Star Wars Holiday Special confirms Rise of Skywalker theory about Finn

Happy Life Day! The Star Wars Holiday Special is now on Disney Plus and, far from being just a celebration of all things a galaxy far, far away past and present, it’s also offered up one possible path for a major character’s future.

The Lego Holiday Special, which takes place post-Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, sees Rey attempting to harness Finn’s Force abilities. It doesn’t all go to plan – no spoilers here – so Rey has to undergo some unconventional lessons to help Finn.

It seems, then, that the big secret that Finn wanted to tell Rey when they were in the sinking sands of Pasaana in Episode 9 was that the ex-Stormtrooper is Force-sensitive.

It’s one of a few things left answered by the J.J. Abrams-directed end to the Skywalker Saga, even though Abrams himself said post-release he left it open-ended so it "could mean different things to different people." Another mystery, how the Emperor got his groove back (and returned from the dead), was later answered in a Rise of Skywalker book.

Of course, the Disney Plus one-off episode isn’t likely to lead anywhere anytime soon, but it does ponder a future for both Rey and Finn, one where Palpatine’s granddaughter is master to Finn’s apprentice. He’s even seen in training with Rey’s new yellow lightsaber in several scenes – including cutting the Life Day turkey.

While John Boyega didn’t voice Finn in the Lego spin-off, he has been open about his Star Wars experience – saying he’s had an “honest conversation” with Disney about it, as well as opening up about Finn's scrapped Star Wars 9 arc from Colin Trevorrow’s Duel of the Fates.

Boyega may never return – and we may never see Finn become a Jedi – but at least there’s plenty of room to manoeuvre should the character return down the line.