POE DAMERON

The hot-shot hothead who’s far more than a Han clone

THE FIRST PICTURE of Poe Dameron arriving in The Force Awakens was an ‘aha!’ moment. That jawline. The devil-may-care hair. The bruised cheekbone. This, fans clocked, is the Sequel Trilogy’s ‘Han Solo type’. And yet despite his planned early demise (he was originally fated to die in the crash on Jakku), Poe lived on to become one of Star Wars’ most complex heroes. In J.J. Abrams’ film Poe is a straightforwardly dashing hot-shot pilot, swooping in in his X-wing to save the day. But in The Last Jedi he develops a serious herocomplex, so convinced that his way (reckless and glory-seeking) is the only way. His planned mutiny against Vice Admiral Holdo — who had the situation under control the entire time — is anything but pointless, teaching him a new form of leadership (tactical and life-preserving) that should serve him well in Episode IX.