Poe Dameron

• 1. Development And Conception

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  In 2015, the character that would become Poe Dameron was referred to as John Doe. Early script drafts envisioned him as a black man in his 30s or 40s. Writers imagined him as a Jedi or perhaps a bounty hunter with a Wookiee sidekick. Later versions depicted him simply as a Republic military man. When Oscar Isaac received the offer for the role, the original plan had Poe die early in the film. Director J.J. Abrams rewrote the script so that the character appears throughout the entire movie. The name Poe Dameron came from Morgan Dameron, an assistant who worked on the production. Isaac is Guatemalan-born and brought a specific energy to the part that differed from previous iterations.

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• 2. Cultural Impact And Reception

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  The Force Awakens received praise for casting women and people of color including the Guatemalan-born Oscar Isaac. Peter Travers of Rolling Stone wrote that giving starring roles to a black man, a white woman and a Latino is quietly history making. A television spot on Univision featured Poe and included an introduction by Isaac in Spanish. Critics compared the character to Han Solo from the original trilogy. Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune called Isaac a primary asset who does not take any guff. Robbie Collin of The Telegraph described Poe as a dashing swashbuckler who feels like Han Solo was 40 years ago. Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter noted the hotshot pilot is very much in the Solo mold. Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times observed that Isaac has more than a bit of Han Solo swagger. Ann Hornaday of The Washington Post said Isaac brings just the right amount of cocksure street smarts to his role. Brian Hiatt of Rolling Stone praised the loose jazzy dialogue as a welcome clue about human tone. Some critics believed the revelation that Poe spent time as a spice smuggler did not fit with what audiences already knew. Joanna Robinson of Vanity Fair and Scott Mendelson of Forbes noted the chemistry between Poe and Finn. Their scenes sparked fan speculation that Poe could be gay or developed as such. Several media outlets reported a wave of fan fiction and fan art created by shippers who wanted to see them in a romantic relationship.

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• 3. The Force Awakens Narrative

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  Poe is introduced in The Force Awakens as an X-wing fighter pilot for the Resistance. He is sent by General Leia Organa to the planet Jakku to retrieve part of a map showing Luke Skywalker's location. When the First Order arrives on Jakku, Poe hides the map inside the droid BB-8. He sends the droid into the desert while he remains behind. Kylo Ren captures Poe and tortures him searching for the map. A renegade stormtrooper liberates Poe from captivity. They flee the First Order in a TIE fighter during their escape. Poe gives the stormtrooper the name Finn before they crash on Jakku. Finn is ejected from the ship and presumes Poe dies when the craft sinks into the sand. Later Poe reappears leading an X-wing squadron against the First Order. Near the end of the film he leads an attack on Starkiller Base. He personally fires the shots that cause the superweapon to explode. The novelization explains that Poe was thrown from the TIE fighter over Jakku and survived. After encountering the Blarina scavenger Naka, he helped him escape from pirates. Naka then helped Poe get to Blowback Town.

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• 4. Conflict In The Last Jedi

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  The Last Jedi begins shortly after the destruction of Starkiller Base. As the First Order closes in on the Resistance headquarters, Poe leads a counterattack. Once transports are away, Leia orders Poe to pull back but he insists they seize the opportunity. His team of bombers succeeds in taking out the Dreadnought but all crews die. Leia demotes Poe to Captain for recklessness and disobeying orders. Using a tracking device, the First Order pursues the Resistance through hyperspace. Another attack claims most of the leadership and renders Leia unconscious. Poe assumes he will be named acting general but Leia promotes Vice Admiral Holdo instead. She dismisses his suggestions due to his earlier reckless actions. Poe concocts a plan with Finn and mechanic Rose Tico to disable the tracker. He keeps the operation secret from Holdo when she plans to abandon a vulnerable ship. Poe stages a mutiny against her authority. Finn and Rose fail to disable the tracker while an awakened Leia stops the uprising. Despite disobedience both Leia and Holdo express admiration for his daring. The forces arrive on Crait where Poe leads an unsuccessful offensive. Luke distracts Ren while Poe leads remaining members through an uncharted passage. Originally Poe was going to accompany Finn on a mission to Canto Baint. Director Rian Johnson realized their dialogue was interchangeable resulting in a flat storyline.

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• 5. Redemption And Final Victory

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  The Rise of Skywalker is set one year after the previous film. Poe, Finn and Chewbacca retrieve information from a First Order mole before traveling to Passanna. They locate a Sith dagger hoping to find Exegol and Emperor Palpatine. After Chewbacca's apparent death they land on Kijimi meeting contact Zorii Bliss. She reveals that Poe was a spice smuggler who abandoned friends and crew. She still harbors resentment but decides to help after Rey defeats her in combat. Zorii takes them to droid-smith Babu Frik who hacks into C-3PO memory. Instructions for locating a Sith wayfinder emerge from the inscriptions. Zorii invites Poe to join her as she travels the galaxy. He considers the offer but she urges him to finish what started. She helps him board a Star Destroyer to rescue Chewbacca. While aboard Ren's Destroyer Poe and Finn are captured for execution. General Hux saves them revealing he is the mole aiding the Resistance. Poe has been named acting general but struggles with responsibility. Lando Calrissian encourages him to rely on his friends. Poe makes Finn his co-general leading a strike against Sith Eternal forces. Despite initial success Poe loses hope when outnumbered massively. Lando arrives with a fleet of fighter craft from across the galaxy. With help from this fleet and deaths of Ren and Palpatine, victory is secured. Back at base Poe reunites with Zorii, Finn and Rey during celebration.

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• 6. Expanded Universe Stories

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  Poe appears in multiple novels including Moving Target set between 1980 and 1983. Star Wars: Before the Awakening covers lives before The Force Awakens events. Star Wars: Resistance Reborn by Rebecca Roanhorse covers rebuilding after The Last Jedi. Star Wars: Poe Dameron: Free Fall explores early life and connection to Zorii Bliss. Yavin 4 was established as Poe's homeworld in Shattered Empire comic series. This occurred after Oscar Isaac learned shooting location for Yavin 4 had been Tikal Guatemala. The series features parents who were Rebel Alliance members. His mother Shara Bey is an A-wing pilot who adventures with Leia. Father Kes Dameron leads Pathfinders alongside Han Solo. A Marvel comic book series written by Charles Soule ran from April 2016 to September 2018. Beginning takes place shortly before The Force Awakens crossing over into film events. Poe also appears in animated TV series Star Wars Resistance voiced by Isaac. Lego versions appear in short form animated series The Resistance Rises. He is a playable character in Disney Infinity 3.0 video game. Personal X-Wing starfighter is playable in Battlefront II sequel to its 2015 reboot.

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