with Boyega reprising his role.

Character

When asked about Finn's character traits, Boyega replied, "I think the element of having to step up to a bigger calling, when your circumstances don't particularly reflect that. Because I'm young, at the beginning of my life; you haven't really achieved much, and then you have to do that whole adulthood thing, get responsible, work and all of that stuff, no more mummy and daddy taking care of things. I feel like it's the same kind of journey that Finn has when he leaves the First Order. He leaves a curriculum, he leaves a system and embarks on his own journey." He also noted that initially "most of his decisions are based on adrenaline. Like, 'Okay, you know what? I'm just going to get this blaster and run away.' "[3] Boyega further noted that "[n]ot only is the character in over his head and someone who is just dropped into an extraordinary circumstance, the scenes and the script prove that and it's not a problem that can just be erased."[10]

Reception

Finn received critical acclaim and Boyega was praised for his portrayal. Reviewer Jamie Graham wrote, "of the new triangle of characters, Boyega brings intensity and a surprisingly honed comic timing."[11] Reviewers also praised Finn's relationships with the other characters of the film. "The dynamic between Rey and Finn is something new for Star Wars, with her bright-eyed heroism complementing Boyega’s roguish wit...Gone is the clunky dialogue of the prequels — instead, it’s replaced by some seriously clever writing that often leads to nice little moments, many with Han and Finn."[12] Drew McWeeny of HitFix notes, "Boyega has this great combination of self-interested fear and reluctant heroism that he plays beautifully, and he charts Finn's evolution as a person expertly here."[13] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone described the character as "bracingly comic and cunning".[14] Robbie Collin writes that Boyega has a "(very funny) half-brave, half-anxious, would-be-heroic schtick" and notes that despite being "brave, charming, and funny", Finn "only wants to be thought of as the daring freedom-fighter he’s not quite sure he's cut out to be."[15] Some reviewers were less than positive, however. Ty Burr of The Boston Globe wrote that "Boyega's Finn is the new movie's one weak link, a character who vacillates between noble impulses and cowardice until our interest drops away. The performance is fine but it's just fine, with little of the iconic bite a Wagnerian cartoon like this needs."[16]

The character was also subject to racist reactions by some fans online, to which Boyega responded, "I'm not going to lose sleep over people." After the first trailer premiered, Boyega responded to critics with, "To whom it may concern ... Get used to it", and further commented that, "All the films I've done have had a secret commentary on stereotypical mentalities. It's about getting people to drop a prejudiced state of mind and realise, 'Oh shit we're just watching normal people.' "[17] In response to those who desired to boycott the film over their disagreements with the existence of a black stormtrooper, Boyega replied, "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."[18]

See also

  • 21-87, a short film that influenced George Lucas and is referenced in several of his films.

References

  1. ^ Pulver, Andrew (October 25, 2013). "Decoding the 'Star Wars' Writers' Drama". Retrieved December 19, 2015.
  2. ^ Oswald, Anjelica (December 8, 2015). "Meet John Boyega, the 23-year-old 'Star Wars' star who's having his hollywood breakthrough". Retrieved December 19, 2015.
  3. ^ a b Prudom, Laura (December 17, 2015). "'Star Wars': John Boyega on Playing a 'Stormtrooper on the Run,' Finn's Bromance With Han Solo". Retrieved December 19, 2015.
  4. ^ Itzkoff, Dave (December 9, 2015). "In New 'Star Wars', Daisy Ridley and John Boyega Brace for Galactic Fame". Retrieved December 19, 2015.
  5. ^ Freer, Ian (December 17, 2015). "FN-2187: why John Boyega's stormtrooper number holds the key to Star Wars". Retrieved December 19, 2015.
  6. ^ Prudom, Laura (December 7, 2015). "Star Wars Actor John Boyega on Finn's Past: "I've Got Some Conspiracy Theories"". Variety. Retrieved January 8, 2016.
  7. ^ "A Galaxy of Star Wars: The Force Awakens Books Coming December 18". StarWars.com. December 1, 2015. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
  8. ^ Foster, Alan Dean (2015). "Chapter I". The Force Awakens (e-book). ISBN 9781101965504.
  9. ^ Valdes, Giancarlo (December 9, 2015). "Disney Infinity's Star Wars: The Force Awakens lets John Boyega play with himself". VentureBeat. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
  10. ^ Kaye, Don (December 11, 2015). "John Boyega Interview: Star Wars Fandom and Finn's Journey". Retrieved December 19, 2015.
  11. ^ Graham, Jamie (December 16, 2015). "TOTAL FILM'S STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS". Retrieved December 19, 2015.
  12. ^ Truitt, Brian (December 16, 2015). "Review: 'Star Wars' is back in full 'Force'". Retrieved December 19, 2015.
  13. ^ McWeeny, Drew (December 16, 2015). "Review: JJ Abrams breathes new life into 'Star Wars' with 'The Force Awakens'". Retrieved December 19, 2015.
  14. ^ Travers, Peter (December 16, 2015). "Star Wars: The Force Awakens". Retrieved December 19, 2015.
  15. ^ Collin, Robbie (December 18, 2015). "Star Wars: The Force Awakens review: 'the magic is back'". Retrieved December 19, 2015.
  16. ^ Burr, Ty (December 16, 2015). "Launch of 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' takes the faithful full circle". Retrieved December 19, 2015.
  17. ^ Hobby, Hermoine (December 12, 2015). "John Boyega: storming from Peckham to galactic fame". Retrieved December 19, 2015.
  18. ^ Williams, Brennan (December 16, 2015). "John Boyega Silences Critics With His Best Response Yet: The 'Star Wars' actor makes us happy time and time again". Retrieved December 19, 2015.

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