Finn

In 1 BBY, more than a decade prior to Finn's birth, the Jedi Padawan Ezra Bridger, during his visit to the World Between Worlds—a dimension transcending both time and space—heard the voice of Rey vowing to Finn that they would meet again.

At the age of three, the boy who would later become Finn was taken from his family to serve the First Order. Finn later reflected that he was too young to even remember his family. The child was designated FN-2187 and became a stormtrooper in the First Order, a military junta that carried on the ideals of the fallen Galactic Empire in the decades after the Galactic Civil War. During FN-2187's childhood, FN-1971 managed to sneak in Kade Genti comics. Despite them being against regulations and the First Order's policy of reprogramming children found with contraband, FN-2187 enjoyed the comics.

FN-2187 served as a cadet under Phasma, alongside fellow troopers FN-2199 "Nines," FN-2000 "Zeroes," and FN-2003 "Slip." Known as Eight-Seven to his comrades, FN-2187 was regarded by both his peers and superiors as an exemplary First Order stormtrooper, consistently achieving top scores as a cadet. As a cadet, he understood and appreciated his squad's Stormtrooper armor, but also enjoyed the moments when he could see their diverse faces and personalities.

Following this aboard the Finalizer, groups of stormtroopers boarded Atmospheric Assault Landers to investigate GUHL-JO387O, a planet in the Outer Rim Territories. GUHL-JO3870 was known for being muddy, and FN-2187 complained about scrubbing the assault landers. While scrubbing the assault landers, a creature from the surface of GUHL-JO387O boarded one of the assault landers. The multi-armed, purple, furry creature lunged at Finn, making him stop cleaning and run towards a Special Forces TIE fighter, knocking off his helmet and sending the creature away. Remembering Phasma's strict training, Finn noticed the creature stealing his helmet and gave chase.

He chased the creature throughout the Finalizer, preventing its discovery even when it shut off the lights during a formal meeting with Kylo Ren, General Armitage Hux, and other First Order officers. Ren used his lightsaber to illuminate the room. Concerned about Ren's reaction, FN-2187 continued to chase the creature into a chamber, where it found Phasma's helmet and discarded Finn's. Realizing this was her quarters and she was showering, Ren knocked on the door. Using the helmet, Finn impersonated Phasma to fool the fallen Jedi, giving orders to find the creature.

Later, arriving on GUHL-JO387O with the rest of the First Order, Finn thought he had a chance to release the creature, but discovered it had escaped its box and taken control of the AAL. It lifted the transport into the air and drove it straight at Captain Phasma, crashing into the mud and sending Finn out the front ramp. Phasma ordered FN-2187 to eliminate the creature, but Finn, envisioning betraying Phasma and the consequences, decided to leave the creature alone, especially considering the larger and more fearsome members of its species closing in on the First Order squad from all directions. Lambasting FN-2187 for his lack of helmet, Phasma ordered a retreat from GUHL-JO3870.

Sometime later, FN-2187 and a group of stormtroopers, including an officer, were deployed to a sunny jungle planet. While patrolling, a yellow and blue Kowakian monkey-lizard climbed onto Eight-Seven's shoulder and pulled off his helmet. This revealed his face again and caused Finn to lose grip of his blaster, prompting the other stormtroopers in the squad to look at him. The monkey-lizard laughed at the prank, while Eight-Seven looked uncomfortable. Later, C-3PO told this story to some visitors, describing it as "comical."

FN-2187 was also once in charge of sanitation duties at Starkiller Base. One day, while cleaning the Base with another trooper, FN-2187 was playfully using his mop when Kylo Ren and Phasma passed by. Unsure of what to do, Finn saluted with the mop. Looking directly at Kylo Ren, the mop dripped on Finn as Ren passed by. After a moment of relief, he was ordered to help a group of stormtroopers clear a 'blockage' in a tunnel. Joining a cleaning crew of armed Stormtroopers and Flametroopers, Finn spoke to a terrified man who described the infestation as full of rage and fury. The group entered the tunnel and were stopped by a deafening screech, followed by the decapitation of one of the troopers. The group engaged the purple tunnel bats, and Finn even saved the captain, Bray (stormtrooper), by using a flamethrower against the swarming bats.

After questioning the captain's decisions, Finn was criticized for complaining and punished with trash escort duty, which lasted three weeks. During this duty, Finn found a crack in the tunnel's wall leading to a chamber full of blue, glowing, flower-like structures. Realizing that it wasn't an infestation but the creature's native home, FN-2187 tried to convince the captain to save the tunnel bats, but failed. He then smuggled the tunnel bats out of the Base with the 'trash' to the junk planet Garbage Moon of Maher. He revealed to the garbage barge pilot, Marialew, that he had smuggled the tunnel bats out of the Base. She decided not to turn him in, saying that compassion was dangerous to a stormtrooper, but a little rebellion was good.

During the time FN-2187 was stationed aboard the Finalizer, his destroyer sometimes docked with the First Order's massive spacefaring capital, the Mega-class Star Dreadnought Supremacy. While aboard the Supremacy after his defection, Finn felt guilty that he couldn't tell the Resistance that the First Order had a starship as deadly as the Supremacy. While serving the First Order, FN-2187 was selected a few times for executioner trooper duty and hoped he would never be ordered to carry out any executions.

During his time as a cadet, Eight-Seven and his fellow troopers participated in a training simulation where they assaulted a New Republic bunker to destroy a heavy repeating blaster manned by Republic soldiers. During their advance, Slip fell behind—a common occurrence—and Eight-Seven intended to rescue him. Despite Zeroes and Nines' objections, who wanted to complete their objective and felt that rescuing Slip would lead the Republic to take them all out, Eight-Seven ordered them to rescue their fellow soldier. Eight-Seven sent Zeroes and Nines in different directions to divide the Republic's attention, while Eight-Seven himself went for Slip and successfully rescued him. Though Zeroes and Nines were pinned down, their diversion gave Eight-Seven a clear path into the Republic bunker, where he threw a grenade and destroyed the blaster before the Republic could react to his attack.

The simulation was monitored by Captain Phasma and General Hux. After the training session, Phasma told the troopers that their performance was adequate. Each was given a review of their performance, with Eight-Seven being commended on his kill rate and the completion of his objective. She further said that his fellow soldiers should follow his example. The other troopers were dismissed, but Eight-Seven was ordered to stay so Phasma could question why he rescued Slip, as it wasn't the first time Eight-Seven had to help him. Phasma ordered him to stop, as she said the First Order was only as strong as its weakest link. Rather than fixing the problem, Phasma said he was allowing it to persist and weaken the group. Phasma sensed hesitation on his part, but he assured her that he would stop helping Slip.

Following this incident, FN-2187 and his fellow troopers were deployed to a mining colony in an artificial asteroid field known as Pressy's Tumble in the Pressylla system of the Outer Rim Territories. Captain Phasma told the Stormtroopers that their purpose was to 'restore order' after Republic agents had allegedly infiltrated the mining operations, sabotaged equipment, and created dissent among the miners. In reality, the miners had staged a strike to protest the harsh working conditions. Upon arrival, Captain Phasma took FN-2187's unit to a room of negotiators and gave the order to execute them. FN-2187 aimed his rifle at an Abednedo negotiator but couldn't bring himself to shoot—Slip attacked the negotiator instead. Upon returning from Pressylla, FN-2187 and his fellow troopers were officially recognized as full-fledged Stormtroopers. Captain Phasma decided that FN-2187 should be deployed in an upcoming battle on Jakku, thinking that he would understand what it meant to be a Stormtrooper and fight back when brought face-to-face with those attacking him.

Soon after, FN-2187 and his fellow troopers were assigned to a mission to the desert junkyard planet of Jakku, where Lor San Tekka, a former explorer and devout member of the Church of the Force, supposedly held part of a map that would lead to the location of Luke Skywalker, the last of the Jedi.

FN-2187 was aboard the Star Destroyer Finalizer, heading towards Jakku, when he underwent another training program in a simulation room, accompanied by fellow Stormtroopers FN-2199, FN-2003, and FN-2000. The program was set in a village in Jakku, designed to prepare them for their upcoming mission. During the program, FN-2187 managed to take out most of the enemy targets, with his whole squad joking about his perfect marksmanship and how he wasn't leaving anything for them to do. The simulation stopped when FN-2187 ordered them all to get down, wrongly believing that one of the 'targets' was holding a grenade when it was a civilian holding a harmless object. Most of them were relieved that they hadn't fired upon the civilian, as they considered them no threat. A nameless voice then ordered them to assemble in the hangar for deployment.

The First Order's intimidating AALs arrived on the surface, and FN-2187 was deployed along with 4 elite First Order squadrons of Stormtroopers to the village of Tuanul. The village was populated by members of the Church of the Force, who began to fight back against the invaders. The First Order assaulted the village looking for San Tekka, and during the fighting, 2187's friend FN-2003 was killed by Resistance pilot Poe Dameron, wiping his blood on FN-2187's helmet. This incident deeply affected the Stormtrooper, opening his eyes to the horrors of war. Later, after San Tekka's death, when ordered by Kylo Ren to kill the villagers, 2187 refused to fire, which Ren noticed, staring him down.

Returning to the Finalizer, Eight-Seven felt significant stress from the mission, taking off his helmet inside an AAL to breathe. Captain Phasma noticed his distress and lack of helmet, and told him to submit his blaster to be checked, ensuring he had fired a shot. Knowing he would be discovered and subjected to reconditioning for not firing on the villagers, and with his faith severely shaken in the First Order, he decided to desert. Needing a pilot, 2187 secretly freed the imprisoned Poe Dameron, and the two stole a Special Forces TIE Fighter. FN-2187 manned the guns, killing several of his former comrades in the hangar and disabling the Finalizer's turbolasers.

During the escape, Dameron asked the Stormtrooper his name, to which he replied with his number. Not content with calling a man a number, Dameron named the trooper Finn, from the FN in his number. Finn liked the name and began to use it. Dameron also told him that the map vital to the Resistance was located in his white and orange BB-series astromech droid, BB-8. Finn didn't want to return to Jakku, insisting that they would be killed, but Dameron pressed on, revealing to Finn that the map led to Luke Skywalker. The TIE was hit immediately afterward by a missile, sending it spiraling down to a crash landing in the Goazon Badlands.

Finn ejected from the TIE when Dameron triggered the ejector seat. Unfortunately, Dameron's jacket was caught in the ejector mechanism for the ship, preventing him from escaping. Left with no choice, Dameron piloted the TIE to a crash landing, after which he was thrown clear of the crash and knocked unconscious.

Waking up alone in the desert, Finn was shocked and breathing heavily before noticing smoke in the distance. Making his way to the crash, Finn found Poe's jacket but no other sign of the man, and the fighter sank into the sand. Believing Dameron to be dead, Finn discarded his armor as he wandered through the desert, eventually arriving at Niima Outpost, looking for BB-8 to carry on Poe's mission.

Once at the settlement, he found BB-8 along with a scavenger named Rey, after witnessing her and the droid being attacked by a pair of thugs. He tried to help them but stopped when the young woman defeated them with her quarterstaff. Soon after, BB-8 pointed him out to Rey, identifying Dameron's jacket, prompting the woman to chase after him. Finn tried to outrun her, but Rey caught up to him and smacked him with her quarterstaff. Held under questioning and accused of stealing Dameron's jacket, while also receiving electric shocks from BB-8's arc welder, Finn explained that he and Dameron had escaped from the Finalizer and falsely claimed to be with the Resistance to gain their trust. The three were immediately targeted by the First Order and fled, initially hoping to commandeer a quadjumper, but after the quadjumper was destroyed by orbital fire from First Order TIE fighters, they decided to commandeer an old freighter: the Millennium Falcon. Finn operated one of the Falcon's quad laser cannons while Rey piloted the ship. Despite the cannon getting stuck in forward position, Finn destroyed one of the pursuing fighters after Rey managed some clever maneuvering.

Once in the vastness of space, the Falcon required significant repairs, leading Rey and Finn to work together on mending the aged spacecraft. It was then that Finn confided in BB-8, admitting he was not affiliated with the Resistance and attempting to persuade the droid to disclose the location of their base. After a period of deliberation, BB-8 revealed the Resistance's base was situated within the Ileenium system. Just as Rey finished the repairs, the ship became ensnared in a tractor beam. Finn, under the initial impression that they had been captured by the First Order, urged Rey to undo her repairs in order to fill the Falcon with poisonous gas, clarifying that stormtrooper helmets are designed to filter out smoke, not toxins. Donning breather masks, Finn, along with Rey and BB-8, sought refuge in the maintenance duct.

Rather than the First Order, the Millennium Falcon was overtaken by the smuggler Han Solo and his Wookiee companion Chewbacca, who were there to reclaim their stolen property after it had been taken from them some time ago. Solo at first thought Finn and his friends were the thieves and questioned them. Finn and Rey were quick to recognize Han Solo as a general of the Rebellion and the famed smuggler who owned the Falcon. With his stolen ship recovered, Solo instructed Chewbacca to place Finn and his companions in an escape pod and abandon them in the closest inhabited system. However, Finn and Rey managed to dissuade Solo and Chewie by explaining their need for his assistance in delivering BB-8 to the Resistance, as the droid possessed a map that would guide them to Luke Skywalker.

Regrettably, Han's freighter, the Eravana, had been infiltrated by two infamous criminal organizations: the Guavian Death Gang and Kanjiklub, to whom Solo was in debt. Wishing to shield Rey and Finn from the situation, Han directed them to the lower levels of the freighter, while he and Chewie proceeded to meet with the criminals, accompanied by BB-8. The smuggler attempted, but failed, to assure both parties that he would eventually resolve the matter.

The Guavian Death Gang's negotiator, Bala-Tik, recognized the BB-8 astromech droid due to a First Order bounty placed on it and demanded that Han surrender the droid, as well as any stowaways he might be harboring. As the confrontation escalated, Rey inadvertently released three rathtars that Solo had been transporting for King Prana while attempting to separate the gangs from the smugglers using the blast doors. Finn was briefly seized by a rathtar and dragged away, but Rey managed to sever the rathtar's tentacles by closing a blast door on it. They successfully evaded the gangs and made the jump to hyperspace aboard the Falcon. Bala-Tik then commanded his men to inform the First Order that Han Solo and the droid unit had escaped aboard the Falcon.

Upon entering hyperspace, Finn attended to Chewbacca's injuries, finding the Wookiee to be a difficult patient to treat. During their journey, Solo prompted BB-8 to display the map it carried. However, the map was incomplete, revealing itself to be merely a fragment of a much larger map. Finn and Rey learned from Solo that Luke Skywalker had been endeavoring to rebuild the Jedi Order. However, a male apprentice had betrayed Skywalker and thwarted his efforts. Since then, Skywalker had vanished from the galaxy entirely. Solo speculated that Luke had embarked on a quest to locate the legendary First Jedi Temple. Opting not to deliver Finn, Rey, and BB-8 directly to the Resistance, Solo intended to take them to the planet Takodana, where he could arrange suitable transportation for them.

En route to Takodana, Finn remained with Chewbacca, while Rey collaborated with Solo in the cockpit. At some point during the voyage, the Millennium Falcon unexpectedly dropped out of hyperspace. As Rey rushed to join Finn and Chewbacca, Finn inquired about the situation. She explained that there was a possible tracking device somewhere on the ship and had a conversation with Chewbacca about the possible location of the tracker. Finn asked what Chewbacca was saying and Rey explained that Chewbacca thought that the tracker could be near the active sensor pulse generator but Finn was confused and apologized for asking. Finn then followed Rey and Chewbacca to the generator with the latter discovering the tracker hidden behind a panel. Finn rushed over and removed the tracker, unknowingly beginning a countdown on the tracker's self-destruct mechanism. Rey quickly exclaimed that the tracker was rigged with an explosive and they had to expunge it through the airlock as Finn asked how much time they had. Chewbacca suddenly grabbed the tracker out of Finn's hands, running for the airlock as Rey explained that the tracker had only twenty seconds until detonation. Finn now realized how fast they had to move and ran to the cockpit to warn Solo. As Finn entered the cockpit, Solo informed him that the hyperdrive was back online but was quickly interrupted by Finn telling him that there was a bomb aboard the ship and he needed to get the hyperdrive ready for a quick jump. Rey and Chewbacca managed to remove the tracker and as the Millennium Falcon entered hyperspace, the tracking device exploded behind. Shortly after reentering hyperspace, Finn joined Solo, Rey, Chewbacca, and BB-8 in the cockpit as Rey turned to everyone and remarked at how great of a team they made.

Upon landing on Takodana, Finn and his companions made their way to pirate and tavern owner Maz Kanata's castle, which functioned as an inn and bar for travelers in space. Finn also had the opportunity to meet Maz herself, who advised him to cease his running and instead engage in the fight. Finn was then invited to join the Resistance in their struggle against the First Order, an offer he initially declined, believing the First Order to be an insurmountable force. He then confessed to Rey his true identity as a stormtrooper and stated that he was never going back to the First Order. After she declined his offer to join him in escaping the conflict, he wished her well. He planned to leave with pirate Captain Sidon Ithano, who offered him transportation to the Outer Rim Territories in exchange for work.

While loading the Meson Martinet in preparation for his departure with Captain Ithano, Finn looked up and witnessed the Hosnian Cataclysm, realizing that the First Order had finally launched its attack on the New Republic. After he ran back to the castle and reunited with Han, Chewbacca, and BB-8, Finn and his companions went to find Rey. Venturing into the basement of Maz Kanata's castle, they found Maz, who gave Finn the lightsaber that had once belonged to the Jedi Knights Anakin and Luke Skywalker, which she had been holding on to. She instructed Finn find his friend Rey, who had previously discovered the object and fled into the surrounding forest after experiencing a Force vision.

Shortly later, Maz Kanata's castle was attacked by the First Order, who had been alerted to the presence of BB-8 by the spy Bazine Netal. During the ensuing battle, Finn questioned himself having a weapon, but was reminded by Maz that he had one. Finn wielded the lightsaber, killing at least one stormtrooper and engaging in a duel with FN-2199, who brandished a Z6 riot control baton. He was unable to defeat Nines, his old friend, who was shot by Han Solo wielding Chewbacca's bowcaster. Finn, Solo, and Chewbacca were then captured by First Order Stormtroopers, but made an escape when the Resistance's X-Wings arrived across Nymeve Lake and counterattacked. Finn witnessed Kylo Ren carrying off Rey into his command shuttle and ran to rescue her, but could do little to help as Ren left the battlefield.

Aboard a Resistance transport, Finn journeyed with Solo, Chewbacca, and BB-8 to the Resistance base on D'Qar, where he was reunited with Poe Dameron, who had survived the crash on Jakku and was surprised to see Finn. Poe remarked that his old jacket fit the former Stormtrooper and told him to keep it. Finn also met General Leia Organa who praised him for renouncing the First Order and helping Poe escape. Finn then discussed the details of Starkiller Base to Admiral Ackbar.

Finn was later present during the meeting held to discuss the attack on Starkiller Base– which needed to happen before the battle station recharged its weapon. His knowledge of the superweapon proved invaluable in planning the attack, as he spoke about its thermal oscillator being a weak point. He volunteered to go with Solo and Chewbacca on the Falcon to shut down the shield generator on the planet's oscillator, but was secretly more interested in rescuing Rey.

After hyperspace jumping through its shields, and crash-landing on the planet, Finn revealed to Han and Chewie that he used to work on sanitation on Starkiller Base, much to Solo's annoyance. Finn devised a plan to lower the shield around the planet, which would allow the Resistance pilots to attack the thermal oscillator and destroy the weapon. While sneaking around the secretive facility, Chewbacca captured Captain Phasma, and the three, including an overly confident Finn, forced her to lower the shield. She warned them that her troops would storm in and kill them all, but Solo shrugged off her warning, asking Finn if there happened to be any convenient trash compactors in the base and they were able to dump her into one via garbage chute.

The three then discovered Rey, who had escaped by herself by using her burgeoning Force powers. Escaping outside and needing to reach the oscillator, Finn and Rey stole one of the First Order's Light Infantry Utility Vehicle snowspeeders, using it to traverse the long distance. Finn gave Rey the jacket to keep her warm, and they set off. Quickly pursued by several more snowspeeders being flown by First Order Snowtroopers. Rey began to shoot at their pursuers from her seat, but the two switched places as they drove into the cover of a forest. Finn shot a pile of snow, knocking it on one of the snowspeeders and disabling it, while targeting the others' engines. Finn's blaster was shot out of his hand just before Rey jumped their snowspeeder over a large chasm, ridding them of their pursuers. The two then decided that from then on, Rey would fly and Finn would shoot.

At the oscillator, Rey and Finn went to set charges, and upon their return, witnessed Han Solo confront Kylo Ren, who was revealed to be Han's son Ben Solo. After witnessing Kylo murder his father, Rey and Finn attempted to escape through the woods, but were met with Kylo again, blocking their path. Rey attempted to use her blaster against Kylo, but he threw Rey back with a Force push and knocked her out. Finn, horrified, rushed to Rey's side while Ren angrily called him a traitor. An enraged Finn then ignited the lightsaber, which Ren claimed rightfully belonged to him. Finn challenged him to "come and get it" before engaging him in a duel. Though Finn briefly held his own, even with him having no training with a lightsaber, he was ultimately no match for the dark warrior, though he did manage to stab Ren in the arm. In his defeat, Finn was disarmed and suffered wounds to his shoulder and spine. Badly injured, Finn was overcome by pain and his muscles went limp. He could hear lightsabers clashing around him, but as the pain increased, he could no longer fight the darkness overcoming him. As he fell into unconsciousness, his last thought was of Rey.

After Finn was disabled, Rey regained consciousness and used the Force to retrieve the lightsaber and defeat Kylo. Rey took Finn to Chewbacca aboard the Millennium Falcon, and left him in intensive care at the Resistance base in a coma. Rey wished him a heartfelt goodbye, kissed his forehead, thanked him for everything, and declared that they would meet again before she departed to find Luke Skywalker.

Finn regained consciousness within a flexpoly bacta suit aboard the star cruiser Raddus following the Resistance's flight from D'Qar. Upon being greeted by Poe, he inquired about Rey's whereabouts and learned that she had journeyed to Ahch-To to seek out Master Skywalker. The First Order intercepted the Resistance fleet upon its emergence from hyperspace within the Crait system, launching an attack that resulted in the destruction of the bridge. General Organa survived, albeit gravely injured, and was taken to the medbay. Finn retrieved the transponder beacon that Organa was utilizing to inform Rey of their location and resolved to flee to prevent her from becoming ensnared in the First Order's assault. He then proceeded towards one of the escape pods, where he was intercepted by Rose Tico, a former flight engineer and current maintenance worker whose sister Paige had perished in the First Order's attack, and had been assigned to guard the pods from deserters.

Rose was initially captivated by Finn, whom she regarded as a Resistance hero, but noticed that he had packed a bag and realized he was planning to desert. Rose stunned Finn and placed his body on a cart to try to haul him to the brig. When Finn awoke, he told Rose about Rey and that the First Order could track the fleet through hyperspace. The two then began to devise a plan to shut down the tracker aboard the Supremacy and allow the fleet to jump away, saving both the Resistance and Rey.

The two presented their plan to Poe, who agreed to sanction it without the knowledge of the fleet's new commander, Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo. Needing clearance codes to board the Supremacy, they contacted Maz Kanata, who directed them instead to the Master Codebreaker, who they would find at the casino in Canto Bight, a city on the planet Cantonica. Finn gave Poe Leia's tracker.

Finn, along with Rose and BB-8 departed for Cantonica. As they began their descent near the planet's atmosphere however, they were interrupted by the passing of an unknown floating tentacled alien that emitted electric currents around its body. As it ascended above them, some of the tentacles hit the shuttle, causing a surge of electricity to travel within the ship and temporarily disable BB-8, who had been helping steer the shuttle. Rose then asked Finn to take over as she busied herself with the task of fixing the droid. Finn voiced his concerns regarding his own piloting abilities, but Rose pointed out that they didn't have much of a choice. As they descended further, Finn then saw and pointed out to Rose that there appeared to be more of the unknown alien creatures. As he did his best to navigate them through the flock, Finn saw one of the creatures quickly appear on an apparent collision course. Finn called out to BB-8. Luckily for him, Rose was just about done fixing the droid. BB-8 then resumed control of the ship which allowed them to avoid coming into contact with any of the creatures. As they floated off into safety, Finn inquired about BB-8's condition, which the droid replied to by way of extending his built-in torch. Rose and Finn then complimented the droid as well as each other before proceeding to the rest of their mission.

They crashed their shuttle on a private beach and entered the casino, despite an Abednedo businessman named Slowen Lo trying to stop them. Finn was amazed by the luxury of the casino, but Rose showed him the animal abuse, child labor, and war profiteering that went on behind the scenes. Rose told Finn that she and her sister came from the Otomok system, which was used as a testing ground by the First Order, and that many of the casino's patrons had become wealthy selling weapons to the First Order.

BB-8 located the master codebreaker, but Slowen Lo reported them to the police for parking illegally, and Finn and Rose were arrested and stunned. Finn tried to pick the lock to their cell, yet his actions only succeeded in making another panel slide over the mechanism. Hearing their debate about their plans, their cellmate, DJ, offered to help them break onto the Destroyer, but Finn refused, believing DJ to be a mere pickpocket. DJ then used a manufactured passkey to open the cell door, allowing Finn and Rose to escape as well.

Finn and Rose escaped into the Canto Bight stables, where the stableboy Temiri Blagg helped them escape, riding on the back of one of the casino's fathiers. They initially guided the fathiers towards their shuttle, but the police officers destroyed it. The fathiers rampaged through the casino and town, causing major damage, before losing the police by running through tall underbrush. Rose and Finn were then picked up by BB-8 and DJ aboard the stolen yacht _Libertine. _

DJ demanded Rose's medallion as a deposit. Despite Finn's objections, Rose gave it to him. DJ showed Finn that the yacht's previous owner was an arms dealer who sold weapons to both the First Order and Resistance. DJ attempted to convince Finn that the entire galaxy was a machine, and that he should stay away from causes and live free.

DJ partially lowered the Supremacy's shields, allowing the Libertine to slip aboard. Finn, Rose, and DJ stole uniforms to disguise themselves as First Order officers in order to sneak through the ship and reach the tracker. They also encountered 926, a stormtrooper who recognized Finn, as they had been in the same stormtrooper batch together. However, 926 was unaware of Finn's defection, and believing that Finn had been promoted to officer, congratulated him and told him that he didn't think the former stormtrooper was captain material.

Finn, Rose, and DJ made it to the tracker, but they were captured by Phasma, who feigned delight at seeing Finn again. However, DJ cut a deal, exchanging information about the Resistance's escape plan he had gleaned from Finn and Rose, which was to use cloaked transports to reach the surface of the mineral planet Crait, for payment and his freedom, much to the fury of both Finn and Rose. The First Order began to fire on the Resistance transports, destroying most of them .

Phasma ordered Finn and Rose executed, deciding to make them suffer and have them executed via laser ax, but before the executioner troopers could deliver the killing stroke, Holdo used the Raddus to ram the Supremacy at light speed, causing the hangar to erupt in flames, and knocking Finn unconscious. Finn and Rose attempted to reach a Xi-class light shuttle to escape the heavily damaged Supremacy, but they were cut off by Phasma.

Phasma extended her baton, and Finn picked up a riot control baton, with which he dueled Phasma, but he could not hold out against her for long. Phasma beat him back and eventually knocked him off of his feet and into a pit. However, a rising platform below him saved his life. This allowed him to get behind Phasma and deliver a blow that cracked her helmet and sent her tumbling to unstable footing. Finally seeing his corrupt superior's actual flesh in a solitary eye staring up at him, Finn proudly identified himself to Phasma as a rebel before her platform gave way, sending her to her demise into the fire below.

After seeing this, Finn noticed BB-8 and Rose, whp gave Finn a lift to the shuttle with a hotwired AT-ST. As the shuttle took off, Finn remarked that they were going where they belonged, and they turned towards Crait to reunite with the Resistance.

Pursued by two TIE fighters, Rose barely managed to pilot the shuttle under the closing bunker door of the abandoned Rebel outpost where the Resistance was hiding out. The Resistance opened fire on the shuttle, but Finn convinced them to stop.

The Resistance planned to lay low in the bunker until they could send a signal to their allies in the Outer Rim. However, the First Order quickly deployed All Terrain MegaCaliber Sixs, AT-ATs, and a weapon Finn recognized as a battering ram cannon to infiltrate the bunker. Finn suggested to Poe that they use the base's complement of speeders to launch an assault against the siege cannon, in order to buy the Resistance time to get the message out. Finn piloted one of the speeders in the battle, and was able to exercise more control over the speeder after dropping his monoski. The First Order deployed TIE fighters which destroyed many of the speeders. However, the timely arrival of Rey and Chewbacca in the Millennium Falcon drew the fighters away from the Resistance speeders.

Finn's speeder was closing in on the cannon when Poe, realizing the futility of their efforts—the cannon was about to unleash its destructive power, and the human cost was already too great—ordered a retreat. Defying Poe's command, Finn embarked on a suicidal course, heading directly into the cannon's line of fire. However, Rose intervened before he could make the ultimate sacrifice for the Resistance, crashing her speeder into his and diverting them both from the cannon's path, sending them tumbling onto the salty terrain below. Finn rushed to the side of an injured Rose, just ahead of the First Order's front lines, questioning her motives for stopping him. Rose explained that the key to the Resistance's victory in the war lay in protecting what they cherished, not in battling what they despised. Following this revelation, Rose kissed Finn and then lost consciousness as the siege cannon discharged, obliterating the bunker door.

Subsequently, Finn carried Rose's body through the destroyed bunker entrance and entrusted her to the care of Resistance medics. Following this action, Finn observed the arrival of Luke Skywalker's projection at the Resistance's base, as he moved to confront the First Order, and felt that they should assist him. However, Poe convinced him that Skywalker's appearance served as a distraction, allowing the Resistance to secure their survival. Poe and Finn then noticed the disappearance of the vulptices that had previously infested the base. Finn, along with the remaining members of the Resistance, followed Poe through the outpost's caverns until they reached a hidden natural entrance obstructed by boulders. Fortunately, Rey, positioned on the other side of the barrier, employed the Force to clear the path. Finn shared an embrace with his friend Rey, and the Resistance survivors finally escaped aboard the Falcon.

Once safely aboard the Falcon, Finn searched for a blanket to cover Rose's body as Rey kept watch. During his search, Finn briefly noticed the Sacred Jedi texts Rey had concealed within a drawer on the freighter. Sometime after she regained consciousness, Rose and Finn discussed the events that had transpired and mutually agreed to remain friends.

In a rare moment of tranquility aboard the Millennium Falcon after their departure from Crait, Poe recounted to Finn and Rey the events that had unfolded since their crash landing on Jakku. Finn listened intently, but their conversation was interrupted by General Organa, who expressed her pleasure at their growing camaraderie. Throughout this period, Finn maintained a vigilant watch over Rose Tico, ensuring her steady recovery from her injuries. During a conversation with Poe about saving her, Finn explained the First Order's heartless philosophy on abandoning the wounded. Poe then detailed to Finn the events that transpired during his unconsciousness during the evacuation of D'Qar, and what happened to Black Squadron following it. Finn reassured Poe of his faith and optimistic outlook, and they were subsequently interrupted by C-3PO, who delivered news regarding the status of Black Squadron via a data transmission, leading to Poe and Black Squadron's involvement in the Battle of Grail City.

Shortly thereafter, the battered and diminished Resistance forces aboard the Millennium Falcon sought refuge at the Ryloth Defense Authority base, where Leia's ally Yendor Brethen, a former Rebel pilot, welcomed them. During a gathering of Resistance members on Ryloth, Finn served as a powerful example to Pacer Agoyo, demonstrating that even individuals with questionable backgrounds could choose a different path. After determining that the Resistance required additional ships and personnel, General Organa reviewed a list of First Order prisoners, also provided by Maz Kanata, and noticed the familiar initials R.C. on the list. Believing this to be former rival and Centrist New Republic Senator Ransolm Casterfo, Organa decided to dispatch Poe and a team to Corellia in search of the man, as Casterfo was believed to be imprisoned on the shipbuilding world.

Later, Finn and Rey engaged in a profound conversation aboard the Falcon, which Poe interrupted to inquire about Finn's romantic relationships with both Rey and Rose, receiving negative responses in both cases. Subsequently, Poe invited Finn to accompany him undercover to a clandestine auction held at the birthday celebration of Nifera Shu, the wife of a wealthy Corellian businessman, utilizing an invitation provided by Maz Kanata. Finn enthusiastically accepted, and Poe reminded him of his home and value within the Resistance, and the two then proceeded to prepare for the mission.

Upon arriving in Coronet City, Finn and Poe adopted the guise of affluent Canto Bight businessmen at Shu's birthday party and auction, while the second team embarked on a mission to extract Casterfo from the Corellian Command Base. After narrowly avoiding a First Order Stormtrooper checkpoint by suggesting that Poe was a celebrity, an idea proposed by Finn, the two proceeded to present Shu with a gift, bestowed upon Dameron by Suralinda Javos, who also accompanied the team to the party with Charth Brethen.

At the party, Finn pointed out to Poe that a significant portion of the guests were affiliated with the First Order. This observation aligned with Dameron's understanding of the city's First Order occupation but still surprised him. The two then flirtatiously introduced themselves to Nifera and Hasadar Shu, and Poe presented Nifera with the gift, a miniature Lylek from Ryloth. Given her background as an entomologist in her youth, the gift held significant sentimental value for her, granting the two digital access to the secret holographic auction. Poe began to expend the Resistance's credits at the auction, while dispatching Finn to identify other bidders, but was unsuccessful. Soon, the Resistance was outbid, but screaming started as the First Order suddenly raided the party.

The celebration quickly devolved into chaos, as Finn and Poe struggled to locate Suralinda and Charth amidst the First Order's assault. After locating the two, the room's lights were extinguished, and Nifera, having witnessed her husband's demise at the hands of a Stormtrooper's blaster fire, fled. Poe resolved to pursue her in order to obtain the list, instructing Finn to evacuate with the other two. Dameron successfully retrieved the list, and he and Nefira dove over the balcony and into the water below. Finn assisted the two in climbing out of the pool, and they formulated a plan to escape Corellia, and Shu revealed her allegiance to the Collective, a techno-activist underground movement.

Poe's team eventually rendezvoused with the second group, who had successfully liberated Casterfo and several other prisoners. The two groups exchanged information and immediately devised a new strategy to gain access to the hangar. Wedge Antilles and Norra Wexley opted to create a diversion, enabling Finn and the others to enter the hangar and reach the ships, but their distraction attracted excessive attention from the stormtroopers. Antilles sustained a blaster wound and was unable to continue fighting, but Norra insisted on remaining by his side. Just as they believed their end was near, Poe, piloting a stolen starfighter, intervened at the last moment, eliminating the remaining stormtroopers. With everyone safe, they all returned to the Resistance aboard a CR90 corvette.

Following the mission, Finn, Poe, and the other participants convened with the escaped prisoners in a Collective safehouse on Helmaxa, where Poe delivered an inspiring address to the Resistance. Finn congratulated him on the speech, and together with Rey, the three departed, filled with hope, to save the galaxy together.

Shortly after at Horizon Base, Finn contacted Poe Dameron to report an unexpectedly large First Order presence at the base. Concerned that the First Order sought the same objective as they did, Dameron instructed Finn that he and his partner Gannis Ducain would have to determine the reason, and that the Resistance was relying on them for this mission. Finn and Ducain argued about Ducain stealing the Millennium Falcon, as a First Order stormtrooper stopped them and demanded to see their identification. In response, Finn shot down several barrels held over the stormtroopers, knocking them down and allowing the two to escape.

Inside the base, Ducain apologized to Finn, explaining that he had joined the Resistance in an effort to become a better person, given his past transgressions. However, Finn was more concerned with combating the First Order, unable to gather necessary allies. During their conversation, Finn and Ducain heard a loud noise approaching them and were suddenly confronted by a candori. The beast seized them and attempted to devour them, while a man appeared, claiming the candori as his own and stating that it was there to protect him and his fellow Oruans from the First Order, whom he mistakenly believed Finn and Ducain to be. Finn attempted to explain that they were members of the Resistance, but the man had heard that the Resistance had been destroyed. Finn informed the man and his group that he was aware of what the First Order had done to their planet and that they were now alone, much like the Resistance. Upon hearing this, the man commanded the candori to release the two.

Finn informed the group about the First Order's threat to the base, but they were already aware of it. Mezlo, their leader, possessed extensive knowledge of the First Order, having nearly driven them off his planet with a small force, but ultimately failing. He assumed that Finn was there to recruit him, but declined to join, citing his desire to fight for honor and viewing the Resistance as merely seeking to be heroes. This angered Finn, who shared his past as a First Order stormtrooper with Mezlo, explaining that he was now with the Resistance because they honorably did what was right. Ducain explained why he fights for the Resistance too, and Mezlo attempted to apologize for judging the Resistance– but was interrupted by a group of stormtroopers. The stormtroopers ordered them not to move. Ducain thought that they were done for, but Mezlo's plan kicked in when another candori came out from the ceiling and grabbed the stormtroopers. Finn then Contacted Poe to pick them up as they all opened fire on the now distracted stormtroopers.

After escaping the base, Finn renewed his invitation for Mezlo to join the Resistance, but Mezlo once again declined, stating that he and his people would fight against the First Order independently, having become refugees. Back at the Falcon, Mezlo pledged to assist the Resistance if they ever genuinely needed it, and Finn reciprocated the promise. Onboard, Dameron expressed his disappointment that the Oruans had not accepted the offer, believing that the Resistance remained isolated. However, having learned otherwise, Finn explained that while the First Order possessed an army, they lacked honor. Finn believed that the Oruans would fight with them one day, and they would not be alone.

At the Wayward Comet refueling station, Finn engaged in a physical altercation with a Dashade, exchanging blows. Standing in a nearby doorway, Poe Dameron scolded BB-8 for failing to avoid trouble while he met with a contact. BB-8 beeped in protest, asserting that it was not his fault, and Poe requested that the droid intervene in Finn's fight. BB-8 tripped the Dashade, triggering a chaotic bar brawl that allowed Finn to converse with Poe in the doorway. Poe informed Finn that his contact had delivered, providing the coordinates of a concealed, decommissioned New Republic impound on the moon of Avedot, purportedly containing weapons confiscated from pirates. Finn then departed to summon Resistance agents Norik and Oron to meet Poe at their shuttle in the hangar.

As Finn departed, he inadvertently bumped into the changeling Clawdite Remex Io. Io recognized Finn and contacted Kendoh Gang leader Kendoh Voss, who instructed Io to follow Finn back to his ship and attach a tracker to it. Voss then contacted a First Order Lieutenant, seeking to claim the bounty on Finn's head. After consulting with General Hux on the Finalizer, who was pressured into pursuing the sighting by the newly appointed Supreme Leader Kylo Ren, the lieutenant was authorized to issue a down payment on the bounty.

Unaware of the Kendoh Gang's pursuit, Finn and his team entered Base 354-23X, discovering that all of the security systems were inactive. Finn exclaimed that this was shaping up to be his easiest mission to date, prompting Poe to chide him. The group found little of value, growing doubtful of their information, but Finn did discover a dilapidated T-47 airspeeder. Poe remained undeterred, and they continued deeper into the base. Finn instructed Tonkins to remain behind and guard the entrance, but the man was swiftly subdued by the large Aqualish Wooro.

As the team further explored the impound, Tonkins approached them, causing Finn's confusion. Tonkins then opened fire, revealing himself to be Remex Io in disguise. The Gang and the Resistance exchanged fire, resulting in the loss of two Resistance agents, and Finn narrowly escaped, making his way to Poe, who had finally located the weapons cache with BB-8. Finn then shot a control panel, sealing the door to the room he and Poe were in, but sealing off their only exit. But to Finn's advantage, the bounty hunters don't know Dameron is on the mission as well. Wooro then used a heavy blaster to try to cut through the door, as Finn explained his plan to Poe.

The Kendoh Gang finished cutting through the door, and entered the room, finding nobody as Dameron hid behind a large crate. But during his sneaking, Finn fell out of a ceiling air duct onto Io. The two began to fight, with the changeling shifting between various strong species' to land harder hits on Finn. Wooro then attempted to stun Finn, but missed and stunned his own Clawdite companion, to Kendoh Voss's chagrin. This mistake allowed Finn to narrowly escape, while Poe loaded the newly obtained materials onto the Resistance's transport. Leading the bounty hunters around the base, Finn thought he lost them until he ran straight into Wooro. The large Aqualish punched him down once more, but Finn did not give up, continuing to run until he reached the T-47 from earlier. Utilizing its harpoon gun to shoot his enemy through the shoulder, Finn was injured and knocked out by the recoil.

Awakening to Dameron's urgent transmission, Finn discovered Wooro still alive but pinned to the wall, and Poe cornered by the bounty hunters' ship. Finn dove out of the way of the bounty hunters' blaster fire, as BB-8 used a crate of thermal detonators to allow Poe to escape in the Resistance's transport. Telling Finn to meet him outside, Poe flies away, leaving Finn with just the T-47. Finn hopped in the airspeeder, and used it to crash into the bounty hunters' ship, ejecting himself just in time to be caught by Dameron, the two managing to escape the Moon of Avedot with most of the weapons they came there for.

Sometime after the Mission to the Moon of Avedot, Finn and Chewbacca departed from the rest of the Resistance to deliver bacta that he and Poe retrieved on their mission to the planet Tevel. During the time they were gone, Rose, Rey, and Poe expressed missing Finn and Chewbacca shortly before they went on a mission to Minfar.

At oe point, Finn, Rey, Chewbacca, and BB-8 were escorting black market smuggler Moebin Faltus to Prahvin on the Millennium Falcon in exchange for information regarding people attempting to escape the First Order. Finn and Faltus argued about the freighter at its dejarik table, with the smuggler believing it was old, ugly, and too slow. Suddenly, the two hear a rumble, followed by a bleeping alarm, and rush to the cockpit. There, Rey tells them that it's probably misaligned engine couplings, and they go off to find out. While attempting to fix the Falcon, Finn expressed his distaste for working with Faltus, while Rey argued that his contacts would be worth it– and that the ship would need to land nearby for repairs.

Rey and Chewbacca then landed the Falcon on the local planet Choss, to retrieve a new static charge dissipator. Rey headed off towards a city with BB-8 and Moebin, while Finn and Chewie stayed back to work on fixing the ship. While Rey was in town, gallivanting her way away from the bounty hunter Kief Varris, hired by the First Order to capture Faltus, Finn and Chewbacca took the Falcon for a test flight after attempting some repairs, but found that it was still hopeless.

After Rey and BB-8 fought Varris, they snuck aboard his shuttle to rescue Faltus, before crashing it into the forest below. There, they met up with Finn and Chewbacca one more, with Finn informing Rey of their continued issues and his lack of faith in repairing the Falcon. Then suddenly, BB-8 revealed that he took the necessary part from Varris's shuttle, and that's what caused it to crash. With the whole crew reunited, Moebin saved, and the ship repaired, the Resistance departed Choss, with Faltus agreeing to tell them about his operation.

Deep in the Outer Rim Territories, Finn, Poe, and R2-D2 constructed a Jedi training course for their friend Rey on the rocky moon of Noaxson. Finn and Poe noted that this was the perfect location because of its irregular light cycle and shifting surface terrain, and were very excited to show Rey, blindfolding her before the reveal. The two men tell a surprised Rey that they want her to get trained faster so she can join them on more missions, and that they also just wanted to be helpful. Rey then excitedly began to run the obstacle course.

After running the course a bit, Rey fell into a cave full of pirates led by the Quarren Algron, and Finn began to get worried about Rey, and citing a feeling that she was in trouble while searching the horizon with macrobinoculars. Just before going to search for her, Finn and Poe are surrounded by more pirates and taken to their ship and questioned. The pirates recognized Rey, and wanted to claim her and their bounties from the First Order. They're then approached by an older pirate named Corrin, who tells the pirate Lannix that he was supposed to be at their long-range comms. The two got into an argument, and Lannix declared that he was the new leader. During this argument, Finn and Poe are able to slip out of their ties, and tackle Corrin just as more pirates arrive and the situation escalates. Finn and Poe are able to run away from the pirates' blaster barrage, taking Corrin with them.

Pinned down, Finn makes a plan to run for the pirates' ship, hoping to disable their long range comms, but is interrupted by a Weequay pirate giving them the option to peacefully surrender. As he's speaking, Rey threw her staff at the yelling Weequay, charging in to take on the pirates. From the other side, Finn and Poe charged in blasters blazing, and they take down the pirates together. Rey then cracked a joke about whoever built the training course not knowing about the pirate presence, and Lannix let off one last threat of contacting the First Order. But with the knowledge that the long-range comms are shut off, Lannix laid his head down and admitted defeat. The Resistance then once again safely left in the Millennium Falcon, as Rey thanked Finn, Poe and Artoo for their effort, but stated that it was probably best that they leave the Jedi training up to Rey's master, Leia.

Later, General Leia Organa deployed Finn and Dameron to the Wild Space planet Kamil to secure livestock for the Resistance. During the mission, Dameron and Finn spent at least 5 days waiting for their animals, and Dameron felt underused, while Finn felt lucky to lay low, and explained that the food the livestock would bring is very important. After trying some food, they attempted to buy the animal it was from, but it was far too expensive, leading the two to the The Lucky Whistle Saloon. There, they attempted to find leads on cheap livestock, but failed at the socialization required to do so, and thus went for a dance as a break. While dancing and talking to some Octani, they got a lead on Dhar Wat, someone who was selling spare parts that might be useful for the Resistance.

Following this, they abandoned the livestock scheme and located the train carrying Wat. Once aboard, Finn found himself in a severely overcrowded carriage before he and Poe feigned being food vendors as a guise to search for War. Poe eventually located him, assisting the Octani in battling a First Order officer within his private quarters. Wat then disclosed that the First Order had confiscated his components, relocating them to a different carriage. Dameron and Finn embarked on a quest to retrieve the components, establishing an agreement with Wat for ongoing supplies, and soon encountered First Order officers and Stormtroopers. A subsequent pursuit and altercation transpired throughout the entirety of the train, during which Finn disabled an officer's comlink to prevent them from requesting reinforcements. Before long, Finn and Poe were cornered by First Order forces inside a storage carriage, where a skirmish erupted, with Finn and Dameron successfully incapacitating the First Order forces through close-quarters combat. During the fray, Finn discovered a Wookiee doll, even employing it as a weapon against an officer. Finn then pinpointed the location of the spare parts and detached the carriage from the rest of the train. The pair also discovered a substantial number of livestock on their carriage, which they subsequently returned to the Resistance, and Finn gifted the doll to Rey.

After Darth Sidious' broadcast announcing the Final Order and the return of the Sith, General Organa dispatched operatives to gather intelligence regarding this development. Dameron, Chewbacca, Finn, Klaud, and R2-D2 piloted the Millennium Falcon to the Sinta Glacier Colony. En route, Finn and Dameron engaged Chewbacca in a game of dejarik, commenting on the Wookiee's skill. Upon arrival at the colony, Finn facilitated the transfer of data originating from a new First Order spy into R2-D2 from the Ovissian mine overseer Boolio. Shortly after the transfer commenced, the First Order materialized with numerous TIE fighters, converging on the Resistance's position. As the transfer concluded, Boolio remarked to Finn to "win the war" as recompense, and Finn promptly and confidently manned one of the Falcon's turrets to eliminate TIE fighters during their escape.

During their retreat, Dameron, much to Finn's apprehension, executed hyperspace skips with the Falcon to various perilous locations in an attempt to evade the pursuing TIE fighters. The aging freighter managed to struggle back to the Resistance's base on Ajan Kloss, where Finn reunited with Rey and joked about Poe's temper. Finn and the team then communicated the spy's information to the Resistance: Palpatine had somehow returned.

Subsequently, Rey resolved to embark on a journey to locate a Sith wayfinder to pinpoint Sidious' location. Rey and her companions then journeyed to Pasaana, where they unearthed Ochi of Bestoon's dagger. Chewbacca and the dagger were presumed lost during the mission when a First Order transport he was believed to be aboard was destroyed by Rey's Force abilities during a confrontation with Kylo Ren.

C-3PO's programming restricted him from deciphering the Sith inscription on Ochi's dagger, which revealed the location of another Sith wayfinder leading to Exegol, prompting the team to journey to Kijimi, where Poe had an acquaintance who was a droidsmith. They were apprehended by Zorii Bliss and the Spice Runners of Kijimi, an organization Poe was formerly affiliated with, but Bliss consented to assist them following a brief altercation with Rey. The droidsmith Babu Frik bypassed C-3PO's prohibited databank, revealing that the Emperor possessed a wayfinder within his throne room on the second Death Star situated in the Endor system. Simultaneously, the Knights of Ren tracked the Resistance to Kijimi, and Ren, aboard his Resurgent-class Star Destroyer Steadfast, initiated a comprehensive manhunt for the Resistance within the city. Rey sensed Chewbacca's presence through the Force aboard the Star Destroyer, prompting the team to launch a rescue operation.

Utilizing a captain's medallion provided by Bliss, Poe, Rey, and Finn infiltrated the Steadfast. Poe and Finn successfully rescued Chewbacca, only to be captured by stormtroopers and brought before General Armitage Hux for execution. However, Hux intervened, revealing himself as the spy. Hux escorted them to the Millennium Falcon. Rey, accompanied by Poe, Finn, Chewbacca, and the droids, escaped aboard the Falcon.

In the final hours leading up to the climactic battle, Rey, Finn, Poe Dameron, Chewbacca, and the droids C-3PO, BB-8, and D-O crash-landed on Kef Bir, the ocean moon of Endor. Upon discovering the remnants of the Death Star within the moon's seas, the Resistance members were encircled by Jannah and her tribe of Orbak riders. However, upon learning of their affiliation with the Resistance, Jannah consented to assist them in their mission. She cautioned that they would need to await the following day for the tides to subside, and the team proceeded to repair the Falcon. During this time, Finn discovered that Jannah and her tribe were actually a unit of First Order stormtroopers who had refused to engage civilians and subsequently deserted, similar to his own experience. Rey, impatient, commandeered a skiff and piloted it toward the Death Star ruins regardless. Finn and Jannah resolved to locate Rey when she engaged Ren in a duel amidst the Death Star ruins; Finn and Jannah attempted to intervene, but Rey rebuffed them.

Following Rey's departure, Finn, Dameron, Chewbacca, the droids, Jannah, and her tribe returned to the Resistance base on Ajan Kloss, where they learned of Organa's passing and Poe's appointment as acting general. After grappling with this promotion, Dameron designated Finn as general alongside him, and—through information Finn discovered within D-O while conversing with the droid in Rey's workstation—the Resistance amassed sufficient intelligence on Exegol to formulate an attack strategy, while Calrissian and Chewbacca were dispatched to the Core Worlds aboard the Falcon to solicit allies.

Finn delivered an impassioned speech to the assembled members of the Resistance beneath the Tantive IV before the battle, asserting that the Resistance had been in retreat for too long and that the time had come to confront the First Order directly. He claimed to possess a plan for the Resistance's ground assault on the Final Order's Navigation tower and boarded the YC-123B transport hauler Fortitude as the group embarked for the Sith homeworld.

During the Battle of Exegol, Finn advocated for a ground assault over an aerial assault to disable the navigation tower while simultaneously evading Sith Eternal tracking. Unbeknownst to the Resistance, General Pryde had redirected the navigational signal's source to his ship to guide the Sith fleet out themselves while the Resistance approached the surface tower. Finn, through the Force, discerned that the communications signal had been transferred to the Steadfast and resolved to lead the ground team to neutralize the signal tower before assistance arrived; Dameron and the air team provided cover for the ground team as they ascended and landed on the Steadfast's hull to disable the tower. The ground team boarded Pryde's command ship, with the Orbak Tribe, led by Jannah and Finn, shielding the Resistance troopers as they exchanged fire with Sith troopers and Sith Jetpack Troopers dispatched from the Xyston-class Star Destroyers of the Sith fleet. Finn and Jannah deactivated the beacon by depositing thermal detonators down a reinforced hatch, but the setback was only temporary as Pryde's crew reset the antennae. Realizing that they had to destroy the Resurgent Star Destroyer, Finn and Jannah remained aboard the vessel's hull while Rose Tico, Beaumont Kin, Kaydel Ko Connix, and the rest of the ground team retreated.

While they opted to remain, Sidious was in the process of overpowering Rey and the newly redeemed Ben Solo, utilizing Force drain to rejuvenate himself. When Lando unexpectedly arrived with a huge fleet of civilians to confront the Sith Eternal forces, Finn's morale surged as he proclaimed that Lando had succeeded. Finn and Jannah assumed control of the turbolaser cannons on the command ship and directed them at the bridge of the Steadfast, eliminating Pryde and destroying the tower just as Rey harnessed the power of the past Jedi to vanquish Sidious once and for all. The Steadfast then commenced its descent toward the surface of Exegol with Finn and Jannah still aboard, but they were rescued by Calrissian and Chewbacca aboard the Falcon at the last moment. Aboard the Falcon, Finn acutely sensed Rey's death through the Force, but discovered she was alive when she piloted Luke's X-wing out of the ruined Sith Citadel after being revived by Ben Solo. He later informed Poe that uprisings against the First Order were occurring and that they had ultimately triumphed.

Subsequently, he, along with the rest of the crew on the Falcon, returned to Ajan Kloss to commemorate their victory over the Sith Eternal and the demise of Sidious. Observing the joyous atmosphere and the reunions taking place, he was gratified by their collective triumph. He reconnected with Poe Dameron, and they embraced. Upon Rey's arrival, she, Finn, and Dameron embraced each other, Finn becoming overwhelmed with emotion as they held onto one another. Later, Finn and Dameron speculated about the possibility of Sidious' return; they concluded, however, that even if he were to return, it would not occur for a considerable period.

An artist—possibly the Ithorian Gammit Chond—depicted Finn, alongside numerous other individuals who had played pivotal roles in galactic history, and his contributions during the search for Luke Skywalker, in a series of planetary maps. The Graf Archive published the maps—including the images of Finn and descriptions of his actions—long after the conflict against the First Order.

Finn was a male human. During his tenure with the First Order, he donned the standard-issue stormtrooper armor. Following his desertion, he relinquished his armor but continued to wear the armor's body glove and shoes, and adopted Poe Dameron's jacket as a memento. Upon learning that Dameron was alive, Finn offered to return his jacket, but the pilot insisted he retain it.

During his service with the First Order, Finn was regarded by his training cadre and fellow soldiers as one of the most exceptional stormtroopers the organization had to offer. His instructors perceived him as loyal, dutiful, brave, intelligent, and possessing the strength necessary to excel as a stormtrooper and potentially ascend to the ranks of officer. Finn was indoctrinated to believe that the New Republic was corrupt and that the First Order was essential to impose order upon a lawless galaxy, and his perception of the galaxy was shaped by his training; the First Order presented him with a curated reality, which he initially accepted without question. Although he was eager as a cadet to be deployed and witness the galaxy firsthand to serve the First Order and Supreme Leader Snoke, he was nonetheless plagued by doubt. His faith in the First Order was profoundly shaken by his squad's execution of miners on Pressy's Tumble. His doubt culminated on Jakku, where he witnessed the death of his friend FN-2003 at the hands of Poe Dameron and refused to fire upon unarmed villagers. This shattered his belief in the First Order, motivating him to desert and liberate Dameron, ultimately siding with the Resistance to aid Rey and BB-8.

Fundamentally, Finn possessed an inherently righteous, compassionate, empathetic, and benevolent nature despite his upbringing. He exhibited protectiveness toward others, nearly jeopardizing a training mission to rescue FN-2003. This empathy extended to strangers; he intervened to assist Rey when he observed Unkar Plutt's thugs assaulting her, ceasing his intervention when he witnessed her capable handling of the situation. He was unafraid to assert himself, emphatically informing Maz Kanata that she had no right to judge his character.

The most significant individuals in Finn's life were Poe and Rey. They were his first genuine friends, and he cultivated an enduring bond with each of them. Finn aided Poe in escaping the First Order as his initial act of defection, and Poe bestowed upon him a new name. Finn forged a bond of profound trust and affection with Poe, and they proved to be effective partners in collaboration. Following their crash on Jakku, Finn was relieved to discover that Poe had survived, and they embraced each other.

While infiltrating the First Order's Star Destroyer to rescue Chewbacca, Finn immediately ceased firing upon a group of stormtroopers in the corridors out of concern for Poe after he was struck in the crossfire, and he proceeded to ascertain his well-being, which resulted in their encirclement and capture. Similarly, Finn developed a strong bond with Rey, and they shared implicit trust. His plan to infiltrate Starkiller Base was motivated by his desire to rescue Rey, and upon awakening from his comatose state, he exclaimed her name in concern and inquired about her well-being from Poe.

He remained concerned for her until their reunion on Crait, embracing her tightly upon their reconciliation. Finn was also capable of sensing her death and subsequent revival through the Force due to their connection. Following the conclusion of the war against the First Order, Finn reunited with his two closest friends and embraced them both tightly as they celebrated the Resistance's victory.

As a result of a lifetime of mistreatment at their hands, Finn harbored a fear of returning to the First Order in the aftermath of his desertion. He was hesitant to align himself with the Resistance, believing it to be a futile endeavor destined for destruction by the First Order. He initially intended to flee to the Outer Rim and vanish, a plan he nearly executed at Kanata's castle on Takodana. However, his conscience prevailed after witnessing the destruction of the Hosnian System, inspiring him to participate in the subsequent battle against the First Order.

Finn exhibited courage in combat. Despite having witnessed Kylo Ren's power repeatedly, he was willing to confront him if it meant safeguarding Rey. He promptly confronted Phasma when he and Rose encountered her contingent of Stormtroopers aboard the Supremacy's hangar, utilizing the first weapon he could locate, a Z6 Riot Control Baton. Once he committed to the cause, he was ultimately willing to engage in battle and sacrifice his life for the Resistance without regard for his own safety; he preferred death to witnessing the First Order's victory.

By the time of the Battle of Exegol, Finn had evolved into a composed, confident, and collected full-fledged member of the Resistance, dedicated to the complete annihilation of the First Order. He demonstrated remarkable level-headedness, often mediating disputes between the more impulsive Rey and Dameron. Finn remained the sole member of his group of friends who remained steadfast in the face of the Final Order. He possessed unwavering faith in the Resistance and in General Leia Organa.

As a stormtrooper, Finn consistently achieved top scores in his training and was regarded as possessing the potential to become an exemplary First Order trooper. His First Order training rendered him an effective marksman with a high rate of successful engagements.

This proficiency with a blaster translated effectively into skills as a gunner. During the escape from the Finalizer aboard a stolen TIE fighter, Finn managed to eliminate numerous stormtroopers, obliterate the contents of the Finalizer's hangar bay, disable several turbolaser batteries and ventral cannons on the underside of the ship, and even intercept an incoming missile despite lacking prior experience piloting starfighters. In fact, it was solely Finn's distraction due to an argument with Poe Dameron that resulted in the stolen TIE being struck by an incoming missile and rendered inoperable. The following day, Finn manned the ventral quad-laser cannon turret aboard the Millennium Falcon during the escape from Jakku, destroying one TIE independently and another with Rey's assistance. His shooting once again proved valuable in vehicular combat as he engaged pursuing First Order snowspeeders on Starkiller Base while Rey piloted a stolen snowspeeder. He further demonstrated his marksmanship against TIE fighters while escaping the Sinta Glacier Colony alongside Dameron and Chewbacca.

Finn possessed the ability to pilot ships when necessary but expressed reservations about his capabilities and generally preferred to function as a gunner. Furthermore, he was also capable of piloting a ski speeder during the Battle of Crait.

Finn's stormtrooper training encompassed melee combat, in which he also excelled. This likely contributed to his proficiency with a lightsaber, despite lacking formal training with this particular weapon. He was able to hold his own against a stormtrooper wielding a riot baton, and despite being defeated, he managed to inflict a shoulder wound upon the more experienced Kylo Ren.

Aboard the Supremacy, Finn tested his skills against his former superior officer, Captain Phasma. Unfortunately, it was insufficient in a direct confrontation; he was only able to knock her down by capitalizing on the element of surprise and the high ground.

Finn demonstrated exceptional leadership and teamwork skills throughout his tenure with the Resistance. Aboard the Millennium Falcon, Rey remarked on the effectiveness of the team comprising Finn, herself, Han, and Chewbacca. Subsequently, Finn assisted in assuming command during operations and rallying Resistance troops with inspiring rhetoric on multiple occasions. When Dameron was appointed General of the Resistance, he promoted Finn to General as well, emphasizing that he could not lead effectively without Finn.

Like the majority of First Order stormtroopers, Finn was trained in administering aid for battlefield injuries. He utilized this training to assist a wounded Chewbacca.

Prior to his defection from the First Order, Finn was considered officer material.

Although untrained, Finn was Force-sensitive, which played a role in his defection from the First Order. By the time of the Battle of Exegol, Finn possessed the ability to sense people and objects through the Force; he sensed Kylo Ren's presence while on Pasaana, and later discerned the location of the Final Order's navigational signal based on "a feeling." He also sensed Rey's death and reached out to her through the Force in an attempt to facilitate her return.

Finn is portrayed by John Boyega in Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens, Episode VIII The Last Jedi, and Episode IX The Rise of Skywalker. Boyega's casting was initially announced on April 29, 2014, and his character was first unveiled in the inaugural teaser trailer for The Force Awakens on November 28, 2014. His first name was revealed by Entertainment Weekly in an exclusive digital trading card. The Force Awakens and The Rise of Skywalker director J.J. Abrams stated prior to the sequel trilogy's commencement that it was "completely intentional" that no last name was provided for the character, the film itself revealing that "Finn" was a name bestowed upon the character following his desertion from the stormtrooper ranks. During pre-production, Abrams employed the placeholder name "Harry" until settling on the name "Sam," which was ultimately changed to Finn.

The writers of Episode VII opted to portray Finn as a deserting stormtrooper, as Lawrence Kasdan believed it would be "incredible" to have their protagonist originate from a group of previously "faceless, indistinguishable automatons." Co-writer Michael Arndt recalled that an exasperated Kasdan spontaneously proposed his idea while they were struggling to determine a unique background for their male lead.

Boyega, whom Abrams characterized as one of the most ardent Star Wars enthusiasts among the cast, auditioned nine times for the role. Unlike his costar Daisy Ridley, Boyega adopted an American accent, as Abrams felt his London accent was unsuitable for the role, and it was only by altering his accent that Boyega was able to secure additional auditions. Boyega stated that he considers Finn to be the audience's surrogate, explaining, "During the auditions, I discovered that my niche for this character was definitely in the more humor and fear. So he just represents us in the film — just finally having a Star Wars character that goes, 'This is really dangerous.' Finn is a part of myself, just magnified a tad." Conversely, he also feels Rey is the lead who gets stressed out by her journey, while Finn is the one having fun.

In The Rise of Skywalker, Finn attempts to convey something to Rey before they are engulfed by quicksand, and subsequently declines to revisit the topic. Co-writer Chris Terrio commented, "There are some people who read it as Finn having feelings for Rey; there are some who read it as Finn trying to make that Force-related confession [that he's Force-sensitive]." Boyega himself appeared to endorse the latter interpretation of the moment, tweeting, "No… Finn wasn't going to say I love you before sinking!"

Terrio elaborated, "What's undeniable is that in the middle of the battle [on Exegol], when the source of the navigation signal is changed, Finn has a very strong sense of where it is, and that's knowledge he couldn't really have unless he was using the Force. So, the story is certainly pointing that way, and then, in the moment of Rey's death… I shouldn't use the word death because death is a complicated word there… But in the moment — it's not a death per se — when the life is going out of Rey, Finn can feel her and her last breaths. He stops and feels Rey. Chewie and Jannah don't understand it as they're in the frame behind him. When Rey is breathing what seemed to be her last breaths and almost all of the life is drained out of her, Finn can feel it." He also stated that the development was intended to reinforce The Last Jedi's theme that "you don't have to be a Skywalker or a Palpatine in order to be strong with the Force."

According to The Art of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, among the storylines considered for Finn was having him reunite with a long-lost sibling during an intelligence-gathering mission.

Following the conclusion of the sequel trilogy, Boyega gave an interview in 2020 in which he criticized the treatment of his character, believing Finn had been promoted in marketing for a role the character was not given. As a black actor, he felt insulted by the disparity between how Finn was marketed and how the character was utilized in the narrative. In 2023, Boyega gave another interview in which he touched on his Star Wars experience, declaring that both the "good" and "ugly" times shaped him into the person he became as he progressed through the industry. He stated that he had become "comfortable" with the character's endpoint in The Rise of Skywalker, stating, "I feel like the arc that JJ tried to tie up, that's where I feel comfortable with the release of him." He also confirmed that since The Rise of Skywalker, he had been able to enjoy further Star Wars releases, such as The Mandalorian and Obi-Wan Kenobi, as a fan.