Let’s talk about the Finn-Phasma fight. I’ve heard Finn’s victory over Phasma being described as a lucky strike, but I don’t think that’s at all true. I thought it was another case of Finn’s quick thinking and tactical smarts saving the day, much like his hangar scene in TFA (link).
Despite being far too short and the adversary being a character that did not get nearly enough buildup, this fight is still intense and well put together. For my money it’s the most tactically interesting hand-to-hand combat sequence in the movie. It also lets Finn be the badass that he should have been for the entirety of the movie–I mean can we take a moment to appreciate the Aesthetic of him just swatting aside some dude who came at him with a gun?
The man has a gun in his face and doesn’t give a fuck. “Move, I’m in a hurry.” Pow. Doesn’t even change course, just walks right past the screaming trooper to his actual opponent. Serious kudos to the Stormtrooper’s voice work here, too, like AAAAHHHHHhhh
And also that leaping charge at Phasma? Iconic. Remember this part and what he was trying to do here, because it’s important for the payoff of the fight.
Finn had the high ground. It was over the second that happened.
Proof Finn is the next Kenobi 😂
All seriousness that’s what made Obi-Wan such a good fighter. He wasn’t a powerhouse like Anakin, but he had a strategic mind and was good at improvising plans on the spot.
Phasma herself regarded Finn as a highly capable soldier.
Good point. Also like Finn, Obi-Wan’s Force abilities seem to be particularly strong on sensing and empathy–like when he felt the destruction of Alderaan much as Finn felt the destruction of Hosnia. Their abilities even manifested the same way, by hearing the screams of the dying. It probably has to do with their personalities, the way they are both very empathetic and sensitive to people and situations.
I’m pretty sure Phasma giving such praise is the equivalent of other people shitting their pants in transcendent euphoria. I wonder if the fight was personal to Phasma on some level–she just could not accept that she and the system she so believed in could have been wrong (“You were a bug in the system”).
This scene is so underrated and amazing for so many reasons.
Just look at Rey’s Face. It is the picture of amazement and curiosity. She has no idea about the ships of the First Order. Most of the ships she’s ever even seen are they junks on Jakku. This scene perfectly depicts someone who is just finding out the world is bigger than them.
Now compare that to Finn. It looks like he is having a PTSD attack. On his face is the look of horror, fear and anxiety of what will happen if their caught. The scene perfectly shows how much trauma Finn had gone through and how much he’s hiding from Rey.
Seriously, hands off to John and Daisy!
Also, in this part Finn just LISTENED to the ENGINE SOUND and knew an airstrike was coming. What phenomenal senses and attention to detail. The Resistance’s chances would have been much diminished if Finn had become a FO officer as he was on track to be.
Racist asshats like to portray his reaching for and dragging Rey out of the tent as some kind of assault, which uh, first the tent literally blew up and she would have been blown up with it if not for Finn’s snap judgment, and second, this is a trained soldier’s reflex and not some seduction move. He heard danger coming and pulled his teammate out because she didn’t sense it like he did. The same thing he did for Zeroes, Nines, and especially Slip, he did for Rey here. He’s such an amazing leader and I love him.
I think that I prefer to think about a foil not as someone who is in natural opposition, like a Harry v. Draco, but people who are similar with a noted or a few noted differences. One of my favorite literary foils is Elinor Dashwood and her sister Marianne. Elinor is steady, stable, sort of long-suffering. Marianne is sunny, lighthearted, is fine with taking chances. They are not enemies – they love each other very much – but despite being born to the same parents and having the same upbringing, they are very different women.
So with that in mind, this is why I think Finn’s foil is Poe Dameron.
He’s been working with a Skywalker for years and she’s his mentor!
Finn’s relationship with the Skywalker’s
Worked in the same organization as a Skywalker relative
Worked alongside 2 Skywalker relatives (Han and Leia)
Kylo, a Skywalker relative, is his arch enemy and foil.
Bonus
Finn’s best friend/love interest is the daughterstudent of Luke Skywalker.
Poe has been working with Leia for years, she’s his mentor.
Finn literally has a relationship with almost all of the Skywalkers, fought with their lightsaber, and started the entire plot of TFA.
This is bull shit that after 4 years Finn and Poe, but especially Finn, have to fight for their relevance in this damn franchise.
Fuck You, Russell Walker.
Finn was also the only character who argued that the Resistance had to go out and help Luke Skywalker against the entire fucking First Order military. You know, despite never having met the guy? It wasn’t the best idea but as Will Smith memorably said, he’s got the spirit.
Leia explicitly passed on her legacy to Poe, just as Luke passed his to Rey. And when Luke gives his “The Rebellion is reborn today” speech–setting aside whether it’s an earned moment–it’s Finn who comes up in the “war is just beginning” line.
Finn has Han’s legacy, part of it. One of the forgotten and downtrodden of the galaxy, the weary and traumatized renegade who very understandably wanted out of the fight and to get what little safety he could for himself, who ultimately came back to the fight because that was the right thing to do.
But Finn goes even beyond that. He was willing to stake his life in people around the galaxy rising up and coming to the Resistance’s aid. He was willing to give himself so there might be a tomorrow. He is the leader and symbol of the antifascist uprising that will come, that must come if there is to be any kind of future. He is the one who will tear apart the First Order’s lies. He is the man Supreme Leader Ren should fear the most, if he has any sense at all (a highly debatable point). Rose saved Finn at the risk of the entire remaining Resistance because she saw him as the hope for the future, mangled and marred as the message was.
And Supreme Butthead? He gets Jack Schitt. He gets Vader, at best, if he finally makes the right choice for once. If he does he may choose a sacrificial death that can never make up for the magnitude of his crimes, or he may get life in prison while his long-dormant conscience eats him alive. With the course he’s currently set himself on he will die defeated, unrepentent, ignoble and unmourned.
Without Finn, Rey, and Poe the Skywalker legacy is shit. It’s ashes and rot and failure. To erase two-thirds of what positivity remains in the Skywalker legacy for reasons that make no fucking sense is repugnant, reductionist, and yeah, racist. It goes against everything the sequel trilogy says it’s about.
The faceless black mook Stormtrooper who became one of the saviors of the galaxy, who is a kind hearted man, resourceful strategist and a potential Jedi.
The Scavenger girl from a backwater planet who turned out to be a a fierce warrior, the Legacy of the Skywalkers and a Jedi with a gentle heart.
The dashing Latino rogue, turned out to be a caring rebel pilot and soldier who is willing to look past a uniform and at the character of someone.
The son of 2 war heroes who turns out to be the villain of the movie and rejects the redemption of family love and accepts darkness within himself.
The big bad of the series is an actually not a sadist or even a Sith, but a cool, calm, and collected chess master. Not even losing his super weapon will force his composure to slip.
A badass female Asian fighter pilot who isn’t shoved into a forced romance or dies, but instead contributes to blowing up the super weapon.
A dangerous and calculating young general who stands on even ground with the dark forces in the film and outrught definitely asserts his authority.
The princess turned badass General who now leads an entire army against the big bad of the series.
The non believer who is willing to die for his family, yet still puts the mission of saving thousands first.
An interracial romance between two overlooked and damaged people. A Stormtrooper and a scavenger, who became the hope of the New Republic and the galaxy.
The Force Awakens was diverse, empowering, and full of more subversion than that white bread, tasteless Reddit fanfic that was TLJ
I felt so sorry for Rey in TLJ. She’s stuck following around two messed-up men trying to cajole them to step up, one of whom murdered her father figure before her eyes and then turns around to use her abandonment issues to hurt her. She isn’t even given space to grieve Han properly or process her own trauma at Ren’s hands except through the unhealthy process of trauma bonding, where she tries desperately to believe the person who hurt her is actually on her side. She isn’t even shown spending time with Chewie whom she actually likes and who shares her grief. She was constantly missing Finn, and he was on her mind even while she was about to risk her life on a reckless plan. Her reunion with Finn was the first time she looked genuinely happy in the movie, and that’s really sad for someone who is so optimistic and hopeful. I guess RJ was trying to set up that contrast but mostly I just felt sad for her.
Can we just talk about how little fucks Finn gives in TLJ? Seriously I fucking hate this movie, but holy fuck I love Finn and how much he does not give a shit in this movie. Seriously I think after Canto Bight and DJ’s betrayal, Finn just got just as fucking tired of this plot as I did and said fuck it! I’m sprinting to the credits!
On some real shit lool at this shit:
Outside the base is a 6 ft 2, Hot Topic mother fucking with daddy issues as big as Jabba the fucking Hutt, holding a burning fucking cross and screaming that he’s gonna kill everyone.
This is the mother fucker that sucker punched Finn and put him in a coma. It’s this fucker’s fault that Finn didn’t go with Rey and help her dad kick his green titty milk addiction.
What is Finn’s first reaction?
Finn’s first reaction is to run out bare fucking handed, no lightsaber, no blaster, not even a fucking Mac daddy pimp jacket. Finn just gets ready to stomp out of the bat cave and throw some hands at this My Chemical Romance, black parade singing, Ginger choking, fucker.
Poe had to grab Finn by the fucking nipple just to stop this crazy fucker from running out of the base and beating the shit out of Kylo for having to make him go to that boring ass casino planet.
What does Finn say?
He’s literally still got no fucking chill and wants to still run outside and fuck Kylo up. I swear Ruin Johnson was afraid of having Kylo and Finn meet again because he was too shook on a way of making sure Luke and Finn didn’t end this trilogy right then and there.
Seriously it takes Poe to remind Finn that the Resistance needs Finn to and Luke and his Gucci Robes can handle Kylie Ron.
Seriously can we appreciate how ballsy Finn is?
Surrounded by his fellow troopers and ordered to kill civilians? Nah fuck that.
Handsome ass pilot is a war prisoner? Nah fuck that Finn’s saving his ass.
Sees a random girl getting attacked then kicking ass? Fuck yeah Finn’s into that.
Fighting against an entire invasion of Stormtroopers? Finn uses an ancient fucking lightsaber that belonged to Extra Anakin and his son dramatic Luke!
Girlfriend gets kidnapped by Goth cultist? Invade a fucking super death weapon to rescue her with an old pirate and a grenade throwing carpet!
Girlfriend gets knocked out by a raging psychopath holding a fucking burning cross? Pick up her dad’s fucking rave stick and go samurai Jack on his ass!
I have no fucking idea what some people are smoking by sleeping on Finn, but this ex stormtrooper ain’t just brave, he’s a motherfucking Boss! I think the only reason he isn’t confirmed to be force sensitive is that JJ didn’t think that Ruin could pull that shit off! Seriously when Finn picks up a lightsaber the knights of Ren are going to be shitting in their Darth Vader Cosplaying pants.
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