Star Wars: The Force Awakens - 10 Simple Explanations That Would Have Improved The Film

3. How Does Finn Keep His Own Against Kylo Ren In A Lightsaber Fight?

There's a lot of conflicting information in The Force Awakens with regards to Finn being able to handle himself using a lightsaber. He had extensive Stormtrooper training ever since he was a kid, apparently, which means that - yes - he probably would be able to handle himself in a fight, given that he was pitched against someone of a similar skill level. Stormtroopers are also seen using lightsaber-type weapons in the movie, so there's a chance that Finn picked up his swordplay technique whilst training with them. So far, so good. But Finn later explains that - as a First Order trooper - he worked in "sanitation," which throws a lot of stuff up into the air. Why would a sanitation worker be tasked with accompanying Kylo Ren to Jakku during the opening scene? And doesn't Finn spend much of the movie being rather bumbling, all things considered? Does he really behave the way that a "brainwashed" Stormtrooper would behave, given his sordid history? All this is basically another way of saying that the character's fighting skills seem at odds with what we know about him. How does he manage to keep up with Kylo Ren in the final lightsaber fight for as long as he does? He should have had his back sliced much earlier.