The Star Wars sequel trilogy introduced many unexpected new concepts to the franchise, including Starkiller Base, which was capable of destroying entire systems. However, one of the earliest surprises came with the defection of stormtrooper FN-2187 (John Boyega) from the First Order.
In The Force Awakens, Finn part of a detachment of stormtroopers dispatched to Jakku, where Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) killed Lor San Tekka (Max von Sydow) and captured Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac). However, that didn’t happen without a fight, and one of Finn’s squadmates was killed. With blood on his helmet, Finn began to question his actions as a stormtrooper and eventually defected from the First Order, escaping with Poe. But, Finn’s reason for betraying the Order was made clearer in a deleted scene.
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In the deleted scene, titled “Finn and the Villager,” Finn encounters a woman and her child in the village where the denizens were massacred. However, even though he pointed his blaster at her, he was unable to pull the trigger. The deleted scene helped showcase that his programming was altered due to more than a fellow stormtrooper’s death. While it is undeniable that that particular trooper’s death affected Finn, he would later kill hundreds of them as part of the Resistance and showed none of the same concern he felt for the one who died on Jakku.
The scene had also helped to show what Finn’s most important character trait was in the films: his value of innocent life. What the deleted scene offered was a chance to show where that belief began. His hesitation when he faced the woman and child added to his internal conflict after seeing one of his fellow troopers die. In the end, his decision to keep others safe would be the main cause for most of his choices in the sequel trilogy.
Finn’s desire to save others is best showcased in the trilogy’s sophomore film, The Last Jedi, where he chooses to sacrifice himself and ram his ship into the First Order’s siege cannon. While his plans don’t work out, it showed how much he believed in the cause of the Resistance and how his heroism affected its other members. One hero, in particular, Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran), saved him from his suicide mission and reminded him that they needed to preserve life and fight for what they loved. The scene had more weight when coupled with the added impact of the deleted scene.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens introduced a likable and endearing character with Finn. However, his defection to the Resistance was never completely clarified in canon. The film’s faster pace also never gave the character enough time to explore the reasoning behind his betrayal. However, “Finn and the Villager” added depth to the character’s motivations and made his defection clearer.
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