Iwas surprised that it took me until my second rating on Letterboxd to realize that it was the character of Rose I most related to. Really, it should have been obvious: Her brash assertiveness and spunky confidence, her right makes might and righteous idealism, her attitude based in emotional content instead of anger (ala Bruce Lee) and her efforts in charity towards others. I’m not suggesting that I maintain these qualities, but I certainly wish that to be the case.

There is a pure genuineness to Kelly Marie Tran’s performance that could only come from 1) A young Star Wars fan and 2) Humility and being of good heart. When she expresses her fandom for Finn with a “THE Finn!”, there is nothing forced nor is there a tinge of irony or wink/nod type cadence — She really is excited to meet him. As a fan of the series, game recognizes game, so to speak. Kelly “gets” not just The Last Jedi, but what is needed from the franchise right now. And what is needed is inclusiveness and a grand fighting spirit. Being a Disney “property” puts a target on the back of its intentions, but giving creatives like writer/director Rian Johnson and uber souls like Kelly a shot at molding something fresh out of something so beloved, in and of itself is something to celebrate. And Rose is at the center.

Her arc, which really begins with the sacrifice her sister makes in the opening — a surprisingly captivating, tense and resonate sequence making music out of a movie — might be seen as kitsch to many and naive to most, but ties in to and pays off at the end ultimately. She concocts a plan with Finn and Poe that proves fruitless — one of many from The Resistance — but not without effort or meaning. Not without inspiration. The so called “broom boy” ending is perhaps loftier than people were hoping for, I understand, but what it represents is far more positive and powerful that what could’ve been.

In just one moment, Rose makes all the difference for the future of The Resistance and the galaxy. She takes the time to connect and bond with a slave child who, unbeknownst to her, is force sensitive. This scene, which at first merely helps two characters make a getaway, captures the true heart of the story and its continuity. It expresses how our actions and what we do to one another matter, affecting more than we can fathom.

Fruitless plans? Maybe what bears important is that we acted in the first place. That has to matter, right?