Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Will Explore Finn’s Backstory

So much of the current trilogy of Star Wars films has focused on the stories of Kylo Ren and Rey, who represent the two sides of the Force in this generation of the Saga. Their origins have been part of the main plot thread since Star Wars: The Force Awakens in 2015, but other characters like Poe and Finn have had slightly fuzzier histories. We know that Finn was a stormtrooper who defected to the Resistance, but that’s about it. Fortunately, there will be a lot more information about Finn and where he comes from in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

During an interview with Vanity Fair, Rise of Skywalker director J.J. Abrams explained that the origins of Finn will finally be explored in the new movie, answering many of the questions that fans have been asking about the character since the new trilogy began.

“It’s part of the story in this one,” Abrams said. “And it was alluded to in Episode VII, but there’s a bit more light shed on that in this one.”

It won’t just be Finn getting some backstory added in The Rise of Skywalker, either, according to Abrams. The director went on to say that several key characters from the movie will have questions about their past answered.

“I would say that each of the characters get more light shed on their histories,” he added. “I’m not saying we get full, exhaustive downloads on all of their childhoods and every major step that got them to where they are. But there are a lot of questions about Finn’s past, about Poe’s past, obviously Rey and Kylo, and then some of the new characters we meet.”

That may sound like a daunting task, adding backstories to all of these characters when the movie itself is already trying to wrap up four decades worth Star Wars. But Abrams wants The Rise of Skywalker to be all about closure, for its characters as well as its overall narrative.

“We went into this movie very much in the mindset that this has to be conclusive. It has to. You have to get some answers. You have to learn some things” Abrams explained. “For me personally, the fun of it is the excitement of what comes next, what comes down the line. It makes beginnings tantalizing and exciting because hopefully the audience will feel the same feeling you have, which is, ‘Ooh, I think I know where this is going. Let’s see how we get there.’”

Are you looking forward to seeing Finn’s backstory unfold in The Rise of Skywalker? Let us know in the comments!

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker arrives in theaters on December 20th.