Star Wars: 10 Unpopular Opinions About Finn (According To Reddit)

After beginning the Sequel Trilogy as one of its three major protagonists, the stormtrooper formerly known as FN-2187 began to experience a meandering narrative, which frustrated fans and gave rise to a swathe of detractors. Finn as a character seemed to either be destined for greatness or mediocrity, always on the cusp of interesting character development as a First Order defector who became a symbol of the Resistance.

Redditors didn’t waste any time debating the finer points of Finn’s narrative, from his character arc (or lack thereof) to the burgeoning social media presence of actor John Boyega who, like them was often dissatisfied with Finn’s position in the Skywalker saga. From being seen as a “Han or Luke knockoff” to the preferred protagonist of the Disney Star Wars movies, the unpopular opinions about Finn are as wide as the broad side of a dreadnought.

10 He’s A Token Character

The Skywalker saga has made large efforts to be as inclusive as possible, with a variety of characters fleshing out the galaxy far, far away. Finn is one of many main characters that reflect this diversity, including Mace Windu, Poe Dameron, Din Djarin, Rose Tico, Cassian Andor, and Lando Calrissian (who’s getting his own series). They are all played by actors of color but their characters aren’t defined by that fact.

One Redditor has decided Finn is a token character, whose only contribution to the franchise comes from Disney claiming “they have a main character that is Black”.

9 No One Cares About Him

Actor John Boyega has been candid on his social media about the fact that he felt the Sequel Trilogy was primarily devoted to following Rey and Kylo Ren, with many fans offering their support and validation for his assessment of Finn’s lack of presence and character development.

Redditor theheisenburgg feels that “Disney did exactly what they should have with Finn”, citing that over the course of the three movies he “got his moments” but that “Rey and Kylo Ren were 100x more interesting”. Finn fans would disagree — an ex-stormtrooper with latent Force abilities was plenty interesting, and the creative team in charge of the Sequel Trilogy could have written him more of an arc if they’d wanted to.

8 He Should Have Been The Jedi

Finn’s origin story as a child stolen by the First Order and raised as a stormtrooper was definitely intriguing to fans. Whereas clone troopers are now being explored in shows like The Bad Batch, stormtroopers had never been so humanized, and refraining from making Finn a full-blown Jedi made him a unique character in the Skywalker saga.

Redditor makmugens thinks that Finn, and not Rey, should have been the main Jedi in the Sequel Trilogy because he was a more likable character, “honest and earnest, but [still[ sort of a goof who hid his insecurities”, while selecting Rey to be the Jedi was uninspired given her heritage. At least Finn’s character was different than the majority of the main characters in the Skywalker saga.

7 John Boyega Doesn’t Get To Complain About His Character

While John Boyega has been vocal about the mistreatment of his character in the Sequel Trilogy, his sentiments have divided the Star Wars fanbase, with some fans feeling that his anger is justified, while others feel that he should be thankful for being part of the Star Wars franchise at all.

One Redditor has decided that most of the actor’s complaints come from a “bruised ego than any actual sense about playing a stereotype”, pointing out that he would have walked away from the part, and that he’s only complaining after he made his money. Given the secretive nature of Star Wars, it’s possible the actor signed a contract to join the franchise knowing very little about his role but hoping it would be a positive experience.

6 His Lightsabers Skills Are Unrealistic

Nowhere are Finn’s skills more tested than in the fight he has with Kylo Ren outside of Starkiller Base. Most fans acknowledge that while Finn shouldn’t know how to use a lightsaber, his training as a stormtrooper, combined with his latent Force abilities would give him the means to defend himself well enough.

One Redditor thinks that the climactic duel between Kylo Ren, Rey, and Finn was “boring as hell”, with the pair looking “like kids playing with toy swords”. They go on to say that George Lucas’s Prequel Trilogy handled lightsaber dueling more effectively. However at many points Maul, an accomplished swordsman leaves his back exposed and spins his lightsaber to look “cool” rather than to strike his opponents.

5 He Should Have Been The Main Protagonist

Finn is one of the main characters in the Sequel Trilogy, but if one main protagonist had to be picked, it would undoubtedly be Rey. Like Anakin Skywalker and Luke Skywalker in their respective trilogies, she’s the hero of the story, a humble scavenger with a not-so-humble destiny.

Redditor tomrain7 believes that Finn, not Rey, should have been the protagonist of the newer Star Wars movies because “Rey’s story of rejecting her dark family was a carbon copy of Luke’s story”, and seeing a “nameless stormtrooper’s perspective” would have been more interesting. While this might have been fine for a different trilogy of movies, the Skywalker saga has a particular set of cyclical themes it uses to explore the concept of destiny and fate.

4 Finn Should Have Been A Stormtrooper That Turns Into A Jedi

Taken from his parents and forced into a life of war, Finn was an ex-stormtrooper that displayed a dormant connection to the Force only awakened by escaping from the First Order and finding Rey. Fans responded much more positively to his origin story as an ex-stormtrooper than the narrative twist that he too might be Force-sensitive.

This Redditor feels that he should have gone from ex-stormtrooper to Jedi because Rey is an “unrelatable character”, perhaps owing to the fact that she exhibits extraordinary powers with minimal training. Most fans feel that if anything, his storyline should have involved him leading an uprising of fellow stormtroopers, not taking Rey’s place as Luke Skywalker’s heir.

3 He Should Have Died In Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Of the Resistance heroes, Finn was considered to have the most to gain from casting off a life of mindless violence for dictatorial conquest, free to join a cause that he believed in. He makes a noble sacrifice in Star Wars: The Last Jedi to prove how much he values the Resistance, but Rose prevents him from doing an act that would assuredly kill him.

One Redditor believes that Finn should have died because “other than the Resistance he has no purpose in life”, which many fans disagree with. Had he been simply killed off, he would have served a purpose as a narrative device, but it would have been less satisfying for his character than having a drawn-out confrontation over several movies with Captain Phasma.

2 He Shouldn’t Have Been In The Sequel Trilogy At All

Whether fans disagree with Finn’s storyline in the Disney Star Wars trilogy or not, most don’t believe his character was pointless. Rather, they feel that he deserved better treatment than what he received, and should have been part of a much more meaningful storyline based on how he was introduced.

Redditor Laniekea contends that Finn -as well as Poe- shouldn’t have been in the movies at all because they’re “Han and Luke knockoffs” and uninteresting to follow. Many fans thought both Finn and Poe were wasted by the Sequel Trilogy, and had Finn been given greater complexity as a character and an arc as intriguing as Rey or Kylo Ren’s, he wouldn’t have felt so immaterial.

1 His Canto Bight Sub-Plot Was Pretty Good

Most fans feel that if Finn was wasted as a character in any way, it was during the Canto Bight sub-plot in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, where he and Rose Tico went to the casino planet to meet a codebreaker but instead got hassled by the local authorities for trying to free some enslaved racing creatures.

To Pagepage220 it “just made sense within the context of what they were doing” because it “creates a distraction that allowed to them to escape more easily”, but most fans believe that the entire sub-plot was invented so that Finn would have something to do and has no In-Universe rationale.

About The Author

Kayleena Pierce-Bohen
(1343 Articles Published)

Kayleena has been raised on Star Wars and Indiana Jones from the crib. A film buff, she has a Western collection of 250+ titles and counting that she’s particularly proud of. When she isn’t writing for ScreenRant, CBR, or The Gamer, she’s working on her fiction novel, lifting weights, going to synthwave concerts, or cosplaying. With degrees in anthropology and archaeology, she plans to continue pretending to be Lara Croft as long as she can.

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