Character deep dive: Finn
A look at the spunky sidekick from the Five Fates series [contains spoilers]
Welcome to my character deep dives, where I take a detailed look at one of the main characters in my emotional epic fantasy series and what makes them tick. This week’s discussion is veering a little way away from my others, because this character isn’t one of my main characters. She is, however, a very special character who deserves her own discussion. We’re talking about Fionna “Finn” Garrison. [Please note: this article will contain spoilers for Fire’s Hand, Fate’s Heart, and Earth’s Blood, Fate’s Folly, books one and two of the Five Fates series.]
Archetype: the spunky sidekick
In the Five Fates series, Finn is what I think of as the spunky sidekick. She’s small, she’s tough, and she’s got something to prove. Despite a harsh, often unforgiving upbringing, Finn remains an idealist. She can see the good—the hope—in the world, even when things are dark.
Additionally, for being in a group of people who received elemental magic from a bunch of gods, Finn’s remains the normal one. She didn’t get any magic, so she’s out here doing her best to help save the world with nothing but her wits.
Inspiration and similar characters
Finn is another character who wasn’t directly inspired by any specific characters. I needed a character to fulfill a role as Dare’s friend within the mercenary guild where they’re both members, so she needed to be someone that Dare would both respect and enjoy hanging around with. Beyond that, her personality developed naturally through exploratory writing, which is one of my favorite ways to create a character.
There are several characters in popular media who fit Finn’s overall vibe. These include Arya Stark from Game of Thrones, Jo March from Little Women, and Yelena from the Marvel cinematic universe.
Aesthetic
Finn’s vibe is a mix between “lovable street urchin” and “15 pounds of brawler in a 5-pound bag.” Plus she’s got something to prove, so don’t ever tell her she can’t do something.
Songs that fit the vibe
You know we need to have some songs with the right vibe, so here’s a few from Finn’s playlist.
How Finn got into this mess
[This section contains major spoilers for Fire’s Hand, Fate’s Heart.]
In the beginning of Fire’s Hand, Fate’s Heart, Finn is a junior member of a mercenary guild known as the Crimson Brothers. Although she’s friends with Dare through the guild, their paths don’t truly converge until the commander Finn reports to within the Brothers brings her and several other mercenaries on an outside job to kill a group of travelers. That group just so happens to include Dare and the others on the journey. Finn is mildly wounded during the ensuing battle, after which Dare recognizes her and tries to convince Verity of her trustworthiness. From then on, she follows the group on their quest, wanting nothing more than to be a part of something bigger than herself and make the world a better place.
Tell me what you think
Let me know what you think about Finn and other characters like her. Do you like characters who can stay optimistic despite the terrible things that have happened? Or do you prefer when that darkness tends to seep out a bit more?
If Finn sounds like a character you’d enjoy, check out the Five Fates series. Books one and two of the main series, as well as the series prequel, are all available in Kindle Unlimited. Book three is in edits and will be released as soon as possible.