Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker has officially elevated Finn (John Boyega) to a user of the Force.
Episode IX co-writer Chris Terrio just recently went on an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, and during the discussion, the screenwriter was asked whether his Star Wars movie still recognizes the existence of other Force users in the galaxy that are not tied to famous ancestors.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi introduced the idea of having powerful Force users outside of legacy bloodlines like the Skywalkers, however, The Rise of Skywalker decided to retcon the idea of Rey (Daisy Ridley) as the daughter of drunken nobodies by revealing that she was actually the granddaughter of Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid). That twist hurt fans who liked the idea that powerful Force users could come from any bloodline.
Still, Terrio defends Episode IX, saying that The Rise of Skywalker actually builds up on The Last Jedi by revealing Finn as a Force user too.
"Of course. Hopefully, the film also suggests that Finn is discovering that he is a Force user and is Force strong. Finn feels the death of Rey, and in a crucial moment during the battle, Finn senses the command ship where the navigation signal was coming from," Terrio explained, "So, we wanted to begin to plant the idea that Finn is Force strong and that there are other people in the galaxy who are Force strong."
" Yes, of course, the galaxy is full of Force users, and you don't have to be a Skywalker or a Palpatine in order to be strong with the Force," the screenwriter continued, "But Luke does say very explicitly in Return of the Jedi, 'The Force is strong in my family,' and we know that there is an inherited element to Force power."
Finn as a Force-sensitive human might sound interesting, but honestly, it doesn't really make sense since the first two films never really hinted at Finn's ability to connect to the Force. It seems like a forced (pun intended) idea really. Finn's Force-sensitivity ought to have been established earlier on in the sequel trilogy.
What do you think? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section below.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is currently screening in cinemas.
Read: Obi-Wan Kenobi Series Reportedly Casting for Young Luke Skywalker
Explore new topics and discover content that's right for you!
Star Wars: Episode IX