The Disney Star Wars trilogy introduced fans to a whole new cast of heroes like Rey, Poe Dameron, BB-8, and certainly Finn. Specifically, by the trilogy’s conclusion in Rise of Skywalker, fans noticed a diminishing role for John Boyega’s Finn. Fans expected many things from him, even things that were hinted at on posters or through the character’s behavior or dialogue in the movies, but none of them came to pass. For those who remember the original Star Wars trilogy, Finn’s course is not all that different from fan-favorite Han Solo. This raises the question, is Han Solo the OT’s Finn?
Fan expectations rise and fall with time. During the run of the Disney Trilogy, the hype and the speculation over Finn was rampant. So to was it during the Original Trilogy over Han Solo. Tellingly, Harrison Ford expected Han Solo to die in the sequel, Empire, because he believed there would be no growth or development for the character. This remained true for the Disney Trilogy, and Han ultimately met his fate to serve the defining crisis of his son Kylo Ren. Han was so “important” a character that his death was the best use of him. The same could be argued by some about Finn.
FN-2187
Finn is established in the Force Awakens as a runaway Stormtrooper. He becomes Rey’s friend and unwilling compatriot in the Resistance, alongside his best buddy Poe. The first entry in the Disney trilogy hinted at two core things to his potential future trajectory. One, that Finn might have a crush on Rey. Two, that Finn may also be Force-sensitive. The first is expressed in awkward dialogue and interaction between the two (not awkward like the Prequel’s, deliberately awkward), or his longing gazes, and his inflated confidence to impress her. The second is rooted in his ease of use with a lightsaber at the end on Starkiller Base. It was a short duel, but it was clear enough to make a statement.
In Last Jedi, Finn is wholly dedicated to Rey, but intersects with Rose Tico. In Rose, he is distracted by another potential romantic interest. He also takes a direct role in the Resistance to save the fleeing ships from General Hux’s molasses advance. By the movie’s end, he is ready to sacrifice himself totally for the cause, even though he is “rescued” by Rose. Nothing new is added except his sagging diversion with Rose to Canto Bight. There is no development with regards to his romance with Rey, nor his use of the Force.
In Rise of Skywalker, Finn becomes a General of the Resistance with Poe. They go on a mission to find the Sith wayfinder in order to confront the resurrected Emperor Palpatine and his Final Order over planet Exegol. He is distracted by a potential romantic interest with Jannah, who, like him, is an ex-Stormtrooper. Again, no more romance with Rey and no more Force sensitivity. Nothing is resolved except the conclusion of his feud with Captain Phasma.
Han Solo
Han Solo is shown in A New Hope as a smuggler and an underworld pilot. He becomes friends with Luke and Leia and an unwilling compatriot to the Rebel Alliance. Only friendship and allegiance are established for Han in the first of the Original Trilogy. He has a debt to Jabba the Hutt to pay off, but that is about it.
In Empire Strikes Back, a romance with Leia is added to his character and a greater role in the Rebel Alliance, this time as a consultant of sorts. After escaping the Battle of Hoth and Imperial pursuit he leads the team to Bespin City and is exchanged to Darth Vader from Lando Calrissian through an increasingly one-sided deal. From here on, he is basically cut out of the movie and becomes a literal object. He is sold to Boba Fett as a consequence of the debt he owes Jabba.
By Return of the Jedi, Han’s romance with Leia is fulfilled and he becomes a General in the Rebel Alliance. That is basically it. Han got to complete his romance where Finn did not. Finn grew from a frightened defector into one of the leaders of the whole Resistance organization.
Much like Finn, fans of the OT expected Han to have a greater role in the trilogy. Instead, he remains a supporting character with limited reach in the story. In hindsight, fans love Solo for his personality and attitude not for his grand activities. In twenty years or so, the same thing will happen to Finn. He will be remembered for his friendship to Rey and Poe, and his ethical turn from a Stormtrooper to a Resistance leader. Star Wars fans will not remember that he was presumed to have force powers or a romantic involvement with Rey, because those things never played out in the trilogy. They will be downplayed and forgotten. to end on a fun fact: FN-2187 is a reference to Princess Leia’s cell on the Death Star in A New Hope.