Star Wars Sequel Trilogy: 12 Missed Opportunities We'll NEVER Get Over

6. Finn's Wasted Arc

I called this "Finn's Wasted Everything" when focusing on Rise of Skywalker's portion of his story, but it stands to reason that between JJ and Rian, they didn't have a clue what to do with Finn beyond "What if a stormtrooper had feelings?"

Because despite Finn fronting all the marketing materials for The Force Awakens; even doing battle with Kylo in a number of trailers, Johnson wrote his sacrifice to wound the First Order out of The Last Jedi, and Rise reduces him to "Man Who Yells While Being Thirsty For Rey".

Yes Finn meets up with some other ex-troopers in the form of Jannah and Various Extras, but besides one scene where we find this out, there's no sense of belonging; no questioning of what he's supposed to be doing after a life of servitude, and nowhere for him to go.

Playing into the child soldier stuff and giving him a meaningful rivalry with Phasma would've worked. Having Jannah and her crew defect because they heard about him being the first would've worked too.

Instead, John Boyega - like pretty much everyone else - is ultimately wasted.