Warning! SPOILERS for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker ahead.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker director J.J. Abrams officially confirms Finn's (John Boyega) secret. After months of speculation and anticipation, the final chapter of the Skywalker Saga has been released into the world, and fans still have a lot of questions. Reactions to The Rise of Skywalker have been decidedly mixed, with critics slamming the film and some fans seeming to support it. Much like 2017's The Last Jedi, The Rise of Skywalker has proven to be another divisive installment in the beloved sci-fi franchise.
While on Pasana in search of a vital clue that will lead them to a Sith wayfinder, Finn, Rey (Daisy Ridley), and Poe (Oscar Isaac) find themselves in a stretch of quicksand. Unable to get out before they sink, Finn starts to tell Rey something he hasn't been able to say before, but doesn't get it out before they all sink into the tunnels below. Later, Rey asks him about it, and he brushes it off. Poe, annoyed to be left out of the loop, also asks Finn about what he was going to say, but Finn never gives a definitive answer. Fans were disappointed with the lack of resolution for this, but now Abrams has confirmed what Finn wanted to say.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences held a screening of The Rise of Skywalker that included a Q&A session with Abrams. While Abrams didn't officially confirm Finn's secret during the Q&A, Twitter user kaila ren heard Abrams answer a fan's questions after the session. He revealed that Finn wanted to tell Rey that he is Force-sensitive. Some may have thought Finn wanted to tell Rey he's in love with her, but Finn and Rey have remained platonic throughout the trilogy.
While never explicitly confirmed in the film, Finn exhibits his Force-sensitivity several times. The most notable moment comes when Rey dies on Exegol after defeating Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid). Finn is far away on the Millennium Falcon, but he still realizes she's gone in a heartbreaking moment of realization. He also is able to locate exactly which Star Destroyer is leading the Emperor's fleet based on a "feeling".
The Rise of Skywalker makes it fairly clear that Finn is Force-sensitive, but it's also a bit disappointing that Finn never gets to say it out loud. It could have made for an interesting conversation between him and Rey, something that further connects them. However, the hints are strong enough on their own that fans should be able to fill in the blanks themselves, provided they understand how the Force works. Either way, it's a nice addition to Finn's character that proved useful in the film.
Source: kaila ren/Twitter