Rose Tico was definitely one of the weakest notable new characters in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. If Rey was the new Luke and Finn was the new Han, then Rose was technically supposed to be the new Leia—and oh boy, she did not fill those shoes very well. She doesn’t possess any unique abilities or skills. She’s not Force-sensitive, she’s not crucial to the story in any meaningful way, and—if we’re being honest—she lacks a visually pleasing presence.

I vaguely remember her sister dying during an attack on the First Order, which seems to be what motivates Rose to team up with Finn on various missions to fight back.

Eventually, she starts developing strong feelings for Finn. So when she sees her almost-boyfriend about to sacrifice himself in battle, she takes matters into her own hands—literally. She crashes into his ship, risking both their lives. Yet somehow, thanks to sheer luck (and plot armor), they both survive—and are conveniently ignored by the First Order forces that should’ve been paying more attention.

Her justification—that “we’re going to win this war not by fighting what we hate, but by saving what we love”—sounds like it was aiming for something deep or philosophical. But in the context of the film, it came off as awkward and unearned.

After the backlash her character received in The Last Jedi, Rose was pushed to the background in The Rise of Skywalker. Her storyline with Finn was essentially dropped, and by then, it felt like the writers—and much of the audience—had lost interest.