Rose Tico

Rose Tico is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise, first appearing in the simultaneously released Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Cobalt Squadron (both 2017). A mechanic with the Resistance, she befriends Finn (John Boyega) and works with him to try to help Resistance forces escape from the First Order. Rose is portrayed by Kelly Marie Tran. Rose was created by The Last Jedi writer and director Rian Johnson after he decided a subplot originally involving Finn and Poe Dameron needed a different dynamic. The Last Jedi was Tran's first film role, and she had never watched a Star Wars film prior to auditioning for the part. A struggling actress who had considered quitting the profession altogether before seeking the part, Tran went through an intense five-month audition process, beating out hundreds of other actresses for the role. Rose's backstory was revealed in the novel Star Wars: The Last Jedi: Cobalt Squadron (2017), in which Rose is the protagonist along with her sister Paige, a minor character in the film. The novel establishes that Rose and Paige joined the Resistance after their impoverished home planet was devastated by the First Order. The character of Rose serves as a relatable audience surrogate, an everywoman, a positive influence on Finn, and the personification of real-life Star Wars fandom. Johnson originally planned for Rose to be sarcastic and irritable, but the character was changed to match Tran's personality after she was cast, becoming more positive. Tran felt a connection between Rose's past experiences and those of her own family during the Vietnam War, and she researched the conflict and her family's past to help get into Rose's mindset. The character and Tran's portrayal received largely positive reactions from critics, though fan reactions were more divided, and she became the subject of racist and sexist attacks over the Internet. Multiple fans and celebrities came to Tran's defense, and she directly responded to the harassment with an essay in The New York Times. For her performance in The Last Jedi, Tran was nominated for the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress.